Lavender Monarch has Exactly Thirteen Fears

10. painting for the queen

"My office. Now." We walk down the hall in silence behind her but we can't help exchange glances. I haven't really gotten into trouble at school before, it seems Patty is a bad influence on me. His expression suggests that he finds this whole thing is funny. I can see him biting back a smile which results in me giving him the death stare.

In the office, we both sit there solemnly listening to her lecture us about responsibility and having good behaviour. I can hardly take it seriously because we are both still covered in the paint she didn't let us wash off. I'm relieved that she lets us off with just a warning, no detention but we've been banned from painting the set after school again. I'm just glad she didn't do anything drastic like revoke my role in the play but I guess it would be too late notice for that anyway. She finally lets us leave but only after we apologise and make a promise to be more respectful of our privileges and the materials and opportunities provided to us by the school.

Patty insists on walking me home which is nice and all but I'm kind of annoyed with him.

"Do you really think that was funny?" I say as soon as we are out of ear-shot from our office. He holds the door open for me and we walk outside. He's just smirking.

"Yes. It was hilarious. Did you not see her face?" As much as I want to be mad, I do have to admit it was pretty entertaining.

"Fine," I relent, "It was a little bit funny." Okay, it was more than a little but I'm not giving him that satisfaction. The best part was when I got home, my parents gave me such confused looks when I came in but I just walked up to my room in silence. My phone buzzes and I see Patty has sent me the paintbrush emoji. It causes me to burst into a fit of laughter again.

The following day at school, Patty and I spend the lunchtime painting seeing as we've now had our afterschool privileges taken away from us. The only downside is that now Ms Clarke is always watching us with her hawk eyes and trying to join in on our private conversations. 

"Are you sure about that role?" she asks me again as I sketch out some tiles on the backdrop, "this is the final offer before I give it to Hannah and I just know she won't do as well as you." Why does she expect me to be good, anyhow? I haven't acted a line in my life!

"I've told you no," I mutter in frustration. What doesn't she understand? She's really starting to push my limits here. I know that if I accepted, as soon as I got on stage and see the crowd that I'll freeze up, forget my lines and look like an idiot.

"I have an idea," she says and winks at me. I shake my head as she trods off not knowing what she's on about. 

"Awww Lavender, c' mon. Live a little!" Patty says and I glare at him.

"If you want me to act so bad, then why don't you volunteer for a role?" I snap. I smirk at him in satisfaction. There is nothing he can say against that. He would never perform, what and make all his jock buddies think he's an idiot? No way. He raises his eyebrows at me. 

"Fine, I will." He's bluffing. He's totally bluffing. 

"Okay then. Why don't you tell Ms Clarke as soon as she gets back here?"

"Maybe I will," he says before turning his back to me. I hold back the urge to laugh. Ms Clarke comes over and claps her hands in delight. I watch her suspiciously. 

"Lavender, come this way." I put the paintbrush down and follow after her. I glance back in annoyance when I see Patty is following me. 

"Here. Isn't it perfect?" she asks, gesturing to the front of the stage. She's set up a little TV there that you could see when you're performing. "Now we can just put all your lines on there and you won't have to worry about forgetting them on stage." I open my mouth to protest but before I can speak Patty interrupts me. 

"I'm sure that will be perfect for Lavender. She'd love to perform and as for me, I'd like to as well." He crosses his arms and stares at me challengingly. Ms Clarke's face lights up. 

"Oh, that's just wonderful! It'll be perfect." She grins and tots off the stage happily. Patty winks at me and walks back down of the stage. I stand up there in resignation knowing there's nothing I can do about it. After all, it's my fault for underestimating Patty. 

Ms. Clarke grins at me when I wander into the hall the next morning.

"Ah, there's my little star," she says and I take my seat awkwardly. She delegates the rest of the roles and hands the scripts out. I glance over it but the words jump around like crickets. I can't make any sense of it. She immediately tells us to all stand and jump up on the stage to give it a go. I swallow the bile that threatens to rise up in my throat. I should never have agreed to this.

"You did a great job," Patty says smiling as I walk off the stage. 

"Thanks," I say, smiling back. "You too." He's always being so sweet to me and it's getting harder and harder to ignore the growing affection I have towards him. 

For the entire week at school, I spend every spare moment on the play. We have so much to get done and I think I might explode like a supernova. At least then the anxiety would be gone and I could just drift peacefully in pieces through space.

I sigh. It looks like I'm really going to have to perform.