A Shot in the Shadows

Almost

"Oh my God," Riley moans as she's dragged from next to Annabell and put in a kneeling position next to the kids.

Paige gets moved to the back a few times, in between Adrianna and Lara, and then they arrange everyone by gender, just to make things more complicated.

Finally they're done, and Mr. Harding wastes no time in ushering everyone back into the theater for rehearsal, hanging back to look at the photos with some of the other adults.

After forty-five minutes he appears in the theater, waving his hands wildly. Mr. Harding has tried all sorts of things to try and divert their attention before, so Paige and Annabell continue with their lines.

"If you think-"

"Paige, shhhh, good job," Mr. Harding shouts, coming to a stop in front of the pit.

Paige stops, hand half-raised to push Annabell's shoulder.

"We're done for the day," Mr. Harding calls.

"But it's barely past noon," Annabell says, shooting a furtive glance offstage to check the clock. "It's not even two yet."

"Yes, well, I'm the director and I say you've all been doing a splendid job," Mr. Harding says, grinning widely. "You all know your lines, your cues, your music, and you were all splendid at the shoot today. Therefore, I say it's time for you to go home and have some fun."

Paige sees some of the cast step on stage to watch Mr. Harding. None of them make a move.

"Oh, I'm serious," Mr. Harding exclaims. "You all deserve it. We start previews next week, go spend some time doing whatever you all do in your native habitats."

Everyone's still hesitant. Paige glances around, eying the doors.

"Well, spread the word! Shoo!"

Paige and Annabell shoo down to their dressing rooms, and between them manage to get their fellow teens (even Lara) to go out with them and wreak some havoc.

<==================================>

The first video is released sometime Thursday afternoon.

Paige would have been able to pinpoint exactly when if she'd had a watch on her during rehearsals. Looking back, Paige knows that it went up when Mr. Harding left the theater halfway through one of Nikki's numbers and came back grinning from ear to ear, followed by some vaguely familiar theater staff.

During their break, Paige is lounging in one of the seats near the pit, deep in an argument about the kids and Riley about some musicals.

"But I don't get it," Riley moans. "Matilda sucks."

"It does not," Paige says. "All those kids are brilliantly talented."

"But it makes no sense," Riley says. "I mean, this girl can just randomly decide she can move things with her eyes? What's with that? And don't get me started on-"

"I like it," Alice interrupts. "It's a nice story. And it's good, like it lets kids know that even if their family hates them, they can still find people who care about them. Or something like that."

Riley slides off her seat and kneels on the floor until she's eye level with Alice. "If parents hated their kid, why on earth would they bring them to see Matilda?"

Paige sighs, grabbing the back of Riley's collar and hauling her butt back onto her seat. Alice scowls and sticks out her tongue at Riley.

"Leave the kids alone, Riley," Paige says. "I think it's a perfectly good show. And Matilda knew about her... ability beforehand it would just ruin everything. Besides, how many o would want to be in Matilda?"