WE are now at the Cafeteria, eating lunch with the whole squad. Everything is normal, I guess. Becca is now talking to us and she’s even being kinder to me than before. I mean, this is what I wanted, right?
Even if it was against Nathan and Scott’s plan, I decided to closed the deal between me and Becca and help her instead of Scott. I even quit in the drama club and decided to be just a normal student with no clubs being joined in.
Thankfully, Nathan and Scott didn’t notice anything unusual about my recent action for they thought that I’m just being a lazy person as I was for not memorizing the script and quiting the play. I even anonymously recommended Becca to our adviser as an replacement to my role and as Nathan’s partner.
“I have an announcement to make!” Becca squealed, tapping her glass using some stainless spoon.
“What is it?” Scott asked, looking so excited.
Well I hope he enjoy disappointments for I already knew what Becca is going to tell to the rest of our squad. She’ll probably gonna tell us that she got the role in replacement of mine.
“I got Natalia’s abandoned role! I mean, can you believe it? The adviser of the drama club chose me out of all people!” she burst out in joy.
I secretly shook my head, seeing how she’s overreacting for a thing that we already planned a long time ago. More like a week, I guess.
“Whoah... That’s amazing! Congratulations!” Scott stated, before shaking Becca’s hands, making himself blush.
Nathan looked at my direction, as if asking me what’s this or if I knew something. I just avoided his eyes, looking away for I’m afraid that he’ll caught us. Besides, I can still remember Becca’s exact words when we are at the top of the building. Nathan likes me... Or maybe she just told me that so I’ll give them some space together.
“I will be your partner, Nathan. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Yeah, it is,” Nathan blankly stated.
From the corners of my eyes, I saw how Scott frowned after hearing those words. Nathan signaled something to him... Something that Becca and I couldn’t understand. Boys often do that, I guess. They have their own way of telling secrets to each other. Scott just nodded, before shutting his mouth up.
Just before I knew it, the bell already rings and Nathan and I are now walking towards our respective classroom, same as Becca and Scott. Nathan nudged me before saying anything. When I didn’t bulge even just a little bit, he open his mouth and started to ask me some random question.
“You shouldn’t had quit, Nat. I mean, we are already starting to memorize the lines and stuffs. And do you know about Becca replacing you thing? I mean, if you do, you’ll probably didn’t quit, haven’t you? Scott will be heartbroken again because of this.”
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I just continued walking down the hallway until we reached our classroom. There, I finally got some peaceful time for myself away from all of Nathan’s interrogating questions.
The next thing I knew, it was already the most awaited day for all the members of drama club. The day when they could finally act their heart out by doing that play. Everyone looks excited, specially our friends.
Becca is looking very stunning by her outfit, same as my bestfriend. They look so good together, that everyone will envy their looks, I guess. Well what I mean by everyone is literally everyone... Including me.
“You look so ravishing Becca,” Scott stated when we visit them at the backstage of where their play is going to be held at.
“Thank you for the compliment!” she exclaimed, planting a gentle kiss on Scott cheeks, making him blush.
Well we don’t have any problems in our squad by showing affections and love for a friend towards each other. I mean, kiss on the cheeks as a form of greetings and gratitude are just normal for the four of us. We are not adding any malice about it.
Becca smiled at my direction, and I did the same, trying to look happy for her. When Nathan saw us, he instantly waved his hand before walking towards our direction.
“Oh, there’s my king!” Becca stated, making Scott frowned at us.
“Hey, Nat. Hey, Scott. Thank you for being here,” Nathan stated.
“Of course! Natalia told me that we should watch this play for you prepared and worked very hard for this one to happen,” Scott lengthy explained.
I was about to open my mouth to join in the conversation when Becca suddenly said something again.
“Of course Natalia knows about that. She’s been a member of the club.”
I smiled at them and they did the same. Before I could say anything, their advisers already started to call their names to line up. The first name to be called out is Nathan, followed by other club members.
“Wish me luck, Nat!” Nathan gave me a quick hug before running towards the line.
Becca waved her hands at Scott before she pulled me in for a hug just like what Nathan did. She whispered something into my ears that made shivers rolled down to my spine.
“Thank you for everything, Natalia. Now watch what I can do...”
She pulled away, flashing a devilish grin at my direction before running after Nathan. Scott looked at me in confusion, and I can’t blame him either for maybe I was still looking stunned right now after hearing Becca’s words.
“W-What?” I asked him.
“Nothing. Are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure? You’re looking so pale, Natalia.”
I shook my head before pulling him with me.
“Let’s just go and find some seats for the both of us. I wanted to watch as closely as possible for our friends,” I stated.
“Sure, it was all up to you then.”
We walked out from the backstage to find some seats in the audience area. There were only a few students here who’s interested in watching the play. But suddenly, after a few minutes or more, the crowd suddenly multiplied in just a blink of an eye. Maybe because of the fact that they heard from everyone that this play is going to be the greatest one that the club has ever prepared. Thankfully, Scott and I finally got our own seats. If not, I don’t know if I can bear not watch what Becca was planning to do later on to my bestfriend.
“Wow, you picked up the perfect place. This seat has definitely the right angle and perfect view for the play,” Scott complimented.
“Yeah. Thanks...”
I looked directly to the stage, keeping myself from regretting anything for letting Becca took over my place for the second time around. As the play started, Scott and I watch it very carefully... Nathan is acting pretty good, it was so unexpected of him to be that expressive in this play.
“Nathan nailed it,” Scott stated.
At the center part of the play, there will be a scene where the characters of king and queen will do a stage kissing. It was like what Nathan and I had practiced before. I felt nervous, thinking what Scott will feel about it after watching that scene. So I already chose to warn him before anything happens.
“Scott...” I poked his shoulders.
“Yeah?” he asked, not bothering to look away from the stage.
“Nathan and Becca... They are going to do a–”
“Stage kiss, am I right? Nathan already told me about it. Don’t worry, I trust him. I know he wouldn’t do anything bad right in front of me. And besides, it was just a part of this play,” he stated nonchalantly.
I sighed, before nodding. Right, that is just a part of the play. Nothing more, nothing less. I trust Nathan, and I know he wouldn’t do anything to make Scott feel bad or something. It’s Becca I don’t trust. I know that she’s up to something suspicious.
“Scott, would you like to grab some food with me?” I asked, bothered.
“Yeah, maybe later.”
“But I’m really hungry...”
“Right now? Can’t you wait for a little bit longer? I mean, come on, Nat. This is the best part. The story is near on its climax.”
Well, Scott seems to be enjoying the play so I guess I’ll just let him be. Maybe I’m just over thinking about something that will never happen. We watch the play just a little bit longer before that scene started to be executed. Nathan looked very professional in doing it, but I could see in Becca’s intense stare towards my bestfriend that she’s planning something.
Until Becca completely lost it. Nathan was supposed to be the one who will lead that fake kissing scene of them, but Becca jumped into that part without even letting my bestfriend finished his last line before that. She grabbed his face, before kissing him... In front of the whole school. The crowd gasped in shock at first before everyone cheered them up, clapping their hands for witnessing a good and almost close to reality play.
“What just happened?” Scott asked, looking at me in awe.
“Scott...” I looked down, feeling sorry for him.
I knew it. Becca will do something like this. Now I regret giving her my role. I mean, she hurt Scott pretty badly, and now I’m starting to think that none of this would have happened if I didn’t let her manipulate myself again.
“Now I can’t watch this anymore...” he stated, standing up.
“Scott, wait!” I shouted, chasing after him.
When I look into the stage, I saw Becca smirking at our direction, while Nathan is still looking very stunned and shocked as ever. I shook my head towards them in disapproval of what they did, before I followed Scott outside of the theatre room.
“Scott!” I called out. He turned around, facing me. This is the first time I saw him looking so furious about something. “It wasn’t Nathan’s fault! You saw it! Becca did it on purpose!” I defended my bestfriend.
“Of course you’ll defend him! But why does he didn’t push her away, huh? It’s because he likes it too!”
“Scott... Please don’t blame Nathan for this. I mean, they were on the stage! Do you think he can publicly humiliate Becca just like that?”
“That’s what I thought at first too... But no. Nathan always has a choice. From the moment he found out about Becca being his partner, then he should’ve decline that role...”
He shook his head before walking away. I felt numb, unable to say anything. This is all my fault, not Nathan. Scott should blame me instead of him.
“I’m sorry...” I stated, as he already reached a few meters away from my current location.
He turned around, looking at me in the eye. I avoided his gaze, guilty for the fact that I’m the one who made things this complicated. I’m the one who helped Becca get this role of her.
“Please stop, Natalia. Don’t apologized for something that you couldn’t control.”
“No, Scott... It was my fault.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, confused by my words.
I guess it is the right time to tell him the truth. The truth that this is all my fault before Nathan and him got into a fight or something else big. If only that kiss didn’t happened. But I guess I can’t turn back the time, and I have to take the responsibility for that.