"Megan Jones? The devil must be shittin' on all of us! Why and how on earth did she get the lead role?"
Instead of entertaining Penny's absurd reaction to Megan landing the female lead in the play, my nose crinkled at the questionable lunch Adam had plopped on the table. "What is that thing?"
"Did Martha shit on it?" Penny asked, failing to conceal her disgust.
Adam just shrugged. "Meatloaf! What else could it possibly be?"
Penny grabbed Adam's fork and gave the brown lump a skeptical poke. "I swear to Hades, Martha's going to kill us all, man. One day. I just don't get why Principal Peels hasn't fired her yet. Martha no longer fits the job after her bad break-up."
How Penny got that juicy piece of news, I had no idea. I was not even sure if it was true.
"Hello, guys!"
"Here comes the dashing Mr. Thomas Ainsworth." Penny sneered at me as Brinson rushed over to our table with blatant excitement.
"I am beyond thrilled to be playing Thomas, Wendy," Brinson declared, slamming his tray down next to Adam.
"Dude!" Penny cried as bits of mush from Adam's meatloaf went flying in every direction. Adam, stationed directly in front of his plate, dabbed his face with a napkin, not saying a word to complain. Of course, he wasn't looking happy.
Brinson dropped into the seat. "I'm so sorry, Adam," he immediately apologized, mindlessly pressing napkins to Adam's face. "I am just seriously overwhelmed with excitement."
"I can see that," Adam muttered, his lips drawn in a thin line.
Penny narrowed her eyes at Brinson and quickly gave him a sweet smile that I knew was pretty much forced. "And to what do we owe the pleasure of having Mr. Thomas Ainsworth at our table today?"
Brinson grinned at me. "When Luke and Parker told me the results were out, and I saw, with my very own eyes, the casting list and that I got the lead role, I literally jumped and almost hugged Melissa."
Penny bristled and speared a piece of her banana bread with her fork, with more force than necessary. "Yup! You and Megan got the parts, alright."
And we were back to her grievances.
I came to school early that morning, feeling like a zombie. I was up until 2 AM, stressing about when rehearsals would finally start and the fact that I had to work closely with people I hadn't really talked to or gotten to know in the past years. Outside my room, my world generally revolved around Penny and Adam.
Yes, I worry a lot.
But as Penny and I made our way to the lunch period, my mood lifted. After some convincing, Melissa agreed that Penny could assist with the backstage action, as Mr. Scott had described it. I wouldn't be navigating the chaos alone; my two best friends would be right there with me.
Brinson crumpled the dirty napkins, wearing a frown. "Yeah. Unfortunately, Laura didn't get the part." He cast a fleeting, wistful glance in the direction of the cheerleader. "I was really hoping Megan wouldn't get the role." Turning to me, he added, "Don't get me wrong, but I'm sure Mason would be there to support his girlfriend. And it's not that I'm afraid of him, but you know how that dude is."
Penny shifted her attention to Brinson, pondering his thoughts. I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I was proven right when her face lit up, and she finally gave Brinson a genuine smile.
"Dude, we get you. Don't worry; we hate them too—"
"No, I didn't say I hate them. I'm just—"
"It's okay, Brinson. We get it."
As they discussed what rehearsals would be like with Mason and his friends hovering around, I sank into quiet contemplation in my seat. I suddenly realized that Brinson was into Laura, and he and Penny shared the same sentiment regarding Megan and her boyfriend.
"You do?" Brinson asked uncertainly, seeking confirmation from Penny.
"Adam and I... we both share your two cents on the matter."
Adam shot Penny a stricken look, but she merely smiled back.
"We're all in the same boat here," Penny said, sounding unapologetic for dragging Adam into it. "And, by the way, Adam got Edmund Cranford, a supporting role, but he doesn't give a damn."
Brinson grinned and nodded. "I know. I went over the complete list, even for those helping with the production backstage. You'll be on wardrobe duty."
I suppressed a snicker, but Adam seemed to not care much about Penny's feelings, so he burst into laughter, almost mocking her. This, predictably, led to another round of their endless bickering.
Brinson nodded at me when he joined us that afternoon for our first crew assembly. Seated next to him was Luke, who slumped in his seat, nervously biting his nails as we all gathered on stage. Truth be told, I was just as anxious as he was.
Scanning the room for Adam or Penny, I swallowed hard when I couldn't find either of them. Maybe Penny was already backstage with Ms. Dartwood.
Looking down at the stack of script copies on my lap, I fidgeted, clutching the pen between my sweaty fingers and scribbling some notes in my journal to appear busy. Glancing up for a moment, I then went back to my scribbling, wondering why I didn't hide backstage while waiting for the others. It would have been so much easier; I wouldn't have to act busy.
As soon as I heard the door opening, I looked up again and saw Mr. Scott entering the room, with Megan and Laura walking with him and the rest of the cast members following suit.
"Hello, everyone!" Mr. Scott greeted, taking his seat next to Luke, across from me. The rest of the cast enthusiastically greeted him back. I whispered a shy hello instead.
Before we could officially begin, the door opened again, and, to my relief, I saw Adam's familiar face. He raced toward our group and had to take the only empty seat next to Mr. Scott.
"Hey, Brinson, Mason says hi," Megan teased.
Brinson rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "Tell him right back at ya." He raised his open palm to Adam, and, much to my surprise, Adam gave him a high five.
Megan glowered at him. "Dork."
The others seemed indifferent, but Mr. Scott displayed a look of disapproval, perhaps aware of the bet or slowly realizing Megan's not-so-sweet side on our first day.
"Let's all start, shall we?" Mr. Scott announced once everyone was seated, leaning back and looking at me.
I cleared my throat; my palms were already sweating. Why did he have to sit right in front of me? I didn't want attention, especially from him.
"Hello, every—every—one," I stammered, and Adam made a fake cough, catching my attention. He flashed me his usual encouraging smile.
"Um—"
He nodded, signaling for me to continue. There was so much more to his simple gesture because he knew I struggled with being the center of attention. That's why I was never good with classroom reporting, and whenever I had to stand and talk in front of more than two people, he was always there for me.
"So, this play... um... All's Fair in Love is set in 1800. The story is set in the fictional town of Paddy Lane." I slid the script copies over to Laura, motioning for her to take one and pass the rest along, which she politely did.
"The story revolves around our two lead characters, Anne Dunnings and Thomas Ainsworth. They are strong-willed people who love to travel and see the world more than anything else. But their families, I guess, wouldn't just have it. They'd rather have them marry each other and combine their wealth. Expand their properties."
"That is sad," Megan remarked.
I shot her a look, and, much to my surprise, her display of interest was more genuine than I had expected. Partly due to her tone, and then partly due to the look on her face.
Then I started to go through each character. "Edmund is Thomas' best friend who actually meets Anne first during a ball. They soon become friends, and he becomes her confidant. She confides in him whenever she and Thomas fight..."
"Oh my gosh! That is so romantic." Laura's eyes darted away from everyone in a manner that strongly suggested she didn't mean to react the way she just did.
"A classic love triangle. It's romantic," Brinson declared. Now I understood why he was pushing for Laura to be Anne. Too bad Laura couldn't hit those notes he sang during the audition. But I'm sure she'd make a good Lizzie, Anne's younger sister.
When I was done with the characters, we then went on to run some lines. Laura, I guess, had to put more youthfulness in the way she delivered hers. After all, she was playing a fourteen-year-old. Megan had to sound stubborn, just like her character. Meanwhile, Brinson once again transformed into Thomas. It was like listening to Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice whenever he delivered his lines.
And there's Adam, being fantastic again. He'd shoot me a glance every now and then, looking like he was proud of me when, in reality, I should be the one patting him on the back.
As I looked around and listened to everyone slowly easing up, I couldn't help but feel a wave of pride washing over me. None of them complained about the characters they were set to play, and none of them made fun of the lines I had put my heart and soul into writing. I soon relaxed.
Laura would comment on how she loved her character, and Megan would soon follow suit. From what I heard, mostly from Penny, Megan was an up-front pain to everyone outside her circle, but now, hearing her deliver her lines, I couldn't help but be taken aback at how she was able to hide her attitude and sound like a woman with good sense, self-assured, and kind at the same time.
When they finished running some lines, and I finished taking notes, Mr. Scott took over and discussed some expectations we had to meet during rehearsals. The play was in three months, so we still had enough time to prepare. However, with the wardrobe budget running short, we couldn't afford to be complacent. The Drama Club would soon hear from the faculty, and Principal Peels herself, about how we'd manage to afford all those period costumes.
But what if they suddenly decide to cancel? And here I was again, with another "what if."
"Alright, so I will see you guys next week. We will be running some lines again before we start diving into Act 1," Mr. Scott said, his voice as warm and friendly. "I'd suggest that you start reading and get yourselves familiarized with your lines and characters."
I looked to my right and saw Laura already looking at me, a smile on her face. "You're really talented, Wendy. I'm actually already halfway through the script. It kept me busy over the weekend."
I gave her a coy smile. "Thanks?" I wasn't sure what else to say. Laura's group had been the topic of many conversations with Penny, and it felt strange to actually be talking to her now, especially with her being so nice. Although, to be fair, she was never really mean to me in the past.
"Thanks for coming, everyone! And please, if you haven't requested to have your study period adjusted, please do so. We can only meet during this time."
And with Mr. Scott's final announcement, we all stood up, and I quickly packed up my things, shoving my copy of the script in my bag.
"Not bad, don't you think?" Adam said, grinning as he walked over to me.
I knew what he was referring to, and he sure did deserve my slightly overdue congratulations. After the audition, I was pretty swamped with my to-do list, and he must have been as well at Brown's as he never dropped by the house.
"You're unbelievably good. I am so sorry I ever doubted you. There. Happy?" I asked, grinning. "And thanks for what you did today."
He grunted as we both made our way off the stage. I looked over my shoulder and suddenly spotted Mr. Scott, deep in conversation with Megan and Laura. As soon as he caught me looking, he called out, "Ms. Greene!"
I stopped.
"What does he want?" Adam asked suspiciously.
I shrugged. "How the heck would I know?"
"Excuse me, ladies. I just need to speak to Ms. Greene," I heard Mr. Scott say as he hurriedly walked over to where I was standing.
Adam's sunny disposition instantly withered away. "Do you want me to go ahead?"
I silently debated with myself when I saw Megan's eyes on me. What could be worse? Her thinking I was also vying for Mr. Scott's attention or her suspecting I knew what they were up to?
But there was no way they knew that I knew. And I absolutely didn't want any part of the impending drama that would surely commence when they realized I had told Mr. Scott what I knew. But no matter how desperate I was to extract myself from the situation, I couldn't. Not with Mr. Scott using me as his escape.
But how could I even tell him to buzz off and leave me out of it when, as soon as his blue eyes connected with mine, I became powerless?
Okay, powerless might sound a little too much to describe what I was feeling. But I just couldn't find any means or reasons to say no to him. Or perhaps because he was my teacher, and when you're aiming for good credit, you couldn't possibly tell your teacher to get lost and leave you alone.
"I'll see you around," Adam said when I couldn't give him an answer. I didn't have to worry about him. It was Megan's attention that had my worry-meter spiking.
My heart was pumping in my chest when I noticed a faint suspicion lurking in Megan's face.
"I am beginning to think that the bet is actually true," Mr. Scott discreetly said, distracting me from my thoughts on how Megan could possibly be plotting my demise as soon as she figured out I was the reason Mr. Scott didn't want to be alone with her or either of her other two friends.
Wait! What did he just say? I narrowed my eyes at him. Wait a minute. Did he think I was making it up? And why would I even make up such a thing? This wasn't another dead cat.
"Did you think I was lying about it?" I looked at Mr. Scott, expecting some apologetic reaction, but I saw none. Instead, he flashed me a smile, and I could feel a slight flush tingling my cheeks.
Not fair at all that he could easily elicit such a reaction from every fiber of my being!
"I didn't mean it that way." He stepped closer and then motioned for us to walk. "Let's walk to class."
He then changed the subject and talked about All's Fair in Love as I walked alongside him down the aisle, toward the door, and out of the auditorium.
And out of Megan's glaring eyes.