"You want me to what?!"
Mika clasps her hands together. "Bose, please, please, just think about it for a second."
"There's nothing to think about, I just can't do it." Bose says, uncomfortably shifting in the front row seat he's sitting on. Their play starts in an hour and Mika is counting down the seconds to when the adults start filing in. "You know I've got stage fright." He says. "And you know how bad it is."
"We don't have any other choice. The play starts in an hour." Chapa says. "Bose, you could be the only hope we have left."
"Correction!" Mika says, trying her hardest not to go mad with anticipation. "You are the only hope we have left!" She graps the backrest of Bose's seat on either side of his shoulders. "Save this play Bose! Or I will end you!"
Chapa pulls her away from a petrified Bose. "Deep breaths. Deep breaths." She says, rubbing her back as she excessively breaths in and out.
"I don't even know the lines." Bose argues nervously, wondering if he could possibly make a run for it when they blink.
"Yes you do." Chapa counters. "I heard you say them, earlier when you were making fun of Drake." Then she smiles. "Really funny stuff by the way."
Bose flushes, he had no idea Chapa and Mika had seen that. "Eh, I was just messing around."
"Yeah, but your lines were accurate." Mika says, getting desperate. "Bose, you have to do it. You just have to."
"I would if I could." Bose says, the thought of possibly messing up the play for everyone making his stomach drop. "I really would, but-"
"Please, Bose." Chapa begs.
"But, what if-"
"You know what?" Chapa grabs his wrist and pulls him to his feet, grabbing the script beside him. "Why don't we go backstage and do a short rehearsal right now, yeah?"
"Wait-"
"Yeah, do that!" Mika says pushing him to follow Chapa. "Thanks so much for this Bose, you da best!"
"But I didn't-"
"I totally owe you one!" Mika calls as Chapa drags him backstage.
She releases a breath of relief when Bose eventually gives up struggling and helplessly follows Chapa. Thank God for that girl. Mika thinks.
Then her head flies into a spin as she starts bustling about, making sure everything else for the play is set.
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Mika walks backstage to check on Her Prince and Princess. "How are things going here?" She asks in a singsong voice. "Please tell me you're set. I refuse to hear otherwise!"
"Calm down, Mika." Bose says. "We're set."
"Really?!" Mika asks, she turns to Chapa. "Really?!"
Chapa nods.
Mika sighs in relief. She has really overstressed herself these past few weeks.
"Oh, shoot!" Bose then says. "I forgot my phone out there. Hang on, I'll be back."
He momentarily leaves to grab his phone from the front row seat and Mika drags Chapa aside.
"How on earth did you get him to agree?"
"Let's just say, I have to make a batch of Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting tomorrow." Chapa replies.
Mika giggles. "I'll make half of 'em." She hugs Chapa tightly. "Thank you so much for the support." She says. "I couldn't have done this without you."
"Anytime." Chapa says. "Now, the princess has to change, release her at once!" She jokes in a haughty voice.
Mika playfully rolls her eyes at her, letting her go to yell, "Jen, do you have Snow White's attire?!"
Jennifer walks towards them holding Chapa's Snow White dress, a sheepish smile on her face. "Hehe, I...sorta do?"
Mika squints. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Okay, don't get mad." Jennifer replies. "But I sorta...lost the red bow tie."
Chapa and Mika stare blankly at her for a second before Chapa harshly slaps her forehead. "You didn't lose it, we still haven't found it!"
Mika, recalling this particular event herself groans loudly. "I completely forgot about that!" She says. "No, no, no!"
"Can't Chapa just go on without it?" Jennifer asks. "I mean, it's just a silly bow tie?"
"It's not silly, I worked really hard on it." Mika says. "And it was supposed to be the highlight of her entire outfit." She whines.
Chapa bites her lip, wracking her brains to think of where in the heck it could be.
The girls are pondering this very thought when Mika's phone buzzes in her pocket. She whips it out and answers it without even checking the caller ID. "Look, I really can't talk right now, so I'm going to need you to call back lat-"
"Oh, no worries."
The person on the other end says.
"I just thought you'd like your red bow tie back."
"What the-? Ray?!" Mika asks. "What the heck? Did you take Chapa's bow tie?"
"Maybe." They hear Ray laughing on the other end and Chapa can't help but roll her eyes at his madness. "Ha! Geuss you need me for your play after all!"
"Ray, don't be a goose, I need that bow tie!" Mika scolds.
"No, you need me." Ray says.
"Will, you just bring it over here?" Mika asks. "Fast?"
"Say you need me."
Mika clenches her jaw. "I nEeD yOu."
"Mmmm, now without the attitude."
"RAY!"
Ray jumps and nearly drops the phone. "Okay, okay, I'm on my way." They hear him laughing again. "I bet you silly kids were so freaked out when you couldn't find it, you-"
Mika cuts the call and turns back to Jennifer. "Okay, help Chapa into her dress. I'll go tell everyone else to get changed. It's time for the play!"
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Mika shifts from one foot to the other, biting her pen nervously, as she anticipatedly awaits the opening of the curtains. The audience looks a little judgemental to her but Mika would like to assume that's just her nerves talking.
Thankfully her nerves calm down when the curtains (after what seems like a thousand years) finally open and reveal Chapa all dressed in the rags Snow White wears while she's at the well. Her nerves are further soothed when Chapa starts singing.
She can tell the audience is enjoying Chapa's singing as much as she is because they don't look as judgemental as they did a few minutes ago. So far so good. Mika hopes it stays that way for the rest of the play.
Her hopes are fulfilled as thirty minutes into the play, the audience is fully invested and watching eagerly with smiles on their faces, seeming to be very entertained. Mika hugs herself with pride, a glowing smile on her face as she relishes in the spot on acting, engaging musical numbers and even the funny bits, added in by Kenton as dopey and sometimes even Chapa herself. And Mika is so happy that she cast someone as lively as her in the play. She can see Ray and Schwoz in the audience and she momentarily thanks her stars that Ray had shown up early enough to hand over the bow tie which, she noticed, looked way cuter on Chapa than she thought it would. She can also see the principal and her own parents and aunt Deena. She also sees Drake fuming in the back row but she doesn't even give him a second look. Still so mad at how lazy and inconsiderate he was and how he purposely called on 'prompter boy' all the time to get on Bose's nerves when he was stuck as prompter at the front row. Oh, how the tables have turned on him now, having Bose on stage and him at the back row. Serves him right. Mika thinks. She's so happy her family doesn't look disappointed. In fact, no one in the audience looks disappointed as they all cheer when they're supposed to cheer, clap when they're supposed to clap and aww when they're supposed to aww. They even sing along to some of the musical numbers and they roar with applaud when Bose softly kisses Chapa to wake her up. Mika decides within herself, that that's the best part of the whole play. Especially since it's not Drake up there kissing her best friend.
Ick.
They're performing their last song together and the audience claps as they stand together to take a bow.
Mika claps backstage too. She is so proud of them all.
Her heart leaps though, when the audience starts demanding to see the writer of the play.
She sees Chapa and the rest of the cast motioning for her to come on stage and does her best to sink further backstage.
She has stage fright too.
Shocking huh?
Her brother though, isn't having it and insists his sister gets the praise she deserves. "Get up there, you idiot." Miles says, pushing her onstage and setting the lights on her.
Mika shyly takes a bow and relishes in the success of the play.
Her Play.
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The End.
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