A little over a month had gone by. I had been playing volleyball every Friday in the last month, but now that we're in December, I have no choice but to be an all-time actor for the play that will be presented in ten days exactly. All last week, we have been rehearsing every evening after school until we were too exhausted to stand or to be concentrated. I had the weekend over from this painful experiment, and I can't dare imagine how it's going to look like at the end of the entire play on the 20th and 21st, but now I'm back to a five-days after-school rehearsal and I'm ready. We've been practicing really hard and we were pretty far into the play and soon, this week, we're gonna practice the entire play every night, trying to be as perfect as we can, so we don't do any mistake on stage in front of I don't know how many people and I don't wanna know. There were only eight rehearsals left and I was becoming a little more nervous day after day.
When I finally arrived in the drama club room, I put my bag at the same place I usually put it and got my text out. I recently starting to use Ren's way of doing things : annotating how I need to say the lines and how I need to move, the things that I need to do. It's been super useful and I've been practicing every morning before going to school, every night before going to sleep and every weekend when I wasn't too exhausted. But in the end, I was always exhausted. But y'all know me, I always overwork myself for nothing. Well, I always want to be perfect...
At least, I wasn't bored. My relationship with Tooru has been improving a lot. We were spending way less time than before together because of the play, but soon enough, I knew we would be able to lose our time together again, as we used to do, surely because winter break is coming too and that Christmas is in 15 days. Anyway, I was still having the same fun with Tooru and the others even though we only had school, for now.
"Are you ready, children? We must end practicing the whole play soon or we'll lose time to practice it all. I ask for the characters' actors that are in the next act to come on the stage."
As usual, Ren, Irana, Ena and I find ourselves on the stage again with a few other actors. We were taking notes as Zali was telling us what to do and what to say and how to say it. We have been learning our text at home so we barely needed it. We only needed to look at how to do everything to make sure we had it right and to engrave it in our minds.
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The next day, we were practicing one of the most heartbreaking part of the story ; where Ren's character, Nam, learns that my character, Violet, is dying. We both have to cry in this scene and for both of us, it isn't that hard to make it come.
"You're good at fake crying." Ren tells me. "I almost believed you. I can't imagine how the spectators will feel."
"You're good, too, though." I say. "But I'm not surprised, you've been an actor much longer than me."
"You were born with natural talent in everything you do, I'm sure of it."
Something I've heard way too much in my entire life. I tried not to lose my smile. "Thank you."
I walked away, trying to contain my angriness. I didn't wanna make Ren feel bad, we didn't need any lack of communication because of some stupid memory and feeling. I didn't want for the play to be ruined.
I went back on stage, ready to replay this part again, finding Ren already there.
At the end of rehearsal, we were done with the big heartbreaking part. But my death was yet to come. Violet was now on her death bed, Nam by her side, unable to get himself away from her, sleeping his nights his head on his arms resting on the hospital bed. And going through his days walking through the building with food or little trips to the bathroom. Day after day, Violet was getting worse and worse and how this part was written is so painfully hurtful, knowing perfectly it could happen to anyone in real life. I already lost the people I loved right in front of my eyes so I know what I'm talking about. Bena and Kano, Violet's bestfriends, can't even enter the hospital room because of the pain and when they do, at the end of the act... I can't even explain it without deforming Zali's professional and beautiful writing. I wouldn't be able to make it look as beautiful as it looks...
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Wednesday, we finish the rest of the play. I'm on the floor, in Ren's arms, saying my last words. Zali said she wanted this scene to be in complete darkness, exception for a little spot of light converged on us. The words coming out of our mouths enough audible for the people in the back. Imagining everyone's faces at that time makes me smile. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a success. The end of the play finishes with Bena, Kano and Nam having a talk with Violet's parents. Nam breaks down in front of Violet's parents and Bena and Kano end up crying with him. The end is Nam telling his thoughts, how everything was so magical in the beginning, but how he will never forget her as everyone is gathering on the stage, except Ren and me. When Nam's done with his line, the lights of the stage goes back on, welcoming Ren on one side and me on the other as we go to fill the two empty places in the center, between Irana and Ena and bow as everyone claps. Zali called it "The Perfect Closing". And I can't agree more with her.
We finished rehearsal earlier today, but still decided to stay in the club room, to have a little talk about the play. Zali accepted to stay with us. We were sitting on the floor in a circle, some resting against the wall.
"I think even the actors are gonna be crying at the end of this play." Irana said.
"Mostly the third years, I dare say." Zali confessed. "Even you, Y/n. You saved the play."
"Well, you're welcome."
"I really thank you, Y/n." Cami thanks me. "Without you, we wouldn't be here today. And even though I would be able to get back on this stage, I'm still glad you got to take my place. If anything goes wrong, I can still replace you. Even though, I highly doubt it."
These words warmed my heart, but it saddens me to see that me being first choice doesn't let the other be it. I stole Watari's place and he only got it back because I was hurt. And unless I get sick or something, Cami can't take her place back in her play. Even then, I try to forget this "feeling bad" thing that can't stop pinching my heart.
"Without Ren, it would have been boring." I add.
"Yeah, without the love story, you mean." Ena corrects me.
"The drama." Irana puts on.
"It would have been good in all of the forms the play could take. It's just more interesting with a love story and big drama." Zali said.
We all laughed, knowing perfectly Zali can't hate on her productions. The talk got hold of us for the next hour, until we were too tired to stay still. I went home, excited for the next day, as we were gonna start to practice all the play in the same rehearsal.
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The next two days, rehearsal went how we anticipated it, meaning some forgot their lines, or some didn't know where to be, but by Friday, it was way better than the day before and we took way less time. It was a three hour play, and it looked hard but the execution part was kind of easy, if I had to be honest. The play took over my free time this weekend and we could officially say that we had only three rehearsals left and that the first presentation of the play was, exactly, in 6 days. The days on the board kept going down each day and when we came back from the last weekend before the play and before winter break, it had gone down again. Mmh. Winter break. It looks so far away but is actually only 8 days away. It's probably because I have the play that will be presented on Thursday and Friday and I've been fearing this day and I can't believe it's real and still believe it's in a long time... but anyway, let's try and relax a little through this excruciating weekend.
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The last three days before the first presentation of the play, we had the exams. The exams that are there only to skyrocket my nervousness. I'm really glad I'm not entirely part of the drama club, it would be giving me the worst mental health I ever had, but let's call this a detail since it isn't my real life.
The last three days rehearsing went by perfectly, each time. Everyone has been practicing their text at home and I guess it went by smoothly rehearsing in the club room. I easily thought it was going to go that way during the presentation, but the only difference is.. I guess... the number of people coming to watch the actual play.
Thursday and Friday evenings were canceling the practices any team would have. Some decided to go home, but others stayed at school to watch the play. My friends and family decided to come watch the play on Friday night, because it was the last night before winter break and it was only logic for them to come Friday, since it was the last day and it was the night we were receiving the big congratulations. Even though I said I was nervous, part of me was still really excited.
The number on the board went down again. One to 0 and the other to 1.
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(A/N) : When I opened Wattpad this morning, I was so excited and happy to realize that the first book of this series had reached the two thousand views. Thank you really much! I'm so happy that it got read so many times, it makes my day each time I see the number go up. For the people still reading, I'm really happy I got to keep you even though some chapters were rushed and badly written. I'm glad for your patience, knowing perfectly it's been 40 chapters and more that you've been waiting for Oikawa and Y/n to get back together, but believe me, it's really soon. I can't wait to write it. See you on the chapter 41 ;).