CADEN
"Are you lost?" The redhead asks me as soon as I come closer to the stage. After paying attention to the talk going on at the table yesterday in the cafeteria, I got an idea about her schedule. Which is mostly made out of rehearsals for a play. So, it didn't take long to find her today. I am still wearing my hockey hoodie, since I just got off morning practice. Yet, I didn't have the time to stop home and change. I want to get started with this plan as soon as possible.
I come closer to the her and for a second, I take it all in. She looks better from up closely. She looks beautiful. Like clearly her red hair isn't the only thing one should notice about her. Her big brown eyes deserve some credit too. As well as her silhouette. Damn, that silhouette. And the fact she's wearing a short tank top right now, that shows off all her features, doesn't really help my eyes stop staring.
She notices and smirks: "Do you need help finding your way out or are you planning on checking me out some more?"
"Sorry", I say, yet my eyes wonder to her body again. She sighs amused. I feel a bit guilty, I hide it with a chuckle however: "Not sorry."
"Alright then. The exit is that way." She says, pointing with her finger to the door. I only come closer to her and look around the place. The stage has many pages lying around, some of them having an extreme amount of highlighter on them. There's a styro cup with some orange like coffee and a bagel, next to the whole scripts. A "Shakespeare Academia" tote bag is the last thing on the stage, finding its place in this whole mess.
"You seem to be working hard." I comment, showing towards the script pages. She stares at me with her eyes wide open, as if she wouldn't possibly understand what I am doing here.
It takes her a few seconds to snap out of her shock and ask: "I am sorry, aren't you lost?"
"No", I answer, going down the staircase and taking a seat in the first row. "I am right where I should be."
"Staring me and my hips?" she asks sarcastically. She noticed.
"No. Looking at you. Admiring."
She chuckles and mumbles something I can't understand. As she's focused again, she looks at me, straight into my eyes, giving me the chance to see hers. Her eyes really are beautiful. I've seen brown eyes before, but none match with hers. There is something about them that just keeps dragging you inside, sinking into the different nuances of brown.
"Don't you have other things to do?" She asks, and I smirk.
"Better than this? Nope."
"But you're the hockey legend. Shouldn't you be anywhere else. Like on the ice. Making a snowman."
I chuckle and her mouth twitches. She quickly hides it, going back to a serious teasing pose. But I've seen it. I've seen the twitch. "No, that's not quite what we do."
"No shit, Sherlock. Really?"
"Yeah. But anyways, I don't have anywhere else to be. I am done with practice for", I sneak a quick glance at my smartwatch, "two more hours."
"Poor kiddo. Then you should use your time wisely. And not wasting it here."
"Who says I'm wasting it?"
She sighs exhausted and looks at the scripts on the floor: "Look, some of us really have to work so if you'd excuse me, I'd better get back to it."
"By all means", I reply, making a gesture with my hand.
"Wait, with you here?!" Her question sounds more like a beg for me to leave. Yet, I am here to stay.
"Sure. Break a leg."
She gives me an annoyed look and shows me the middle finger. I chuckle.
"I didn't mean it literally. It's a thing people say in theater. But you should know that, Broadway. You're the expert here."
"Broadway?" she asks with an eyebrow raised. I smirk and make a note to keep calling her like that. Her nose wrinkles in a cute way when she's annoyed.
"You haven't really introduced yourself. How was I supposed to know how to call you...", I explain, yet she interrupts me.
"Nini. I'm Nini Elway."
I flash a smile at her. "A pleasure to meet you, Nini. I'm..."
She interrupts me again: "Caden West. Yeah, no introduction needed here."
"You know my name? I'm flattered." I tease her. Even if she would have felt something, she doesn't let it show.
"It's kinda hard not to when it's written on your back."
Right. I still have the big WEST and the number 12 all over my back.
An awkward silence fills the room, so I ask something to break it: "So, what role are you auditioning for?"
"Juliet, duh." She answers, as if it were obvious, she would go for the lead.
"And? Is it working so far?"
"Apart from the fact I can barely practice the scene in which she's also with Romeo, which is literally half of the play, I can say it's going well."
"Why can't you practice them?" I ask, a bit worried for some reason.
"Cause no matter how good Soph can say his lines, it's still not the same as if it were a guy I was rehearsing it with."
The craziest idea pops in my head.
"I can be your Romeo."
"Fuck you", she replies. I look past her comment and only chuckle.
"No, I mean it. I can help you practice."
"But you're a hockey legend."
"You've said that before."
"And you have training."
"Not at this hour. And you seem to be rehearsing now."
"You don't know how to act."
"Neither does Sofia, yet she could help you."
Nini seems to have run out of arguments, so she curses once then gives up: "Fine."
She walks over to the pile of papers to get a script for me and mumbles in a whisper tone on the way, yet I can still hear it: "They've told me I shouldn't watch too many romcoms. This is how all starts. The meet cute, then everything goes out of control."
She walks back with the script and comes right in front of me, reaching me the paper: "Here. I already highlighted the lines you need for you. However, if you're not the next Matthew McConaughey, you're out."
"Who is Matthew McConaughey?" I ask, and quickly regret it. Nini snaps.
"You don't know who...You don't know who Matthew McConaughey is?"
"Should I?" I ask. Why does my mouth keep working without my brain.
Nini crosses her arms at her chest, making her look even more cute. She then points to the door and shouts: "Out".
"Look, I'm sorry..." I begin, not even knowing what I did wrong.
"Out", she lets out again. I give up and stand up, moving in the direction of the door.
"I'm really sorry, Broadway." I mumble, yet she doesn't answer.
As soon as I am out, I try to figure out what I did wrong yet I still can't name it. I don't see a thing I did wrong. So, I take out my phone and text the one person who could make me feel better. My best friend.
ME: Hey, who's Matthew McConaughey?
His reply comes in a few seconds.
JACOB: You don't know him?!
JACOB: Dude, where have you been living? Mars?
JACOB: Although, I'm pretty sure they might know him too.
ME: Alright. Sorry.
He doesn't answer anymore.
I open the streaming app and type his name. Then, I download all of the movies with him I can and make some plans for tonight. I'm going to figure out who this guy is and see what Nini is into.
Then, I'll get the part as Romeo. And convince her we're meant to be.