Dillon managed to be in every single class I was in. I don't know how, but he did. It made it extremely hard to avoid him, and whenever I was with Danny, he'd show up magically. Even though I didn't want to leave Earth at the moment, I wished they just found Lucille already so the stalking would stop.
And it was even worse when we got to rehearsal.
"Look, I'm just saying that my director will not be happy when she sees you." Danny told Dillon as the bus stopped in front of the college, and we all stood up to get off. "She doesn't exactly like random people watching rehearsals when you could just come see the show."
"Well, then she just won't see me then." He countered as we all stepped off the bus and into the spring-ish air, which was still cold, even for California. "Everyone's going to be so relieved about Lily being her they won't notice anything else."
"That's what you think." Danny and I muttered in unison as we shoved open the auditorium doors, and the first thing I saw was Rapunzel's tower with somebody else in it. Oh, it is so on.
"Hey!" I called, approaching the stage and watching the other actor's jaws drop. "That's my part."
"Lily!" Ms. Davis exclaimed, running over to me and placing her hands on my shoulders, examining me all over. "Where've you been? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine." I assured her, looking back up at the tower with my understudy. "Thanks Jade, but I'll take it from here." I told her as she nodded and began climbing down. "Did anything change while I was gone?"
"Other than our sanity? Nothing." Penny, the actress who played Cinderella, told me. "Gave us all heart attacks and everything went crazy."
"Sorry about that." I apologized as Jade approached me, taking the enormous blonde wig off her head and giving it to me.
"All yours, Lily." She said as she walked off and joined the other unneeded understudies sitting in the front row.
"And Danny, you're here too." Ms. Davis said, bringing him aside and talking to him while I made my way to the stage and up my tower, placing the wig firmly on my head and strapping it in. It's thirty pounds at least, and it hung over the tower and was only short half a foot from the ground. Yes, I needed the strap. "Okay, let's run it!" She called as everyone went to their starting places of the Rapunzel scene, and we ran through it a couple times so I could remember it.
As we started doing full run-throughs of different scenes, I hoped that tonight we could stay late so Dillon would have to head back, but he'd just wait outside like a guard dog. I wondered what it must've taken to get him to where he is now, with the whole academy thing and being best in his class. But I prayed, prayed to God that there would be no more fights because he probably could kill somebody, and I wouldn't be able to live with that. Not with the way I'm living now.
"Okay, we'll see you again tomorrow night, get lots of sleep, next week we open!" Ms. Davis called as rehearsal ended, and I unstrapped the wig and tossed my head from side to side, moving my completely stiff neck. One week till we open. One more week where I have to stay here.
"Okay, we should get back before everyone in the staff gets totally mad at us." Danny stated as he took his character shirt off, putting it on his costume rack. "I don't even know how late it is now."
"I don't know, eleven at least." I stated, placing my costume pieces on the rack and slipping on my normal clothes. "Now come on, Dillon will find us on the way out."
"Like anyone would want to find him." He muttered sarcastically, and I couldn't help but laugh. We started down the long walkway out of the auditorium, and yes, Dillon did catch up with us.
"Finally." He whined, letting his head fall back. "I thought that would never be done."
"Well I'm sorry rehearsals take that long." I growled as we pushed the doors and emerged into the even colder air then when we got here. "Are the buses still even going?"
"I doubt it." Danny muttered, raising his hand. "I guess we walk." He smirked as I took his hand like a sister would as we crossed the dark and lifeless street, and Dillon followed behind. The sidewalk was so quiet as single lampposts lit the way, walking along the beach with the calm waves and starry sky. Something I missed about this place.
"I've got a crap load of homework I can't do." Danny complained as he swung our arms back and forth. "But like I ever do it anyway."
"Yes, it's amazing how you're passing everything." I smirked as he shot me a look, making me laugh. "Oh what, you know it's true."
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to be out of here before you know it. I’ll be living out on my own, with my own life, away from the orphanage. I'm not even going to need school anymore.” He stated as we crossed another street, and the orphanage came into view. “I’m so sick of being trapped there like I’ve been.”
“Aren’t we all…” I trailed off as Dillon brushed past me and began walking in front of me. “Living life outside isn’t as easy as everyone claims it to be, though.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll adjust. I'll be free.” He whispered, slowing down slightly, making me slow down while Dillon continued ahead. "And maybe I can get you out of there too."
"I wouldn't hold your breath." I sighed as Dillon turned around, walking backwards.
"Would you hurry up? I don't wanna wait for ya." He smirked as he turned back around, strutting like he owned the world.
"Don't listen to him. I swear he's here just to ruin your life." Danny muttered, stopping shortly and gripped my hand tighter, bringing me back. "Where'd you find him, anyway?"
"I don't know, just on the street." I replied, hearing him start to sing some song I've never heard. "Looked like he washed up on shore like I did."
"Well, that's just weird." He stated, and we finally turned the last corner and now was on the orphanage's property. "It is late though, hope they're not too mad at us…"
"And if they are, we're stuck in our rooms the weekend. So what?" I asked as Dillon pushed the door open and held it for us.
"We've got musical rehearsal both nights." Danny answered, and I swore under my breath as Ms. Peterson entered, practically stomping over to us.
"Where have you guys been? Especially you, Lily. Thought you would've known better by now." She growled, but the guys stood in front of me.
"We were at musical rehearsals." I replied, standing on my toes to look over them. “But it ran later than we expected.”
“You two shouldn’t even be allowed in it. And I’m sure you have understudies; they can handle your roles.” She growled, turning around and slamming papers down on the desk for the guy who was there.
“What are you saying?” I asked, pushing past them, feeling tears come to my eyes. No matter what it was, it couldn’t be good.
“I’m saying I’m pulling you from the musical.” She stated, glaring at all of us. “You can’t be in it anymore.”
“No, you’re not.” Danny replied lowly, giving her the death stare. “You don’t have any authority over us."
"Actually, I do." She said matter-of-factly, twisting her palm to face us. "You still live here, and you go by our rules, and you do what we say."
"Or what?" Dillon shot back quickly, snapping his head in her direction.
She looked like she was about to reply, but she stopped herself. She sighed, shaking her head and letting her eyes fall on all of us. "Fine, you know what? Get yourself killed. Like I care." She muttered, turning around dramatically and storming off.
"She can't do anything to us since we live here." Danny stated, feeling proud of himself.
"Damn straight." I agreed, and I let Danny take my hand again as I followed him upstairs. "I've been living here too long for her to do anything to me."
"Yeah…" He agreed, following me into my room. "So, are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"No… besides rehearsal." I answered, glaring at Dillon who stood at the doorway. Danny turned around and shooed him away.
"Yeah, but I mean tomorrow afternoon." He clarified, and I shook my head.
"I hang out in my room or with Molly like I do every weekend. Or go swimming." I answered, thinking of other options. "Oh, and homework."
He stopped for a second, and smiled, nodding slowly. "Okay. Then I'm going to bed, so I'll see you tomorrow." He told me as he waved, shutting the door behind him.
"Okay…" I trailed off as I changed into fuzzy pajamas and crawled into bed, planning to sleep in tomorrow, and not get up for anything.
----------
Danny stopped outside Lily's door as he saw Dillon leaning against the wall outside her room. "Okay, you and I need to talk."
"About what?" Dillon asked, pushing himself off the wall. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Lily." Danny replied, lowering his voice as he motioned Dillon to follow him to his room.
"Her name is Aqua." Dillon countered as Danny made sure they were both in before he shut the door quietly.
"I don't understand what your deal is with her." He replied in a low voice.
"I don't have a deal with her." Dillon answered, finding another comfortable spot on the wall. "I just need to make sure she stays safe."
"She is safe." Danny replied, snapping his head towards him. "She will always be safe with me."
"Apparently not, considering you let her go one night." Dillon countered, glaring. "You let her go, and she almost never came back."
"What do you know about that sort of thing, Dillon?" Danny shot back, taking his gaze off of him. "If your story holds true, how would you know anything about that?"
"Because I was assigned to protect her." He replied, standing straight up from the wall. "And I'm only doing my job."
"Who assigned you?" He whispered, approaching him and throwing his arms around his neck, slamming him against the wall. "Who are you working for!?"
Dillon's hands wrapped around Danny's wrists, ripping them off of him as he landed smoothly on the ground as Danny tumbled backwards. "That's none of your business."
"Screw you." Danny shot automatically, picking himself off the ground. "I need you to stay away from her."
Dillon shook his head. "Can't happen."
"No, listen to me." Danny pleaded, bringing his flat hands together. "You're keeping her away from me, and I really, really like her. I have for a very long time."
"She tells me that you're like her brother, she doesn't have feelings for you." Dillon stated, crossing his arms. "She doesn't like you like that."
"I'm going to tell her tomorrow." Danny continued, ignoring him. "I'm going to tell her how I really feel about her."
"Well then, that's a problem." Dillon replied, approaching him slowly to where they were face-to-face.
"And why would that be?" Danny replied, clenching his teeth. "You don't know her like I do, she will never have feelings for you. There is no problem."
Dillon glared at him, feeling the tension of the two boys rise. "Yes there is, because I like her too."