Andie glanced swiftly around for any sign of danger... but there were none. It soon became clear to her that there was none. Chad was complaining about his lines once again.
"I'm a prince, I can't say "Your beauty is more radiant than the brightest sun!"
"Why not?" Nora, who also was in charge of the play, asked wearily.
"Because it's cheesy and lame!"
"It's poetic!" Nora replied.
"What if I said something like "I have never seen fairer than you"? It's still lame, but... a little less so."
"No! For the last time, Chad, stick to the play or get out!" Ellie snapped angrily.
"Fine." Chad retorted grumpily. "Then I'm out. You can find another prince to say your dumb lines."
He picked up his bag and marched out. Andie glanced at Nora, Ellie and Judy were talking in low voices, but with many hand gestures. Just then, Judy's eyes fell on Eric who was still sitting next to Andie.
"You!" she called, pointing her red nail at him. "Ever been in a play?"
He blinked in confusion. Andie, glancing from him to Judy, felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't think she liked where this was going at all.
"Uh... I was in my school production of As you like it, a couple of years ago..." he said slowly. "Why?"
"Can you carry a tune?" she asked, ignoring his question.
"Uh... I guess I get by..."
"Up on the stage, both of you," Judy said, pointing behind her.
Andie, feeling less and less confident that this was a good idea, glanced at Eric surreptitiously. He, of course, didn't seem bothered in the least. A little surprised, maybe, she thought as they got to their feet, but that was all. She didn't speak to him or look at him overtly as they walked down the steps, their feet muffled by the carpet. Soon they were on the large stage. Andie remembered how scared she used to feel when in the spotlight. Now, while she didn't relish it, she could see why people enjoyed it. She glanced at Judy, Nora and Ellie.
"Okay... So, do you guys know each other?"
"Yes, we used to live near one another when we were younger," Andie explained.
"Can you read sheet music?" Ellie asked Eric.
"Yeah, I took guitar lessons as a kid," he said. "I might be a little rusty, but I think I can manage."
Judy flicked through her papers and pulled out a page which she handed to Eric.
"We'll kill two birds with one stone. See what you can do, and how you work together."
Andie then had a horrible feeling she knew which song they had in mind. Glancing around Eric's arm as he was too tall for her to look over her shoulder, she gulped.
"Uh... I don't know if that's a good-"
She was interrupted by the door opening. And to her horror, Bane stepped in.
Andie had already been getting a bad feeling. With Bane there to witness it, she could tell it would be ten times worse, if only that. He had probably come to see if she was still there... And his face when he looked up and saw Andie next to Eric on the stage... his eyes widened slightly with surprise and confusion, and then glinted with a flash of hurt that he was trying to conceal. But she knew those eyes too well. She'd stared into them so many times...
"It's the best way to test his singing, how your voices work together and your stage chemistry." Nora said.
Andie knew that, but there was no mistaking Bane's expression. He was upset, but trying not to show it. Andie tried to apologize with her eyes, but she wasn't sure he saw it from where he was. Andie sighed and glanced at Eric, who had almost certainly noticed Bane, but at least had the decency to look neutral.
"Okay, then. Show us what you can do." Judy said. "Uh... sorry, what was your name?"
"Eric Donovan."
"All right. We're all ears."
Nora pressed a button on the remote and the music began. Eric's part began first, so he followed the melody on the paper and began right on cue. His voice was fluid, confident. Had he continued his music lessons after she'd left Denver? It certainly seemed like it. Andie glanced at Bane as he sang, but he seemed to be focused on Eric. Judy pointed to Eric, telling her to look at him, not Bane. And so she did, though she couldn't help glancing at Bane every now and then. He was pursing his lips but didn't say anything or move. Andie's voice, to her surprise, worked well with Eric's. Andie would have much preferred do this with Bane, but aside from the fact that he couldn't sing to save his life, he was hardly the type to enjoy this kind of thing. But as Judy jabbed her finger to Eric for the third time, Andie turned to look at Eric properly. He hadn't taken his eyes off her the whole time. His eyes had an interesting color, she noticed. A rare blend of pale green and gray, which almost glowed silver in the spotlights' gleam. And his gaze was so intense... Bane's eyes were deep, too, but not in the same way. She found herself staring at them longer than was reasonable, and looked away hastily, feeling strangely flustered.
Oh, don't be silly, you're flustered because Bane is watching! She scolded herself.
Soon, the song came to an end. Andie and Eric were looking at each other again, Andie not sure what to think. Just then, she heard hasty footsteps and a snapping sound as the door shut behind Bane.
"You're perfect! Would you be interested in playing the male lead?" Judy asked.
"Uh... sure," he said, glancing at Andie who was too focused on Bane to notice.
Andie put down the microphone and hurried to the door Bane had stormed out through.
"Sorry, I have to go..." she said, yanking up her bag and hurtling out.
Bane was just reaching the far end of the corridor, his hands in his pockets. He barely seemed to notice the people glancing oddly at him.
"Bane!" she called, hurrying after him, ignoring the banging of her bag into her leg as she ran. "Bane, hold on!"
She pushed through the crowd, ignoring the glares and grumbles of protest she received on the way. She couldn't stand the thought of Bane leaving on something like that. She didn't quite understand why, only that she couldn't do it. Him suffering like that was unbearable.
"Bane, please! Wait!"
At last, he seemed to hesitate, then stopped and turned around. Andie felt a sharp twang of pain as she saw his eyes. Full of carefully concealed pain. She finally managed to reach him through the sea of students leaving the school.
"Bane... I'm sorry about that, I had no idea, I swear..."
Bane raised a hand to silence her and shook his head.
"I'm not mad at you." he said.
Even his voice sounded like it was trying to keep the pain out. Andie tried to not let it crush her and frowned slightly.
"I... you're not? I don't follow..."
"I'm not mad at you." he said again. "You just sang a song, it's nothing illegal..."
"Bane... I know it hurt you..."
"What? Seeing a guy you knew as a child, who you trusted completely, who made you happy, connects with you in a way I never can?"
"I connect with you in ways I never can with Eric!" Andie replied.
"Not in any way that's not life threatening..."
"Bane, look at me," Andie said, taking his face to make him look at her. "You know me better than anyone. You changed me in ways no one ever could... Eric was a friend when I was a child... But that was then. We've both grown, we're different... and like I've said before, I'm with you. You're the one I love."
They stared into each other's eyes, and to Andie's relief, the veil of pain in his deep blue eyes faded slightly.
"I love you too..." he whispered, touching his hand to hers.
"Then that's all that matters... right?" Andie told him, her eyes locked on his. "I won't let anything come between us."
She reached up, sliding her hand from his face to the back of his neck and kissing him, hoping it would tell Bane how she felt better than her words.
******
Ooh... awkward... I would not want to be Andie right now! What would you do?
Will Andie finally sort out the romantic mess that is her life? Let's find out!