“I’m here! I’m here! Sorry I’m late,” Miranda cried and dropped her bag on the floor. Mrs. York snapped at her to go to the narrators people so she could read her introduction. “Okay, okay. Jeez, no need to snap at me.”
“Do you want to have detention, Ms. Fisher?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I don’t want, Mrs. York.”
Mrs. York rolled her eyes at Miranda and waved her hand dismissively. I suppressed a smile while Suzanne laughed quietly beside me.
We’re inside the Theater Room, practicing for the Pride and Prejudice play. The main characters, me, Suzanne, Ian and others, were sitting on the stage, waiting for Mrs. York to start the practice. I just hope being Elizabeth Bennet would do me some good.
“So,” Mrs. York began, her eyes twinkling with excitement. Why the hell would she be excited? This woman is crazy. “I’ll hand you your script. When I call your character, please go down the stage and to me.”
There was a murmur of yes. My hands were shaking and clammy. Why the hell am I so nervous? It’s not the first time I’m in a play. Maybe because it’s my first time to be the main protagonist and someone who is really, really close with me is my partner.
“Elizabeth Bennet,” Mrs. York called. I took a deep breath and stood up. I walked down the stage, ignoring the stares of the people inside the Theater Room. It’s like everyone was looking at me. I’m just the main protagonist, people. Can you drop your stare? I sighed as Mrs. York handed me my script. “There you go, Ms. Strauss.”
I winced when I carried the script as I got up the stage again. The script was so heavy and thick! Good God, will I ever memorize these lines in two weeks?
“Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy… Mr. Bennet… Mrs. Bennet… Jane Bennet… Mary Bennet… Catherine Bennet… Lydia Bennet… Charles Bingley… Caroline Bingley… George Wickham… William Collins… Lady Catherine de Bourgh… Aunt Gardiner… Uncle Gardiner… Georgina Darcy…”
“I better go,” Suzanne said, sighing as she stood up. When she got up the stage again, she beamed at me. “Look! It’s not that heavy as yours!”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re just Georgina Darcy. I’m Elizabeth Bennet.”
“And finally, Charlotte Lucas…” Mrs. York said. When the girl who will play as Charlotte Lucas, sat again on the stage with her script, Mrs. York grinned at us. “Let’s practice, shall we?”
I groaned. It was already five in the afternoon and we’re not yet done practicing. Mrs. York told us to speak dramatically with fake English accent—well, if we could do it. I, fortunately, could speak with fake English accent. But the others—especially Ian—couldn’t.
So there was Mrs. York, snapping at us to be serious all the time even though we were. I was sitting on a chair beside Suzanne, drinking water. Mrs. York called for a break for thirty minutes.
“I think I love being Georgina Darcy,” Suzanne said, smiling.
“I don’t like being Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Aw, come on, Victoria! Elizabeth is a nice character,” Suzanne said softly. “She’s a nice person.”
“I know she’s a nice person! I’ve read the book. But why do I have to be her?” I asked, rolling my eyes. “Why can’t I be just someone who has a minor job? Like… Miranda! Mrs. York better give me a good mark in Literature or else I’m strangling her after the play.”
Speaking of the devil, Mrs. York arrived, looking refreshed. “Break is over! Come on!”
I groaned as I put down my bottle of water done. Another shitty practice, if you ask me. “What scene are we going to do, Miss?” I asked loudly.
She smiled at me. “That’s a nice question, Ms. Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Ugh, don’t call me that.”
She ignored me as if I didn’t say anything. “We’re going to practice the scene when Mr. Darcy asked Elizabeth to marry him.”
The others—mostly the guys who doesn’t want to be in the play but doesn’t have a choice—breathed a sigh of relief. My head turned to Ian’s direction. He smiled at me comfortingly and I smiled back. As usual, just looking at Ian relaxes me.
Ian and I got up the stage—only the two of us. Mrs. York sat down on the director’s chair, crossed her leg and raised her eyebrow at us. “It’s at the back,” she told us.
I opened my script to the very back and there was the line I’m going to say to Ian. I breathed a sigh of relief. Only three words to stay here—I don’t understand. Ian looked at me worriedly and I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. He had a lot of lines.
“Begin,” Mrs. York said.
The Theater Room was silent. Only the main characters were here. The other people who had minor jobs unlike us went home already. And that includes Miranda.
Every eye was on us and I felt my hands shaking as I held my script. Why the hell am I nervous? I’m only saying three short words and my expression must be shocked or something. But why am I nervous?
Oh yeah right. Ian’s going to propose to me.
Ian cleared his throat. He looked at me, his eyes were shining and his expression was happy yet nervous. I raised an eyebrow at him; he’s doing a good job.
“Miss Elizabeth, I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you. I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgement, my family’s expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstances—all these things—but I am willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony,” Ian recited dramatically. He looked at me expectantly.
I gulped and looked at him, puzzled. “I don’t understand,” I recited.
And with that, Ian went down to his knees as he held my hand. My heart was racing as I looked at him. I don’t know why but I am excited to hear the next words to come out of his mouth.
“I love you. Most ardently. Please do me the honor of accepting my hand,” he recited, looking at my eyes. As he stared at me, I can’t help feeling as if he can see my soul, my inner secrets, and my true personality.
“Of course,” I whispered tenderly. He stood up and embraced me. I hugged him back, hiding my face on his shoulder, breathing his scent. When he let go of me, he frowned and looked at Mrs. York.
“What next, Mrs. York?” he asked.
“You kiss Elizabeth,” she replied promptly.
My jaw dropped and I turned to Mrs. York. “Mrs. York! You can’t do that! I can’t kiss Ian! Even if it’s a play!”
She waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever, Victoria. Just do it. It’s only a small kiss. But I do understand if you won’t do it now. After all, it’s only a practice. But when the day comes, you need to kiss Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
I glanced at Ian and he looked at me apologetically. I smiled. “It’s not your fault.”
“So what are we going to do?”
I sighed. “I guess we do need to kiss.”
“Are you okay about it?”
“… I guess.”
“We don’t need to do it if you don’t want to,” Ian said, looking at Mrs. York firmly.
“No, no. It’s okay, Ian,” I said reassuringly. “You can kiss me at the play.”
He sighed. “Fine.”
Mrs. York clapped her hands. “That’s enough for today! Please come back tomorrow for another practice. Same time, please.”
There was murmur of agreement and I climbed down the stage with Ian. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye,” I said, smiling at him.
“See you,” he said, returning my smile as he left.
I walked back to Suzanne who was beaming at me. “You need to see your expression when he told you he loved you! You were blushing and all that! And I heard the girls who were sitting at the back whispering that you look so cute together and it’s really fit that you are Elizabeth Bennet and Ian’s Mr. Darcy.”
“I was blushing?” I repeated, aghast. “Oh hell no.”
“Yeah, you were!” she said, grinning. “And guess what?”
“What?”
“When you said ‘of course’ and Ian embraced you, he smiled. Not a fake smile like in a play. But a true, genuine smile as if he really did ask you to marry him.”
I know it's not that long. -.- But I wasn't in the mood to write. :)) Haha. I finished My Fallen Angel already. <3 Please read it, too, if you have time. :> Thank you! xD Anyway, the song of this chapter is Crazier by: Taylor Swift. :)