*Jackson's POV*
"Jackson, I am very disappointed in you." my principal plainly stated. "What happened this year? You've never struggled to keep your grades up but now your failing in pretty much all of them."
I didn't want to hear this speech again, I had already heard it earlier when my coach kicked me off of the team and I would get another when I got home.
"Jackson, are you listening to me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She exhaled slowly before beginning again, "Good. Look, Jackson, there is a chance you could get your old spot back if you get your grades back up. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am. I promise I will work harder than I ever have before!"
"Good, now you may go."
I grabbed my backpack off of the back of my chair and walked out the door. After getting everything I needed out of my locker I began to walk the halls. I didn't want to go home, I wasn't used to that yet. I would have been in football practice right now if I hadn't let my grades slip. I walked passed all the classroom where the clubs were held. Nothing caught my eye except one. The Theater Club. There were three students standing on desks holding their stomachs in laughter but they weren't really laughing. Two students stood between the three desk leaning back as if they were laughing, they too weren't really laughing. The other students stood in a line in front of the class in two groups. The teacher, Mrs. Dions, was sitting in her office chair next to the first group holding a box of cards. She was actually laughing. I enjoyed her class, she taught my history class, she always made sure we were having a fun time while we were learning. Mrs. Dions also had the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard. She was scanning over the class when she spotted me. She pointed her finger at me and summoned me inside the class. Everyone turned and stared as I entered the room even though I was as quiet as I possibly could be.
"Welcome, Mr. Stan." Mrs. Dions said.
"Hello, ma'am. Did you need me to do something?"
"Yes, we are one short and I want to play. So, join that group and I'll join this one." she smiled.
"Um, what?"
"Shoo shoo, go to your side!" she playfully pushed me over to the other group. My attention was on Mrs. Dions so I didn't realize that there was someone behind me. I crashed into a girl. Her caramel brown hair was braided, her hazel eyes sparkled, her makeup was done perfectly not one mistake, she looked flawless. Even her jeans were perfect, the purposely rips in her jeans were perfectly horizontal, not a wrinkle in her jeans or black t-shirt. "Excuse me." her voice was sweet like honey.
"Um, yes, oh, right, sorry about running into you like that."
"It's fine. Hey, I'm Emma." she held out her hand.
I took her extremely soft hand and shook it gently. "I'm Ja-"
"Jackson Stan the football that was dropped because of his grades." I blinked in shock, she knew that already? It just happened a few hours earlier. "I'm sorry, I'm part of the school newspaper. As soon as something as big as that happens I know about it." she smiled and leaned in a little farther. "If you ever hear anything and you want to know if it's true, come to me. I know it all."
A small laugh escaped my mouth. "Sure." she said nothing just smiled. "Um, what are you guys doing?"
"Oh, we're playing charades."
"Aren't you a theater group?"
"Yeah, this works on our on our feet thinking and acting."
"I guess I never thought about this game that way."
"Of course you didn't, silly, us actors see things differently than other people. Like, Grace over there. What do you think about her?"
What was she asking? Like how hot she is because she's not, she's got more of a puppy kinda cute. I decided not to tell her that. "Um, she seems to have the talent to think quick on her feet but has stage fright."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because the way she holds herself on the desk. She acted confident but you can see she second guesses every move she makes."
"How would you fix that?"
"How am I supposed to know. I'm a football star, not an actor."
"That's what you think."
*That was the day that changed my life. After that day, I began to show up to more classes and I fell in love with being on stage. Suddenly football or my family issues, or any of my problems didn't matter. My life changed for the better. My football and cheerleading friends had other ideas though. Since I stopped football altogether (except for when I played with my family) they decided they are done with me. But I became great friends with my theater group. I asked Emma out on a date two months later and she said yes. We dated for the rest of high school until .....*
"That's amazing!" I pulled her into a tight hug, she held on tightly. "I don't understand why you're crying. You got into the college of your dream. What could be possibly wrong?"
"It's in London, Jackson."
"I know."
"Long distance relationships don't last. I just want to end on a good note and ...."
"Wait, are you breaking up with me?"
"Yes. Please don't hate me. I love you, Jackson, and that will never change." She pulled me into another hug.
I was shocked by this. We had planned to have our future together and now she's ending it? I hugged her back, "I love you too, Emma."
*I was heartbroken. I got no scholarships, I didn't feel like going to college. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I got a job at a local coffee shop where I met my three best friends.*
Another long shift left me exhausted. The day just dragged on and on, I dealt with every kind of customer there was today. Just as I handed off the customer's drink I felt someone began to massage my shoulders. I craned my neck back to see who it was, Ruth Bellers hummed a tune as she massaged my shoulders. "That feels amazing, Ruth."
"Jackson, I know."
"Wow, okay, humble much."
"I was with you all day, I know what you need. But, Jackson, that's not why I'm here. There is a man sitting at that table who asked for you."
I knew that man, that was Emma's grandfather, Paul. Why did he want me? I made my way over to the table, Paul looked up at me and gestured for me to sit down. Once I had sat down and had gotten comfortable Paul began. "I'm retiring." Why was he telling me this? "Which means I'm downsizing. I have equality split out all of my extra property between my family but I saved this specialty for you." he slid a folder forward to me.
I didn't really understand what was going on, "Paul, Emma and I broke up five years ago. Why are you giving this to me?"
"Because I can see that you have what it takes to make this happen."
Now I was curious. I flipped open the folder and found the property papers to the oldest theater in all of Chicago. "You're giving this to me? Paul, Emma's was always the one who wanted this not me."
"Jackson, you have the passion to make this great again. Oh, look at the time, I've got to get going. Meet me at my office around two tomorrow afternoon if you want the building." with that he left me sitting at that table confused.
<The Next Day>
Today was one of my few days off and I was planning on enjoying it. It was around eleven and I was still in my pjs, laying in my bed, and eating cereal. There was a knock at the door, when I opened the door I saw my fifteen-year-old niece smiling up at me. She pushed past me and flopped on my couch without warning. "What are you doing here?"
"I was wondering if you would want to help me run through my lines? This is the last performance and we're doing The Little Mermaid and I got the lead!"
"Last performance?"
"Yeah, it's sad. My theater is closing, pretty much all the theaters in Chicago are closing. Does no one appreciate the art of acting?"
"I guess not, so what are you going to do after the theater closes? I know theater is your life."
"Well, I guess quit because my school doesn't have one. Hey, Jackson, what's this?"
I turned back to Renee, holding the box that held the rest of the cereal. Renee was holding the file that Paul had given me the day before. "Paul gave that to me. He's downsizing or something." I sat down next to her.
"Paul? As in Emma's grandpa?"
"That's the one."
"Why is he giving you a folder?"
"No, silly, he gave me what's inside the folder."
The immediate joy on her face was a sight I could never explain. It brought a smile to my face as well. "Oh, Jackson! You get the theater! When are you opening it? I could take classes, no, I could be the star!"
"Renee, calm down. I don't own the building and I'm not going to."
"Why not?" her smile disappeared.
"Becuase I can't do that. I don't have what it takes to run a theater. All I did was join the theater club for my last year and a half of high school."
"But, Jackson, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be in love with theater. You were the person who showed me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."
"I didn't try. Look, Renee, I'm twenty-six I can't run and practically rebuild a theater."
"Yes you can, because you have my help and your families help. Jackson, you can do anything you want. Please!"
I looked down at the folder then back up at Renee. Well, what do I do now?
<>
I drummed my fingers on my steering wheel as I turned into the parking lot. It's been a long time since I've been here. The last time was when Emma and I were on our way to Prom and Emma wanted to stop by and surprise her grandpa. It feels like it happened yesterday and not five years ago. I pulled opened the doors and heard the familiar ding of the bell. Paul was standing by the front desk talking to one of his employees. It was a little after two and I hoped I wasn't too late. Paul turned and his grim expression turned into a joyous one. "Well, I see you've changed your mind."
"Is it too late?" I asked.
"Not at all, here, come into my office."
<>
Carlos and I pulled the wood back from the doors, it wasn't easy. "Are you sure the doors aren't going to collapse?" Wendy asked.
"This is things like what? One hundred years old?" Ruth added.
"It's not one hundred years old." I threw in.
"It was built in 1865 and closed in 1995."
"It's 148 years old." Carlos let out a low whistle. "What did you get yourself into, Jack?"
"A history paper waiting to happen?"
We finally got the wood off of all the windows and doors, which took an hour. We finally stepped inside, I could have sworn there was a layer several inches thick of dust. "Good thing no one has is allergic to dust." Carlos blew sending the dust flying.
Renee burst through the wooden doors into the arena, "It's so beautiful." she said in awe. We all followed inside, all the detail that was engraved in the wooden beams were breathtaking, the painting ceilings looked professionally done, it was outdated but had the charms of those centuries it was still opening doors. The walls held pictures of the very first ever open ing of this building and one when they reopened it in 1938 as a sign of hope. "So much history." Carlos said.
"It's a like a dream come true to see all of this. Please tell me, Jackson, you aren't changing anything?" Ruth added.
"Not one thing."
Carlos plopped down in one of the chairs, "everything is in good condition."
"It's only been closed for twenty-three years."
Renee jumped onto the stage and began performing her A Whole New World dance she had made up herself. "Renee, stop we don't know if that stage is safe enough to do that." I raced towards the stage but Ruth held me back.
"Look at her up there, Jackson. She was meant to be on a stage."
I agreed, I had made the right choice. "History Theater. That's what I'm going to call it."