Chapter 14 - The play
I will forever remember that rehearsal for many reasons.
That was the very first time the Antichrist himself showed up to do what I assume was his job.
When I saw him for the first time, I wasn't impressed, let alone as obsessed as Jade, but I was curious about what would he be doing with us. That curiosity was soon replaced by hate.
How to describe Mr Deeks as other than rude? It's his entire personality. From the moment he set eyes on us, it was as if being here was the worst punishment ever. I could understand that he was bored, hell I was sick saying the same lines every day already, but he didn't need to show it. He didn't need to gawk at us as if we were the devil.
Although Courtney didn't get any role in the play, she volunteered herself to help with the costumes, and now she was here. Miss Wick had argued no one else was needed and Courtney was a Drama student, not a clothing designer, but eventually, she accepted her offer. Now she may be here, even if everyone working on clothes and accessories was already back in the common room.
We sat in the theatre's front row, Jade on my left and Courtney on my right. Mr Deeks sat on top of the stage, legs swinging, reading the script with a critical expression and looking rather bored.
The older students didn't seem pleased by this whole arrangement, probably because this guy was not much older than them.
"Did you guys write this?" he asked, waving the script.
Chris got up to make himself seen. "It was written by the Creative Writing fifth graders"
"Mmm," Deeks licked his lips. "It's boring, but it'll have to do. So, who do you play?" he looked directly at Jade, who shrank under his gaze.
Chris was ahead of everyone. "Elizabeth and Thomas have the roles of Aurora and Prince Charming...."
"I wasn't talking to you," Deeks cut him off. "I was asking the tiny girl that's looking at me like she wants to cry"
Only at that moment did I look at Jade and notice how white she was. She kept fidgeting with the small ring on her fingers. A pink flower on her right ring finger, a silver star on the index and a wave in the middle.
When we had all lost hope she would say a word, she finally mumbled "Flora"
"I can't hear you from here, kid. I need you to speak louder," he pressed.
She looked ready to throw up. I understand she has him on a pedestal and probably just wants to cause a good impression, but I don't think she's doing so well.
"Flora," she said louder but still almost unnoticeable.
"Flora..." he repeated, "And do you think you can perform for a full house when you can't even talk to me?" he said harshly.
Why's he picking on her? She did nothing wrong.
Jade looked down, probably to hide the fact that she was about to cry. Her hands kept twisting on her lap, twisting every single ring she wore. I didn't know why was she so scared, but I placed a hand on her back and ran it up and down as to tell her I was here.
"Don't comfort her," he commanded. "She needs to give me an answer or else she won't be part of the play"
Is it wrong if I throw one of my notebooks at his head?
"Don't be like that to her, man," Chris intervened, but Deeks didn't even look at him.
Yuki, sitting on Jade's other side, also looked perplexed by the entire scene, and tried to offer her a friendly smile. If that arsehole is going to pick on who's more vulnerable, Yuki surely is next.
Courtney was giving him a death glare, but he didn't even notice, or maybe he didn't care. It was obvious he didn't find us of much worth.
Jade didn't show signs of answering soon, so he skipped forward.
"Okay kids, let's be clear on this. I'm not here to be friends with you. I don't even want to be here, but I've got no choice. You are here because you want to do this for a living, or whatever, so you'll listen to me and do as I say, even if you don't like it. When I speak to you, you'll answer loud and clear. Remember that I can take you out of this play as easily as a snap of my fingers. Clear?"
We nodded. What else were we supposed to do? Riot?
"Good. Now, I want to see what you got. Do the play"
He jumped off the stage, and we went up. Courtney stayed watching in her seat, and Jade didn't move.
"Who do you play?" he asked Courtney.
"Oh, I don't. I'm part of the costumes team... and anything they need me to do"
"Well, if Flora here isn't cooperating, you can go do her part," he said and handed her his script.
Her jaw dropped, and so did mine. He is ready to dismiss Jade! That son of a...
Courtney came up to the stage with us and we waited behind the curtains as the King and Queen started the story.
I watched as Mr Deeks sat in front of Jade cross-legged and talked to her. She was still looking at her lap but eventually looked at him, a trail of tears making her face glister. It broke my heart seeing her like that and it made me angry to see that he was still talking to her, probably making her feel worse.
It took me aback when she nodded and laughed at something he said, and I couldn't believe it when she high-fived him.
He sat by her side, on the seat that was once Yuki's, and they just watched and seemed to exchange opinions. They were pointing at us shamelessly.
When my scenes came, the chatting, and the gestures made me nervous, as much as to make me say my lines wrong more than once.
"Okay, stop, stop!" he yelled, and we all stopped moving. We all stared at him as he approached each of us. "You, filler girl, it was terrible. I'm really glad you're not the actual Flora, thank you. Raven," he called Yuki, "great work. You should be in a better role. Mmm, you two were... actually I can't tell you because I can't swear in front of students but it was terrible..." and he went on and on "Merryweather, you seriously need to learn your lines, that was horrid. I mean, I never heard someone stutter as much as you," he laughed a little but I was feeling bad too, just like Jade "Maybe extra lessons..." he trailed but I was feeling my heart beating against my ribcage painfully and the air was being sucked off my lungs. He was criticising me! He was humiliating me in front of everyone.
This is what I feared. I'm not good enough. He is going to kick me out of the play and my parents will have put me here for nothing. All their efforts thrown into the rubbish.
My throat was sore from the tears I was trying not to spill.
How dare he talk to me like that when he was the reason I got my lines wrong?
"This play has to be a success and if you can't do that..."
I turned on my heels before he could dismiss me, and I ran out of the building with him yelling after me.
I didn't stop running until I was almost at the main building. I leaned against a tree somewhere near the sports fields, and a few tears escaped down my eyes.
I felt crushed. Not because of him, because I couldn't take a few critics like a big girl. Well, I wasn't a big girl, was twelve. He could have cut me some slack.
"AJ?" Reed's voice shook me off my thoughts.
My eyes shot up and I see him, dressed in black shorts and a red t-shirt, baseball bat in hand.
"What are you doing here?"
"I..." don't know what to say. "Michael Deeks is an idiot! He was rude to Jade and now did the same to me and I hated him!"
He was about to sit beside me, but we weren't alone for long. Satan showed up.
"Merryweather! You can't just disappear when you want! We have a show to make and you're vital so unless you want to quit you have to go back"
"Merryweather?" Reed asked, and only then did Deeks, or rather, Dick, acknowledge his presence.
"Cool hair, bro," said Deeks. And that's the story of how he got an undercut.
"Thanks. I'm Reed, by the way"
"Mike" they shook hands as if they forgot about me. "Oh yeah, we have to go"
"Only if you apologise." I crossed my arms over my chest.
He rolled his eyes and talked to no one in specific, "God, I gotta give this one a pep talk too"
"Maybe you didn't have to if you acted like a decent human being," I shrugged innocently.
"Seriously?"
"Do you think I'm joking?"
Reed laughed. "I have to go back. Are you cool, kiddo?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, you can go" I smiled, and he ruffled my hair before leaving.
"Are you coming now?" Stiles asked.
I didn't move.
"Apologise"
He bit his cheek but eventually gave up.
"I'm extremely sorry I was too harsh on you. I'm sure you can learn your lines until the showcase"
"I know my lines," I huffed and got up, following him.
I was completely sick of that rehearsal and all I wanted was to go have dinner.
Unfortunately, when I had dinner, the tables were crowded, and we had little choice where would we sit. We ended up very close to Micah and his friends.
As time passed, I came to realise Micah was truly a sweet guy, and I think I like him. Maybe more than I should.
I don't know what is it about him. He has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, and he's always so laid back, so chill. I wish I was more like him. I worry about everything.
Dean is also not awful. Sure, I don't talk to him, but he's not a complete idiot like Tony. He's silent, opposite his friends, and he's the most levelheaded. He's a bit like Reed.
"This tastes like shit!" Tony complained, spitting the tomato on the plate.
Is he trying to make me vomit?
Micah laughed "It doesn't, you just don't like vegetables"
"Might be that"
The two of them laughed, and I couldn't help but smile a little at Micah's musical laugh.
Jade looked away from them, and Courtney rolled her eyes at them. I understand them, but if they could just go past the layer of stupid jokes... They're boys, there's not much we can do about it.
"Do you mind keeping the food inside your mouth?" Dean rolled his eyes.
Mood-killer.
"Do you enjoy killing the mood?" Micah asked dryly.
I knew we were made for each other!
"AJ thought it was funny, didn't you, Avery?" Tony asked.
All five of them stared at me and I swallowed dry.
If I say I did, Court and Jade are going to think I'm disgusting too, but if I say I didn't, Micah will think we aren't a match.
"You were laughing," he pressed.
"Maybe she was just laughing at your stupid face." Courtney rolled her eyes.
"Sounds reasonable," Dean nodded.
Micah burst out laughing and Tony gawked at Courtney as if she had just glued a giant poster of him naked on the wall.
Without another word, he stormed out of the room, half of his dinner still on the plate.
"Poor baby can't take a joke," Jade muttered under her breath and, though I think she didn't notice, Dean smiled timidly at her.
"By the way," I remembered suddenly, "What did Deeks tell you?"
She looked at her plate, all flustered.
"It was nothing. He just told me he could help me control my nerves. I'm having extra classes with him"
That sounds like the worst idea ever.
"But he's an idiot!"
"He's actually not"
Court and I stared at her in shock. Is she out of her mind?
Courtney rose her hands in defeat. "Whatever you say"
I kept quiet, but I couldn't believe it for a second.
When we were finishing having dinner, Courtney and Jade left for the common room, but before I could follow them, I was pushed to the side by someone taller than me.
"Where are you going?" his lips brushed against my ear and a shiver went down my spine.
"The common room"
"Why don't we go for a walk? We could talk"
Oh my god! Is he asking me out!
"Let me go grab my jacket," I said.
He smiled. "I'll wait in the hall"
"Ok. See you later, Micah"
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