division.

chapter fifteen.

"okay everyone, here are your scripts."

today was the first day of rehearsal and the stress was already getting to me. it was really starting to hit in how i will be performing on a stage in front of my entire school, and more. i was starting to stress myself out, with my mind spiraling, thinking that i didn't deserve it and was going to fail but, luckily i got pulled out of it just in time.

"hey dill, you okay?" tucker said to me as he grabbed my hand quickly, shaking me out of my spiral.

"yeah, just kind of stressing out you know." i said, giving him a quick, small smile.

"i totally get that but, seriously dillon you're going to be amazing. you really have nothing to worry about." he said. we both just smiled at each other and looked through our scripts quickly, waiting for the teacher to say the next instructions.

"sorry sorry, i'm late." i looked to the auditorium doors and see callan and declan walking towards the stage. callan was running more like as declan just speed walked to the stage.

"yeah, i noticed. i will not tolerate tardiness from my male lead, don't make me regret casting you in such an important roll mr.ingrid, and that goes for you too mr.sabb." miss becking said, clearly annoyed at the two boys.

"i'm sorry, it won't happen again. i promise." callan said, getting the script from her with declan following behind him.

once callan and declan joined us, we were now sat in a complete circle with miss.becking in the middle. she started giving some of the students a run down of what part their characters has to the story. she was talking to jade as i glanced up across from me, to be met with callan already looking at me. it was the first time i had seen him from the park and honestly, i felt weird. like, i was excited to see him. but, was also confused with where he went and why he didn't say goodbye or anything. not that he had to but, i just felt confused i guess. 

he didn't look away when our eyes met, he gave me a smile actually which was out of the norm. not a smirk, a genuine smile. i furrowed my eyebrows a little bit before giving him a small smile in return. just as i was about to look back down at my script, i looked to the left of callan, to see declan also staring at me, and i remembered when he was trying to talk to me at the party. it's weird, so much has happened this past weekend i almost forgot about that. he didn't have any emotion on his face, he was just starring at me. i pulled my eyes away, quicker than i did with callan and went back to skimming the script.

"ahh finally we have the two leads of the show, mr.ingrid and ms.veams." miss.becking said as she looked inbetween the two of us.

"callan, can you move and sit by dillon, i want you guys to kind of do some icebreakers, to get more comfortable with each other. we need lots of chemistry coming from you two." she said. callan nodded his head before he picked up with backpack and script and walked over to sit next to me.

"okay, well for those of you who don't know, christian and the satine are the lovers of this story." miss.becking started, i felt my face burn up with the attention on us after what miss.becking said and i was trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

"though when you two first meet, the satine has different intentions then you, christian, think. you both form a beautiful relationship, that yes faces a lot of troubles but, you both always choose each other in the end." she said as my face was still not cooling down anytime soon.

"so, the satine is a, performer, if you will. but, she wants more for her career so, she is trying to get to the duke," miss.becking said, pointing to declan when she mentions his character.

"but, when she gets misinformed about who the duke is, she thinks that christian, who is none other than a broke writer, is the duke. she tries to um.. well tempt christian because she thinks that, by doing that she can further her career as an actress, which the duke can provide for her. so, it would've worked she just, got the wrong guy. then, christian instantly falls in love with satine and he professes his love for her through song, which she also joins in. after that song, satine is madly in love with him as well. but, she has to be with the duke. so, basically there is a love triangle between christian, satine, and the duke but, satine isn't in love with the duke at all, she just needs him to put on this show that christian wrote. long story short, christian and satine love each other, deeply. but, there are a lot of things against them, it's kind of dangerous in a way for them to be together." she finished saying. i had already known all of this information but, when she was saying it, it made me feel like i was discovering the plot for the first time. i looked over at callan, to see is he had any expression in his face and he was just smiling. a genuine, soft smile was just resting on his face.

"also, satine also finds out that she is slowly dying from tuberculosis. and since this story is being told from christian writing about his past, we find out that satine eventually dies from it." she said as i heard a gasp coming from callan. i looked over at him and laughed slightly at his reaction.

the rest of the time went by quite quickly. just talking about the events that happen and about our characters and what not.

"okay we are done for the day, thank you guys for listening and asking questions! tomorrow will be another kind of chill day and then we will get into running lines and what not! also, we are still low on tech, stage, and costume people so, please try to spread the word as much as you can! thank you guys." miss.becking said. i put my script in my backpack and grabbed my skateboard before miss.becking called mine and callans name. we both look at each other and walk over to her.

"what's up?" callan asked her.

"okay so, like i said earlier, i really want the two of you to get close. i know i can't really enforce that but, i really highly suggest that you guys spend sometime together outside of school, maybe run lines together or just hang out. i see some great, natural chemistry between the two of you, which is part of the reason i casted you two together so, take advantage of that! i think it would be a great thing for everyone." miss.becking said, smiling at the both of us.

"thank you miss.becking, we will definitely try." callan said as i nodded in agreement. miss.becking nodded her head before telling us we can leave.

natural chemistry? what natural chemistry? callan and i don't even interact, how could she possibly know how we are with each other. we were both walking out of the auditorium in silence after we were finally in the hallways.

"so um, satine and christian are pretty intense huh." callan said, scratching the back of his neck.

"um yeah, definitely some big shoes to fill." i said, laughing slightly.

"yeah for sure. but, shouldn't be too hard with all of the natural chemistry we've got goin on." he said, nudging me slightly.

"right right, we're half way there." i said, we made it to the parking lot and i was honestly quite excited to skate home.

"okay well, see you tomorrow callan." i said, putting my board on the floor and was about to start pedaling.

"hey um, dillon." he said, i looked at him with a confused face.

"what do you think about what miss.becking said? like spending more time together and stuff. i mean, if she really thinks it'll help the show, do you think we should do it?" he asked me, as he was fidgeting with the adjusting straps on his backpack.

"i mean, she sounds like she really wants us to do it so, maybe it wouldn't hurt. what do you want to do?" i asked him, not really knowing what to say.

"yeah yeah, i'm thinking the same thing. i mean, if i'm gonna do this play i wanna try my best you know?" he said to me.

"i know exactly what you mean." i said.

"okay so, what are you doing now? do you want to run lines or, get some food or something?" he asked me, i was honestly kind of taken aback. i mean, i know what he was saying but, to just start so instantly, i wasn't expecting that.

"um, nothing important i guess. i'm down for anything." i told him.

"well, i'm starving so, what about we go get some food, and then we can go back to my house to run lines or do other homework? only if you want too." he said.

"yeah callan, that sounds nice." i said as i kicked my skateboard up so i can grab it, seeing as i'm not about to skate anytime soon.

"okay well, obviously i can drive." he said, i nodded at him and we both walked over to his car in the empty parking lot.

this was kind of shocking, i mean callan and i's relationship has changed drastically these past couple weeks and it just keeps getting weirder and weirder. and i don't, hate it? i've always went through life avoiding getting to know callan and the immortals entirely but, when i start to do it, i actually like them. like tucker and torey. they both have become my friends and i really like hanging out with them. and now that i spend all this time with callan, i grow to like him more and more which, is just crazy. i wonder how the play will affect our relationship. i mean, it already has tremendously but, we're only just getting started.

HAPPY 2021 HA AH!