The Foxfire Chronicles- Comrades and Classmates

Chapter 29-- Going Off-Script

         Sophie had never quite imagined that the prince from Cinderella had such a sulky dad! Tam Song, Sophie's friend, had a main part in the school play (much to his extreme dislike). Why didn't he just quit? Well, apparently dares were a HUGE deal here in Sophie's new town . . .   it was pretty much a crime to turn one down if you had agreed to be dared in the first place. Long story short, Tam was not happy to be at drama club, and Mrs. Belva could've been arguing with a boulder, because Tam was not going to budge.

         "Mr. Song--"

           "Tam."

            "Ah yes, Mr. Tam," Mrs. Belva continued. "When you say the line; "Prince Tanner, how many times do I have to tell you! You must marry a princess!," I think you would sell it more if you . . .  well, frankly, actually said the line. The theater is a temple of memorizing lines!"

              Tam sighed, and tried again, and narrowed his eyes, in the true Tam fashion. It did make him look agitated, like the king was supposed to be. "Prince Tanner. Do I have to repeat myself again!? My old voice can take this strain!! No fraternizing with anyone who isn't a stuffy noble!" Tam glared and let out a very grumpy sounding Harrumph. Dang. Tam could get into it. Sophie caught Marella's eye, and they turned away from each other to avoid giggling. Mrs. Belva blinked, once. Twice.

              "Not quite, but that is a good start." she said feebly. "Okay, just be sure to practice your parts, Mr. Son--Tam, and maybe try to stick to them a little more, uh, word-for-word? Keep it up!" Mrs. Belva was taking it one scene at a time, and the people who weren't in that scene got to kick back and watch the others rehearse.

             "One more run through of this scene, and this time we will be including our prince!" The football couch (Mrs. Belva's husband), insisted that being in the drama club would help his players bond, and he was requiring them to do it. Otherwise, Tanner would probably not be here.

               Tanner, oblivious, jumped, and dropped his football, when Mrs. Belva hollered into her megaphone, "LET'S GO, PRINCE TANNER!  CHOP, CHOP, CHOP!"  Tanner chop, chop, chopped up to the stage, his basketball and football friends chuckling.

               "Okay." Mrs. Belva said, taking a swig from her water glass. Who's voice wouldn't be sore after directing a group of students like this? "So! Mr. King/Tam, you say your line to Prince Tanner, and Tanner, you know where to go from there."

                    Tam tried again, and Sophie could tell he was excited to have someone to channel his inner-grumpy-king at. Tanner shifted in his expensive looking running shoes, obviously ready to be done for the day. Drama club had started 8 minutes ago. It was an hour long.

                  "Prince Tanner. How many times do I have to tell you? You must marry a princess." Sophie's jaw touched the ground. Tam had delivered his line, perfectly! But . . ..  it sounded, well, boring, and it wasn't very fun to watch either. Mrs. Belva tapped her pen to her chin thoughtfully, as Tanner spoke his line.

                  "But I'm in love with her, father!" He delivered his line word-for-word too, but he was literally reading off of the script, unlike Tam. Although he wasn't necessarily the best actor, he didn't do bad, either. Besides, he did fit the role of the handsome prince! Sophie turned around in her sparkly pink stage manager's chair (yes, it said stage manager on the back) to glance at Marella, and saw her sigh, as if the words were meant for her.

                  Sophie smiled. Oh, Marella. Tam and Tanner continued on like this, each preforming exactly how the script said. Tam lacked gusto though, and his tone resembled that of someone reading out loud from a particularly boring page in a math textbook. Mrs. Belva made a quick note on her copy of the script, and once the boys were done, she said, "Bueno, Mucho Bueno!  And it looks like the next scene, is . . " Sophie seemed to realize something at the same time as Mrs. Belva.