Rehearsals With You ✓

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Plan

"The wig makes my head itch," I complained to Kira. 

"It's why we have dress rehearsals. So you could all get used to the costume," she just said before moving on to the next person. I huffed.

I wore a blonde wig whose hair was tied in a fancy 19th Century chignon with some curls hanging around the forehead and above the ears. The dress I wore was ridiculously heavy. I wore I petticoat that made the deep blue skirt full whose frill dragged me down. The sleeves were dangling below my shoulders with a curve-shaped front that showed little cleavage. It's like the cheaper version of Cinderella's dress. Underneath, I wore some thankfully comfortable blue sandals.

I only had two costume changes through out the play because it was hard to assemble dresses styles from the 19th Century. 

I think the crew had a hard time looking for costumes. Our budget was limited so anyone who had something to lend was called to do so. The rest they had to buy in bulk so they could get a discount, also in large sizes so they could be sure it wouldn't be tight on us and had to stitch it our size if our frame was too small. Fortunately, there was some costumes left from previous plays.

Polishing the entire play was done and now we had to practice acting the whole time in due time, including short breaks, scenery change, costume change, musical background, and lighting. Every actor was in the backstage with the crew who were assigned to help with the hair and costumes. I sat on in front of my vintage, a girl was doing my make-up and on far side, I could see Grey talking to Diana.

I watched the interaction. It seemed like Grey was trying to explain something and Diana would nod, shake her head or offer a word. I bit the insides of my cheeks and sighed before turning to observe my face in the mirror.

Grey wore a deep brown frock coat with straight trousers. A dark, short waistcoat and a white shirt with a high stiff collar underneath. His dark hair was curled a little and I felt my heart flatter at his image.

Oh, I had it bad.

A part of me still didn't believe it. That I had fall for him. That I had become friends with him. That we both shared something vulnerable to each other. I looked down on my open palms. Even if it sounded unbelievable, I knew just how true it was. I felt it with thay way my heart wouldn't steady with him around, the way my stomach would somersault with the thought of him and how, sometimes, I get tongue-tied with the sight of him.

I still hope he would see me, April, as more than just a friend but when he liked someone, that's what it all was. Hope. Not a real chance. "Get a grip, April," I whispered.

"What?" The girl asked.

"Sorry, it was nothing. I was just talking to myself." I gave an awkward smile. "Sometimes I do that." 

She nodded as if she understood before going back to her work on my face. Once she was done, Grey approached me. I bit my lip nervously as he roamed his face around my face. "So . . . you and Diana?" I asked.

He snapped his eyes and it took my willpower not to daze into them. Seriously, something's wrong with me. I am getting all mushy it's disgusting.

"Diana? Who Dia– oh, Diana." He shrugged his shoulder as if it was no biggie. It frustrated me because he acted like he felt no feeling for the girl when I knew he had and it was leaving me just more hopeful. "Yeah, we were just talking."

"Yeah? What about?"

His ears reddened and my eyes widened. That's what I was talking about. I knew there was no hope for me. "Just stuff . . ." He answered vaguely and I didn't want to ask more, in case it was something that would break my heart.

I nodded, as if I understood.

"April! April! Where's April?" Someone shouted.

I glanced at Grey and he nodded at me. "Here!" I answered. "That's my cue, I think."

I jumped from the seat and came was another practice. I've told Triss and Ryan about my developed feeling to which they gave me some amused looks. When I told them how sad I was that he probably didn't feel the same, they glanced at each other with this look on their face.

~•~

G R E Y

"Has everyone been informed?" I asked Diana.

"It's good." She nodded her head. "That's brave of you though. What it if she didn't feel the same?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

I chuckled nervously. "Then I guess I'll get an indirect slap in the face." I gulped.

I saw signs. Not just from her, but from the way Triss and Ryan would teasingly look at the both of us. Yet it was still bold of me to assume it meant something.

Diana pat my shoulder when she saw my face. "Hey, I wasn't trying to destroy your confidence. I'm sure she feels the same, unless . . ."

"Unless?" I asked pitifully.

"Unless she doesn't?" Diana winced. My face fell down. "Ah, darn. Don't ever take everything I say to heart. If you feel like you have a real chance, then you do, Grey. Believe in yourself, believe in what your heart – or guts – say."

I nodded my head then she offered me one last smile before looking for April. She looked down on her open palms as someone did her make-up, her lips were turned downward. I racked my mind for a possible reason why.

I hope I was right. I hope she felt it, the shift in the air when we were together, the way seem to be two opposite magnets who couldn't help but hold onto each other. I don't know what her reaction will be, even when I had hope she felt the same. What made me really scared is, if she didn't feel the same, it would shatter my heart.

But what is a real chance at love without the risk of a heartbreak?

I knew when it came to it, she will handle it properly so as not to embarrasse ourselves. I trusted that. Yet I hope it doesn't have to be because she felt it too.

I walked over to her. I let my eyes admire her features. She was beautiful, with and without make-up.

"So . . . you and Diana?" She asked

"Diana? Who Dia– oh, Diana," I rambled shrugging my shoulder. "Yeah, we were just talking," I told her. Yep, we were talking about the plan. It doesn't really take a genius to guess what it was so I'm gonna have a talk to anyone who even dares give her a hint about it.

"Yeah? What about?" April inquired.

I felt the blood rush to my ears as I recall my plan. "Just stuff . . ." I answered vaguely. I can't give her a clue, not a single one.

She nodded and I was grateful she didn't push for more.

"April! April! Where's April?" Someone shouted.

April glanced at me in question so nodded at her. "Here!" She answered before turning to me once again. "That's my cue, I think." April jumped from the seat and came was another practice.

I sometime still wonder I could've fallen for her but deep in my heart, I knew why. Because April was just April. She was herself and that made me fall. I felt it in the way I get nervous around, felt it in the way I wanted her to always look at me and spend time with me, knew it with the way my thought turn lovesick.

~°~

Author's Note:

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