I stand in front of the giant, empty stage in the auditorium. An auditorium where I've watched in envy the same cycle of kids perform for two years. An auditorium where I spent most of my time building the sets, doing tech crew, or ushering.
Now it's my turn to be in charge (er, half my turn). I squeeze my precious binder to my chest. Or, as I'd like to call it because it sounds more professional, my Show Bible.
"Hey!" A light, cheery voice says behind me. That voice alone can make me grin, even on my worst days.
I turn around to see my partner-in-crime, Alix Hughes. She's a taller, lanky senior with hair so long it could rival Rapunzel. Even though she usually wears simple, pastel flower dresses, the backpack she carries is a spunky green, and has jingling buttons from Hot Topic pinned to the fabric. I always joke that she dresses like a Life Is Strange character, and the best part is that she can't say anything back because my aesthetic is too good.
She waves around a copy of the Show Bible, out in public, and my lips twitch. I climb up the aisles and meet her by the front door.
"You ready to go?" She asks.
I nod. "Yeah, but, put that away. That binder is top-secret."
"Are there plans the CIA would kill you for in here?" She jokes.
"No, but the school's theatre program might suspend me if I'm not careful," I hint.
❤️🧡💛💚💙
I look out the car window, observing people as they stroll over the sun-bleached streets. We're going to Alix's favorite place, the Starbucks around the corner, to discuss the one act.
"Hey, so, how are you holding up after the results?" Alix starts.
I pucker my lips, trying to suppress the sour taste of regret in my mouth. "It's fine. The judges probably got tired of my style of writing, I understand that. That's why I'm making a new style of writing."
Alix thankfully keeps her eyes on the road, so she doesn't have to see my disappointment. "You mean the one act, right? How's it going with that? Are you almost done writing it?"
"My cast is almost done, it's nearly the end of the month." I answer.
"What do you mean? You have a cast but you don't have a script?"
"No, my cast is writing the script."
Alix halts at a red light dangling above us.
"I'm sorry, what?" She turns to me, hair draping over her shoulder. "I thought we weren't going to pre-cast? It's not fair to the other kids."
"Fuck the other kids. They don't give a shit about us. Plus it'll be the first time my cast has been considered for something ahead of time."
"But why are you making them write it?" Alix asks.
"Because the one act is about their lives. That's the second reason why I chose them. And I'm still writing it into a play, I'm just adapting their stories. My point is, that kind of authenticity can't be fabricated," I reason.
"And not because they're your friends?"
"What's the problem if they are? The other one act directors ALWAYS choose their friends first."
YOU ARE READING
She's A Rainbow
RomanceIn the world of high school theatre politics, it's basically law that somebody gets overlooked. And unfortunately, Kiara, Heaven, Iris, and Sierra know the law all too well. But what happens when they've finally had enough of being the "underrated k...
