"That's not scary at all." The sight of every seat being occupied sent a surge of nerves through my veins. Despite my best efforts to steady my trembling limbs with deep breaths, the tremors refused to stop. A large hand enveloped my shoulder with a comforting grip, pulling me back from the brink of running away.
"You okay? You look scared shitless." Bill said.
"I'm fine. It's just cold in here."
Bill raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over me from head to toe with a discerning scrutiny. "You're sweating."
"Come on people, we're up!" Louis called out. For a fleeting moment, the deer's gaze grazed over me, a brief encounter that felt like a passing breeze before he turned away. He strode confidently into the spotlight, cheers and applause swelled to a crescendo as everyone watched him in awe.
"Just stay by me and you'll be fine." Bill pushed me with him, the two of us following the others on stage.
Club members separated and stood on both sides of the podium with the exception of Louis who was standing in the center of the stage, accepting the award on behalf of the club. I did as Bill said and stood closely to his side.
The principal began to speak. "All of you on this stage overcame the differences and challenges amongst species and therefore, have earned this prestigious prize. Your contributions have allowed Cherryton to thrive and to prosper. This is exactly why we have gathered here today so I can present the Cherryton Honor award to you all."
Everyone clapped as Louis walked up to accept the award from the principal. Bill was right. It wasn't as bad as I had initially thought it would be. My body was calm and I was able to put on a smile as Louis began his own speech. I took the opportunity to shoot a glance at Bill. He caught my gaze and returned it with a cheeky wink. I felt much better to have him by my side and I began to feel silly for feeling scared over something so stupid.
As Louis's speech came to a close, the audience was left spellbound and moved by his words. It was undeniable: Louis was a natural; rave reviews, curtain calls, cast parties, and girls of all species throwing themselves off bridges for him was something normal to him. With the ceremony now behind us, we made our way off stage and back to the club room where we would continue to prepare for the show taking place the next day.
***
I sat at the top of the balcony in the room with Legoshi and Kai.
Kai, who was still pissed that he had been kicked from the actor's team, let out a frustrated sigh as the three of us watched the groups below practice their sets. "This is such bullshit!" he said. "Have either of you ever thought about becoming an actor?" Kai asked suddenly, looking back and forth between Legoshi and I.
"Never," Legoshi replied instantly, like the idea physically pained him.
I shook my head. "I'm not cut out for acting. I don't have the talent for that."
Kai snorted. "Kind of funny, considering this club doesn't exactly accept just anyone."
"What do you mean?" Legoshi asked, sitting up straighter.
"What are we judged on then?"
"Oh, don't tell me you guys signed up and didn't know how this place works." Kai rolled his eyes, half amused, half exasperated. "Take Sheila, the cheetah from the dance team, scouted at fourteen while working as a dominatrix at a BDSM club to make ends meet. Then there's Mina, the giraffe. She's got trypophobia so bad she can't even look in a mirror without freaking out over her own pattern. Moro, the rhino, is convinced her horn is her guardian angel, but in reality it just gets in the way of her line of sight."
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My Darling Feline (Bill X Fem! Reader)
FanfictionY/N is the first human to attend Cherryton high school. The arrival of a human sparks almost every students interest including a large stocky tiger. Y/n has to learn to overcome her dread of high school as she takes on her own adventures. High schoo...
