SCARLET SIGHED AS SHE glued the last flower petal on Juliet's dress. Footsteps resounded around Zion Auditorium from lingering students either finishing up with their projects or their respective scenes. Opening night crept closer each day and anxieties were on an all time high. Everyone spazzed in one way or the other.
"Scarlet, you can leave," Ms. Stanford told her, jarring her back from her last task. The flower stuck to the fabric just how she wanted it, and she stepped away with the hot glue gun.
"That's fine," she said. "There are a few pieces I need to finish. I can close up when I'm done."
Ms. Stanford sighed and detached the auditorium key from her lanyard. It was the copy she had been giving to Scarlet every Friday for the past month. Scarlet grasped it with her free hand and pocketed it before she could lose it.
"Don't over-exert yourself, Scarlet." She pursed her lips as her eyes traveled down her wrinkled clothing and messy hair. "Rest when you need to."
"I'm not over-exerting myself. It's all good," Scarlet reassured her. The smile she stretched onto her lips felt mechanical, but it did the trick. Ms. Stanford nodded, but that didn't mean she didn't hesitate before saying her goodbyes and the long list of instructions to follow before locking up.
Scarlet enjoyed staying back without anyone else in the auditorium. The emptiness comforted her, and she concentrated better when no one was around to bother her or distract her.
Jake walked up to her as she hung the floral dress in its rightful hanger and planted a gentle kiss on her jaw. She smiled up at him and met him for a proper kiss.
"Are you staying tonight too?" he asked.
Scarlet nodded. "I have a few dresses I want to finish up, so that Rory and Caitlyn can do whatever they need to do after. We have to be ready for dress rehearsals."
The wardrobe was extensive for a school play, but the Preppies went ham on their supplies, which resulted in lots of costume changes and an array of props for the stage. If they had done that production with just Winter Bay, they would have had a dress and maybe a jacket to make it look like it was a costume change in between acts.
"Have you taken a break lately?"
She let out a breathy chuckle. "Why is everyone so concerned? I rested enough for like two weeks. I have to get back to it. I need to finish these dresses. And I'm fine."
His blue eyes narrowed down as his forehead scrunched up in the center. "Okay, you rested for two weeks, but have you rested since you went back to school? It looks to me like you've been doing things on and on without stopping. I can't even remember the last time we were alone. Oh, wait, I do. It was in those two weeks when you properly rested."
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "We'll go on another date soon, if that's what you're so worried about. Just not in a while because I have things to do and stuff to catch up on. Winter Bay may look run-down and slow, but it's assignments sure aren't."
Jake didn't say anything as she turned around to hang the dress beside all the other finished costumes. She moved on to another rack to find the death scene dress. A white floor-length piece that shined because of its simplicity.
"Please promise me you'll rest," he said, coming up behind her.
She plastered that smile she practiced in the mirror before she ran out of the door every morning. "And I'll even dream about you."
"You two make me sick to my stomach." Sierra walked in right before they could seal that promise. "Scar, are you leaving?"
Jake scoffed. "She's staying again."
YOU ARE READING
Forever Crimson
Ficção Adolescente"The vultures are disguised as humans." Scarlet Turner has her last semester of high school planned out: graduate as best as she can and take care of her sick mother. But when she's told she won't graduate because of the pile of tardies she's collec...
