Paper Lifelines

Finding Marianna

She walked to school every morning, and home every night. He hated that about her.
She had hair the color of chocolate, and eyes the color of the afternoon sky.
He hated her.
She was a part of the drama club at Cedar High. Even though she wasn't the prettiest, she always had the lead female role.
That made him angry.
Lance Kipp was new to the drama club. He was made to join by the principle, or he would suffer suspension or expulsion. Lance got into a fight with a senior in the beginning of the school year because the senior harassed his sister. He chose drama club. His first day of drama club was when he first saw her. It was the 20th day of school, so he was in time for the auditions. He waited in the back row. She walked into the auditorium of the school in an oversized blue sweater with little clumps if cat fur covering it. She didn't seem to mind. That bothered him. She sat down in the front row and smiled at the people walking in, even though only one smiled back. She looked at peace, but restless at the same time. She looked like she was fighting a battle and everyone was the enemy.
Marianna.
Everyone in school called her Marianna. She didn't have a nickname. Just Marianna.
Sometimes Lance would watch her during the first 5 minutes before rehearsals began. He noticed the way she stared at her hands like she wanted to burn from the inside out.
And it made him frustrated. How did she do that? Make him so frustrated? She made him want to pluck the fur off of her sweater. She made him want to run his fingers through her long chocolaty hair. Marianna was the first to audition. She did amazingly. The director liked her. She was sure to get the lead role. Marianna was also a Junior. She sometimes looked at people like they were characters and she was telling their story. She never made a story for him.
It made him angry.
He had auditioned the male lead role. He got it. Marianna looked at him, but only for a second before looking away again, like she wished she hadn't done it. He wondered why. Why was she so afraid? What did she have to be afraid of?
Marianna.