No Reason But Us

Chapter 18 : Juliet For Now

Oddey decided to go to the auditorium to get a better picture of the set. She put her bag by one of the front seats, took out her sketchpad and pencil, and then went to the stage to get a good visualization of the set.

The place was so empty that a pin dropping on the wooden floor would echo all the way to the back. Oddey wandered around the stage, noting its width as she walked. Feeling the heavy silence, she began humming "Born For You" while pacing, soon singing the chorus. Alone in the vast space, she twirled and danced across the podium.

Meanwhile, Gage had just gotten out of the elevator that was on the same floor level as the auditorium, and he was heading there too. Once he entered, he caught Oddey doing her little carefree performance, not knowing that he was right there by the entrance.

Gage decided to watch quietly by leaning against the doorway with his arm crossed, if he was entranced by her dance and listening to her singing, though at the same time, he found it funny too because she looked like a child pretending to know ballet.

Oddey turned as she twirled and let out a short scream when she saw her crush smirking at her like a mother busting her kid for eating too much candy, "Gage!" she gasped as she nearly dropped her sketchpad. "Shit."

"Don't stop on my account," he joked as he went inside.

Now feeling so embarrassed, Oddey's tone became shaking, "I didn't know that you were there. How long were you standing there?"

"Not long."

"Wh... what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm looking for my hoodie," Gage answered. "I think I left it here when we had the theatre club meeting yesterday."

"Oh! I think I saw it at the back."

Gage went up the stage to get it. "So what are you doing here? I'm guessing you're not here to do all that."

"Yeah... no," she laughed nervously and started cracking her knuckles. "I am here to think of a design for the set, but as you can see, I'm... not, but I'm gonna do it now." Oddey dashed to the seat where she had left her bag and sat down, pretending to brainstorm.

Gage found his hoodie, then went back to the front stage and glanced over to her before leaving, "You need help?" he quipped. "I can see that you're having a hard time."

"Hm? Oh no, thank you."

"At least let me give you some tips."

"Hmm... Sure, why not?" Oddey accepted his help. Gage sat down next to her and gazed at her sketchbook, which made him wonder if she was the mysterious artist who drew his face. "What?"

"Nothing, I just never saw a pink sketchbook before."

"Yeah..." she blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Okay, when designing a set, there are the different scenes and their location," he instructed, so Oddey decided to take notes. "Then work on background, frame, which is optional depending on the design and the props, and then there's the theme, which is the first thing you have to think of, and the rest is easy."

"I think I got it now, thanks." The young began drawing some rough concepts of the set.

Gage stared at her while she was concentrating on her task until he recalled something. "By the way," he stammered, getting all fidgety. "Back in the elevator..."

"Yeah?"

"What were you going to say to me back there before we got out?"

Oddey had no idea what he meant at first. "Uhm... sorry, what do you mean?"