elliot lee -- the boy with the loud laugh and the stars in his eyes.
micah cassidy -- the boy who's always got his earbuds in to drown out the world.
micah and elliot fell in love in the ninth grade. they've been best friends since way before that...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I see the shock in Elliot's eyes when I tell him I'm thinking about joining theatre.
"They are rehearsing for the musical right now! And this cool girl who sits next to me in math class was telling me they could use more tech people. Like, painting and building and moving sets and stuff. And it just sounds really fun!"
Elliot is silent for longer then I want. Doubt starts to creep in at the edges of the scene, and my tongue freezes so that I'm unable to speak another word.
Say anything, Elliot. Please, just say something. God, I can't take the silence.
"Are you serious about this?"
"Yeah, I think I am!" I search his face, trying to read his mind. For the first time, maybe ever, I can't.
I rock back and forth on my heels, unsure what to do with my hands so I shove them in my pockets.
"I just want you to be happy." He admits after a moment, sighing. "If you think that this will be fun for you, then genuinely, you should go for it!"
And in that moment, I remember why we're friends. I remember why I could never survive without Elliot, no matter how much I wanted to. I remember every moment where he supported me, let me grow.
"I will come to every show and clap for you during the blackouts," he jokes.
The air feels significantly lighter now, like I don't need to shrink into the shadows anymore. This is Elliot I'm talking to, nothing bad was going to happen.
And it's so simple, hearing Elliot joke around. I laugh, and then he laughs, just like always. He makes me feel like my laugh is infectious, like my enjoyment of life is the most important thing in the world.
I could never live without moments like these. I could never live without this stupid boy.
"You're my best friend in the whole world, Lee. Thanks!"
He's grinning. I love his stupid smile, but I force myself to stop staring. My face flushes red, and I fight the urge to turn away.
I'm not sure when I started blushing. He doesn't seem to notice though, so I stop holding my hands over my face and run them through my hair instead.
"Well, I've got to head home. Have fun in theatre! You'll have to call me later tonight and tell me how it goes."
"Yeah, totally!" I tell him, grin so big on my cheeks that it makes my face hurt.
Once he's gone, I all but trip over my feet as I run to the auditorium. The door creaks on the hinges as I burst through, and all eyes turn to me. The attention makes me nervous, but I walk down the aisle with all the confidence I can muster.
"Micah!" Luna, the girl from my math class, waves and runs to meet me halfway. "I'm so glad you made it. Let me introduce you to the director."
Some teacher that I've seen around before smiles at me as I approach, Luna at my side. The unease in my chest doesn't let up.
