Death Trap Vendetta

Chapter Forty-One

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Of Flashbacks and Rehearsals

March 7, 2016; Monday
Damian Hall, Elysium University Theatre
2:30 pm

Roman: Julienne Montemayor, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold in sickness and in health. Ipinapangako kong pahalagahan ka higit pa sa lahat. At p-protektahan kita sa abot ng aking makakaya. Until death do us apart.

Julienne: Roman Custodio, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold for better and for worse. Ipinapangako kong ikaw ang pipiliin ko palagi. At ipaglalaban kita anuman ang mangyari. Until death do us apart.

Fr. Lorenzo: By the power vested in me—

"CUT!"

Napabalikwas sina Ailee at iba pang mga aktor nang umalingawngaw ang boses ni Ashanti. Nalilito siyang napatingin sa unang hilera ng upuan sa audience kung saan nakaupo ang dalaga kasama sina Joy, Michelle, at iba pang staff. Dapat kasama nila ito sa stage dahil may acting role siya ngunit gusto raw muna nitong makita ang pagbabasa nila ng mga linya.

"Anong cut pinagsasabi mo diyan, Ashanti?" asik ni Aron na ginagamit bilang pamaypay ang script niya. "Stage play 'to, hindi naman shooting!"

Sinubukan ni Ailee na senyasan ang kaibigan ngunit gaya ng inaasahan, pumasok lang sa isang tenga ni Aron ang mga katagang "don't antagonize Ashanti" at lumabas sa kabila. She could only sigh in frustration when the only answer she got from Aron was a mischievous grin before discreetly high-fiving with Cess.

"Anong problema, Ash?" Mahinahon man ang pagkakasabi ni Joy, halata sa pagkunot ng noo nito na hindi nito naa-appreciate ang pagkaantala ng rehearsal.

It could be due to the lights focused on them on the stage affecting her eyesight but Ailee could swear she saw Ashanti smirk in her direction before speaking.

"Bakit parang walang chemistry yung main characters natin? Ang awkward. Parang hindi in love at ikakasal. Am I just the one getting those vibes?" she asked, tone light and innocent.

From the corner of her eyes, Ailee could see Pearl—who, as Stage Manager, was currently standing in for Clyde's character—frowning and looking around in confusion. "Chemistry? Hindi ba table reading pa lang naman?" Mahinang tanong nito.

Huminga nang malalim si Ailee upang pakalmahin ang sarili bago harapin si Ashanti. "May punto si Pearl. Pangalawang table reading pa lang naman," aniya. "I'm sure lalabas din ang chemistry na hinahanap mo once magsimula na ang blockings at pagdidirek ni Joy."

Tumango-tango ang ibang kasamahan ni Ailee na dati niya na ring nakatrabaho sa ibang mga production ng Le Compendium subalit nakikita niyang hindi pa rin kumbinsido si Ashanti. And it was obvious that she wouldn't be letting the issue go that easily.

"That may be true. Pero ewan ko sa inyo, guys," sabi ni Ashanti sabay kibit-balikat. "Hindi ba gugustuhin niyo rin na sa simula palang malakas na ang chemistry ng dalawang lead? As part of the production team and financier ng production, I'd like to know early on if my investment would pay off. At hindi mangyayari iyon kung hindi naman pala kayang gawin ng lead actors ang trabaho nila."

Ailee briefly closed her eyes, counting to ten in her head like the therapist her Papá, Shalee, and even JC had convinced her to see for her anger management issues, had told her to do. On any normal day, she wouldn't have bothered resisting the urge to jump off the stage and give Ashanti a piece of her mind and maybe a taste of her fist, too.

Hindi mo siya pwedeng bugbugin ngayon, Ailee, sambit niya sa kanyang isipan. Hindi mo pwedeng i-sabotage ang fundraising para sa tatay ni Michelle.