Everything Has Changed: The Lost Years

Chapter 4: Rehearsal

"Alright, everybody, listen up please!"

Quasi glanced at the front of the class where the teacher was waiting for the room to fall silent. Art class was usually something more free-form than other classes, and the students were allowed to play music and chat when they were working on a project. They had started on landscapes and would be working through the term in different art styles, and Quasi found it calming, being able to zone out, listen to music and just focus on colours and the stroke of the brush on the paper.

The music stopped and the students shuffled to a stop, eventually all paying attention as the teacher stood at the front, gazing at a sheet of paper while she waited for quiet. "Thank you. Now, I've been asked to choose a few students to help out with the set design for this year's production of The Sound of Music. I've been liking everyone's work so far, but from this class I've decided to assign Yolanda Armstrong, Matthew Fletcher, and Quasimodo Frollo. Please see me after class for the details. Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming."

The music started up again, and Quasi blinked, surprised by the assignment. The other two students shrugged, glancing quickly at him before returning to their own pieces, and he wondered if this would be a good thing, participating in new activities that he hadn't before. Try new things, the therapist had said. Alright, he would.

"Let me know if you can't or don't want this assignment and I'll give it to someone else," the teacher told them as the three gathered at her desk after class. "It'll require a few weeks of work during your lunch break. Can you all commit to that?" At their agreements, she nodded. "Alright. Please meet with Mr Spencer in the main hall at lunch. He's directing the production so he'll tell you what to do."

"Thanks, Miss," they answered, and headed away when they were dismissed, towards their next classes.

Quasi brought his lunch to the hall when it was time, curious about what exactly helping with the set would entail. The hall was crowded with students standing in groups, reading through pages of lines, gathered in the corners or sitting on the stage. The drama teacher was telling students with crates of supplies where to put them, and Quasi timidly stood back, waiting for him to be less busy, until Yolanda joined them and approached the teacher to find out what they should do.

"Ah, the artists. I've already got a few working backstage. Can you help them unpack all the supplies and set things up?"

So Quasi joined the students assigned to what amounted to menial labour, at least for now, carting in crates of art supplies and fabrics and setting them up backstage. He managed to grab a few bites to eat between tasks, and for a while it was chaos as materials were piled high and students milled around when they didn't have a job.

Those first few days, it didn't seem like much was getting done. He'd show up and help to rearrange supplies while the students who were going to be in the performance were directed around by the teacher. But slowly, things started coming together. Canvas sheets and wooden set pieces were set up to be painted, and those assigned to paint them were eventually given their own projects. Which was how Quasi found himself carefully painting a landscape on one of the huge canvas sheets, a background for a scene in the play, following the inspiration picture as closely as he could.

Sometimes he would watch the cast of students as they practised lines and songs and dances. There was a different scene being practised every day, and it was slowly starting to come together. He didn't know the story, but he was figuring it out from rehersals. It was quite the interesting experience, working on a project with so many others and getting to use his own skills. It was nice to be part of something.

The main lead, a blonde girl who seemed to know exactly what she was doing, had a voice that stopped him as soon as she started singing. He turned around, halfway through a stroke when she stood in the middle of the stage and burst into song, the acoustics in the hall magnifying her voice wonderfully. Her friends cheered when she reached a high note, and she bowed, finishing the song with a flourish. Another voice started up with another song, and the girl sat down, winded by her efforts, commenting that she would have to practice more if she was going to get through the show. She glanced over at the sets being painted, and caught Quasi's eye. He blushed when he was caught staring, looking away, but when he glanced back she was smiling at him.

"Good job," she called, gesturing to the partly-finished canvas. "It looks just like the movie!"

"Oh." He looked at the painting and gave her a small smile. "Th-thanks. Uh, you t-too. The, um, singing."

"Thanks!" She turned away, getting to her feet again and joining her friends, and he watched her go, the swish of her hair and her confident walk in the heavy boots she wore fascinating him for a moment. Then, quickly, he shook his head and turned back to the canvas, surprised at himself.

The song she sang would be stuck in his head for a little while, although whether it was the tune or her voice that was the interest, he was unsure.

* * * * * *

"From the top! And if you can't take this seriously I'll find someone who can!"

Quasi turned around as the musical number that was being rehersed was interrupted and began again. One of the students was on her knees pretending to be a small child, so it was understandable that things might get a little silly. He chuckled a little as she shuffled around, before glancing to the side, where the two leads were practising what looked like an intimate dance. His eyes lingered on them, wondering why he was so interested, but they stumbled after a moment, stepping on someone's shoelaces, and separated, annoyed.

"Haven't you heard of tying your laces?" the boy scoffed, hands in his pockets.

"Haven't you heard of breathmints?" the girl retorted, waving her hand in the air. "If I have to get that close to you, can you at least chew some gum?"

"Oh, fuck off," the boy grumbled, walking away.

Ignoring her laces, she turned away and headed across the stage, only to trip over them as she passed Quasi. He was quick enough to catch her before she fell flat on her face, and for a moment he held onto her, the shock of having caught a girl in his arms paralysing him as he gazed down at her. They were close enough for him to notice how her eyes were a pretty shade of blue, and the shimmer of something glittery on her cheekbones, and it felt like time had stopped, just for a second. 

The girl seemed bewildered by her sudden position, and after a moment she laughed, holding his gaze with a twinkle in her eye. "I seem to have fallen for you!"

"Um-" he blinked, cheeks warming, unable to think of anything interesting to say in return. Finally he pulled her back up, and took a step back. "S-sorry."

"For catching me? Don't be silly." She knelt down to tie her laces, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for falling on you. I thought silk laces would be cute, but they're just slippery."

He glanced at the laces in question, green ribbon to match the uniform she wore- unlike most other girls in shorts or skirts, she wore the less popular green tunic with the white blouse underneath, which were an amusing pairing with her Docs- and shrugged. "Th-they do look nice. At least th-there's that."

"Thanks!" She straightened up, properly looking at him this time. "You're Paul and Barb's new foster, right?"

He wasn't aware that anyone knew his situation, so that was a surprise. "Uh... yeah. I'm Quasi."

She nodded. "Don't look so shocked. Everyone knows them. They're great people, so congrats on hitting the jackpot there." Sticking out her hand, she finally introduced herself. "Oh, and I'm Madeleine. Or Maddy. Or Stark Raving Mad. Take your pick."

He hesitantly took her hand, shaking it gently. "Nice to m-meet you, Maddy."

"Nice to be caught by you!" Maddy grinned, patting his shoulder. "Let's do it again sometime."

"Um... okay?"

"Where the hell is our Maria?" yelled the teacher from across the hall.

Maddy rolled her eyes and stepped back. "That's my cue. Oh, the joys of being the lead!"

Quasi stared at her as she left, utterly confused by her but feeling the vague warmth of acceptance after the interaction all the same. She was funny, and pretty, and only now did he realise that not once had she looked at him with any kind of disgust. Maybe she was great at hiding it, or maybe she didn't feel it at all.

He tried to get back to his work, but her voice distracted him again as she started to practice one of her songs. It was like with that one short conversation, she had sidetracked all of his thoughts. He had to force himself to get back to painting, trying to ignore the feeling of change that lingered in the air.