My Cousin in the Summer

Chapter 7

"Today is the last day of rehearsal everybody! We only have about ten hours before I film this and have it sent to NYU!"

I blinked open my eyes, wanting to cover my ears as my cousin continued to yell throughout the house. Today was her last day here, as well as our last time of reenacting the play. She had constantly been bugging us, wanting us to get each and every line right. It was horrible.

I let out a tired groan and snuggled under my covers, closing my eyes and feeling a warmness spread over me. I was so not ready to get up and face her directors' wrath.

"Leaha! Get up!"

Oh my God.

"Huh?" I looked up, just as my cousin pushed me off my bed and onto the cold, wooden floor.

"Owww," I winced and rubbed my shoulder. "Bitch, that hurt."

Alicia moved to lean over me, "Hurry up."

I sighed heavily, pulling myself up. "What time is it anyway?"

"8:45."

I faked a fall onto my bed, but that made Alicia kick me and try to carry me. Groaning, I struggled out of her grasp and stood up straight.

"I hate you," I mumbled, shooting her a death glare.

"I love you too, Leaha," she grinned then clapped her hands together. "Now chop, chop! We don't have that much time for one last rehearsal!"

One hour, and many attempts to get everyone settled, later, Alicia was watching us perform Juliet's suicide.

I was on the floor, my eyes closed, and Hunter was beside me, looming over me. He was reciting the last few lines that Romeo had said before he drank the poison and died.

"Arms, take your last embrace. And lips-"

A sudden crash erupted from behind us, and I opened my eyes and craned neck to see what happened. Hunter looked up from my face and it seemed like his eyes popped out of their sockets.

Patrick, Jeffrey and Samuel- oh so bored- had broken a lamp and now pieces of glass were strewn across the floor. Patrick was frozen, his eyes wide, and as Pa came hurrying over to the stair case, he tried making a run for it.

"What the hell happened?" Pa yelled out, "Patrick! Get your ass back here right now or I'll hit it with a damn board!"

Patrick stopped abruptly, and shot a scared glance behind him at Pa, before slowly creeping back over to the broken lamp. Pa took a second to look at Alicia and said, "I can't let you rehearse Juliet's suicide over and over again while these three are able to break another lamp. Y'all will have to take a break."

Alicia's expression seemed as if she had just heard the world had ended and she was going to die.

"But Pa," she protested, "I can't stop rehearsal now! There's only eight hours left until I need to film it for NYU! I have no time for stopping!"

Pa sighed exasperatedly, "I don't want another lamp broken. There is still plenty of time left for you to get this perfect, I promise. Take. A. Break."

Alicia stared hotly at Pa, who gazed back unwaveringly. She kept her stare fixed on Pa before, finally, she had no choice but to stop. Letting out an angry huff, she stomped up the stairs and went into the kitchen.

Once she vanished, Pa turned towards my three cousins and started yelling. I got up from the floor, wanting to escape the horrendous wrath of my grandpa, but barely managed to avoid cracking heads with Hunter in the process.