How We Wrote Us

two

The following morning, I wanted to hide in a hole and pretend like I didn't exist. However, I was forced to drag myself through the school doors into the auditorium. The last thing I wanted to do was attend drama, but I had no choice. Instead of skipping, I found a seat in the auditorium, put my hood up, and crouched as low as I possibly could. I could feel a headache creeping on, and the sound of the bell ringing throughout the auditorium indicating the start of the first period made me nauseated.

"Good morning, drama queens!" Jacob greeted us way too excitedly as he hopped up on stage so we all could have a better view of his attractive yet asshole-ish face. I wanted to punch him in that same goddamned face, but I didn't have the energy as I slumped further into the auditorium seat hoping nobody noticed me. "I take it you all read the script last night, so we'll begin with the auditions. I want to thank everyone who texted me back informing me of the role you were going to audition for. However, someone didn't text me back," he scolded as his eyes met mine. I immediately felt my blood run cold as I slumped even further into my seat. 

There was no way he was going to do what I—

"Aubrey, Lee! Get up on stage," he smiled at me. I wanted to shoot him between the eyes as I glared at him while pulling myself out of my seat and stomping up the side stairs that led to the stage. "Since you were the only one who didn't text me back, I want you to tell all of us who you're auditioning for."

I wanted to be snarky and inform the class I didn't need to text Jacob back since my phone was used for emergencies only, and this stupid play was far from an emergency. Plus, I was pissed the damned thing vibrated all night while I tried to sleep. I wouldn't have been so irate if I knew how to put it on silent, but I hadn't used it enough to actually figure it out.

"I didn't read the script," I admitted with a shrug. "So, I don't know who I'm auditioning for."

"You really hate following directions, don't you?" Jacob laughed. His laugh made me hate him even more because it was a genuine laugh as if he truly found me amusing. "Well," he clapped his hands together, "get your script and read Demetrius's lines."

"Demetrius?" I laughed. "Who the hell is Demetrius in The Wizard of Oz?"

"I informed you the play was slightly different. We gender-bendered the characters. Instead of Dorothy, the main character is Demetrius."

"You want me to audition for the main character?" I scoffed.

"No, you want to audition for the main character by the way you're a leading example for the rest of us. You don't want to take orders? Become the star," he challenged me. "Take out your script and read Demetrius's lines."

"I don't have my script. I threw it away," I lied. I was being such an asshole, but I didn't want him to win. I had a nasty fucking headache, and I was getting angrier the longer I stood on stage under the blinding lights that intensified the pain in my cranium. Besides, the Jacob I was warring against right now wasn't the same Jacob I took home. This version of him was ruthless and cruel. Yesterday's version was the Jekyl to this Hyde.

"How marvelous," he sighed. "Do you want to be kicked out of this play? Are you doing everything in your power to destroy this class?"

"No. I'm doing everything in my power to give back to you what you've been given us," I admitted.

A few of our peers gasped, and that was when Mrs. Frita decided to step in.

"Here, Mr. Aubrey, you can borrow my copy of the script," she smiled sweetly to diffuse the tension.

"Thank you," I muttered as I bent over the stage and took the pile of papers she extended to me. I flipped a few pages into the script until I saw where the lines began. There seemed to be a lot of preliminary stuff the cast had to perform on stage before anyone even got a chance to speak. Whatever the hell this new version of The Wizard of Oz was, there was no doubt I would actually have to read the script later to better understand what I was getting myself into.