I was so excited about today's rehearsal that I woke up very early and prepared and got to school earlier than ever. I went got to school, I headed straight to the auditorium where the rehearsal was going to take place thinking that no one would be there yet so that I can practice a little by self.
I burst into the auditorium, my excitement radiating like a supernova, only to be met with a shocking sight - someone was already there, shrouded in shadows. My eyes widened in astonishment as I took in the figure, my mind racing with questions. Who was this mysterious person, and how did they manage to beat me to the punch?
As I approached, my heart skipped a beat. "Hey," I waved, trying to sound nonchalant despite my growing unease. "Hey, beautiful rookie," he replied, his voice low and husky, without even glancing up. My eyes narrowed, my mind racing to place the familiar voice- wait a minute!! Beautiful rookie, huh? "Jacob" I called out titling my head down to see his face through the black hoodie he was wearing that covered his face. He turned his gaze to me, a grin formed on his lips, his eyes fixated on me like a predator.
My head jerked back, irritation simmering beneath the surface-I just had to ignore him,that's all!
"Aren't you going to ask me how I knew it was you?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of smugness. I chose to ignore him, my silence a palpable force, as I counted down the minutes until our director arrived- you just have to wait for 3 hours, I thought try to calm myself, Ugh, three hours?! Are you kidding me?! It's going to feel like an eternity stuck in this room with him. Why did I even bother coming early?! I should just leave, go home, forget about this stupid rehearsal... But no, I won't let him win. I won't let him chase me away. I'll stay, I'll tough it out, I'll show him I'm not afraid of him. But why did it have to be three hours?! It's too long, too painful, too... Ugh, stop it! Stop thinking about it! Focus on the rehearsal, focus on anything but him. But he's right there, sitting across from me, looking all smug and self-satisfied... Grrr, I hate this. I hate him. I hate this situation. Just get through the three hours till the director, just get through it...
But Jacob wouldn't be silenced he just took my 'no response' as a sign to continue . "I recognized your perfume the moment you stepped in," he said, his words dripping with nostalgia. "Very impressive, right?" His eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I felt my patience snap like a twig underfoot.
"Hey, dickhead, don't think we're on good terms," I spat, my voice venomous. "The only thing keeping us together in this godforsaken room is this rehearsal. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be within a centimeter of you." With that, I gathered my belongings and fled to a seat far removed from his haunting presence.
Fortunately for me, people started arriving few minutes later, filling the room with a buzz of chatter and distracting me from the toxic presence of Jacob.
...
As the afternoon sunbeams streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the weary students, Mrs. Thompson's voice cut through the air like a gentle breeze on a summer day. "Let's take a break, shall we?"She announced, her words dripping with a soothing balm that seemed to calm the frazzled nerves of her young charges.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room, punctuated by a chorus of fervent whispers: "Thank God!"The phrase hung in the air like a prayer answered, a testament to the desperation for a brief respite from the intensity of the rehearsal.
But, like a gentle storm cloud on the horizon, Mrs. Thompson's next words threatened to dampen the euphoria: "Just thirty minutes, mind you!" The room seemed to deflate, like a balloon pierced by a sharp pin, as the students' faces fell in unison.
