MATILDA II charlie dalton

iv. when the curtain falls

୨୧ Chapter iv. when the curtain falls୨୧

Another day of school and rehearsal passed by in a blur. With the performance fast approaching, Matilda felt a mix of excitement and nervous energy brewing within her. Every class, every moment at the barre, felt like it was building toward something bigger. She couldn't wait to show how much she'd improved-to put everything on the line.

Sitting outside, she let herself get lost in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, passing the time while waiting for Chris to pick her up. Chris was giving her a ride to Welton so she could drop off tickets for the boys. Afterward, she'd stay over at Chris' house, since they were heading to a party at Chet's later that night. Convincing her father to let her go hadn't been easy, but she fed him a little white lie about Chris introducing her to Chet's cousin. It wasn't entirely true, but it got him to say yes.

When Chris finally pulled up, Matilda tossed her book into her bag and hopped into the car. As they started driving, she decided to bring up something that had been on her mind.

"I'm just saying, you should totally invite Knox to the party! I'm going to need a friend there since you'll probably be with Chet."

Chris glanced over at her. "Why don't you invite him? He's your friend."

Matilda rolled her eyes. "It's not my party, plus I know you want to invite him."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Admit it, you thought he was cute," Matilda teased, watching her friend for a reaction.

Chris sighed, but a small smile crept onto her face.

"Come on," Matilda nudged her playfully. "You know you've been thinking about it. Knox really likes you."

"Matilda, I have a boyfriend," Chris reminded her, though her tone wasn't as firm as before.

"Yeah, I know, but let's be honest-things with Chet haven't been great lately." Matilda glanced at Chris, then back at the road. "Talking to Knox doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. It's just... talking."

Chris let out a laugh, shaking her head. "You really want me to talk to this guy, huh?"

"I just think you'll like him if you give him a chance," Matilda grinned. "Besides, I promised Knox I'd try to help him out."

Chris looked at her for a moment, her smile softening. "Okay, fine. I'll call him later to invite him. But I make no promises of anything else."

"That's all I ask," Matilda cheered, satisfied.

When they arrived at Welton, Chris parked the car, and Matilda got out, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you?" Chris asked.

"No, that's okay. Neil will probably walk me back," Matilda replied casually.

"Not Charlie? You still haven't talked to him?" Chris gave her a look. "You need to stop avoiding him, you know."

"I'm not avoiding him," Matilda defended quickly, though she knew Chris had a point. She'd been annoyed by the stunt Charlie pulled at the Dead Poets meeting, and though Todd was right-Charlie probably didn't mean any harm-it still bothered her.

Chris just gave her a knowing look. "Okay, see you later," she said before driving off.

Matilda sighed, turning toward the football field, where she spotted the boys leaving practice. She waved as she approached, holding the tickets in her hand. "Hi!" she called out, raising the tickets in the air. The boys cheered as they walked over, gathering around her.