Step by step

Chapter Four

My neck ached and so did my legs as I watched Rachel Ulma act out an absurd character Jasmine had thought of just minutes ago. This girl was a freshmen and was quite the stuck-up when we were doing an obligatory interview, I swear this girl would not get my approval but Jasmine seemed to like her.

Behind us were Matt, Jason, Therese, and few people from the theater club who decided to show up for their free time. There was Walter, Quinn, Hana, Kate, Vicky, Donald, and our faculty adviser, Mrs. Turner. Tanya and her squad, our seniors when we were Juniors, had left minutes ago.

"But.. But.. No! Stop it!" Rachel screamed as she started kicking off an imaginary rapist then started acting out that she actually liked what was happening. Talk from experience.

"Girl's good." Jasmine whispered to me. I can't deny it though, Rachel has got talent but the theater has no time for divas if that's what she was going to be. I'd rather lose a talented student than acquire a self-absorbed diva.

"Yeah." I said as bored as I could. I turn my head slowly, trying not to catch much attention, to see what Matt was doing. He was snuggled into the chair, cellphone out, and as I faced him, his eyes shot up and he smiled at me, showing me a thumbs up and mouthing "You okay?"

I smiled reassuringly before facing the stage again. Matt's been awfully attached to his phone lately, my gut tells me something fishy. Worst case scenario, it could be a girl he's hitting on but I wasn't too scared, no one's ever lasted a month. Matt eventually knows the girl better and there is always either something wrong with the girl or something missing.

"Thank you, Rachel." Jasmine tapped on her clipboard, looking at me.

Rachel didn't even glance our way, she just walked away. Breathe in and out, just like what Matt taught you, Rachel isn't worth your wrinkles. I glance over to Jasmine's clipboard.

"Mary Owen. Come to the stage, please."

An Asian girl dressed in a kimono outfit with her hair tied in a messy updo walked to the center stage. She was shy as it looks, she kept casting glances downwards and her fingers were twiddling wit each other, like what I used to do.

"Hi, Mary." I smiled warmly.

She looked up to me and smiled too.

"Can you tell us about yourself?"

"Well.." She cleared her throat and tucked stray strands of her deep black hair behind her ear. "I'm Mary Tessa S. Owen, I came from Philippines but both my parents are Canadian. We moved here due to my grandmother's illness. I'm 14 and a freshmen. I like Anime and the Japanese culture." She had the cutest voice and smile, it matched her petite body.

"Okay, Mary, are you ready?"

"Yes." She began twiddling with her fingers again, this time more forceful.

"Matt? Can I get you up on stage, please?" I called out, partly because I always do this and partly because I wanted to take him away from his phone and stop whatever he was busying himself with.

In no more than a minute, Matt was up on stage, standing beside Mary. He gave me a wink and everybody else that to-die-for smile.

"Okay. Mary, I'd like you to-"

"Act that you're in-love with Matt for a very long time and only now, that he has a girlfriend, did you have the courage to tell him so." Jasmine cut me off and finished for me. She eyed me with a knowing look and I immediately paled. Am I that so obvious that even Jasmine noticed? "Can you do that for us today, Mary?" She ignored my stares and went on to look at the two innocently.

"Yes, senior Jasmine." Mary nodded obediently as she faced Matt. Matt introduces himself and stretches out his arm in a handshake, Mary shook it gently and waited for Jasmine's cue.