Roman Holiday

Normani

I honestly look so good today. I feel good. I feel confident.

"Mani!" Tatianna shouts from across the hallway. I walk over to her and Kira, who are standing right in front of the auditorium. Literally no one likes the pep rally except for the cheerleaders and white boys, but it's okay. I can just stare at Lauren from wherever I sit.

"Hi girls," I hug them both and we walk through the door to find our seats. Some stressed out sophomores and herding everyone into their seats. The poor ASB staff. No matter what they do, the assemblies are always unorganized. It's inevitable.

I see Lauren for a split second. She's wearing a Biggie shirt and long black jeans and gold hoop earrings and she looks like she doesn't even care. I love analyzing first day of school outfits, looking at the details, wondering what the wearer was thinking when they chose it. But Lauren just put hers together like she didn't even care. She looks so good. 

I'm pretty sure I lost myself for a second, because now we're sitting down on the bleachers and I'm probably staring at her, like, an unhealthy amount.

"Normani. Nor...man...i," Kira slaps me on the shoulder. Tatianna wiggles her eyebrows.

"You guys. Come on. I just like her."

"Like...like like her?" Tatianna is shivering with excitement.

"What is this, fucking fourth grade?"

"Normani said the f-word!" Kira shouts.

"Oh my God, shut up," I laugh.

"I can't believe you have a huge gay crush!"

"It's not a gay crush. It's just a crush."

"But it's a crush either way!"

"Oh my God, stop. You hoes."

Tatianna and Kira are poking me a bunch and squealing. This must be fourth grade.

"OHHH, you're all red," Kira touches my face.

"I'm black," I swat her.

"This is so good, y'all have to date," Tatianna claps.

Just at that moment, Lauren and I make eye contact from across the room. She gives me a blushy smile. No teeth. I do too. She's so cute, I think, and then I mentally slap myself.

The pep rally starts and of course it's boring. Of course my first class is boring. Of course my second class is boring. And then third period, musical theatre, comes and Lauren is in it. We sit way too close the entire period. We're giggling under our breaths and trying to listen to the teacher. 

"Our fall musical is going to be a special one," Mrs. Jefferson starts out her speech, "It is adapted by someone at this fine establishment. From a classic screenplay onto the stage. For our lead girl...someone princess-like and carefree. For our man...someone suave and handsome, but shy at heart. For our fall musical...Roman Holiday."

Somebody screams. Ethan, Jefferson's assistant, starts handing out fliers while our extra-ass teacher keeps talking. "The story, full of heart, is about a young princess on a tour to make good with every single European country. Exhausted, and longing for the village life, she sneaks out and meets a gentleman. At first, he doesn't realize who she is, but his friend reveals to him that she's the missing princess and is up for a reward. He spends a day with her, planning to return her to the kingdom and split the money with his friend. But over time, he falls in love with her, and together they attempt to escape the palace guards searching her out. I'll leave you to discuss for the rest of the period. This is our in-class musical, so I expect it to be significantly better than the extracurricular one. Hopefully," she sighs and walks back to her desk.

"Normani, it's your role!" Lauren reaches out to me, showing the paper.

"Nope. No way. Absolutely not."

She furiously taps the role's description. "No, look at this. 'Must be willing to cut hair.' You switch up your hair all the time! And you're really a princess."

"Lauren, do you really think they'll cast me?"

"You're talented as hell, so yeah."

"I'm sorry, but if they cast me, they have to cast a black queen, and a black King, and look at our class," I sweep my hand around the classroom, "that's not likely."

"No! No! Remember that Cinderella movie! With Brandy? Yeah, the queen was black and the King was white and the prince was Asian...Filipino! Yeah. I love that movie."

I laugh. "I just don't think so. They can cast me as the barber."

"The Italian guy? Hell no. Will you at least try out?"

I sigh. She's so cute. "Sure. But only if you do."

"I was going to! Of course I was!"

"But what's the point if Gaby's going to get the role anyways?" Our eyes turn to Gabrielle, who was new freshman year. She came from France. She's tall, thin, with thick brown hair and doe-like brown eyes and these mesmerizing lips that make everything that comes out of her mouth gospel. She has the most annoyingly infectious smile. She's perfect. The perfect leading woman. 

"God, you're right. Why is she so damn charming?" Lauren hits her desk.

Just then, this Viatnamese kid named Arthur and his taller friend Jacob come over to our desks. Arthur's nice, while Jacob is...a blonde white guy in California. So not nice, and kinda sleazy. 

"Are you guys trying out?" Arthur asks. 

"We both are, but why even try?" Lauren nods over to Gaby. Arthur laughs and nods his head.

"God, I wish I was the leading man if Gaby's the leading woman," he clenches his fist and looks up wishfully.

"I'd try out for the lead male if Gaby was the lead female. Wouldn't everybody?" I say. Everybody laughs, except Jacob, who's looking at Lauren. I really don't trust him at all.