Old Friends Die Easy

Sage's Party

[October 29 - Auditorium]
Stephen: "... So, thanks to all at once and to each one, Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone."
[Audience claps]

Closing night of Macbeth had been a success. The audience was packed with friends and family. Jason was still missing but his mother and father decided to come and support his classmates, he had been replaced by an underclassmen who's nerves got the best of him. Not from stage fright but from the fear of not only taking Jason's role but also being a target. Kristal's father sat in the front row, Morgan's in the back, and Lilith's had decided not to come. Their absence was believed to be inevitable because she was replaced by one of her peers; the third witch was played by a young woman by the name of Meredith Rios. Rios was clumsy and somewhat goofy in her ways; she fell off the stage in the first act, it wasn't her fault. It seemed as though that she only made small, gentle movements but she fell right into the lap of an audience member which seemed forced by the nothing but the air. The cast gossiped and joked, saying that "Lilith's ghost is back at it." The man whom Ms. Rios had fallen onto so adrupty was Kristal's father. Once she had fallen onto him, he grunted back and tried not to touch her while she did the exact opposite: her hands pushed his face, her feet slid on the ground as she struggled to leave his lap, her arms flailed erractically as she would make small comments saying "sorry sir!" "I can't believe this happened!" "Please, someone help me!" Sage was the only person to take time and help her. He played Macbeth. The best part in his eyes would be the ending in which Macduff presents Macbeth's severed head, it was a prosthetic head that favored Sage all too well. The play ran smoothly for the rest of the cast but Meredith seemed to be jinxed.

[After hours]
Sage: "Mike, have you seen Emily?"
Mike: "No, why? She's probably somewhere, cavorting."
Sage: "And by 'cavorting' you mean?"
Mike: "Well I don't think I should say anything. Well, I guess I can tell you. I heard that Emily's been sleeping around with the new girl."
Sage: "Meredith?"
Mike: "No, the other new girl, of course I'm talking about Meredith!"
Sage: "Well I really need to talk to Emily because I have something planned, so when she's done 'sleeping' please come and get me."
[Sage exits. Stephen enters.]
"Hey have you seen.."
Mike: "Don't say it! No, I don't know where Emily is."
Stephen: "How did you.."
Mike: "Know? Because Sage just asked the exact same question, just go look backstage, I'm sure you'll find something."

Stephen made his way to the stage curtain to find Emily. He noticed that a piece of her costume was lying on the ground; it was a small piece of sequins fabric that fell from her long sequins dress. He remembered it because it accentuated her hourglass figure. This small piece led to a trail of even bigger pieces, making Stephen believe that her dress had been torn apart. The floor sparkled as the large pieces of fabric began to hurt his eyes. All he saw were red sparkles that mixed with blue tinges and these blue tinges gave each sparkle a tint of bright purple. So bright that Stephen had to squint in order to make his way to the far left of the backstage. He had finally escaped the sight of the fabric as his ears had fallen victim to the sound of grunting. Before stepping foward, he considered if whether or not he should continue because the sound was all to suspicious. He finally decided to move closer and noticed that it was Emily and Meredith, together. Meredith was sobbing in Emily's arms. They both were undressed except Meredith was in the process of being half naked and Emily was shamelessly exposed; wearing only her undergarments. Stephen stepped back in order to ease drop hidden and unnoticed. The girls conversation went on...

Emily: "Meredith, it's not that big of a deal. No one is going to remember just you falling."
Meredith:  "[picks herself up- crying] How could you say that? Of course they're going to remember. The audience laughed so loud you couldn't even hear the police sirens."
Emily: "True, they did; but they laughed at a lot of other things too and the play wasn't even a comedy. We're all so bad at acting, we made it a comedy."
Meredith: "Huh, that's true. I think I should just go home. Where are my shoes?"
Emily: "I think you left them out there on the floor. I'll get them."
[Stephen attempts to quietly runaway while Emily walks towards him]
"Stephen! [whispers] What are you doing back here? We're changing!"
Stephen: "I needed to talk to you and Mike said you'd be back here."
Emily: "Well Mike needs to mind his own damn business."
Stephen: "Why are you being all 'lovey dovey' with the new girl?"
Emily: "I wasn't being 'lovey dovey' with anyone, she needed a shoulder to cry on. What made you think that?"
Corbin: "Well you're standing right here before me in your underwear, making peculiar noises; backstage with one other person. And your asking me why I'm making assumptions?"
Emily: "You know Stephen, that's your flaw."
Stephen: "Tell me. I have many."
Emily: "You assume too much. Now please, help me find these shoes."

The rest of the night was noticeably uneventful. The audience went home. The cast went home. Yet, the theatre auditorium didn't seem empty. The sound of the wind pushing leaves against the windows and entrances made a crackling noise that sounded as if nature's spirits were knocking. The trees waved and danced; casting shadows onto the center stage, they performed with elegance and poise, traits that the cast had lacked. These mundane elements brought the auditorium to life, after being drained of it's vessels. It used to be pumped full of talent, smiles, and enthusiasm but now only all small number of vessels remain and nature embraces the spotlight.

[October 30 - School courtyard]
Emily: "We need to talk about Jason."
Angela: "What is there to talk about, he's dead."
Stephen: "Missing."
Angela: "With everything that's happened this month, do you really think he's still alive?"
Stephen: "I don't know but I do know that if they haven't found a body, there is still a chance of him being alive. For all we know, he ran away."
Angela: "For all we know that boy is D-E-A-D, dead!"
Emily: "Maybe we should be smart and run away."
Mike: "That actually sounds like a good idea."
[Sage walks in]
"No one is running away."
Emily: "Oh, really?"
Sage: "Atleast, not until after the party."
Stephen: "Another one of your last minute celebrations Sage?"
Sage: "This is different, I think we should just enjoy ourselves for once. None of us are even dead yet and somehow we all look like hell."
Emily: "It's because we've been mourning."
Mike: "Oh, so you were mourning last night, backstage with Meredith?"
Emily: "She needed a shoulder to cry on and so I helped her."
Mike: "Just like how Kristal needed a shoulder to cry on when you 'helped' her?"
Stephen: "What is he talking about?"
Emily: "Nothing."
Mike: "The day Kristal was murdered, Emily attacked her and tried to have sex with her. She told me."
Emily: "I didn't attack her and kissing is a lot different from trying to screw someone. I'll admit, I had a crush on Kristal but that's not what happened with Meredith!"
Angela: "Oh-my-God, this is like a soap opera!"
Sage: "Enough! Ok, the party is at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow. Feel free to be late and don't invite strangers. You can wear costumes if you want."
All: "Okay."