A Midsummer Night's Dream ✔

So Close Yet So Far

"I PASSED! So did you Avery! I can't believe it!" Esther was screaming, jumping up and down in excitement.

Several girls nearby were howling their eyes out. One fanatic jumped up and immediately started lashing out at the poor teacher in charge of announcing the results. Her shrieks of protests could be heard all the way down the hall as other teachers dragged her off.

The girls who had not passed the interview left, sniffling and looking completely heartbroken. The ten who would advance to the next stage were Avery, Esther, Jang Ma-Ri, a few more girls she did not know, and of course, Yulia.

She walked up to Avery now, sashaying away in her perilously high heels.

"Looks like you passed. Well don't get too comfortable, because I will knock you down off your high horse pretty soon enough." She gave a shrug. "Besides, you were probably just lucky anyway."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" Eiyther stepped up to defend Avery.

"I mean exactly what I mean of course. But still, a simpleton like you most likely won't get it."

"What? You - "

"Tata. Losers." And she walked off.

"Darn that Yulia! She's a venomous son of a - never mind. Why didn't you stand up for yourself Avery?"

Avery sounded weary. "I'm not in the mood Eiyther."

"You're not still upset over what Thayu said are you?"

Avery's eyes immediately brimmed with tears.

"Okay. You still are."

Eiyther sighed. "Look, that Thayu is a snob! Like what you said! Just.......forget about him. You're so much better. You deserve better.

"And today's the second stage already. You have to do well. Win this contest, so you can beat Yulia. And on the day out with Icarus, as the winner, totally diss Thayu. Show him - show him that you're totally over him. Show him that you don't care for him anymore, and that you don't give a damn about him. Okay?"

*

Avery waited backstage, besides a squirrel-like Esther that was jumping up and down in excitement.

"OhmygoodnessI'msoexcited!" Esther had the habit of slurring all her words together when her emotions ran high. Like now.

"Ismycostumeinorder? DoIlooknice? Ismymake-upstillon?"

Avery was barely listening. Even if she had paid attention, she wouldn't have had been able to decipher what Esther was rambling on about.

"Mm-hmm" had become her automatic response.

Even if someone came in now and said "Hey Avery guess what your arse's on fire," she doubted if she would do anything more than say "Mm-hmm" and continue staring off into space.

Last night had been another night in the series of long and sleepless nights since the argument with Thayu. His words just kept ringing and resounding in her ears, and no matter how many times she heard them they still cut like the first.

Even her mother had noticed the sudden change in her mood, asking several times if her daughter was okay. But Avery had brushed off her mother's concerns by simply saying that she was tired.

Last night was the night she realized that she had really fallen for him. Hard.

But what good does that do now? He hates me. There will never be an "us".