Code: 16B

Chapter One

One 

    I sat in my seat, tapping my foot as I quietly hummed Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” to myself, eagerly focused as usual in my criminal justice class at Carl Wunsche Senior High School. But really, I’m more eager to leave so I can take the transfer bus to Westfield High School, and attend my favorite class where the majority of my friends are, theatre production honors. And, if I’m honest with myself, I’m more excited to go to that class than my first, upcoming mock trial, which is in a few weeks. It’s all a part of gaining the learning advantage if I want to become a lawyer…that is, if my acting career doesn’t work out, of course.

    I stared at the clock, only five more minutes till I have to leave to get on the transfer bus. And since I’ve already finished my assignment, I took out my script and begin to read the lines of a scene my best friend Missy and I are doing for drama class. Even though we’re already casted in Romeo & Juliet (I as the Prince and Friar John, and she as Lady Montague) with four shows next week, we still have to do a scene from the play not only just to learn Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter, but to also pass the class. But if you care about the performing arts like Missy and I, then passing is a cakewalk.

    “If you’re transferring, you kids can go.” My teacher, Mr. Sanchez said dismissively as he continued grading our assignments on his computer.

    I packed up my script, and school-owned laptop into my already overstuffed backpack before I followed a few other kids out of the room. It didn’t take me long to find the bus heading to Westfield after fast walking towards the glass door towards the buses, and I was once again grateful that I’m not the only Wunsche kid whose got a class at my home school.

    I sat in the middle of the bus, by myself, and listen to the radio, which is now playing some rock ‘n’ roll song I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard in my entire life, but I’m pretty sure Missy knows. Since it’s been about two months since schools started, I’m still trying to get used to the big changes that occurred over the summer.

    After my freshmen year at Westfield, I have always escaped to the theatre whenever the stress of a day that would always feel almost exactly like a warzone got to me. When it came time to choosing classes for the next year, I immediately applied for the Wunsche academy, and I was above all grateful to get in, but I didn’t want to abandon my love for the stage—especially after my debut as the lead last year in the production of The Diviners.

    That’s when I first met Missy, right after our audition, and we almost immediately became best friends despite our two-year age difference. I begin to reminisce on the day on how I first met Missy a year ago; I could strangely remember everything about that day like it was only yesterday.

    The auditions were, indeed, nerve wrecking, and brutal. I have already gone, and I still couldn’t believe that I just manage to do it without embarrassing myself. I mean, it didn’t seem that hard, I read both characters in the script in the scene my partner and I had done, (and I’m pretty sure that I’ve forgotten her name; I could only remember that she had a pixie hair cut) and I immediately felt comfortable with the character named Jennie Mae.

    The majority of the people had already auditioned as well, but they were hanging out, or waiting for their parents to pick them up, etc. but I was mostly worrying as I called my mom to tell her she can pick me up. As I told her briefly how the auditions went on my half, I thought I did good, but part of me still doubts that the directors would even think of casting a freshmen in a play that would probably consist of juniors and seniors, mostly.

    I was just stuffing my phone into my pocket, so I didn’t see that girl walking towards me, almost causing the both of us to crash and fall to the ground. But that didn’t stop me from tripping my over own two feet, and fall onto the ground, flat on my butt, and taking her with me. I could already feel the embarrassed blush enter my face when I met the girl’s blue/green eyes.