Behind The Screens

5 | Don't Fall In Love Or You'll Die.

Alex

She was working my nerves...

But I loved it.

I looked back at Britten who was sitting behind me, working on a paper that my English teacher passed out. I didn't know how she was getting away with being in the school, but who was I to ever complain?

She looked up and smiled at me, waving her fingers. "Why?" I whispered. She laughed. "Do I need to seperate you two?" Ms.Kim threatened. I turned to look at her and shook my head. "Well get that paper done, then." I looked back down at the paper in front of me.

What do you think is the meaning behind Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet"?

I would ask Shakespeare, but he's dead.

By memory, explain what happens in Romeo and Juliet.

They fall in love and die.

What do you think is the meaning behind Romeo and Juliet?

Don't fall in love or you'll die.

I looked behind me again and saw that Britten wasn't in her seat. I looked ahead of me and saw her coming from Kim's desk. "You're done?" I whispered to her. "I already learned this." She whispered back. "She told me I could leave because I'm finished, but I told her I'd help you." I sighed.

"I don't need help." I said.

She twisted her lips and stuck out her hand for my paper. I gladly handed it to her.

I watched Britten's eyes scan my paper seeing her giggle every now and then. How cute. I bet she had something to blog about now. "You do need my help." She insisted. I shrugged. "Okay." I said.

The next ten minutes flew by as Britten helped me with the questions on my paper. By the time we were done we only had twenty minutes left of first period. I smiled in relief. Now we have time, I thought.

I turned in my paper and motioned for Britten to follow me as I walked out of the classroom. "Have a nice day, Ms.Kim." I said as we left the classroom. "Wait, what?" I heard her whisper just before I closed the door. I assumed that she didn't want me leaving, and I was right when Britten explained that she only let her leave because she wasn't from here. I shrugged. "She'll be okay... we have to walk faster."

"I didn't think anyone would ever want to spend a day with me," I admitted to Britten. "Why not?" She asked as we turned the corner toward the courtyard. I shrugged. "I'm just... you know... average." I said. She laughed. "Obviously not- you're pretty cool." I felt heat rise into my cheeks.

We sat quietly for a moment, the sound of the leaves on trees rustling in the wind filling the silence. I looked down at the gravel and traced squares with my eyes. "I wish we could hang out more after this." Britten broke the silence. I looked at her. "After what?" I asked, completely clueless. "The festival... remember?" I nodded. "Yea." I agreed. There was another awkward silence.

I glared down at my hands resting between my legs. I didn't know how to start a conversation. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to tell her over the course of the ten minutes that we had left. Should I just leave?

"I'm sorry-" I softly began speaking but was interrupted by one of Britten's small hands reaching toward me. She rested her warm, soft hand on mine. "It's fine," she assured me. "I'm not good at this either. This whole communicating in person thing." She laughed. "With a guy, at least," she continued. "A cute guy." I smiled at our hands.

Seventh period, the last class of the day, finally came around. Luckily, we had survived the day with the girls just fine and none of my teachers seemed to care that girls from way out of town are skipping school to be here.

Last period was actually me and Tyler's gym period, so I hoped coach would let them pass.

"Hey coach!" I held up my hand to high five him. He folded his arms and stood in front of Tyler, Mira, Britten and I. I slowly lowered my hand.

"What is this." Coach asked, his voice deep and stern. "This is a woman. Two women." I replied. "Don't get smart with me, kid, who are these young ladies and why are they at practice?" He said. I sighed. "Mira and Britten." I replied, pointing at each of them.

"Aren't you girls supposed to be in class?" Coach asked. Britten bit her lip. "Not necessarily," I said. "They're here for the festival and they wanted to get some school hours in." I honestly admitted, but with an unsure tone. 
"You know I'll have to tell the principal," Coach said. "They've been in classes all day and none of my teachers cared. They were super attentive." I said. "They'll only be at school until... tomorrow afternoon." I said, finally aware of what that meant for me. There was so little time...

"Fine." Coach said. "Ladies are in the gym today, we don't want to distract the boys with your undeniable beauty." He winked, earning delighted looks from the two, then he pointed at me. "Especially Alex, here, I see his eyes on you, Britten." She laughed and nodded. "Okay, coach I'll find a mask." She said. I watched as Britten and Mira made their way to the bleachers.

Tyler and I began jogging toward the field but Coach held me back instead. "Walk with me." He said. "Something up, Coach?" I asked. Then he started smiling. Smiling! Coach doesn't smile. "So... Britten," He began. I couldn't help but smile myself. "What about her?" I said. "What's up with you and her?" He asked. I shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Ah, come on, Al." Coach poked. "Well... I really do... I like her." I admitted. "It's only been a day, kid." Coach said. "It's been... three weeks." I told him. He stopped walking. "Weeks?" I nodded. "Where did you guys meet?" He asked. "On a Blog site..." I replied.

"On the internet!?" Coach whisper yelled. I looked around to see if anyone had heard. He somehow found a way to make even his whispering loud.  "Don't you know how dangerous the Internet is?" I nodded. "But I know her," I said. "She's a blogger." Coach shook his head. "Whatever makes you happy, kid." He said. "Now go, MOVE!" He blew his whistle and I started running out to the field.

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When I finally got home, the first thing I did was log onto check Britten's page.

I'm literally so ugly, she wrote, it's not even a joke. In the presence of Beauty Queens, it's like I'm the girl who scrubs the ground they walk on with toothbrushes. And not the electric kind.

I examined her post with a frown. Why was she putting herself down? I had almost tripped over my own two feet when I'd seen her for the first time and nearly lost my mind when I heard her speak. I messaged her.

PB: what's going on?

GWAB: What?

PB: your latest post, what's that all about?

GWAB: Ugh that. I was in a gym full of Greek Goddesses today. I've never felt less superior in my life. You should see the way their hair bounces when they jog and I don't know how they don't sweat their makeup off.

PB: Trust me, I've seen it before.

GWAB: They made me feel like the ugliest girl there.

PB: Stop it, you're gorgeous, if anything, you're the Goddess.

GWAB: How would you know? You've never seen me.

I panicked, remembering that she was still clueless of my identity.

PB: Just guessing.

We talked for a while more after I finally convinced her that she, herself, was a Universal Goddess. I wanted her to know who I was, and I didn't know why I was making it so difficult when the girl I was crushing on was right in front of me.