Just Between Us #Wattys2019

Tirley

"Harley, it's been, what? Four weeks since you had a story for us? What's been going on in your life?" Finn asked her.

"How's Magnus?" Cleo asked.

Harley sighed and looked down. "Magnus is... complicated."

"Isn't he always?" Arcadia stated ironically. We all scoffed in agreement.

"Well... you guys know this play I'm in, right?"

"Hell yeah!! I can't wait to see it when it comes out. You'll save us some good spots, right?" I asked.

She nods, "Yes... Well, you guys know it's a romance, right?"

"Yeah. It's with that super cute actor that was in that soap opera last year, right?" Arcadia asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah. It's him." Harley answered.

Silence. We stare at each other with curious anxiety waiting for Harley to say something, but she doesn't.

"Fuck me gently with a chainsaw, Harley! Don't leave us at this cliff-hanger! Spill!" I shout.

"Okay, okay!" She said. "It all started a couple weeks ago."

"Okaaaay, Harley and Titus, I want you two to go over that one scene with the fight on your free time. I have to feeeel it." The director said, "I love you both, but we star in a few weeks. Meet outside of practice and get it done, yeah?"

Harley and Titus both looked at each other and nodded.

"Bye-Bye, my angels! I'll see you two tomorrow at seven A.M." Harley smiled at her director and as soon as the woman turned her back, Harley rolled her eyes.

She walked up to Titus, who drank some water onstage.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." He replied, smiling. He sat at the middle of the stage, and she sat beside him. "So, when are you free to rehearse?"

She scoffed, "Well, I barely have any 'free-time' to begin with." He chuckled, agreeing, "What are you doing right now?"

He looked around. "I guess I can clear up the next hour. Good with you?"

She looked at her phone. "Yeah, I'll text my ride."

"Cool." He said, and stood up to go put away his water bottle.

To Magnus
Harley:
Hey, rehearsal's gonna run late tonight. Pick me up in 1 hour?

"Ready?" Titus asked.

She smiled faintly and nodded.

"Action." He said.

She went to center stage dragging her body like a shy six year old lost in a crowd, looking for her mother. Her character, to the contrary of her actual persona, was timid and quiet.

Titus walked towards her.

"Would you like to go out to dinner some time?" He asked her.

She looked behind her, unbelieving that this boy's words were directed at her.

"Excuse me?" She whispered.

"I was going to ask you out for coffee, but decided to skip that and go straight to dinner." He said, smirking.

"I don't— I'm sorry, who are you?"