My Fictional Boyfriend

Chapter 33 ~ The knocks

“Opportunity only knocks once.”

As that saying went, you had to grab it before it faded. That was exactly what others might think when the play director decided to open the role for Eponine again. As expected, many reacted. Who could re-cast just two days before the play, disregarding that the day before the play should be a rest day. Resulting from the accident that happened, no one might want to rest.

“But it's just a sprain and bruises, nothing so serious.” Aly had said. She was on one of the school’s emergency wheelchairs.

“Still, we can't assure you'll be totally fine on Saturday,” the nurse said while kneeling by the feet of Aly to bandage her. Aly suddenly flinched as the nurse apologized.

“Yeah well we also don't want a limping Eponine,” we turned and saw Candice… oh, wait, it wasn't Candice, it was just one of her “friends” from the lower batch that kinda tried so hard to imitate her in her voice and style.

“Shut up, Zoe!” Someone nudged her.

Excluding the auditions, it was one of the few times I got exposed to the whole team of the Theater Club, made me realize how big the club really was. They continued to discuss and argue about the role as I went to Aly to ask how was she.

“I'm fine, but honestly, who would want a limping Eponine, right?” She said as a matter-of-fact manner.

“You're not a limp and I believe you'll heal soon. Besides, you and Liam worked so hard for the practices, those can't go to waste. I'm sure you can mask the sprain with your great performance.” I said and gave her a hug.

Bea, along with a handful of people I remembered from the officers of the club, started to approach our direction. I let them discuss the decision privately.

I searched the massive crowd and saw Candice who was silently on a seat, surprisingly uninterested to the recasting of the role she used to envy from Aly. I'd like to go to her but Bea shouted in the middle of the commotion. “It's final!” Since she was the president of the Club, she also had a say about it even though she chose to be Cosette other than being the Director of the play. “Everyone! Listen to Rick.”

Rick, I assumed to be the Director, cleared his throat. “A decision has been made. We have tolook for a new cast for the role of Eponine.” An uproar started again but he didn’t wait for it to worsen. “But, since we would only have a limited time to practice, the songs of Eponine will be performed backstage by Alyssa as the ‘new Eponine’ tried to lip-synch the lyrics and actions.”

“Now,” Bea looked at every direction. “Who would want to be Eponine?”

If asked a month or two ago, many would have volunteered to raise their hands, but since there were only two days left to practice, only a girl with guts could do so. Sadly, though I wanted to help Aly’s crisis, I did not have the gut.

Silence filled the auditorium until the girl who acted as Candice’s doppleganger, whose name must be Zoe, raised her hand, only few noticed until she spoke in the way very familiar to me. “Well, I'd like to volunteer,” then she laughed and covered her face, everyone paused like curious on why she laughed, “But I prefer to be Cosette.” She pointed at Bea. Bea, seemly not sure of what to reply, about to say something but Zoe waved her hands “no”. “No, no, no, I don't mean that. I love you to play as Cosette, I've seen you practice and e—”

“SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT?!” Rick sounded like he couldn't stand hearing her somehow irritating voice like me, so like Candice when she would like to show her attitude.

“Well, I volunteer my sister,” she pointed at the direction of a seat rows away from ours. Sister?! Was that like a sister only as friends or biologically?

“She's Candice’s half-sister,” Marc suddenly whispered as we all looked that direction. Candice immediately stood up.

“I—I—” And that was the first time I heard Candice stuttered as she walked towards us. “I would like to try!” From the silent Candice I saw a while ago, that time the Candice I used to know started to come back.

“No one else? Short audition will be conducted, Org Room 7. Alyssa, you have to be there.” Rick announced and turned towards the stairs.

“When?” Aly shouted because Rick was a bit away already.

“Now. ASAP! Those who likes to audition, just knock before entering. By the way, make sure you're familiar with the lines.” He walked off, I heard him muttered “So stressful.”

I walked towards Aly. Liam was there already, helping her. “You can use the elevator in this wheelchair with only one companion every time until next week.” The nurse handed her a slip. Her phone buzzed.

“Thanks, Nurse. We can manage from here.” Aly said.

“Be sure not to stress the ankle too much. Excuse me, 9I really have to answer this.” She nodded to all of us, smiled and walked to a corner to answer her call.


“Unfortunately, only the foot cannot be stressed.” Liam joked once the nurse was far enough.

I was busy observing her leg that only when I glanced at Aly’s face did I saw the tears falling from her eyes. “Aly, are you crying?” I dumbly asked, just didn't know what else to say.

“I'm not, it's just…” she wiped her tears. “I just think I was so dumb to trip myself just now—just two freaking days before the play. I mean, why not a month ago so I can still recover, why just now?”

“Hey,” I hugged her closely. “It's no one's fault. It was just an accident.”

“Yes, we can't actually accuse Candice for setting it up,” Liam said. “She was busy with the military costume.”

“You'll still sing the songs we practiced. Nothing will turn to waste.” I patted her.

She sighed and smiled. “Thanks, guys. I'm really sorry for wasting our practices for my scenes.”

“Ella is right! Nothing is wasted. Think of it like our bonding time.” Liam said. “Knowing the scenes of Eponine will really help you in singing her songs.”

“I won't know what to do now if I hadn't have you.” She wailed but then we both hugged her.

“You should try to audition this time.” Aly suggested before we even move away.

“Yes!” Liam agreed.

“I don't know…” I frowned.

“You know the lines of Eponine even more than myself!” Aly laughed. “You're my best pick.”

“Well, Candice… I'm sure she can't let this opportunity escape.” Liam said.

I shrugged. “She seems different after we went there in the Home Economics room…”

“Why? What happened there?”

“Well, she…” I went back to what happened back there,  I couldn't remember most because I fell into a nap. “She was about to tell me something but she changed her mind. That's all.”

“Maybe she finally reflected on the things that she did.”

I somehow felt talking about her was inappropriate. I felt bad about her, she might want to change but there was no any opportunities or chances. Maybe all she needed was like this recasting of Eponine, a given chance to prove she was worth it.

~

Either Candice forgot her way to the org room or she completely lost interest in getting the role for Eponine.

We immediately went to the Organization Room, that was also located in the fifth floor, where Sean was already waiting by the entrance. It was pretty packed despite the message of Rick that only the officers, Aly and the aspirants should be there. It was past six so the other students already left the school.

After Sean pushed Aly inside, Liam also excused himself to talk to someone. I entered with Marvin beside me and my phone on my ears. “It seems like everyone is anxious to find the new Eponine.” Marvin said.

“I really imagined Aly to act it in the play,” I frowned. “But better to recast than get her sprain worse.”

“Ella!” Aly was now beside her boyfriend, Sean.

“You should let me borrow the wheelchair first before returning it to the clinic.” I joked.

She shook her head. “You wouldn't wish to ride this.”

I sat beside her. Liam was on one corner talking to a girl in jeans and glasses. “Who's that girl Liam was talking to?”

“Where?” she asked.

I pointed and she was as curious as I was. The girl clearly wasn't from our school since the guard let her go inside without an ID card and uniform. “We have a barbecue to grill on the hot seat later!” I said and we laughed, Sean gave me a grin, Aly might have told him.

Everyone could feel the pressure to fill the missing spot in the cast. Candice, the supposedly first in line, was still nowhere to be seen. “So, does anyone here has a contact to Candice or just give me another actor.”

“I'm sure she is on her way!” Zoe said. Like on cue, the door swung open, Candice entered, like it was so early and no rushing was needed. “Told ‘yah!” Zoe smirked and gave her sister a flying kiss, but there really seemed to be something wrong in her I couldn't exactly tell… she just looked sad. Very unusual for her.

The Director called her for the first scene. Candice should be able to pass the all the other scenes in order to accept her for the play. “Now, let's see what you've got.”

Candice nodded, that was also the first time I saw her trembled a bit, though I admitted that she still looked pretty. She sighed and the Candice I knew glistened for a while, ready to grab on the knocking opportunity.

“So here's the real test… the lines.” Aly said. I yawned and realized the people started to go, it was already six-thirty. Liam sat beside me, but no time to ask him about the mysterious girl at the moment because everyone seemed so focus at Candice. I was wishing the director would pick her up so there won't be any problem for the cast already. Thankfully, Rick became more generous when she let Candice hold a script so she could glance at the lines. I was amazed at how well she already knew the lines.

“I'm more than just what she thinks of me, what they think of me.” Candice told herself. “There's a whole life awaiting me… I just… I just have to seek the chance.”

Then like watching television, there was a short pause. Then she let go of the script and walked away. Other people gave her an applause as she continued walking towards the door. They considered it as a part of her grand show, but Me and Aly glanced at each other because we were sure it wasn't part of the script.

After a while after waiting for Candice to enter again, I saw Rick clapped and lost patience. “Can someone tell her and it's okay now and she can come in.”

The person nearest to the door opened it but no one was on the other side. Zoe checked and tried to look for her sister outside. “So what now?” Rick covered her mouth with his palm.

Bea, who was sitting beside Rick, seemed so calm. She glanced at me and smiled. I blinked before I returned the smile. We waited a few more minutes when Zoe returned, she looked so broken in a way she didn't even care how messy her hair looked like. “She apologized,” she rolled her eyes but immediately shook herr head as if eye rolls wasn’t so approriate at the time. “She said she was sorry and that she can't take the role anymore.”

And that broke another chaos. Various voices boomed in the room, asking “why’s” and “how’s”, some even cursed. “Shhh!” Bea said, she was good in getting attention. “Silence! We shouldn't panic. I'm sure we can find an Eponine. Is there someone else wants to try for the role?”

“Someone who wouldn't waste our time and walk out in the middle of a scene?” Rick added, clearly pissed of what Candice did.

“It's all my fault.” Aly muttered as she hid her face in her hands.

“No, don't say that, babe,” Sean comforted her. Looking at them made me miss Marvin. I was so busy it had been a long time since I hugged him so tight.

“Oh! Wait!” Aly raised her hands, almost shouting Eureka! “I know someone!” Aly caught the attention in the room. “Ella.” Before I protest she continued talking, not giving a window for me to say something to my defense. “Ella Gomez. She's with us during practices. She knows the lines well.” She pointed at me and all eyes were on me now, throwing glances and hope.

Bea stood, maybe to get a better view of me. “Ella, do you accept?”

“Let's give it a try.” Rick gestured for me to go in the spot where Candice did her scenes.

I heard knocks. Loud knocks. Louder and louder as my heartbeat thump on my chest. I glanced at the door, the knocks weren't coming from the org room. It was in my mind.

An opportunity.
It's knocking.
Should I answer it?

“Uhm,” was all I could say, but I got the role eventually.