“I’m here! I’m here! Sorry I’m late,” Miranda cried and dropped her bag on the floor. Mrs. York snapped at her to go to the narrators people so she could read her introduction. “Okay, okay. Jeez, no need to snap at me.”
“Do you want to have detention, Ms. Fisher?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I don’t want, Mrs. York.”
Mrs. York rolled her eyes at Miranda and waved her hand dismissively. I suppressed a smile while Suzanne laughed quietly beside me.
We’re inside the Theater Room, practicing for the Pride and Prejudice play. The main characters, me, Suzanne, Ian and others, were sitting on the stage, waiting for Mrs. York to start the practice. I just hope being Elizabeth Bennet would do me some good.
“So,” Mrs. York began, her eyes twinkling with excitement. Why the hell would she be excited? This woman is crazy. “I’ll hand you your script. When I call your character, please go down the stage and to me.”
There was a murmur of yes. My hands were shaking and clammy. Why the hell am I so nervous? It’s not the first time I’m in a play. Maybe because it’s my first time to be the main protagonist and someone who is really, really close with me is my partner.
“Elizabeth Bennet,” Mrs. York called. I took a deep breath and stood up. I walked down the stage, ignoring the stares of the people inside the Theater Room. It’s like everyone was looking at me. I’m just the main protagonist, people. Can you drop your stare? I sighed as Mrs. York handed me my script. “There you go, Ms. Strauss.”
I winced when I carried the script as I got up the stage again. The script was so heavy and thick! Good God, will I ever memorize these lines in two weeks?
“Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy… Mr. Bennet… Mrs. Bennet… Jane Bennet… Mary Bennet… Catherine Bennet… Lydia Bennet… Charles Bingley… Caroline Bingley… George Wickham… William Collins… Lady Catherine de Bourgh… Aunt Gardiner… Uncle Gardiner… Georgina Darcy…”
“I better go,” Suzanne said, sighing as she stood up. When she got up the stage again, she beamed at me. “Look! It’s not that heavy as yours!”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re just Georgina Darcy. I’m Elizabeth Bennet.”
“And finally, Charlotte Lucas…” Mrs. York said. When the girl who will play as Charlotte Lucas, sat again on the stage with her script, Mrs. York grinned at us. “Let’s practice, shall we?”
I groaned. It was already five in the afternoon and we’re not yet done practicing. Mrs. York told us to speak dramatically with fake English accent—well, if we could do it. I, fortunately, could speak with fake English accent. But the others—especially Ian—couldn’t.
So there was Mrs. York, snapping at us to be serious all the time even though we were. I was sitting on a chair beside Suzanne, drinking water. Mrs. York called for a break for thirty minutes.
“I think I love being Georgina Darcy,” Suzanne said, smiling.
“I don’t like being Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Aw, come on, Victoria! Elizabeth is a nice character,” Suzanne said softly. “She’s a nice person.”
“I know she’s a nice person! I’ve read the book. But why do I have to be her?” I asked, rolling my eyes. “Why can’t I be just someone who has a minor job? Like… Miranda! Mrs. York better give me a good mark in Literature or else I’m strangling her after the play.”
YOU ARE READING
Another Wrong Turn?
Teen FictionVictoria Strauss’ life is perfect. She has her adventurous friends, her pain-in-the-butt brother and of course, her loving boyfriend. But when she learns that her boyfriend is cheating her on Valentine’s Day, she swears never to love again. On...
