Pretty Baby

Harry shuffled into his third period of the day, clutching his books tightly to his chest. He slipped in unnoticed, taking a place and sitting down near the side corner of the stage. People were already in the auditorium, standing on the stage, conversing and laughing loudly with one another. Harry hid his hands in his sweater sleeves, balling up the soft material in his fists as he waited for class to begin.

The final bell rang and the teacher quite literally fluttered into the room. "Good morning class!" She practically sang in a high voice. "Now!" She clapped her hands together and Harry jumped slightly, startled.

"Today is a day to be embraced." The teacher sighed, sitting at a desk below the stage. "Be glad that you are here today! I'm very proud of every single one of you for being here today. Aren't you so happy you're here today?" Harry wondered if she had Wackado Flakes for breakfast. Or maybe she was just eccentric.

The teacher rambled on and Harry looked around at his peers, glad that so far, he had gone unnoticed by everyone. Only then did Harry notice a boy sitting in a folding chair on the other side of the stage staring at him. He spoke too soon. This boy had carmel colored shaggy hair and dark, dark eyes. His almost completely inked arms were crossed over his chest and his face gave away no emotion as he openly stared at Harry.

Harry gulped and nervously balled his sweater sleeves in his fists again, pulling his eyes away from the staring boy and diverting his attention back to the teacher.

"-So I figured we'd all try some acting exercises today! Now I want you all to take a prompt there and pair up! I want you to run lines with one another! Well go on! Don't be shy!" The teacher waved towards some printouts at the front of the stage before turning her attention to the papers on her desk.

The students swarmed to the papers, and Harry noticed the staring boy was the first to stand up and grab a paper. Harry realized that the same boy was striding towards him. Harry panicked and dropped his gaze to the black stage flooring. He noticed the boy was wearing Vans sneakers. And suddenly the boy was crouching down in front of Harry. Harry forced himself to look up and he saw the boy sporting a dazzling smile.

"I'm Louis." The boy held out his hand towards Harry.

"I'm Harry."  Harry said in a small voice, shaking Louis' hand with his sweater paws. Harry noticed now that the boy's eyes weren't dark. They were a beautiful sea greeney blue color, made to look dark with the eyeliner that rimmed them.

"So Harry, you want to run lines with me?" Louis asked.

Harry knew it'd be rude to say no, even though he wanted to. So Harry simply nodded his head.

Louis smiled again, clearing his throat. "I wonder if Titania be awaked! Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must dote on in extremity!" He talked in an overly dramatic deep voice, causing Harry to giggle.

Harry cleared his throat and started reading the next line, feeling the anxiety cloud his mind again. Reading aloud was always a fear of his. He could fumble the words and look stupid and slow. Harry swallowed and took a deep breath. "My mistress with a monster is in love." Harry cringed at both the sound of his own voice and the words 'My' and 'Mistress' being used in the same sentence. Harry let out a small sigh but continued.

"Near to her close and consecrated bower, While she was in her dull and sleeping hour, A crew of patches, rude mechanicals That work for bread upon Athenian stalls, Were met together to rehearse a play intended for great Theseus' nuptial day."

Harry looked up from his script to see Louis intently staring at him. Again. "Um could you, um, not do that?" Harry mumbled fisting his sweater again and looking to the ground again.