Dream Chaser (Preview)

Chapter 5

With Celia's role now up for grabs amongst us, three male southern belles, we looked at each other like predators, determining who was the weakest of us. It quickly became a blood bath as the other two started having a yelling match. Letting them go at it for a moment, I approached them after to make my case. Only Ms. Reine was standing behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Drew, you can't forfeit your position since it is technically a speaking role." She mentioned causing my heart to sink.

It was an odd feeling when I heard those words uttered to me. I wasn't disappointed, but yet it made the weight on my shoulders feel almost heavier. My importance to the show didn't feel real until now, which was enough to put a smile on my face. It helped me put the thought of every negative thing to the side for a minute, as my inner entertainer was awakening once more. My determination was telling me that I was going to steal the show in front of everyone. How bad could it be, though? I thought since I wouldn't be the only boy playing a girl since, we were all obligated. The other boys seemed to come to an agreement and then walked over to the teacher to finalize their decision.

As the dust settled, the two boys and the three girls all stood beside each other. We were then told about our outfits and what we needed to wear; after all of that, the rehearsal finally began. Everything seemed to go swimmingly up until it was my turn. I took centre stage as everyone's eyes targeted me. It was a now-or-never moment as I channelled my inner southern belle. Again, everyone watched on before their jaws dropped as I recited the line. The teachers were all blown away, but the students seemed to be both confused and amazed. Yet, no one said anything as we continued with the story.

The next thing I knew, the rehearsal was over, and everyone was packing their stuff and heading out. Leaving me alone like usual, I pushed open the school doors and was greeted by the sun welcoming me. It had been overcast for the last two weeks, that the sun was warming everything back up, and I felt like it was a sign of things to come. Walking with a confident stride, I headed home and, upon getting there, swung the door open. My mother smiled at the sight of me as I actually seemed to be happy for once. Neither of us said anything to each other as I went straight to my room. I was excited and needed to share the joy with someone other than my mother. Pulling out my phone, I looked up Celia's name and hoped she was in good enough condition to talk since our teacher mentioned it was just a broken leg. Upon seeing the name, it all came rushing back to me as I remembered everything that had happened to her, and my joyful mood quickly came crumbling down. Taking the chance, I didn't see the harm in texting her. I started it off by asking if she was okay and waited for an answer that a part of me knew might never come. I shouldn't have left her last night. I thought to myself as my own guilt overtook me, and I was struggling to fight it.

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Across the city, the phone that I was calling went off beside Celia. She was partially conscious while on the fourth floor of a hospital and restricted to one of their beds. Her body was more of a mess than anyone even knew. She was alone, as everyone had left for the day, but the phone continued to buzz beside her. Struggling to roll herself over, she managed to get far enough to be able to grab the device. Using her fingertips, she managed to move it until she could grasp it with her hand. Celia's thumb hit the main button, causing the screen to illuminate, and reading the words on the display made her smile. It was the first time she had smiled the entire day, and seeing my name meant the world to her.

Having the ability to move one of her arms, she unlocked the phone and read the short text message. Hey to you, too. Celia mouthed the words as her finger caught up and completed typing the message. Hitting the send button caused the message to swoosh off, and she couldn't take the smile off her face. While waiting for my response, she placed the phone down over her heart until a few minutes passed, and my message swooshed in. The phone chimed as she looked at it, seeing that I was asking how she was doing. For Celia, it hurt to read and know someone was worried about her. Although she felt the need to respond to me to some degree. Oh, you know, just chillin' at the hospital, you? She mouthed the words as she replied. Watching her fingers dance on the keyboard made her wonder if what she was about to send would hurt the image that I had of her in my mind.