psycho | jaeden lieberher

two

Heathers. One of the most insanely inappropriate American musicals, based on the beautiful and a little less inappropriate yet still iconic movie. My favorite musical, that I, with the help of Maddie and Lilia, and our amazingly high grades, somehow got the school board to produce. The show stars Veronica Sawyer, the beautiful and sassy outsider, who falls for JD, the wild and psycho new guy. Together they use their shared hatred to battle the Heathers, and all that. I know, I should be playing Heather Chandler, the badass queen bee bitch. But that's me in real life, and I'm an extremely talented actress so why play myself? It's a love story, with some weird deep ass twists. It's perfect for me, and this show could really create my future.

After school I am fully prepared for auditions. Maddie has dance class, and Lilia has her date to get ready for, so that leaves me sitting second row in the auditorium. Terrified might I add.  I mean I know I'm gonna do great, but it's the thought that other people might do great too. Maybe they'll think I'm good for the lead, but someone else is great.

"Hi, Corrine." A voice says next to me. I turn my head to see an extremely skinny kid a seat away from me. What's more awkward than sitting a seat away from someone? That's like you want to sit next to them, but don't know if they want you to, so you're getting as close as you can without actually sitting next to them.

"Hey, Jaeden." I say once I analyze the situation. Jaeden Lieberher has been my neighbor since day one, and has also had a crush on me since day one. Not in a stalker way, but not in a romantic way either. More in a obviously-not-happening-but-not-giving-up kind of way. I shift my body away from him, really not in the mood to talk to anyone and get distracted from the audition.

"You want the lead right?" He asks, as if I didn't just turn away. See, not giving up. 

I notice the director start to get on stage which means the audition is about to start. Without responding to Jaeden, because it's something I really don't have time for, I grab my bag and bolt to an open seat in the front row so I seem more outgoing or whatever. In this situation it's really all about appealing to the director, not about talking to the annoying boy who likes you. 

The second auditions end I grab my backpack and call Finn. I walk out of the auditorium to the beat of my phone ringing, until it sends me to voicemail. Rather than leaving a voicemail I text him; just finished the audition, ft later? My mom isn't here yet when I get outside, so I sit on the lawn waiting. As I watch the other people coming from the audition walk past I try to figure out if they're my competition. From what I know they all suck. But I mean what do I know? I was barely paying attention when they auditioned anyway. Jaeden walks out, and I know he is going to try to talk to me, so I get up and start walking to where I know my mom is coming from. Eventually I reach her, and we drive home.

"I'm sure you did great." Maddie says over FaceTime. Finn still hasn't responded to me text, so I went to the next best thing. 

"Thanks." I smile, then drop it to ask a question. "Finn's band doesn't normally practice this late do they?"

"Not normally." She responds. It's 7pm now, been hours since I text him, and he is normally back home and texting me at 6. But maybe they lost track of time, I don't know. He always gets mad at me when I complain about him being late, he doesn't like the fact that I like an exact time schedule. But I like him a lot, so I deal. 

"How's Jack?" I ask her. Maddie loves talking about her happy relationship, and I love hearing about it. As happy Finn and I are, I sometimes wish we had what Jack and Maddie have. Like, with them it's like a team effort, he want's the romantic dates as much as she does, she wants the football game nights as much as he does. With Finn and I it's like I love doing what he want's, and he suffers through what I want. That's why I love FaceTiming him, it's what we both want.

"He's great-" Maddie gets interrupted by my phone getting a notification. 

"Finn just text me. I got to go, text you later." I smile.

"Ok, have fun! Don't send nudes unless he does first!" Maddie laughs then hangs up. I quickly call Finn, and the screen turns to his bedroom. 

"Hey, babe!" I smile, adjusting my seat to look better.

"Hey, princess." Finn says, walking into the screen. "Sorry it took me so long to call, I just got home." He sits down on his bed not really looking at me. He always FaceTime's on his laptop, so the camera is so far from him.

I readjust my seat to be more comfortable, noticing he isn't paying attention. "It's fine, I just wanted to see you." 

He chuckles, and it's adorable. "Seeing me at school wasn't enough?" He sits up to actually look at me. He is grinning, like he is genuinely having fun. I love when he is like this.

"Not at all." I settle my chin in my hand, just admiring him. He looks so cute right now, his hair all messed up from band practice. 

"You're coming over Friday right? My parents won't be home." He still has a big grin.

"Yeah of course." I say. He just stares at me for a second, and I know what he is thinking. We haven't been home alone together for weeks, and I've been forcing him into dinner dates. He's excited, and I am too.

His phone dings, and he looks down at it. "Sorry babe, I have to go, my mom wants me to go out and pick up dinner." 

"Ok." I smile.

"I'll snap you later." He walks closer to the camera and winks.

"Good." I sigh, then hang up. I wish I could've said I love you before hanging up, but we aren't there yet. But we will be soon.