REALLY ✓

4: The Teenage Dirtbag

*

        TAYA's POV:

"I told you not to call me that!" I hissed under my breath, firmly but soft enough so that no one could hear us.

"Well I never got your name," he shrugged.

"Everyone, we will take a short five minute break and then we'll start rehearsals when we come back, alright?" Mrs. Zee's booming voice shouted over us all.

Everyone started dispersing to different directions and Hallee raced over to us.

"Hi Judah, welcome to theater club. I'm Hallee, co-director and writer of the play. And this is Taya, she's playing Rose,"

"Taya?" he raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Unique name. I like it,"

"It's Japanese. Her mom's half-Japanese, so—" Hallee was just being friendly, but way too friendly for my liking, so I cut her off by pinching her elbow quickly. "Ouw," she flinched.

"How's the stomach by the way? You feeling better?" Judah turned his gaze on me, with that stupid grin still plastered on his face.

"Oh, great, yeah thanks. I just had a lot of chili that night," I replied quickly.

"What? You guys know each other?" Hallee eyed me suspiciously.

"Will you excuse us for one moment?" I gave Judah a quick fake smile and pulled Hallee to one side, dragging her out of the auditorium as soon as I could.

"What's going on?" Hallee said as soon as we got to the exit.

"I can't do this. I can't do the play," I stated firmly.

I spent the next few minutes explaining to Hallee everything that happened last night. About drinking some poisonous drink at the party, kissing Blake in the bathroom, falling out a two-story window in order to escape Ryder, and embarrassing myself in front of someone who I thought I'd never have see again, except...

"Wow. You know I'm a sucker for rom-com stories, but damn girl, this is something alright. They really should make a Netflix movie about your life," she snorted.

"I'm serious! Hal, help me, what should I do?"

"Well one, you need to talk to Blake. Confront him, ask him straight-up why he was being a flaky douchebag today at lunch. And as for the new guy..."

"I'll just have to quit theater club and wear a paper bag over my head around school grounds until we graduate," I decided right away.

"No," she responded. "That's not necessary. And you can't quit the play, we can't afford losing you,"

"But I would die in embarrassment. Do you want a corpse as your best-friend?"

"Geez, you're such a drama queen already. You're so perfect for the role," she waved her hand in the air carelessly. "You'll be fine, Tay. Sure it was embarrassing, but you'll survive this. Remember, this is the new Taya we're talking about. She's strong and fearless—"

* DING *

My phone's sudden chime broke her train of thought.

"Speak of the devil," I commented as soon as I read the text.

"Who's that?"

"Blake. Said he wants to see me,"

"Won't you look at that? The universe is giving you a sign that you need to follow my advice," she announced proudly. "You should go and talk to him,"

"I don't know Hal..."

"What's the worse that could happen?"

"I could die!"