𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 || 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇

01 | ACTING TAKES WORK

【 ONE 】
➤ ACTING TAKES WORK

❝ sometimes, the heart sees what is invisible to the eye. ❞

oOo

"THIS DAMN THING out-romancizes Romeo & Juliet" I muttered under my breath, looking up at Anna incredulously. "And you want me to audition for the main part, opposite [c/n] [c/l/n]?"

Anna nodded as if I'd asked her if the sky was blue.

"Annabelle Hemingway, has the world finally broken you, or do you simply not understand how [c/l/n] and I work" was all I could grind out.

Anna rolled her fanfiction blue eyes. "No need to be melodramatic, [y/n/n]. I know the whole ordeal with your break-up has been difficult for you, but I see the way you look at her. You do like her, and that's that. It's just your inflated ego that doesn't allow you to admit it—"

Anna was cut off as I slapped her with the script in my hand— an innocent attempt to get my friend to shut up before she spilled my darkest secrets to the fucking world.

Wincing and massaging her head, Anna shot me a sideways glare. I sighed lightly, gladly returning the glare. Nobody could ever know what was truly in my heart for that annoying [c/e/c]-eyed girl. Especially not said girl.

"Not so loud, you fool!" I hissed. "And anyway, what's it to you if I don't mind being her friend? Last I checked, you weren't my personal database"

"Times change" Anna grinned cheekily. "And besides, your little relationship is honestly the only interesting thing that goes on these days—"

"There's no relationship, Anna" I burned red. "We're enemies, and we're supposed to hate each other."

And that's all we'll ever do, I frowned. Hate is the only thing written in our stars.

And that honestly left me wondering whether it would be easier to just jump off the mezzanine floor.

• • •

Walking in heels had always been a natural talent of mine. People knew me for the fact that I survived hours in the treacherous things without complaint.

My conscience begs to differ.

So as the entire school watched me stumble around onstage in a pair of red pumps, it was only added proof to how good of an actress I was.

Lily Andrews, the character I was playing, really was a basketcase. Reading the script had given me a vague idea of her personality, but it was only as I channeled her soul into myself that I realized how much of a dork she was.

Resting my palm against the side of the stage, I sighed, just as I was supposed to. I could feel lingering stares on me as I straightened myself, inhaling deeply and preparing for another cascade of tripping around, when--

"Lily?"

Her voice came, just as it was supposed to. I gasped perfectly, as I was supposed to, getting to my feet.

And I ran, just as I was supposed to. My feet buckled just as they were supposed to, and I sunk to the floor, just as I was supposed to.

And she was there, just as she was supposed to be. Her strong arms wound around me, hand circling my waist as she broke my fall in a dip, as she was supposed to. Our eyes locked, [e/c] piercing [c/e/c] as she held me, our faces mere inches away from each other, as they were supposed to be.