Repeated Encounters

Chapter 1: Brigadoon

This was the worst thing that could ever happen. Ever.

Paul Matthews and the rest of Sycamore High School were being shepherded over to their rival's school, Hatchetfield High, to watch some shitty production of some done to death musical from the 1950s. The only reason he was going, and probably the only reason any of them were going was that they were threatened with the failure of English and they would all rather die than take English again. The teachers were probably lying because no one would go otherwise, but this is not something that people bother risking. In Paul's personal opinion, all musicals were kinda crappy but this particular one had a special place in his heart. Why Scotland? No one cares about Scotland!

When they got there, just by looking around, you could really tell how much everyone wanted to be there, by the one or two seats filled at the front, and the one or two seats not filled at the back. He swore to himself that he would fight anyone who opposed him in his journey to the seat at the back. I mean, at least everyone else had someone to talk with, to criticise the 'actors' performance. Emphasis on the air quotes. After climbing over at least ten people, he finally got to his seat, and the bored-out-of-his-mind teen settled in for two hours of unending agony.

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After the correctly predicted two hours of unending agony, the production was finally over, and they could all leave and, to be honest, Paul couldn't get out of there fast enough. What the fuck was that? Before the show, he had seen a description of the show and it sounded bad, but oh my god! The whole thing was the cheesiest thing ever. The amateurish special effects might have been the worst part as well. It was mainly just coloured, vibrant, flashing lights and different fabrics being flown around by cast members, still in their costumes. Who thought that getting people in tartan dress to run around the stage, waving pink, purple, and blue fabric in the air. There is a reason the people of Sycamore didn't like the people of Hatchetfield.

Anyway, once Paul had finally found his way out of the school, he aimed to just go straight home and try to forget about the traumatic event but was intercepted by a girl who looked just as annoyed as he assumed he looked. She noticed him and, for some godforsaken reason, started talking to him.

"Heyyyyyyy"

"What?"

"I just saw you looking as bored as I feel."

"I mean yeah. It wasn't one of the best things I have ever seen."

"I feel the same way. That was the worst. And that's saying something since I was in it." Paul opened his mouth to reply. Whether or not it would have been to apologise, who knows (probably the latter). "Don't bother. I only did it for the extra credit anyway."

"I get what you mean. I only came cause we would have been failed otherwise."

"Wow, your teachers really wanted to torture you, didn't they."

"You have no idea."

"Well, I'll see you around."

"Unlikely."

"Byeeeeee."

Well. That was interesting.