The Turmoil of Time

Chapter 5 - Damien

"No."

I stare at her, dumbstruck, "What do you mean, no?"

Addison looks up from her chemistry workbook and repeats, "No."

"Why not?"

I actually don't understand how we got from making jokes last night to her refusing to be my lab partner. This is the first time I've even spoken to her since I dropped her home.

"You told me you had no friends." She glares accusingly, "Then guess who I saw today, sitting smack bang right in the center of a crowded cafeteria table."

I hold back a smile, knowing that humor would just make her angrier, "I just assumed that you knew."

"Knew that you had friends? That's awfully arrogant of you."

Someone snickers. I look around to see Steve sitting just a table away, his hand doing a terrible job at concealing the grin plastered on his face.

"Addison, I–"

"I don't appreciate being lied to, Damien." With that, she places a book on the chair beside her and looks back down at her work.

I walk back to Steve's table, feeling humiliated.

Steve, on the other hand, howls with laughter, "Well, well, look who came crawling back."

I punch his arm, "Shut up."

In the entire two hour lesson, not once does Addison look at me. I would've known if she did too; I was watching her more than I was doing my work. I even try to pack up quickly to catch her after class but she breezes out of the room before I've even stood from my seat.

Steve grabs my forearm lightly, "Alright, Damien, I let you have your fun. But what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I don't understand?"

He shakes his head in disappointment, "You're chasing a girl when you're already in a relationship."

I shoot back, "I'm not chasing anyone. And I haven't forgotten about Penelope either."

His eyebrows spring up, "Then explain what I saw in chemistry."

We're walking through the hallway to get to our next class. With people everywhere just dying to eavesdrop, I talk in a hushed voice, "Nothing happened in chemistry."

He starts moving his hands while talking. He does that when he's frustrated. "You couldn't keep your eyes off of her."

We reach the staircase that leads to the drama theatre. Since Steve doesn't take drama, I tell him one final time, "Trust me, nothing is happening between me and Addison. Nothing ever will. I just want to be her friend, that's all."

Reluctantly, he nods, "Sure," Before leaving for his legal studies class.

Before I even step into drama class, I can hear Mr Peters complaining about the broken air conditioning, "This is unacceptable!"

What's even more unacceptable is the purple scarf he has wrapped around his neck. Instead of taking it off to combat the heat, in true Peters' fashion, he uses it to fan his face.

"Gather around everyone!"

We all get ready for class, taking seats on the couches and rugs in the corner of the hall. I spot Penelope sitting on a worn rug, leaning against the wall, and take a seat beside her.

When we're all comfortable, Mr Peters starts, "As you all know, the art fair is approaching rapidly. Now, I asked Miss Valentine about the drama department showcasing a theatrical piece."

All of the enthusiastic students sit up eagerly, thinking their time to shine is finally here. I know better. Miss Valentine, the school principal, has never valued the drama department. The air conditioning that hasn't been fixed ever since it broke two months ago is a prime example.

"Sadly, she said the art show already has a jam-packed schedule."

A collective sigh escapes around me. You can practically hear the crushing of dreams.

"However!" He dramatically flings his arms up, "She said that she will allow an end of term performance!"

At that, everyone cheers. Miss Valentine even surprised me.

Samantha Withers, the drama club president, looks like she might just burst from giddiness. Her hand shoots up, "Mr Peters, can it be an original play? I would just love to write the script. And direct the play." After a beat, she also adds, "And star as the lead."

She ends it with a laugh but we all know she was being dead serious.

He replies, "An original sounds like a splendid idea! Now that you mention it, I've been working on a play myself and it's almost finished too. But you, Samantha, can most definitely direct it."

Holland Baxter, the vice-president of the drama club, looks cheated. His hand also shoots up, "Mr Peters, can I be the director? I've had plenty of experience, much more than anyone else in the class." He glares at Samantha as he says the last part, and she returns the deathly stare tenfold.

"You can both be co-directors!" Before they have time to object, Mr Peters, in all his wisdom, decides to move on and assign roles to the rest of the class.

When it comes to assigning acting roles, he doesn't take volunteers. Instead, he says he can 'feel' who is best suited to each character. His gaze scans the small group of students, before landing on Penny and me – or should I say, on our intertwined hands.

"Perfect! Damien, you will play Ronaldo, the hotheaded player who doesn't see that what he's always wanted has been right in front of him the whole time. And you," He points at Penny, who anxiously gulps, "You will be Jules, the childhood partner in crime, who never forgot the day when a young Ronaldo gave her a rose."

Mr Peters moves on to other students. I look at Penny who looks right back, both ready to burst into hysterics.

"One rose, Ronaldo? I return anything less than a bouquet."

"Mm, I don't know, sounds like you're pretty hung up on that one rose."

She looks so gorgeous, with her eyes twinkling with laughter, that I can't resist myself. I lean down to kiss her on the lips. It's just a light peck because, although Mr Peters is lenient with affection, he still hands out detention slips. When I draw away from Penelope, my eyes lock on someone standing on the far side of the room, just inside the doorway.

Her hazel eyes are fixed on mine.

***

I wonder who just walked in...hehehe

- Jane   xoxo