Illusion

3

I got really sick, naturally.

I stayed at home for a few days due to a fever and generally feeling bad. My theatre group was used to this. My condition worsened my immune system and caused me to miss quite a few days of school.

I was greeted by a wave of welcome backs as soon as I passed the threshold into the theatre. My friend worried about me when I got sick, but they knew it would never stop me from my performance priorities.

Soon after some small talk I headed back stage so practice could begin. I was greeted by harry, who was already backstage and ready to begin.
"We missed you" he told me with, followed by his smirk. "You been sick?"

Harry had never said anything other than lines to me. This situation was too much to handle. I knew I was already in too deep. I could feel the butterflies fighting wars in my stomach.

I didn't look him in the eyes but rather around the room and then the ground as I muttered out a "yes".

I hurried onto the stage. We practiced as usual. With all that downtime I had being stuck at home, I managed to nearly learn all of my lines. I didn't need to look at my script much anymore.

This was the first time I had ever paid much attention to harry. He focused on his script and his lines like they were the only thing in the room. He could make you feel like that, too. Like you were the only one that mattered. His hair was so shiny. The stage lights really brought out that aspect of him. It looked so soft. His skin was tanned and he had a crooked smile that could stop wars. He was so warm. So inviting. Looking at him I just knew he was a book with many stories that I wanted to read. He had this mysterious cloud of darkness around him and I wanted to know what it was all about.

The scene came to and end. I didn't even realize I had said my lines out of impulse while admiring him.

"Maybe we should go on a real date. I think it would go as well as this pretend one" he told me jokingly.
"I just don't think my girlfriend would like that too much." He finished with a harmless smile.

And he walked away

That was it. That was the one sentence that made all the walls crumble down around me. The one sentence that the theatre geek never wants to hear coming from the guy that's way out of her league yet she still has a major school girl crush on.

It was for the best, he would never go for me.

I dragged myself to my next class and stopped noticing him as weeks passed.