Picture Perfect

chapter 13

        I think about Charlie, how we had that fight nearly a week ago. It's sad to think about it, she helped me so much, getting a love life, changing my look. We were the best of friends, then she insulted me and that really hurt. Here I thought we were friends.

        I still haven't sent her back to the camera yet, mainly because I don't know how to. And of coarse Charlie won't tell me, she isn't even talking to me. I wish that we had never had that fight in the hallway that day. I wish Charlie would just apolagize and not be so prideful.

        But she just ignores me, I still have to take pictures of food for her, I may not like her but I don't want her to starve. Then there is the screaming. Oh the screaming! She screams, like, every minute of the day! I feel like ripping my ears off!

"Hello, earth to Ella! Were you even writing down the play!" Kendal asked. I snapped out of my deep thought. "Umm, yes?" I answered. Kendal grabbed hold of my notepad and stared at it. Kendal sighed. "It's just a big fat blank. Ella, get your head in the game, I'm afraid you're not interrested in hanging out with Jack and me." Kendal gave back my notepad.

        "What are you saying? I am totally in the game." I lied. "You told us you would write every detail down, all the way down to their hair style." Jack said. "Look, I can just write it down now." I answered. "Practice has ended for the actors." Kendal sighed.

        "Maybe tomorrow." I suggested. "They don't have a practice tomorrow, today was the last day of practice. Tonight is the opening." Jack answered. I sighed. "I'll get the info, don't worry." I assured them. They looked at each other and back at me.

        "Look, maybe you should just not get the info at all." Kendal answered. I was shocked at how Kendal was acting. At first I thought it was a joke, but she was dead serious. "Jack do you agree with Kendal?" I asked.

        "Um," Jack couldn't answer. "Fine then, I guess I won't go into newspaper at all tomorrow!" I exclaimed. "Um, Ella, tomorrow is a Saturday." Kendal answered. "Then, I won't see you on Monday." I exclaimed. "Christmas vacation starts Monday." Jack answered.

"Just forget it." I said. I sat up from my cushion seat. The school auditorium looked very expensive. plush seats, theater-like lights, and a huge stage. Man this school must have a lot of money. I went down to the stage and went backstage.

        I can't believe that Kendal and Jack are letting me go. They don't know what they're missing. I went over to a dressing room that had a star on it that said Halie. Really, does she really need a star with her name on it? A tall man in a tight black shirt answered the door.

        "Who are you?" He asked in a deep tone. "Um, here to get an interview with Halie Thompson." I answered. "Let her in." a voice from behind the man answered. The man turned and I was met with a boy having a wrestling match with his black overcoat and was losing.

        "Are you Halie Thompson?" I asked. "Yup, the one and only." Halie struggled with his overcoat. "Do you need help with that?" I asked. "No, I've got it." Halie answered. He obviously didn't have it. "Ok, I need help." He admitted. I grabbed hold of his overcoat and unbuttoned it.

        The overcoat slid off with ease. "How?" Halie was bewildered. "Sometimes you have to fix the small things in order to fix the even bigger things." I smiled. Halie smirked. He was about my age, only a tad bit shorter. He had choculate brown hair, bright blue eyes, and pale skin.

        "So," Halie said while putting his overcoat on a coat rack. "what do you want to know?" Halie asked. "What is your character like?" I asked. "Well, Scrooge is the main character of A Christmas Carol and--"

        "No, no, no, I mean what does Scrooge do? What does he like? And what is the moral of A Christmas Carol?" I interrupted. "Oh, well Scrooge is a business man, he likes money, he is very greedy, and the moral of the story is when you're nice to someone and generous to them, they will like you and think of you as a friend." He answered.

        I wrote everything frantically down on my small notepad. The whole page was full of details that Halie gave me. "All right, thats good, thank you Halie." I stuck my notepad into my backpack and slung it over my shoulder.

        "You're welcome, whats your name?" Halie asked. "Oh, right, it's Ella." I answered. Halie smiled again. "You're welcome, Ella." He said and the man in the tight black shirt, which I assume is a bodyguard, lead me out.

        I left the stage filled with frantic teens trying to set up last minute props. I wonder if I'll ever meet Halie again. I left the auditorium, then remembering Charlie and the rest of my life problems.