The Script [JADE WEST]

12

The day of the premiere of the play had come sooner than expected. With that came early morning stress. Everybody involved in the production had begun work as soon as they had arrived at school, having been excused from classes that day to do the last grand rehearsal and to get ready before the premiere.

"Okay, guys, I want everybody to give one thousand per cent of themselves. We can do this!", Jade attempted to give a quick pep talk before the general rehearsal, as the actors were getting into the costumes.

Everybody was surprised to hear her say that, to see Jade changing. Her walls were beginning to crumble down. It was going to take time to fully let people inside her life, but she was working on that. If she wanted to save her life and her relationship with Beck, she had to work on becoming a better version of herself, alongside Beck, who wasn't going to let other girls make his girlfriend feel insecure anymore. He had promised himself and he wasn't going to break it. He couldn't handle losing Jade again. The months of them being apart had made him acknowledge that. And when they had gotten back together, he had realised that Jade was the woman he wanted to get married to someday. If he told any of the adults around himself, especially his parents, he would be deemed "too young to understand true love", so he kept his feelings between himself and the most important people in his life.

Beck grasped Jade's hand and went together with their co-stars to get ready for the long rehearsal. When people saw a production on stage, they could only see the glitz and the glamour. They rarely, almost never saw how much work, blood, sweat and tears was being poured into it. Especially in their case where they had had only a couple of weeks to prepare. Most productions were rehearsed for at least a year before they were put up for the audiences to see.

Then there was Jade who was anxious whether her family would come on time. She had to pick Jack up straight after school and to bring him to her school where he would have to get ready too. He wasn't part of the play, but his sister had picked him a formal outfit to wear for the premiere. In fact, on the invitations she had sent, she had insisted on a formal or at least semi-formal attire. The premiere was going to be the most important, especially if the play was approved to be performed in other theatres in Los Angeles and around it.

"Why do I have to wear this?", complained Jack while Jade was helping him change in the tuxedo she had chosen for him.

"Because today is a special day and on special days we should wear our best clothes," said Jade, while messing with his hair.

The rest of the cast and the crew were watching the way Jade was interacting with her little brother, some of them already beginning to see her in a different light. Maybe she wasn't such a bad person, some of them were thinking. They just had to not give up on trying to communicate with her (in spite of how intimidating she came across as) and then they would see the real her.

The hours flew by and soon The Black Box Theatre was starting to get crowded. From her place, Jade's eyes were frantically searching for the rest of her family. Jack had sat in the first row where she could easily spot him, but for now, there was no sight of either of her parents.

She felt a hand on her arm but didn't flinch, too focused on the audience, the little girl in her hoping to see her Mom and Dad coming with a bouquet of flowers that they would give her at the end of the play (another of her biggest dreams).

"Who are you looking for?", spoke Cat, who had noticed how distressed her best friend was.

"My parents," said Jade, worry evident in her voice. If they didn't show up, then her hard work had been almost for nothing!

Cat wrapped her arms around Jade's waist to comfort her, nuzzling her head into her friend's back, "I promise you they will come."

The brunette couldn't help but smile and gently squeeze Cat's palms, before patting them, signaling to her that the redhead had to let go of the embrace and go take her place before the play's start.