Curtain Call

ACT 1: SCENE 1

THE ASTER ESTATE WAS HAUNTED.

The Victorian mansion, dark and looming with spidery trees, resembled a horror movie set. Although welcoming in daylight with manicured lawns and pristine flowers, Jackie dreaded what spirits lurked behind its towering stone walls. The labyrinthine interior consisted of eerie corridors and excessive vacant rooms. It was plagued with an everlasting chill that buried deep within the stone, impossible to chase away with lit fireplaces or a modern heating system.

Of course, no one would believe her suspicions about ghosts. Not her mother, Mr. Aster, and especially not her new stepsister Madison. As luck would have it, Madison was one of those perfect girls who had everything together. Each time Jackie stood next to her, she was painfully aware of how her hair didn't lie the same way or how her grades weren't as high or whatever else she wanted to compare herself with. They couldn't be more different if they tried. If the two had anything in common, it was that neither expected their parents' relationship to last.

Their parents met on one fateful day when Mr. Aster entered the All in Bloom flower shop, and a connection sparked. Jackie had thought the relationship would end soon. A wealthy businessman and a working-class single mother? Not a recipe for success.

However, her mother's life mirrored a romantic kdrama where the aristocratic gentleman from a powerful family fell for the woman from a poor background. Weeks turned into months, months into years, and soon enough, Jackie and her mother moved out of their tiny apartment and into the Aster mansion. And that came with a snobbish stepsister who unfortunately happened to be in the grade above her.

Alas, the three months of summer had not been enough for Jackie to adjust to her new lifestyle. Even worse, she would attend a new school—Westminster Academy, a prestigious private institution for the wealthy. She'd be lying if she wasn't at least a tad jealous of her mother. Where was her own romantic moment?

As everyone knew, teen romance stories tended to have two main types of characters:

1) shy, awkward girl

2) idealized popular guy

Some had a so-called plot twist which was accompanied by a third type:

3) introverted snarky nerd

Anyone well-versed in the genre knew #2 turned out to be a romantic false lead. The girl would understand her affection for him was mere infatuation and end up with #3. Thus, she'd experience the highs and lows presented in Taylor Swift love songs and find happiness with a cheesy ending.

So where was Jackie's happily ever after? In movies, the kooky but lovable heroine ran into the gentleman who would sweep her off her feet. She hadn't found a popular prince or the snarky nerd. In all the days she worked behind the desk of her mother's flower shop, not one devastatingly handsome boy walked through the doors. Astonishing how unfair life could be.

But never fear, for Jackie found solace in her new school's heralded drama department, which often won accolades and news features. At least she could live out her dramatic fantasies onstage.

Since auditions were scheduled the day before school started, she spent the entire break practicing. Although Jackie memorized every line until it came as easy as breathing, nothing could've prepared her for the shock of her arrival. Despite the excessive pep talks she'd given herself earlier, she floundered like a fish out of water.

Gleaming steps led to an elaborate marble archway which denoted the main entrance. She'd seen photos of the school before, but nothing could replicate standing before it in person. Steadying her shaking hands, the girl closed her eyes and counted to eight. Eight was lucky—or so Jackie's father had always claimed. When her time expired, she exhaled a low breath and pushed open the double doors.