Mackonner

Chapter 6 A Case of Love

I couldn't get over that fact that his lips had touched mine. He liked ME.

Those footsteps, their owner haunts me. I wonder day and night who that could've been. I hope it wasn't Paige.

My morning was the same. Paige shot death glares from across the hallway. I was almost afraid to go to the bathroom alone. The day dragged on, combatting my enthusiasm to go to practice.
Sitting in one of the chairs in the audience that clam up as soon as you get up, I watched the first scenes.

They looked crazy, but it was interesting to watch. Conner came over and pecked me on the cheek. Had physical contact become so casual?
He sat down next to me. Paige walked by and winked at Conner, his eyes followed her out of the room.
"Ahem." I clear my throat loudly. He breaks out of his trance.
"I swear I don't like her!" He reasons.
"If you could have her, would you?" That shut him up and he looked down in realization. With a sigh, I leaned back further in my chair.
Relaxing the muscles that I hadn't even realized tensed up.
"All I know is that I like you."
"Maybe not only me." I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?" He asked, a straight face on.
"Nothing." I fib with a smile.
He pinches my cheek and pulls it outward. I yelp a little too loud. I mess up his hair."You're so childish!" I cry.
"I know you are, but what am I?" He exclaims and runs off to the dressing room. I realize that I should do the same as the scene before mine begins.
Making my way to the stage, I'm stopped by a hand.
"You're going to regret everything Mackenna!" What did I do wrong? My confused face only triggers her nails to dig deeper into my arm.
"Soooo, I can't be happy without you being angry?" I ignore the pain and she rolls her eyes. She lets go only to redo her lipgloss. I take the opportunity to escape to the wings.
"Hey! Stop, I'm not done with y-" the door had already shut, I'm refocused. Up the bleak, vinyl tiled steps and around the corner.

My fellow scene mates are already waiting by the door.
Conner weaves his way through the crowd and grabs my hand. He walks on with me.
The bright lights are just a touch unbearable and I wince after looking at them for too long. So hot, I feel the urge to take off my jacket.

We pretend to be talking in the background as the main characters exchange lines.
As the music starts, he grabs my hand. I put the other one around him. He swings me around in sync with the others and twirls me again and again, I return to his warm arms and he leans me back. The tempo picks up and we move our shoulders to the words they sing. Everything melts into one moment. One beautiful moment. I long to do it again. His eyes looked into mine as he threw me into the air and luckily caught me. At the end of the scene, he walked me off. Holding my hand yet again.
"You were great." He commented and a light blush blossomed on my cheeks.
"You too." He smiled, a silence follows. He leans in, close enough for me to smell him. I tense up and he stops, leaning back.
"Sorry." We say at the same time for different reasons. Interesting one word could have so many cases. One effect from so many different causes. Love is like that too.