Those Who Stare Into the Sun

Chapter Five: Headlights

The following days I settled in. The first day I orginized all my clothes and put all of my makeup and hairstylers in baskets in the bathroom. Bonnie and Skye were at school or work most of the time, so I also had time to get acquainted with the apartment all on my own. I went grocerishopping at Sainsbury's, which had always been something I liked. Even though U.K didn't exactly have all my favorite brands or foods, I liked the change, and to try new things out. As I said earlier, I was a girl who enjoyed the small things in life.

Other than that I went walking in Hyde Park, checked out Picadilly Circus and Buckingham palace. Every time I went out I chose my outfits  carefully. I had to try to look as good as possible at all times, and plus - I had always enjoyed dressing up.

It was this one day when I got lost. It was the middle of the day, and I was wearing a burgendy dress, black heel booths and my grey coat. My hair was on sleek - even my bangs- and I had a lipstick that matched my dress. I felt really pretty.

I eventually stumbled on to this street, which was dramatically unassuming, and saw a bunch of people sitting on the staircase to an old building with large doors. Some of them held these sheets of papers in their hands. And they sort of screamed or waved their hands around in the air in a really weird way.

I automatically walked up to them. And then I stood there. Watching. And yes, they were definitely rehearsing lines.

"Can I help you?" one of the men asked. He had rugged clothes and a flat cap.

"Sorry" I almost yelled out and winced. "Yes. Ehm, is this a theater or something?"

"Yes, sort of. An old one" the woman opposite the man said. She was sort of dressed like a hippie. "It's a community-theatre."

"Are you actors?" I asked bluntly. Pointing at all of them.

"Ehm, well yes. Or at least we try to be" another man said. He walked up to me and stood awfully close. He had dark hair and dark eyes. Could be attractive, if only he'd had some awareness about his personal hygiene.

"So..." the dark-haired man asked, "-who might you be?" He was obviously sort of coming on to me. Not that I ever accused people of that, because inside I was still that young girl who never really got hit on in the middle of the day, in the middle of nowhere. It had in that case been at a club, by some drunk creep.

"Ehm, I'm Anya", I said. "Hi."
Almost everybody greeted me in choir. I smiled, stiffly.

"You want to watch us rehearse inside?" the dark-haird man asked.
I did not want to encourage him or anything, but obviously I yelled:

"Yes, please!"

And so I got in to the building. And it did look like an old theater, but really small. The man I had first spoken with introduced himself as Miguel. The hippie-girl was Maya, and the dark-haired man was Jim. Jim showed me to a seat in the front.

"Hey, mr. Archer! I brought a friend who wanted to watch us - that okey?" Jim yelled at an older man who stood on the stage, talking to a younger girl. 

I sunk down in my seat, somehow hoping that mr. Archer wouldn't see me.
Mr. Archer just waved his hand in an irritated manor, but it was obvious that he was okey with me beeing there.

So the following hour, I watched the group of actors rehearse. And it was sort of... bad. But I still enjoyed it.

"Sophie!" Mr. Archer yelled out. He was sitting to my left, five seats away. But he got up and ran towards the stage. Pointing his finger aggressively towards a woman with long, dark hair. She curled up, focusing her gaze at the flooor as mr. Archer yelled at her.