Play

Meredith lives to be on stage. It's the only time she can really be herself. But there's a high price to pay for her passion, and it's coming due: she will age out of foster care before she graduates, leaving her to support herself. So she focuses on trying to prepare herself, knowing she'll soon have to leave her love of acting behind.

New kid Cole isn't having any of that. He befriends Meredith and shows her how life could be, complete with the dreams she never thought could be real.

Unfortunately, a jealous drama queen wants Meredith's spotlight for herself - plus the boy who is finally beginning to notice Meredith.

Two dramas are cooking in the high school, and as both begin to boil over, Meredith is trying to make it through her school play - and real life - without turning either into a tragedy.

*****
I was so entranced by his voice, speaking his lines with perfect rhythm and emphasis on the correct words. His costume played the part of a handsome suitor perfectly.

Unfortunately, he wasn't cast as my suitor.

No matter. He was here, speaking to me, rehearsing the usual lines with such perfection I found myself tuning out the words just to hear his voice. Smooth and rich, with just the perfect touch of raspiness, it reminded me of maple syrup.

As I began to hear his long dialogue about the melodramas of his girl's creation, I saw a shadow. I was careful not to let my eyes linger on the spot, lest the boy in front of me be alerted to another presence, but I very carefully and very intentionally flipped my hair over my shoulder. A pause, and then, with the other half still speaking to me, I could very faintly make out a bit of movement from off the stage. It was indistinguishable, but I knew it was a flip of a cap, the acknowledgement towards me which signaled the next scene in this act of the play.

The dark knight had arrived.

*Some cussing*