Kim exited her final class with a yellow sweater around her shoulders and her book bag clutched in her arms. She was going to make a quick dash to the bathroom before rehearsals started.
"Kim!"
"Hey Ron."
"Heading to rehearsal?" Ron slipped a quick look at his watch. They had five minutes.
"Of course," Kim said, "I'm just going to the restroom to freshen up."
Ron smiled good-naturedly at her and affirmed he'd see her in rehearsal. Kim watched him stroll away carrying his textbooks in his hands. Kim darted in the opposite direction towards the restroom. She barged through the door clumsily and slammed her bag onto the sink. Her fingers roamed through her bag searching desperately for her brush. She examined herself in the mirror, 'Arg, I hate my hair.'
When she gave up on finding the precious tool she decided on her fingers. She used them to slowly separate the knotted strands and neaten her appearance. She sprayed it with some styling spray to hold her tresses in place. Kim looked over her shoulder when she heard the door swing open.
A copper skinned beauty entered with a cell phone in her hands.
Bonnie.
"So like --- Freddie was being really cute and all but I decided I just had to let him slide ya know? Uh huh, yeah that's good..."
Kim rolled her eyes, "Save your blow horn voice for play practice," she retorted.
Bonnie shot her a death glare and slowly lowered the phone from her ear. "Oh Kim," She said with a soft voice, "You have some yellow gunk on your teeth. Might want to take care of that..."
Kim was indignant, "Do not!"
"Don't try to fend your dishevelment! There's no excuse!" Bonnie said as she smoothed her lipstick in the neighboring mirror.
"You'd KILL for my dishevelment..." Kim spoke through angry gritted teeth.
"Say what?"
"You heard me." Kim said as she applied her mascara.
Bonnie didn't reply. Instead she used the heel of her hands to even out the foundation on her forehead. Kim noticed it was a slight bit redder than her skin but she dared not to speak of it. She had already bickered enough with Bonnie for the day. Besides, Kim knew she was vulnerable today. They had let her down pretty harsh with the casting. Quietly, she packed her make-up back into her purse and allowed the teen to be dazzled by her own reflection.
As Kim made her way down the empty halls of Middleton High she realized how gratifying it was to have gotten the role. 'I beat out so many girls. They must be really down. I'm going to have to rehearse real hard.' Kim's lips curved into a smile as she thought about the approaching kiss. She would get to kiss Josh! It would be a while before they reached the scene but when they did – she just couldn't wait! All this coming practice... would be worth it.
Kim opened the doors to the auditorium in happiest mood she had ever had. Her classmates all looked from their scripts and looked at her. Kim quickly found Ron and sat beside him. Ron handed her a script and she appreciatively accepted it. Her eyes skimmed the room for Josh. She found him in the front row sitting with just about every girl in cast. Kim sighed.
"He's sure got it going on with the ladies, that's all I got to say." Ron commented of it.
"Yeah," Kim said, "It's not hard to see why. He's sweet, sensitive, handsome, smart, and really cute, oh and artistic, talented, and,"
"Kim..."
"Understanding, loyal, dedicated, witty, and,"
"Kim..."
"Has beautiful eyes, smiles a lot, he's athletic, appreciative, believes in the right stuff, gets involved, and,"
"KIM!"
Kim stopped speaking. Ron smiled and said, "I know that you like him. You don't have to remind ME why." Kim nodded and touched her hair. Ron had noticed she seemed to do this every time she thought about that slime ball.
"ALRIGHT PEOPLE SETTLE DOWN!" Barkin had to step a few feet from the microphone. Several students covered their ears and groaned.
"Welcome to the cast," Barkin spoke more normally, "I hope you realize what a privilege it is for you all to be here. I don't want to hear, see, touch, smell or even taste any behavior that is out of line. Understand people?"
The whole room seemed to gulp. This was going to be intense.
Barkin smirked and continued, "As a reward for your efforts, the PTA has sponsored a Cast Party at Embassy Suites for 2 days by the shore." He said the words like it was a the most sour taste in his mouth.
Everyone exchanged glances of excitement of this mentioning. Kim gasped inside, she never knew there was a cast party. Two whole days, parent-free? That would seriously rock.
'And Josh... he would be there too... wouldn't he?'
"—I am in charge of this production so I will be choosing the people to attend. Only the most amiably behaved will be climbing aboard that yellow limousine. So stay on task! Anyway, I have posted your parts and you have all seen them. I have made the necessary accommodations already."
Bonnie and Ron both looked at each other briefly. Bonnie shuffled away to her seat.
"Ms. Rockwaller you are late! I will not permit tardiness!"
Bonnie apologized profoundly from the seat she was in. Ron could tell she really wanted to be that understudy for Kim. 'She wants Josh as bad as Kim does.'
Barkin then backed away from the microphone cutting his speech short. "We'll continue this lecture later; I want to block at least one scene today." He said.
Ron hissed in Kim's ear, "Yo KP, what's blocking?"
Kim whispered back, "It's where the actor stands, walks, enters, and exits on stage. It's also timing of lines."
Ron did not think he would enjoy this 'blocking thing' too much.
After about a good ten minutes of arrangements, Amelia and Heather were places on stage. Heather's body posture was that of a well-trained and experienced actor. Her back hunched over, ready to perform the opening fight. Amelia followed her example silently. Ron could tell she hadn't done this before. Amelia looked nervous as she softly uttered her first line,
"Greg-ory... oh my word, we'll not carry... coals?"
"No, for then we should be colliers!" Heather spoke Shakespeare fluently with a little light laugh at the end of her line.
"I mean, an we be in -- choler, we'll draw...." Amelia looked confused.
Heather's body swiftly moved from her place to stalk around Amelia, she spoke, "Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar."
Amelia let her script drop at her side without reciting Sampson's next line. Barkin looked at her and yelled, "CUT!"
"Mr. Barkin!" Amelia wailed, "Heather does this scene like a pro! She doesn't need to make fun of me!"
Heather faced Amelia, "I don't know what you mean..."
"You're laughing!"
"Mr. Barkin! I wasn't – I was..." Heather began to protest.
Barkin sighed and placed his script on his chair. He got to his feet, "I know Heather. Amelia, Heather wasn't laughing at you. The lines themselves, are supposed to be humorous! Shakespeare intended to open this play humorously! Gregory and Sampson are joking as they fight; it is only natural for her to smile! Also, I recommend you read some of Shakespeare's plays so you can understand the language more fluently."
Amelia hung her head ashamed at her error, "Yes Mr. Barkin."
Barkin sat back down, "Continue!"
Amelia tried to add pace to the scene by quickening her line. It came to no advance... It seemed to come out as a jumbled word. Even Heather looked confused as she said her following line bravely, "But thou art not quickly moved to strike."
"STOP, STOP STOP! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!!!"
The first rehearsal hadn't even survived the scene. They would return the next day to practice it again. Which meant Kim still would have no purpose. But Barkin had made it clear that every actor would attend each DAILY practice. Kim wasn't eager to suffer these gruesome rehearsals. Especially the first ones where she was not on stage until Scene 3.
"So when does this actually become fun?" Ron asked as he handed his bus pass to the driver.
"I think," Kim said, "It's when we get that cast party."
"Oh yeah," Ron said rubbing his hands together, "A whole two-day getaway!"
"It is pretty exciting," Kim admitted, "Our school never does stuff like this."
Kim took the window seat as she usually did and wistfully looked out the window. Ron took out his disk player and blasted an O Boyz disk into his ears. It was so loud Kim could clearly hear the lyrics to "Quit playing games with my head". She sighed as she watched Josh from the windowpane aboard the bus.
'He looked so happy at rehearsal with all those girls around him. But I'll have him yet. They really can't change what's going to happen.'
As the bus pulled out of the lot she decided on it,
'Yes I'm certain. During that scene where we're alone in the Capulet tomb and I give my final kiss, I'll put a trance on him, place my arms around him, and make him mine.'
(Notes: I'm really sad because everyone stopped reviewing my fan fictions. I'm wondering if people are getting bored of them... maybe I should... stop?)