Week Three (Nov. 9 - Nov. 16) Topic: Play
Winners(tied): Livi, Clare, and Paul
Story (no name)
By Livi
School Play Auditions
Friday 4pm! In the auditorium!
Be there!! We would love
to have you in our PLAY!!
I read the sign hanging on my locker- Ugh! The school play, every year they ask me to audition, ever since that stupid play in 8th grade. I dont think I was that good but, whatever.
I spin in my locker combination, I had finally decked out my locker. Now it had pictures of my favorite bands and funny quotes. Theres also a picture of Josh and Me.
I take the flyer down and put it in my locker by some books, "Ooh! School play! Are you going to audition?"
Oh great its Shelly! She is probably the most annoying person ever. She is a prep, but she seems to like friends like me- skaters as some would say. Its funny because no one but the preps like her, "Um, I dont think so."
I grab my books and head towards my next class, "Why not? You havent since 8th grade- and you are amazing! Plus, its a great play!"
I dont want to keep this conversation going but I do want to know what play it is, "Which one is it?"
"Well, um. . . They want you to write the skript actually! Would you pleasee!!!?"
I sigh, "I dont really want to Shelly."
"Oh come on! It would be amazing, and if you did. . You would be able to choose the part you want! Come on, just this once!"
"Ill think bout it, but I have to get to class. . . Mr. Jackman is going to have a fit if I dont get there soon."
She gives me a hug, I pat her back and leave. I walk into the World history class and take my usual seat next to Josh.
"Whats wrong babe?"
I sigh, "Shelly." thats all I have to say.
He says sorry and asks what she did this time, I tell him the story. But he agrees, thinks I should do it. He said he would help me, and now sadly I have to write and star in a play I dont want to be in.
I suffer through my classes and Josh and I head toward the Library. Or I guess they call it a Media Center now, stupid school board.
We decide to make it a modern Romeo and Juliet thing, but way different. Its cool, I get to be Lena, the main girl, and Josh is Jon, the Romeo character.
Shelly loves it, she says that its the perfect play, "I love how you based it off of Romeo and Juliet but its not like bold! You have to pay attention."
"Thanks, so Josh is going to be Jon and I will be Lena. Can we watch the auditions on Friday? Help choose the people. . . "
"YES! Of course! that would be so helpful! Thanks so much Alice! Your so great. . . I have to dash! Give the script to Mr. Binegar! Bye!"
She ran out before I could answer, "Shes much to chipper, that one." I laugh.
"Ya, she is. Oh my gosh Josh! Lets go to the movies! Oh this will be great! Ya! Lets dash!" I try to immitate her. Josh pushes me playfully and we head towards the theatre.
The week goes by fast, Josh and I practice our parts, we are getting pretty good at it. I have my lines basically memorized by Friday.
"Ready for auditions?" I grab Josh's hand and we walk towards the auditorium.
"I dont know, they can be pretty crazy." We laugh and walk into the big ugly room.
We sit down in the front row, eating our 99 cent bag of chips. They are Doritos, cool ranch flavor.
The first half of the students sucked. Really bad, they couldnt act worth there life. But then the new kid got up.
He was so so handsome, it took my breath away, "Hi, um my name is Ian, I just transferred here. I want to audition for Kevins part. Lenas secret lover. Is that already taken?"
I spoke first, Shelly looked disappointed, "Hi, um, no. That part isnt taken, and welcome to Epson High."
"Thank you."
Josh looked over at me with suspicious eyes, "What?" I mouthed. He said never mind and then we turned to watch Ian. He was amazing , I would say even better than me, he was very energetic and he got into his character.
When he was done I turned to Shelly and said that he was the one. He was perfect. She said she agreed and wrote down his name.
I was so excited, but Josh told me that he wanted someone else to do it.
"Why? He was so good! I am so excited to act with him."
"Well, doesnt he kiss you? That guy seemed to into you, I dont like it."
"Dont be jealous. Its acting Lena will be kissing Kevin. Alice wont be kissing Ian. Dont worry!" I pecked his lips and ran to my class.
Friday came, the play went by so great! Sadly Josh got sick so we had to use his back up, but acting with Ian was a blast. [Plus he was a great kisser shhh:].
Josh got mad at me the next week, he said that I was spending to much time with Ian, which wasnt true.
"I havent spent time with you for 6 days. . . and during those 6 days you were with Ian! But if you are liking him more than me, than we should just break up."
Tears fell down my face, "We are just friends! I swear!"
"Sorry, Alice, I am sorry."
Then he left. He wont sit by me in the classes we have together, we havent talked since that day.
Ian, came up to me and said he was realy sorry and that if I wanted to get together with him, he wouldnt object.
I slapped him.
"I just broke up with my boyfriend of 2 years, sorry but. . . NO!"
SO here I am with no boyfriend being bothered by Shelly to try out for the tennis team. I think I might.
Links to Livi's other writing: http://www.goodreads.com/story...
* * *
Being Shy and Being Lead
By Clare
I was about to step onto the stage. Me, Lara, stepping onto the stage for the first time! Well not really the first time. I’d been on it a billion times, practicing, along with the rest of the cast, but tonight was different. Tonight was the performance.
I love acting. That’s all there is to it. I absolutely love acting!
And my real self…well…not so much. I led a boring life. I was shy, and didn’t have too many friends.
Whoa, you say, STOP. Shy? How can I be shy, and love to act? In front of hundreds of people?
Frankly, I don’t know. When I’m offstage, I’m the wall flower. Over there in the shadows, doing nothing, because I’m just too shy to go up to people and talk. If a guy ever wanted to know about me (As if *rolling eyes*), he wouldn’t be able to get anything. He could ask everyone at my school, and basically, if anyone knew anything at all, it’d probably be, “Um… I think she goes to school here… I think,” or “Yeah, she’s 17…or 18… I can’t remember… I think it’s in the yearbook.”
So yeah, here I am, my last year of high school (therefore, yes, making me 18), and here’s last chance to make myself known. And hey, can you blame me if I took it? I could have gotten in all the previous school plays, but I never tried out. Did I tell you about the shy thing? Oh yeah, I did.
So this year I try out for the school production of Once Upon a Mattress, and low and behold, I get the lead girl part. How? I don’t know. The lead girl in Once Upon a Mattress is the very opposite of shy. Wow.
Yeah, I was surprised too.
And you’ll never guess what my favorite song is. Uh-huh. It’s titled Shy. Lyrics: Someone’s being bashful. That’s no way to be. Not with me! Can’t you see? whispered: I am just as embarrassed as you, and I can see your….point….of….view…… cause I SHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, (you guessed it, that part was yelled at the top of my lungs).
So yeah, I found that one amusing to sing. Evidently everyone else did to, because every time I sung it, I was sure I could hear some of the other kids sniggering. ESPECIALLY the brat queen. The blonde who was “supposed” to get the lead part. I guess she’d gotten lead in every previous play, and was a tad put out when I kicked her outta the throne. But what can I say? I mean, all I did was try out, and I supposed I was better than I thought I was, cause next thing I know, BANG, I’m the lead. She was demoted to the part of the queen, which was still a big part. Don’t know why it was such a big deal! So ok, maybe I did…
The only person I hadn’t heard snigger was him.
Oh my gosh, you think, please don’t tell me! She has a secret crush?! At 18?! Noooooo… can it GET more pathetic?!
Sorry, but it’s true (*guilty face*). Matt’s not popular or anything, no, but he’s not a nobody like me. He’s not dating (Trust me, I checked), and he’s sooo awesome. Really nice and cool. So WHY in the name of Bob, haven’t I asked him out or at least TALKED to him??
Hmm, I told you about the shy thing, right? I mean, I suppose I’m not THAT shy, but hey, when you like a guy, it kinda increases the curse. Well, at least it does for me.
So not only all of the above, but he is also the prince in the play! Yes, I know, PATHETIC!!! He’s the leading boy in the play, and I have hardly talked to him! Well, yes I have talked to him, about the play. I mean, when it comes to the play, I am just not shy. But once he asked me what my favorite music was, and I had stuttered (pitifully) a few band names, and gone red. If he had noticed my embarrassment, he didn’t show it (I told you he was nice!), and instead he seemed surprised and delighted. He had said that he loved the same ones. (They were old bands, so that’s why this totally amazed me), so yeah, I walked on air for the rest of the day for that one. Yup, pathetic.
Yet another problem: Karrie, the brat queen, was constantly flirting with Matt. I mean, that wouldn’t normally bug me, but he’s below her on the popularity chart. By a WHOLE lot. So why did she do it? To spite me. I don’t know WHAT gave it away… (ok, maybe I did blush a lot when I was around him)… but she found out about my crush, so ever since, she’s been trying to get his attention. But Matt seems immune to her girly flirting (YAY MATT!). So I guess that’s ok. Not that it would ever matter. No way I would ever get his attention. I was too much of a loser.
So there I was. We had had weeks of practice and mostly everyone had all their lines memorized. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I had had my part down flat by the forth practice. I’m kinda the A’s type, and good at memorizing. So I guess I didn’t really need all those practicing. I shamefully spent most of them staring at a certain someone. Inconspicuously of course.
But back to the story.
So in the version we were doing, the prince and princess were supposed to kiss, Needless to say, we didn’t. If Karrie had been the princess, I have no doubt that they would have, but when we first came to the part, Mary, the director, hadn’t even bothered to ask. Just said, “Ok, we can skip that part.” And Bada Boom, Bada Bing, that part was OUT. But I can’t blame them. Who would have thought that I, little miss shy, would want to kiss a guy in front of hundreds? Ok, so I wouldn’t want the hundreds of watchers thing, but the kissing thing… well… a girl can dream, can’t she?
But oh well, I’d forsaken that dream long ago. Now I had decided to just content myself with my favorite thing: acting. Not to mention acting with Matt.
So TA DA, here I was, about to walk onto stage in front of hundreds of people, including my parents. For a moment, I wondered if I was wrong. So I didn’t care about acting and singing in front of a few kids from school. This was different. It had to be. These were a bunch of people I didn’t know. I mean, ok so I didn’t know the kids at school, but these were adults and stuff. What if the little kids in the crowd laughed at me? Kids never seemed to know when it’s rude to laugh. So they would probably laugh at me. Who was I kidding! I couldn’t do this! No way, I needed to get away.
But I couldn’t just run, crying, from the school. I mean, I wasn’t 2 anymore. Dang it all, I felt like 2 years old, but I wasn’t. I was 18, and they were depending on me! I groaned, and sat down on a bench near the back stage. I clutched my middle, which was so filled with butterflies, I thought I was gonna puke.
Suddenly, out of the bustle all around me (everyone ignoring me like I was ignoring them), came Matt. I prayed that I really wasn’t gonna puke.
“You ok?” he said, in a concerned voice.
“Yeah…” yeah, I’m fine, I started to say, but changed it last minute to, “I’m freaked. I don’t think I can do this.”
“Of course you can!” he said, kneeling down next to the bench, in order to look up into my face, which was currently looking at the floor.
“You sure about that?” I asked, giving him a shaky smile.
“Positive. You’re the best actress here! You’ll be a huge hit.”
“Gre-e-eat.” I said sarcastically, but smiling at the same time. For the first time, talking to him felt natural, and I wasn’t burning up. Not really anyway.
He smiled encouragingly, and I took in a deep, somewhat shaky breath, and got up. “Right. Show time.”
His smile widened. He gave me a quick side hug and was gone. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I saw Karrie glaring over in the corner. In her face!
He was right. I could do it! I went on that stage and sang and acted my heart out. And get this: People didn’t laugh! I was surprised.
So half way through, in the intermission, I was back on my bench. But this time I wasn’t nervous. I was hyped and totally excited. Everyone else was either on stage fixing the next scene, or in the dressing room, putting on makeup. I was already ready. I was so excited I nearly screamed. Do you know how weird that would be? ME, to SCREAM, from EXCITEMENT?!
So somehow I noticed something wrong with the curtain. At least three of the pins were loose. I gasped. If they fell out, the whole curtain might come down during the performance. I stood on the bench and reached as far as I could. I got the first two in, and then had to REALLY reach for the third. Suddenly, I felt myself tip. Next thing, I was on the floor. Pain searing through my hand.
Just as I fell, Matt had entered the room. He rushed forward and helped me up.
“Are you ok?!” he asked.
My hand! It burned, and I could hardly move it. “My hand. I think I sprained it!”
“We have to get the nurse!” he said, jumping up.
“No!” I cried.
“What? Why?”
“What if she says I can’t continue with the play?” I said, my eyes filling up.
“But you can’t anyway! Look at it, its swelling up.”
“I can do this, I know it!” I exclaimed. “Could you just get me an icepack?
“Ok…” he said, not sure if he should be letting me do this.
Ten minutes later I was up on stage again. My hand hurt so bad, I messed up on a few lines, but otherwise, I don’t think anyway realized what had happened.
Towards the end, when it was just me and Matt on stage, something weird happened. So he’s supposed to sing a love song, which he did, but then he said, “You are so brave, my princess!” Which wasn’t in the script. Trust me, I checked!
“Uh, thank you?” I stumbled. Then he did something that WAS in the script, but we weren’t going to do. Yeah, he kissed me. I was so stunned, I totally forgot about my hand. After a second, I went limp, just like those stupid heroines in all the stories. What can I say? I mean, if felt good!
Then I heard someone clear her throat. The director. I pulled away quickly, panicking, realizing that I had just kissed a guy in front of a huge crowd. But seeing his smile (he seemed just as surprised that he had just done that as I), I melted into a gooey smile back. Need I say the key word again?
So here I am, at graduation, two months later. Me and Matt are going steady now, and seriously. I love him!
My social life has gotten better. Matt had introduced me to all his friends, and filled all the awkward silences with chatter. Now I’m not nearly as shy.
It’s really easy to talk to Matt. More than easy. Completely natural. I’m freaked about what’s to come, but no matter what it is, I know I can handle it with Matt at my side.
The Very End... kinda
Links to Clare's other writing:
http://www.goodreads.com/story...
* * *
Every Loser Wins
By Paul
To him it was just a game to play while watching the cogs of time spin.
The boy appeared at the bottom of my bed. Before I could shake the cobwebs of sleep from my mind he waved and skipped though my open wardrobe. Briefly, there was just the rustle of my best purple silk party dress against my school uniform and then silence. Staring at my clothes swaying in his wake a voice cried in the confines of my mind, ‘I’m I still dreaming?’
Then a finger appeared, doing a little dance before shattering the illusion of sleep and beckoning me on.
Bed springs complaining I bounced onto the floorboards in my pyjamas and clumsy Disney slippers. With one last look around I disappeared into the dark interior of the tiny wardrobe and immediately fell, my body plummeting downward.
Coming round the glare nearly blinded me. I was lying on an empty plain, a vast nothingness of white that disappeared onto the horizon.
Where was the boy? Did I dream him? These thoughts floated through my jumbled mind as I shielded my eyes.
Then he appeared out of the empty white void like a jack in a box, full of energy and a maniacal grin spread across his cheeky young face.
‘Want to play?’ he asked, spinning a bright orange yoyo in an endless loop of back flips.
It’s not everyday that you find yourself transported to a vast emptiness so I answered with the question that was on the tip of my tongue, ‘What is this place?’
‘My playground, silly.’ He answered
‘And who are you?’
‘I’m the games master,’ he replied proudly. As his answer registered I took stock of the boy. He was around ten years old, clad in a grey school uniform, complete with cap and shorts. ‘Now would you like to play? Oh say you will, it gets so boring here with nobody to play with.’
‘What sort of games do you play?’ I asked.
‘Anything you like, as long as you don’t win. I don’t like losing,’
‘Well I’m not like losers. If you can’t stand the competition then stay away from the kitchen,’ I told him, standing with my hands on my hips.
Out of nowhere the sky darkened as a storm gathered. Thunder shattered the tranquillity as rumbling clouds chased each other across the sky. Lightening crashed in a ballet of flashing pyrotechnics.
‘I don’t think you understand, you haven’t a choice. You’re here to play,’ he said.
‘And what you going to do if I don’t?’
He nodded at a clear capsule that had appeared. My heart skipped a beat at the figure trapped inside. The figure was frantically beating the capsule soundlessly in a bid for freedom. It was my Mother.
If I didn’t do as the boy said she would die.
‘You see you have little choice. You are now my playmate.’ He said with glee. ‘As a guest you can choose the first game.’
Sighing, I racked my brains; a favourite of mine was snakes and ladders. Also the game didn’t rely on skill, more luck with the throw of the dice.
‘Snakes and ladders is my choice,’ I announced.
‘Ah, that’s one of my all time favourites. Haven’t played that since well…’ briefly he stopped before continuing, ‘you don’t want to hear about tales of the past. Come on,’ he cried, before bounding off.
Chasing after him my breath was coming in gasps as I struggled to keep up with the nimble rascal.
‘Oh do keep up,’ he said, stopping and firing a catapult. The pellet struck my leg causing me to cry out. He merely chuckled, before bowing and sweeping an arm downward like a ringmaster. ‘Ladies, and Gentlemen, I present to you snakes and ladders, the ultimate game in spills and frills.’
As if by magic a vast building had appeared, its frontage riddled with a sprawling maze of scaffolding and ladders. A block with the legend ‘one hundred’ stood at the bottom left hand corner. I knew as I glanced upward somewhere in the swirling heavens above the winning post with number one etched on it was patiently waiting.
‘You don’t expect me to actually climb up there,’ I said, pointing upward, ‘I mean isn’t that a little bit, you know dangerous.’
‘What did you expect, a nice cosy board game in front of the fire. And besides, I’ve got the snakes in fresh.’
‘We’re dealing with real snakes?’ I asked, shocked.
‘Well you did say you wanted this game. That is unless your chicken,’ he said, plucking his arms like a chicken, and making clucking sounds.
‘Come on then, let the battle commence,’ I said, full of bravado that I didn’t posses.
‘I’ll throw first,’ he said, producing a giant fluffy dice, throwing it high in the air. ‘Six,’ he shouted dramatically, ‘I get another go.’
By the time it was my turn he was a small figure some three stories high of me. ‘Come on slow coach,’ he shouted.
‘Who ever heard of getting six at least six times in a row? It’s a fix,’ I shouted back, throwing the dice in anger.
The dice stopped rolling at four, which luck had it led to a rickety ladder. Brazenly I jumped onto the three rung, which creaked under my weight. Then with a brave face I escalated up the rungs at pace, my eyes set fixed every upward. Reaching number forty-four I felt a glow of pride, and goading my opponent shouted down to the next level, ‘Catch me if you can.’ I immediately knew my mistake as vertigo overtook me.
‘Only little girls puke,’ he chuckled as he overtook me with a throw of three, reaching the base of another huge ladder. Bounding up-wards he cried, ‘Meet you at the finish line.’ With a cheery wave he was gone.
Thumping the wall with my fist I threw the dice. Stomping I sped the required number of spaces; a three. Gasping I realized my destination; the head of a snake. Suddenly the ground disappeared beneath me. I was sliding down an enormous tube, a pit of live snakes awaiting my arrival.
Hitting the ground with a thump I gasped as I landed on my back Getting my breath back I spun round as I heard the steady hiss of several deadly cobra’s as they slithered purposely toward me. I was mesmerised by their hypnotic eyes, beady and dark as a bottomless well. Elongated tongues flickered endlessly in pursuit of my flesh.
Then I saw the metal bar high above and remembering gym lessons launched myself over the snakes, kicking one in the head with my slipper in my haste to escape. One hand slipped as I grabbed the bar. I felt the sting of sweat as it crept into my eyes as I hung one-handed over the snakes. Slowly with all my energy I pulled myself up and onto the safety of the platform. Lying there I remembering the boy’s callous little laugh of victory. ‘I’m not giving in yet. I’m coming right after you,’ I muttered angrily.
And so we played a game of climbing, running and being chased by deadly snakes until we both reached the giddy heights of the final level. I felt myself swaying in the wind as I looked down at the ground far below. I felt I could touch the clouds as they drifted lazily past my head.
I had had enough. I was hungry, sweaty, and wanted to go home. Every muscle in my body was pounding as I dragged myself toward the number one hundred. I could feel the boy’s breath on my neck behind me. He was jumping up and down with excitement. ‘I only need a six,’ he cried.
‘Well I only need a three,’ I replied. ‘And I’m going to get it.’ As the dice left my sweaty palm I knew it would be a six. ‘Oh fiddlesticks,’ I cursed.
‘My turn now,’ he cried, happily throwing the six he needed. ‘I’ve won, I’ve won’ he screamed, dancing a little jig of joy. ‘Couldn’t we play best of three? It’s been such a long time since I’ve had this much fun,’ he said in his best gooey voice. ‘I know, we could play hangman. To make it more interesting we could put your Mum on the end of the noose. What do you think?’ he said, chuckling away to himself.
‘I’ll tell you what I think.’ There was silence before I continued. ‘Lets push you off this tall building and see if you fly, you horrible little brat,’ I said, angrily pushing the boy with all might.
Screaming he disappeared over the edge, his gurgling voice reverberating downwards until he hit the ground with a gratifying splat.
‘Congratulations, you are the new games-master,’ a voice boomed from all-round.
I had lost the match, but somehow won a prize in an ever-bigger game. There’s a saying every loser wins. And I had won an eternity of being the new games master.
I sat down and pondered new games to play. Surly it wouldn’t be long before I had a new playmate to while away the slow ticking clock.
Game over.
Read Pau'ls other writing here: http://www.goodreads.com/story...
To read other stories from this contest, go here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic...
