Chapter one- Just Another Day
Big open spaces, bright lights, and two-tone walls. Peppermint. The room smelled of peppermint. Black Hair, dark eyes, slim build and cold. He was cold, not winter cold but cold blooded, a heart made out of ice. Begging, he loved to hear me beg, so when he wrapped his hand around my wrist I knew there was no chance of escape. He loved it, every scream, every cry, every time I would plead for him to stop. Please stop, let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone, just please let me go. Why are you doing this to me? I cried and screamed but he was not sympathetic, he was aroused. Excited and proud of himself he began to push harder into me. Cry for me Rachel. Scream. No one going to save you now, he was right and no one did.
"Rachel, hey Rachel. HELLO"
As Rachel broke out of her short film nightmare, she noticed that the room she was in has fallen silent and all eyes were on her. She couldn't make out the small creature that was walking towards her until Professor Ian was right in front of her.
"Rachel, it's your line," Ian said, with one of those I don't get paid enough to do this faces.
Line? What line? Oh right she was in class, the room where she stands was the theater department stage where all the plays were rehearsed. The eyes, they were from all the other students waiting on her to say her line. Okay Rachel, so what is your line? Lines go on paper, which are then turn into scripts. So where in the world is my script? Oh right, in my hand. So with all the conviction and power she had in her she said her line.
"STOP. Don't step any closer. I'll shoot!" and to be honest Professor Ian did not look impressed what so ever.
"Alright, everyone that's it for today, I'll see everyone back here a 8 am sharp and hopefully this time Ms. Berry here with grace us with her present and attention".
Yes, I know asshole right? Professor Ian means well, it's just, at times, you see sometime he…. Oh what am I saying? He is an asshole. He seems to get his pleasure out of seeing freshmen new comers cry, sophomores cry and well you get the picture. It's because he is 35 and he feels like a woman stuck in a man's body. He seems to have taken that frustration out on the world and for about 4 hours a day, we are the world.
"Professor Ian, I'm really sorry about today". I'm about to do what any sophomore would do in a position when they are on Professor Ian's bad side. Suck up. Professor Ian loved when his student sucks on him, I mean sucks up to him. Here goes nothing. "It's just I didn't get enough sleep last night, I stayed up for hours trying to finish reading your magnificent play, Romeo And Juliet in New York City. I just couldn't seem to tear myself away. It was such a beautiful love story, yet very dramatic when needed. I cannot imagine why you're here at NYU teaching when you should be writing scripts for Oprah or something." Believable? I'm guessing I was because right when I was finished, he stopped looking at himself with his 3' inch circular mirror and turned to me. He began to look me up and down, almost trying to sense if I was lying or not. He stood and began walking my way. Moment of truth…
"Oh my goodness, did you really like it? I spent like forever writing that script," he said with so much giddiness I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.
So is it me or did Professor Ian go from a 35 year old male to 15 year old teenage female who just got a compliment on her cute cotton candy nail polish and baby blue top that seem to match so well together?
"Okay Rachel, I guess because you were up so late reading my brilliant script that I could let what happen today go." Well isn't he just a peach. "But next time I don't know if I could be this lenient about this, you need to pay more attention in my class. It's the only way for you to become the best actress you can be." Or the Dumbest. "What did you say?" Nothing, I totally agree. "Right, well run along. Let me get back to my business."
"Well, run along, let me get back to my business." Who does he think he is? As Rachel swiftly but viciously made her way down the hall, mimicking and mocking Professor Ian, she had to admit it to herself that today had to be the worst day ever. It's not enough she had to think about him and what that animal did to her but she had to deal with Professor Ian. How could today get any worse? Was someone going to go back to her apartment and paint her walls green and decorate her house with blue and white furniture because they saw it on HGTV and thought they could be a designer too? God, she wish today could just be over, as she made her way towards her locker.
"UH, I hate Professor Ian. Why is it that because he can't seem to get a man I have to pay for his lack of allure and bad writing. It's not my fault the man sucks," Rachel said while banging her head against her locker.
"Now Rachel, what did we talk about yesterday? You have to learn how to play nice with your Professor or they're all just going to fail you," a voice from the locker next to Rachel spoke. As Quinn closed her locker, giving Rachel one of those ice cream sundae melting smiles. Rachel seems to have forgotten just why she was mad. "Rachel, are you listening to me? Why is it whenever I begin to talk you, you never seem to be listening? Rachel? HELLO!"
"What? Ice cream sundae?" As Rachel snapped out of her daydream of Quinn floating on a large ice cream sundae and her smile as tiny sprinkles dancing around her head she noticed that Quinn was already half way down the hall walking towards their first class together.
"Quinn, wait up," Rachel yelled making her way down the hallway. "Why are you walking so fast? It's like you want to see Professor Crowe and her mustache". Rachel said steadily trailing behind Quinn.
"You know Rachel, not all of us have your talent of being able to be dramatic, humorous, and charming all at the same time. Some of us have to learn those traits and how do we learn them you might ask? Well, we go to this huge school you call college, then sit in these rooms with teachers teaching which we like to call class and we learn," Quinn said as she took her sit in Professor Crowe class.
"Did I ever tell you your sarcasm is the reason why were such great friends?" Rachel tried to fake a million dollar smile while taking her sit next to Quinn.
As Quinn turn to look at Rachel while she was twirling her pencil in one hand and balancing another on her nose, she couldn't help but think Rachel could be and totally is one of the most adorable people she could of ever met. Yes, Rachel has her moments when she's annoying beyond measure and she always seems to space out when Quinn's talking to her but she couldn't help but think this girl is amazing.
"Attention class, eyes up here" as Professor Crowe made her way into the classroom. "Now yesterday we were talking about how to cry on cue, does anyone remember how to do so?" As Rachel continued to balance her pencil on top of her nose, Quinn hand shoot right up to answer the question. "Yes, Quinn?"
"Yesterday you explained that to be able to portray a person in pain and for one to cry even though they are not in real pain is for them to think of a painful situation and work off of that." As the words left Quinn's mouth, you could see how much pride she felt for the answer she had given and if you could only see the pride on Professor Crowe's face. You would think that either her head was about to spin off or Quinn just won the golden ticket for answering her question correctly.
"Amazing Quinn. Excellent".
As Professor Crowe's eyes began to examine the class before she picks another student to answer a question, you can see her eyes on lock and loaded on Rachel who still at this time is balancing a pencil on top of her nose. "Rachel, explain to me why it's always good to stay in character no matter the circumstance?" Before Rachel answered, she took the pencil off her nose, looked around the classroom, then at Quinn who is now holding her head in her hand like she just caught a huge headache and said, "It's because you're always constant and it teaches you to become the character." As Quinn, slowly took her head out of her hands and looked up at Rachel, she then knew why it was that she had fallen for Rachel the end of their freshmen year at NYU. Because even though she seemed to fool around and never take her classes seriously, when it came to acting and knowing how to be a great actress Rachel never missed a beat. So as Rachel smiled her sly smile at Professor Crowe, Quinn couldn't help but smile at Rachel.
"That is correct, Ms. Berry. I guess there is hope for you yet."
And just as Professor Crowe said those words, Rachel turned to look at Quinn, meeting her eyes as Quinn stared back at her. She smiled and mumbled under her breath, "You have no idea".