It was a cold, gray day in the middle of March, and the halls of Torrington Academy were unusually abuzz with activity. Normally, one might name the cause as Spring Fever. However, despite the ever-changing weather, this was not the case.
Step-siblings Martin Mystery and Diana Lombard walked through the halls, trying to avoid the mob of other students rushing to and from like an unpredictable tide. Diana let out a frustrated sigh. "Guh! What's with everyone today?! If they don't move soon we'll be late for English!"
Martin let out a short bark of a laugh, eyes half-shut with a lazy smile gracing his lips. "That doesn't sound so bad to me." Opening one eye fully, he gave his sister a mischievous grin. "I'm surprised you don't know what's up, Di. I thought an overachiever like you would have known..."
Diana raised a suspicious eyebrow at Martin. "Would have known?", she asked, dubiously. "Known what?"
The grin widened impishly as Martin spoke, with a small chuckle. "The cast list for the school play is up today! I'd have thought you'd be right up there with everyone else."
Diana halted in her tracks, glass-green eyes widening like a deer caught in someone's headlights. English class had, apparently, been forgotten. "They're out?! Already?!" Without another word, the teen girl began sprinting towards the large cluster of people, brown hair flying behind her.
Her brother shrugged, impish grin still plastered there, and sauntered after her. Nothing was ever as much fun as getting under Diana's skin.
"Scuse me! Coming through, excuse me, pardon me-Watch your hands there, buddy!" Diana shoved (as politely as possible, of course) past the mob of other students until finally, there it was. Breath held and hands nearly shaking, she scanned the page until...
"No way!" The words she half-gasped were both indignant and surprised; this couldn't be possible, could it? "I-I'm not Belinda?"
"Of course not; you're Diana, remember?" Like one of the paranormal beings he so obsessed over, Martin appeared next to his sister, seemingly out of nowhere. His grin, however, faded a bit when he saw the death glare Diana was giving him. "So, who's Belinda anyway?"
"She's the leading lady of the play," she replied, still sounding puzzled. "She's a young shepherdess living under the oppression of her abusive mother and sister!" Di was so caught up in the magic of the role, she nearly forgot it wasn't even hers. "The play is about how Belinda falls in love with the prince of the fairies, Kalen, and how he has to face three tests set up by his mother, Queen Mab, and win her hand. But while he does this, Belinda is trapped in the realm of the fairies. And if he doesn't complete the three challenges in time, she'll stay there forever and be turned into a hobgoblin!"
"Huh. Sounds about as boring as most of the other stuff you're into." Martin shrugged, giving another of his trying smirks.
Diana growled. "It is NOT boring! It's a beautiful love story deeply rooted in English mythology! And they have me cast as Azelma, Belinda's evil sister!"
Before Martin could comment, Diana raised a finger. "I swear, if you even try to make a sarcastic comment about that I'll slap you." The boy closed his mouth, sulking.
"So then, Miss Evil Sister; who did get to be the leads?"
Her finger traced the list once more, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Somebody named...Maggie Thorne?" Diana's head cocked to one side in confusion. "I don't think I've heard that name before. Well, whoever she is, she's one lucky girl. She gets to star alongside-!"
Diana gasped. "No. Way! Martin...take a look at who's playing Kalen!"
Both teenagers gazed at the sheet, eyes widened in utter disbelief of the name printed alongside "Kalen; the Fairy Prince". It was just...too impossible. Each turned around, dumbfounded, to face the innocently-grinning visage of school's next lead actor.
"Billy?!"