Imogen Moreno couldn't help but skip to her drama classroom to the beat of Ready to Go by Panic! At the Disco. She was in a fantastic mood and couldn't wait to see her two best friends in theater class. The combination of her favorite type of pedestrian movement and Brendan Urie's voice only complimented that. Her great mood was due to the sudden realization of how much her life has changed.
She remembered how the beginning of her high school years were absolute horrendous. The heartbreak, the bullying, the abuse, the name-calling. Those days of not being able to sit with anyone during lunch. Those times when the teacher had to force an assignment partner on her because no one wanted her voluntarily. This senior year truly showed what the essence of high school being the greatest time of your life meant.
As she walked in the classroom, her happiness did die down for a bit. Eli only seemed to greet her, informing her that she came down with a fever first period. But one friend was better than none. Sadly, though, she seemed to have needed Fiona the most at this hour.
Today they were doing a dress rehearsal for their new play, The White Rose. It was a modern drama using Shakespeare elements that Eli wrote. The story surrounds the characters of Elliot, Celeste, Julian, Donovan, Adelaide, Arthur, and Blanche. It's set in a lavish Masquerade ball of Julian's house. Through the immoral and careless mistakes of all the characters it leads to the public murder of Arthur. His death brings guilt and misery to the end of the play.
The inspiration came from the famous shooting at last year's prom, but with a tragic twist.
Imogen would be playing the leading lady of Celeste, the internally conflicted girl who's in love with Elliot, the barely scraping artist but who's engaged to Julian, the man who comes from old money.
The start of the bad day started as she was changing in with her fellow castmates and the rest of the ensemble in the ladie's changing room. She tried to ignore the dirty looks she was getting, telling herself she was imagining them. But they became clearer as she noticed she was the only one changing into her costume of the first act.
"Is there a problem?" Imogen timidly asked.
"There's no problem. We'll start changing when you leave," one of the girls, she played Adelaide, spoke up.
"W-why?" Imogen asked, but she deep down had a strong answer to her question. "I mean, Ms. Dawes sent us here to change at the same time so shouldn't we be doing that?"
"Wouldn't you love to watch us change?" Minnie, who played an ensemble member, said as the other girls started giggling. "Don't play stupid, we saw your steamy picture with Fiona on the Anti-Grapevine site."
The paranoid horror came true, after all. Imogen could vividly remember the day like it happened seconds ago. Last week, Fiona was explaining to Imogen how her costume for Celeste. The beautiful gown that had a big and flowy outskirt that matched with her white lace gloves. It was absolute perfection in Imogen's mind. But as Imogen laced up her corset, Fiona pressed her lips against hers.
Imogen waited for this kiss to happen ever since she realized she lost interest in Eli. She found Fiona very attractive, caring and thoughtful and someone who accepted her for her, things she wanted in a guy. But as the moment happened, Imogen realized she felt nothing. Kissing her wasn't the same as her kiss with Eli or Fitz. She immediately told Fiona that and she understood completely. It's a shame no one else seemed to get that.
"So, do us a favor and please leave?" Minnie continued.
As Imogen stormed off, her cheeks started streaming down her flushed cheeks. She wanted to call Fiona but she didn't want to wake her in case she was sleeping. Was it really the cold? Or did she fake it because she saw the photo and didn't want to endure the teasing? These thoughts were completely passed off in Imogen's mind due to her knowing that Fiona would've battled them out.
Her drowning eyes managed to find Eli as he was looking all dapper in his costume. He practically looked like Edgar Allen Poe. She quickly wiped her eyes. He smiled, about to spurt out his sarcastic comment, as he toward her on the stage. But the closer he got, the sooner he noticed the streaks down her face.
"Imogen, what's wrong?" Eli asked with a concerned look.
"Oh, the girls sprayed their terrible foo foo stuff all in the dressing room. These are the effects of that," Imogen lied.
"Then how come my nose hairs aren't burning?" Eli retorted, leaving Imogen silent. "Now what really happened? You were all fine before, acting like you were about to do cartwheels in a meadow full of flowers."
"Girls just being buttheads," Imogen voice started to crack as more tears rushed out. She'd never felt like this ever since the kids from her ninth grade laughed at her for wearing a purple unicorn backpack. Eli started getting pained by this. "I think I'm going to ask if I can get called out from class."
"Imogen, don't," Eli said. "That's what they want. Whatever they were being mean about, don't let it get to you. Don't let them win." Imogen wanted to argue but knew she couldn't because he was absolutely right.
"The show must go on," Imogen sighed.