Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with the Mediator Series because that honor is exclusively Meg Cabot's. I also don't own anything by William Shakespeare that happens to appear in the chapters. I do, however, own the plot. Yay for me. ;)
A/N: This chapter is in Suze's point of view. Look to my author's notes for the point of view in each chapter. (:
I couldn't remember when I first started thinking about my senior year of high school. I think it was probably when I was in the fifth grade and was faced with the scary thought of middle school and the changes that would bring, but then again I was always a precocious child. But now as I sat in homeroom at the beginning of my last semester in high school, I was more than a little scared of what was going to happen next. While I had always been precocious, when it came to having to speak in front of class for a project or whatever, I had never been…overly outgoing (and that's a nice way to put it). I was comfortable, shall we say, in my niche. My best friends, CeeCee and Gina, liked to say that I was too comfortable. But I had gotten very adept at ignoring them.
I had been friends with Cee and Gina since my mother had married Andy Ackerman and we had moved from New York to Carmel, California. I had just been getting ready to start sixth grade. I had immediately become friends with Gina and she had introduced me to her friend CeeCee. We proceeded to become the Three Musketeers with Gina as our ring-leader. We never really got into any trouble because Cee always got us out of scrapes. Also, we had the added advantage of me being Jake Ackerman's little stepsister. Brad Ackerman was in our year and he made sure no one messed with us. And I, in turn, helped to make sure no one picked on David Ackerman because of his genius tendencies. I really was lucky with this family I had gotten through marriage.
I finally tuned back into Ms. Clark. She had finished reciting the morning announcements and had called dramatically for us to give her our attention. Since this was a homeroom-type class, none of us really expected a final. Ms. Clark was the theatre teacher as well, so last semester she had given us extra credit for helping backstage. I had done it and really had liked it. Hopefully, that would be what we could do this semester too. Of course, it was only January, but Ms. Clark liked to get a head start on things. Today she was wearing her frizzy brown hair up in a knot on her head and wore a dress that just draped her in striped, bright colors. This was conservative dress for her so I knew that she was planning on saying something momentous.
"Well, kids, you've made it. Here you are in the homestretch. I know you can make it. I was informed by our principal this morning that I need to do something in here as a type of final. Giving you extra credit isn't going to cut it this semester. Also, last semester's turn out for auditions was distressingly low. So instead of worrying about two things I have combined them to make them one problem."
Behind me I heard Gina give a low groan while CeeCee rolled her eyes at me. All of us had an idea of what was coming, but I sincerely hoped it wasn't true. When I said I hated talking in front of class that feeling also extended to plays. Ms. Clark just smiled at us.
"All of you will be required to try out for the play this spring. And I will find a way to give you each the part you deserve. You're my first choices, but don't worry, experienced thespians will also be allowed to try out. This will count as the final."
As Ms. Clark turned to the board to write down the important dates I was positive I was going to throw up. I was going to have to try out for a play. In front of other people. Then I was going to have to act in that play. In front of other people. High school had just become hell. I guess I looked as sick as I felt because I heard someone saying my name. I turned and say that it was Jesse de Silva. Well, technically Hector Jesse de Silva, but no one would really want to go by Hector in this day and age. Anyway, Jesse was sitting in the desk next me staring at me. He had caught Gina's attention too and she poked me.
"Susannah? Are you feeling well?" His eyebrows had come together in a frown that was reflected on his really nice lips. For a moment I was stuck staring into his dark eyes while my heart kept flip-flopping in my chest. Yeah, I had a high school crush. And yes, it just happened to be the boy I had sat next to my entire high school career. His inky black hair curled around his ears and the collar of the blue shirt he was wearing and he had the most beautiful smile and killer abs. Gina poked me again and I realized I hadn't answered.
"Well, yeah. I guess. Why?" Then I could have kicked myself. No, I wasn't feeling fine and I just passed up an opportunity to have the guy I loved give me some sympathy.
Jesse smiled. "You look a little pale and green at the edges."
"The idea of trying out for a play is not something I really want to do."
"You'll do fine, Susannah. Besides, maybe all you'll have to do is be like an extra or something. There's no need to get stressed out before anything happens." Jesse said as he tried to look encouraging.
"So I can stress out when something happens?" I joked, starting to feel a little better.
"Definitely." Jesse grinned and turned to copy down what Ms. Clark had written on the board. I turned to do the same thing. The play was going to be As You Like It. That was a plus. It was one of the only Shakespeare plays I liked. The auditions were in three weeks and the play would be the last week of April. Great. My torture was going to be prolonged.
So this is just the beginning. I know it's short, but it was just an idea I had to get down. I have other stories so I'll be working on them too. But I'd really like reviews—love it or not, please let me know.
