"Are you still mad at me about the ending?" Joy asked Mara walking back into the dressing rooms for the play. Mara sighed,
"No. You did it for the good of the play," Mara answered as Joy smiled slightly, "You can still dump Jerome before final curtain call when everyone's still watching." She added as joy frowned now. This time the curly haired girl sighed.
"I don't know, it just feels a bit wrong." Joy told her in reply. The revenge-ridden girl 's face fell and became almost angry.
"What?" She questioned.
"Aren't we risking everyone's grades?" Joy quickly covered, "Maybe we should just give operation Jerome up?" She suggested. Mara being stubborn just like the past few days was shocked.
"Why?" She demanded. Joy shrugged,
"Look Mara, you've had your revenge now. I mean this was a good idea at the time but-"
"Please Joy! Remember what he did? He really hurt me and poor Willow!" Butted Mara, "Public humiliation is the least he deserves! Look you can't back out now because if he doesn't know what it feels like to have his heart broken, he'll keep treating girls like this!" Mara exclaimed. Joy looked like she was completely torn in two but finally gave in,
"Okay." She simply said, "You'll have your revenge."
"Thank you, you're a good friend." Mara replied back to Joy as the other girl nodded slowly.
"Mmh-hmm." She agreed. It was obvious Joy didn't want to break Jerome's heart. She was in love with him but wasn't sure yet. Maybe she would be able to find a way to get around it? She thought. Little did she know was that Jerome had already heard everything and his eyes were tearing up behind the dark blue curtain a few inches away. Mara had finally got what she wanted, he was heart broken.
The play went on, terribly to state it simply. Eddie, the lead had taken off to who knows where not even half-way through the play and the rest followed shortly.
At this point, Jerome was covering Eddie's part and playing the role of Jordan which it was crystal clear to several people that it was about his love life. Meanwhile, Willow had gotten her chance at stardom! She was playing every other part. Jo, Mandy, and even Alf! The strawberry-blonde girl soon was exausted from running to and from the opposite sides of the stage and right smack dab in the middle of a scene, taking quick breaths, she told the audience she would be right back. Which would never happen since off stage, Joy was trying her best to console the panicked girl who was so very pressurized. Willow had begum hyperventilating and Joy thought it was best if she finished the play as Jo, the character was based off her anyways. Joy ran on stage to the confusion of the whole, might I say very small, school. Jerome's eyes were puffy and red but Joy didn't seem to notice as she begun saying her character's lines.
"Jordan wait! I need to tell you something." Joy recited to Jerome's character.
"I haven't been completely honest with you...I want to be together. I want us." She went on waiting for Jerome to say his line. She quickly whispered his line to the silent teenager who stayed quiet. Even Mara and Willow were saying his line backstage hoping he would get the hint and let the play go on.
"I want to be with you too!" The two girls reading the script said, eyes not leaving the awkward stage. Finally Jerome spoke,
"The thing is...Jo. I've realized recently that some people aren't who you think they are. They lie to you and let you down. I think you're one of those people." He told the short girl, turning around to look at her.
"Jerome what are you doing? Stick to the script!" She whisper shouted to the guy who really couldn't care less at this point.
"So the whole us thing, isn't really working for me." He went on, getting closer to Joy.
Joy licked her lips nervously and unsure of what was happening.
"Why isn't it working for you?" She asked out loud as if it were part of the play.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked under her breath afterwards. Jerome dramatically looked to the audience, almost crying again.
"Because the only reason I was with you was for a joke." He told the students, "And that joke isn't funny anymore." He kept going, his voice breaking in between. Now Joy seemed to be connecting what he was saying to her and seemed to have water in her eyes as well.
"And that is that." He began to end, hands dropping to his sides, "The end." He finished before bowing and walking off stage, leaving another heart-broken teen on stage, almost in tears.