Think about it I did. I didn't think about anything else.
It was only the next day when I decided to console Trish.
"I think you should do it," she said. "You want to do it, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't think I can."
I stared at my food, aimlessly playing with it.
"You definitely can. You can at least try, Ally. And if it doesn't work out, so be it. That's fine. But it could be fun."
It wasn't like Trish to call something school related fun.
I told her that.
"Well," she sighed, "maybe I'm just saying that because if you'll do it, I'll have you so I won't have to do it alone."
"Do what alone?" I asked, confused.
"Well, since I'm kinda failing everything, I need some extra credit. Mrs Drew said that if I would help out with the wardrobe for the play, she would give me some."
I shook my head. I knew Trish would never think it would be fun.
But to be honest, knowing that she'd be there made me a little less scared.
With her by my side, people wouldn't dare to be mean to me.
And it might actually be fun.
"Fine, I'll do it," I said happily. "But only for you, Trish."
"I hate this already," Trish said, when we walked through the doors of the auditorium two days later.
"I hate this so much."
I nudged her.
"Don't be such a buzz kill. You haven't even been here for two minutes… What am I saying, two seconds. Stop complaining. It won't be so bad."
She made some weird noise, indicating that she didn't think so, but stopped talking.
There were already a lot of people in the auditorium. Mrs Drew was in front of a group of them, and Trish and I quietly stood with them.
"Ah, then we're complete now! First of all, thank you so much for being here. Although," she laughed, "I know that most of you aren't here out of the goodness of their heart. But let's make this a fun after-school activity?"
"Those two words don't go together," a male voice said. It was the Dez's blond friend.
"Then make them go together, Mr Moon, because if you think I won't fail you, you're wrong," Mrs Drew said with a harsh voice.
The blond rolled his eyes, and I decided on the spot that I didn't like him. Mrs Drew was a nice teacher so if she didn't like him, he probably didn't deserve to be liked.
Although I had to admit he was kinda cute, with the blond floppy hair. He looked innocent but mischievous. Cheeky, was the right word for it.
It fitted him.
"Okay," Mrs Drew continued, "Let's talk about what everyone is supposed to do. First, I'd like to make clear there are no auditions." She looked a bit said, as she added: "We didn't have enough entries."
She pointed to me, and I immediately felt my cheeks flush red.
"This is Ally. As you know, this will be a modern version of Romeo and Juliet and Ally here will be writing the script, along with my help. I would also like you to work together with the two main actors, okay Ally?"
I nodded.
"Those two would be Mr Moon and Kira." She pointed at the blond and a girl next to him.
She was really pretty. She looked nice. I really hoped she was, because I didn't want to be working alone with him.
Mrs Drew went through some other people. More actors, people for décor, lights.
And then, wardrobe.
"Wardrobe will be the responsibility for Trish and Dez."
The moment the second name fell, I knew what was coming.
"No way! No!" She launched forward, either trying to run away from it all or grab Mrs Drew by the neck and murder her.
Whichever it was, I had to stop her.
"Trish!" I yelled, holding her arm. I managed to hold her back, but with trouble. It took me a good five minutes before she was completely calm.
By that time, she was sitting on the floor, repeatedly whispering "extra credit, extra credit, extra credit…" which still wasn't probably what she was supposed to do, but at least this way, nobody would get hurt.
I saw Dez and his friend come our way. Already positioning myself before Trish, so I could push her back if needed, I smiled at the red head.
"You must be Dez, hi," I squeaked, and I was surprised by my own voice. I sounded happy and not at all shy. I also sounded a little hysterical, but you can't have it all.
"I am Dez! You're Ally! I only know that because teach just said so. Not that I didn't, like, recognize you, it's just, we've never really met before," he rattled, while shaking my hand so excitedly I was shaking all over.
Trish grunted next to me, fell forward, and banged her head against the floor.
On purpose, of course.
"You can be such a drama queen," I whispered her way, but her drama had convinced me she probably wouldn't go over to murder soon, so I turned away from her.
"Where's Kira?" I asked the blond.
"Hi, I'm Austin, nice to meet you too," he smirked. Then he shrugged. "She couldn't be here today. But I'll help you."
My eyes widened. No way I was staying here with him alone. If Mrs Drew didn't like him, he wasn't nice, and I didn't do well with mean people.
Not when Trish wasn't there to be mean back to them.
"Uhm, no, no, you don't have to. I'll, I'll do it alone?" It came out more like a question.
Which might be why he raised an eyebrow and sat next to me.
"No, I'll help," he said.
"I don't need your help." I sounded harsh. I didn't want to sound harsh. But I didn't like it when people forced themselves on me.
"I don't care." His voice had lost the little spark in it. He didn't sound happy with a tat of mocking in it anymore. He sounded just as harsh as I had just done.
"I need to pass this class and the only way I can do that is if I convince Mrs Drew to pass me. And the only way to do that is to work on this play. Really work on it. So we're going to work on it."
The way his voice sounded withheld me from protesting again.
It couldn't be that bad, could it?