Behind The Curtains
Chapter 4- Load of Bull
Act One, Scene Three (Max)
[Stage spotlight shine in the center, on Maya Ride. Max is off to the side, mouth open, as her eyes gleam with fury]
I cannot believe this! I worked so hard, wanted Maya to so badly to be showed up, but no. She had to come and ruin everything that I've been creating for the past nine years of my life! Ugh! Max ranted in her mind, as the guy playing Fang stepped up.
Glancing behind her, Max saw Lissa and Anne whispering to each other, smiling and nodding. Their eyes were on Maya. Max's stomach flopped, and she looked back at the stage. "What scene?" she called down to her sister, voice tight. Maya smiled innocently back.
"Bedroom scene, where Fang and Max argue about the RHW," she replied, and Max's fists clenched harder. That was her favorite scene, the one that she connected to the most.
And Maya, of course, was about to ruin that.
"They down?" the guy asked Maya, glancing around the make-believe hallway at the make-believe rooms. Max's hands clenched by her sides.
Maya nodded. "They're beat. School really takes it out of them. And then, of course, Erasers."
"Yeah. Let them enjoy it while they can."
"She's taking my place!" Maya exclaimed, her teeth gritted together.
The other guy shrugged. "You're a fighter, not a mom."
She gasped, as if the comment actually stung her. "I can't be both? You think I'm a lousy mom? What, because I'm not girly enough, is that it?" she yelled mad. Max almost snorted. Maya not girly enough? "Not like that girl with the red hair, stuck to you like glue?"
Her cheeks flamed with humiliation and anger. Max had to admit, Maya was surprisingly really into it.
Stepping forward, the guy said quietly, "You're girly enough. As I recall," Maya's face turned a whole new color, as she clenched her hands and teeth. "And you've been a great mom. But you're only fourteen and you shouldn't have to be a mom. Give yourself ten years or so."
Maya stayed silent. "By the way, I've started a blog. I'm using the computers at school. Against all rules, of course. Fang's Blog," He chuckled, as Maya didn't meet his gaze. "Check it out sometime… Mom."
As the scene ended, Maya unfroze, and looked up at the judges. Her brown eyes spotted Max's, as she smirked in triumph. Max glared back, about to demand for Maya to get off the freakin' stage, when Lissa and Anne stood, clapping excitedly, "Brilliant! You're in!" Anne exclaimed, face bright with excitement.
Max just glared at her twin, who was ruining the one thing she was good at with a show-stopping smile on her too-innocent face.
How did I not see this coming?
"Doesn't she need to sing first?" Max asked them, voice flat. Maya couldn't sing for her life, if Max remembered correctly. But then again, she hadn't seen Maya in two years, and the last time Maya had sung near Max was when they had turned twelve, five years ago.
Jeb nodded, eyes worried and on Max. "Yeah, she's right," he said, "She'd have to sing to play Max." Anne nodded, and a look of, 'Uh-oh' crossed Lissa's face. Max guessed she had heard Maya sing before.
Maya, though, just smiled and nodded, looking completely okay with this. Max was immediately on alert, because, obviously, she trusted Maya about as close as she could throw her.
Her twin signaled to someone backstage, and someone passed her a mic, then, she was singing.
What's she got that's so special?
Her hair, her smile?
—A load of bull.
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?
And I know it's crazy,
That I'm thinking of you this way.
And I know you see me,
Differently, no matter what I say.
But can't you see that she's no good for you?
Oh, Fang, just look at her and listen to me,
And you'll see my words are true.
Open your eyes and see…
Everything between you two is a lie,
What have you told her that's true?
Oh, what have you said that won't break my,
Heart in two?
What is it that you see in her?
Is it that she's average,
And when she looks in the mirror she doesn't see a monster covered in fur?
I get that you don't love me,
And that's okay.
But why can't you see,
That I'd stand by you, anyway?
What's she got that's so special?
Her hair, her smile?
— A load of bull.
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?
Her flirty little looks,
And her pouty lipped grins,
Oh, that was all it took,
And then the redhead wins.
I can't explain why I hate her,
There aren't really any words.
And I can't imagine you two being as close as we were,
Flying in-sync, like birds.
What's she got that's so special?
Her hair, her smile?
— A load of bull.
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?
Oh, I can see this ending with a smash,
Oh, because with every high,
Comes the crash,
And someone is left to cry.
So I sit here, crying from the pain,
My chest tight,
Like I'd been hit by a train,
Every sarcastic word a fight.
Don't you see what you do to me?
Don't you see the Great Maximum Ride,
A crumpled mess, a sight to see,
I bet you didn't even know she cried.
Woah-oh-oh, woah-oh-ohhhh…
(Load Of Bull, by Fluffy and Anna!)
Max's eyes narrowed farther, and she was about to scream as many cuss words as she could at her twin sister, who was getting a standing ovation. Max couldn't believe that Maya had just aced and landed the part of Maximum Ride, even though Max knew that she couldn't sing for her life.
Something was up here, and Max wanted to know what.
[Max's room, purple walls covered in Broadway Musical posters, playbooks, and pictures of the Maximum Ride characters. A bulletin board above her queen-sized black canopy bed shows pictures of her, Jeb and the gang. Clothes and song notebooks liter the floor. Her desk is cluttered with paper. She sitting on her bed, staring out the window. Ari enters. It has been three weeks since Maya "supposedly" got the part]
"She cheated," Ari said after closing the door and plopping down on the floor in front of the bed. "We all know she has no vocal talent, and so that performance was totally faked." His voice was calm and rational, as if there was no other opinion or explanation. This was just fact, and everyone needed to accept it. Even if it's been three weeks already. Three weeks, and Maya hasn't sung once.
Max sighed, hugging a pillow to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees. "I know that, Jeb knows that, you know that, but Anne and Lissa don't know that. I thought Lissa might, but when we left she was yapping on about how, 'Wow, Maya's vocal lessons really pulled off! She sounds almost as good as Max!' and smiling at me and stuff." She glowered at the people on the street below.
"She took your voice," Ari whispered, eyes wide. Max's head whipped towards him, eyes wide, as well. "You sing like an angel, like Lissa said, and we've all heard you in the shower, so don't think I don't know that. You've been singing that song in the shower for the past five years. Maya had to have heard it," he reasoned, deep in thought. "It all makes sense now, seeing she hasn't sung once since auditions."
Max shook her head, "No, impossible. She didn't even know about the musical then —"
Ari rolled his eyes at her, "Max, with you rambling on about it and leaving pages everywhere, she knew, which means she knew about Nick and Fang, since she isn't exactly dumb, just snotty…"
Max's eyes widened, "So at first, it was for embarrassing blackmail…" She trailed off, starting to see where this idea was going. "And then after the break up…"
"Jeb started talking to everyone about you writing a hit Broadway show, and she knew that Nick would get the part somehow…" Ari broke off, looking at Max to finish it up.
"… And so she's using it to get him back?" she whispered, before looking at him. "She was pretty shaken afterwards, but would she really go to such extreme measures?"
Ari rolled his eyes at her, standing. "Would she not?" he replied, stretching. "Well, I've got to go. You decide what you want to do with this information."
Max nodded, muttering a farewell, her eyebrows furrowed.
[The theater, the next day. Maya is practicing a dance number with the choreographer on the edge of the stage when Max bursts through the doors.]
"Maya Ride, you better explain yourself right now!" Max yelled, her voice and the sound of the doors hitting the walls booming through the auditorium. Maya looked up, shocked, missed a step and slipped.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Oh my god.
Authors' Note: UH OH.
Anna: BWAHAHAHA, SHUT THE FREAK UP, FLUFFS. ^.^ PLEASE. Because I no want to be ruuude. *Giggle*
Bubbles: Heeheehee. This is our revenge on Maya. I hate her so much. That moron. Messing with Max and all. That's what you get, you loser. Karma, I say, KARMA! MWAHAHAHA! ….Sorry.
Fluffy: Just before I say anything: JP KNOWS ALL! HE PREDICTED ANNA'S LIFE! And yes, Anna, I had to say that. Everyone has to know, although they may not exactly know why. And yes, Anna, I had to use caps, bold, italics, and underline. ANYWAYS, hehe. EVILNESS!
=) SACA BAF (=
