Hello! Again! here's the next chapter!


All the other kids with the pumped up kicks

You better run, better run

Outrun my gun...

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks

You better run, better run

Run faster than my bullet!


6

Elite Preparatory Institute

Yorkshire Auditorium

Tuesday, August 24th

10:36 a.m.

Ronnie tilted her head back and stared at the building in front of her. It was in the shape of a mask smiling, the whole thing gold. She rubbed her eyes. Ronnie hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. She had stayed up waiting for the rest of Marilyn Monroe, and they hadn't gotten in until midnight.

The rest of the night she wondered if they had gotten caught, and would that mean expulsion for all of them? But she didn't dare ask one of them.

"Urrgh!" She shouted. Someone behind her asked, "What's wrong? Afraid Eloise is going to send you home for being a goody-goody?"

Natalie said as she strolled by her. "Come on, your late." Ronnie followed her into the glass doors.

A bamboo stage faced them, and the curved wall was made of mirrors. Plush chairs were in rows of eight, and red velvety drapes surrounded the stage.

Mounted to the top of the stage were two metal masks, one smiling and one frowning, like the building. Ronnie's hand went to her throat, where two charms sat on a silver chain. They were silver mini-versions of the masks, and her mother had given it to her when she had gotten interested in acting at age eight.

In the space between the chairs and the stage, twelve girls sat on pillows in a circle. Ronnie plopped her leather satchel next to one and sat crossed-legged. Each girl had on a variation of things; Ronnie had chosen the grey t-shirt dress, the black leggings, the black cardigan and the grey flats.

A girl across from her nodded. "Good thing you're here. Amelia would've killed you." Just then, the glass doors banged open and quivered, almost shattering.

Heels clacked against the maple floors, and a woman was stomping to the center of the circle. She had black pumps, bright red tights, and a red and black dress on. Her caramel colored waves were pinned to the nape of her neck.

She had freckles splashed across her cheeks and nose, and looked 20 years old.

"I'm Amelia Watson. Yes, Emma Watson's daughter. No, I'm not twenty, I'm thirty-seven. Yes, you've all come to reach your full potential in acting. No, not all of you will succeed. Any questions?"

The auditorium was silent. "Excellent. Let's get down to business. First! Take three, deep breaths. Let it all out." She sat in the center of the circle, and closed her eyes. Ronnie was startled by the woman's entrance, but she closed her eyes, too.

"Okay, now that we're all relaxed, let me tell you about acting. Some of you probably are thinking: All I do is read a few lines, move around a bit, done. but you're wrong. It's about feeeeeling what you're saying. Really believing the words coming out of your mouth. Got it?" Ronnie blinked. This was happening all so fast, but she nodded with the others at Amelia.

"Wonderful!" Amelia locked eyes with every girl. "Let's try an acting exercise. I'm going to give you an emotion. I want you to show me how you would portray that." She pointed to a girl next to Ronnie. "Name? And, anger!"

"Felicity! AHHHHHHH!" She let out a piercing scream, and twisted her face like she was hollering herself hoarse.

"Name, and…..shock!" Ronnie glanced around. "Uh, Ronnie. Oh, oh my goodness. I need to sit down...just...just..." She made her mouth an O, and leaned into Felicity.

"Name, and….sadness!"

"Cindy. What...what? Nooooo!" She buried her head in her hands and pretend-weeped.

Amelia went around the room naming emotions. Once she got back to Felicity, she smiled.

"Good. Some of you had raw emotion, and some just portrayed it. Now, I am going to give you a character. With the person next to you, act out that character. Felicity, old man. Ronnie, british scholar. Cindy, fisherman lost at sea. Olivia, washed-up pageant winner. Evelyn…."

Ronnie turned to Felicity. "Oh, how do you do? Let's hear your grammar. It better be perfection," She said in a phony accent. Felicity tossed her hair. "Eh? Eh? Repeat that, young whippersnapper!" she put on a grungy voice.

Ronnie shook her head. All around her, conversations were going on, and everyone was a character. "No, no, I dissaprove. Excuse me, let me gather my crumpet crumbs!"

"Hey, little lady, why don't you share some with me? And where is my applesauce?"

This continued for 10 minutes before Amelia shouted, "And STOP! Great, you guys. Okay, now, I'm going to give you a paragraph to memorize. You have ten minutes. Go." She handed each girl a piece of paper, and Ronnie immediately read it through. Her mouth was moving with the words, and in no time at all she'd memorized each line. She was done in five minutes, and she watched as the others struggled with memorizing the lines. "Time is up!" Amelia looked around, assesing each girl. "Ronnie, you're first. Stand in the center, please."

Ronnie cleared her throat, and began. "Tell me! Tell me NOW! Why are you acting like this?" Ronnie lost herself. Suddenly, she was Heather Lockman, and was getting her heart broken. She went through the motions, as Heather sobbed, threw objects, and ripped up her new $421 BCBG dress. Finally, breathing heavily, she looked up. Everyone was staring, and Ronnie felt a sinking feeling. And then they slowly clapped. The other girls flicked their eyes to Amelia, waiting to see her reaction as the clapping died down. "Good job, Ronnie. Nice skills. Next. Natalie!" Ronnie flushed and lowered herself onto her pillow, flattered by the compliment.

Nat stood from her perch next to a girl with Pochohantas braids and walked to the center. She smiled at Amelia. "I go by Nat." Amelia nodded. "Alright, Natalie. Continue." The girls tittered as Nat's face flamed. While Natalie was acting, Ronnie sat, mesmerized. She was REALLY good. Great, actually. This time, the girls clapped softer and envy-glared at Nat. Amelia tapped her pen on her chin. "Decent. Work on it. Next, Cindy!" Nat's face drooped, and crossed her arms as she sat again. It was like Ronnie could read her mind: That's all I get? Decent? Even though she hated to admit it, Nat was right. She deserved more.

"-by tomorrow morning. Alright, that's it for today, folks. Remember, first draft by tomorrow!" Ronnie looked around, confused. What'd she miss? "What's our homework?" She asked Cindy as Amelia started passing out a packet. "We're supposed to go through this script, and our "focus this month" is to create a five scene play." Cindy replied. "Oh. Okay, thanks."

A twinkling sound rang in the large room, bouncing off its hollow walls. "Time for lunch. Please meet in the Dining Pavilion." A voice with an Australian accent followed the sound.

Everyone rustled and collected their things. Ronnie stood and slung her satchel over her arm. "Don't you think Amelia is an amazing teacher?" Felicity asked as they walked out the doors.

"Yeah. She was great." Ronnie answered. "I don't know how I'm going to write this play, though. I'll get some pointers, since she's so good."

Nat snorted as she walked by. "Something your not. How'd you make it here?" Cindy snickered behind her palm as she followed Nat.

Ronnie stomped her foot. "WHAT did you just say?" Nat spun on her heel. She giggled. I said, you're not good and you never will be. So you're Helen Keller too? Dumb AND deaf?"

She sashayed away. Felicity turned to comfort Ronnie, but before she could, Ronnie ran to the back of the Auditorium. She could feel tears coming. Ronnie had read in Seventeen that if you dug your nail into your palm, the urge to cry would stop. But nothing could keep the tears that snaked down her cheeks away.


Someday, I'll be, big enough so you can't hit me

And all your ever gonna be is mean.

Why you gotta be so mean?


Hoped you like it! :) It was just a little drama leading up to the next chappie. R&R!

The songs were: Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, and Mean by Taylor Swift.