Emma's POV

"Okay, class, just one week until the performance! And... guess what!?" Mr. Thomas said dramatically.

"We don't have to do it?" I grumbled under my breath.

I knew I was being a sourpuss, it just was that I was definitely not looking forward to having a play about love when my boyfriend wasn't my boyfriend in it, you know what I mean? Sure, Sean was great, but... he was no spinner.

"No, Miss Nelson, it hasn't been canceled. In fact, quite the contrary." Mr. Thomas took a deep breath. "I got The Los Angeles Leader's Yvonne Keen to report on our play, and TV18, the local Hillridge channel, will also be there, taping the whole thing, and the New York Times editor, Mari Besonen is going to check us out, and maybe even a couple other TV stations!"

The class gasped.

As soon as the class had gotten over the shock, they started cheering and whistling and stuff. But I sunk lower into my seat. I could never do this!

At the end of class, I was the last one out, and stopped by Mr. Thomas's desk.

"Mr. Thomas, I wasn't exactly looking forward to this play. I am not good with crowds, I get nervous and sweaty and stuff. But I adjusted. But this news thing... it's too much. I'm going to just, like, freeze on stage."

Mr. Thomas smiled. "Oh, okay. You want me to give the part to Miss michealchuck?"

I gasped. "No!"

"I mean... I like the part.. but... uh..." What exactly was I trying to say?

"Miss Nelson, what can Ido?" Mr. Thomas asked.

"I-I don't know." I stuttered. "Maybe I'm losing it."

"Listen, Emma, you're a great actress. Don't let anything ruin that. Nervousness... it happens to everyone. It'll go away once you start performing a while."

I nodded, totally reassured. "Okay."

Sean POV

I listened to Emma squeal about her great dates with Spinner, whine about how hard it'll be to perform in front of the New York Times, and groan about having to do the play with me.

"Sean, you're awesome and all... it's just... you know, Spinner's my boyfriend. And you're not."

Oh, sure rub it in.

"So... I feel weird trying to act like I love my best guy friend... I hope this sounds right." Emma frowned, waiting for a reaction.

No. It sounds completely wrong!

"But it's okay, because Spinner said he's going to take me to the Holy Rigatoni after the performance for a private dinner, so I'm good. What are you doing after the play?"

Go around screaming 'I kissed Emma, but she still hates me!'

"Uh... Probably go home, eat dinner, and sleep, like every normal teenager." I said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.

Emma's face softened. "Sean, there's something wrong. I know it."

I shook my head unconvincingly. "No, everything's just swell."

She raised her eyebrows. "Swell? Okay, Sean, tell me. I can help."

Oh, sure, she could help. She could help by just staying out of my life and not bring spinner up for once, but like she cared about me! I was just Sean the wall. Sean, the listener.

More like Sean the idiot.

Tears were stinging my eyes, but I blinked them in. "No, you can't."

She looked awfully concerned, with her big blue eyes staring at me and the crease in her forehead. 'Stop looking at me like that'. I pleaded in my brain. 'You're killing me!'

"Why?" She asked.

I was about to tell her to get out of my life, but I held it in. "I'm sorry, Emma, I have to go." I said, running out of her house, leaving her baffled.