Chapter 14: Behind the Scenes Part I

Katie got to practice first. Not even Mr. Brunner was there yet which made sense since Katie was half an hour early. She went ahead and got the paint from the storage room for the sets. She was in charge of scenery. Grass, flowers, trees. Her kind of work.

She pulled on an old shirt over her clothes to keep herself from getting dirty and started painting the set. It was the garden around Juliet's tower. There would be a lot of flowers, something Katie liked best along with painting. This was getting to be a good idea painting the set. She used to be upset about not getting a part in the play like she had originally wanted and to top it off, she was assigned to paint sets. She had never painted anything before in her life, but now, she was dissolved in her work. It was better than she had imagined. And she was actually good at it, which was a plus.

Katie put on a pair of headphones and turned on her iPod. She started painting and humming along to the music, shutting out the rest of the world. She didn't even hear the door shut or notice somebody standing behind her until a shadow was cast over the set in front of her. She sighed and pulled off her headphones. "Do you mind?" she asked, turning around to come face to face—well, more like face to chest since the top of her head was at the base of his neck—with Travis Stoll.

There was something weird about Travis Stoll that Katie just couldn't quite put her finger on. He had been teasing and pranking her since seventh grade. They were juniors now. Why didn't he just give up? He didn't tease the other girls like this. That wasn't the weird thing though. As much as he joked around, he could be serious. Katie knew it. She could see it when she watched him. He was cute when he was quiet and concentrated, actually paying attention. He was handsome, too, with that mischievous grin and those warm brown eyes. There was actually a lot to like about the guy. Wait. Did she seriously just think that?

"It's beautiful," he said softly, looking at the set she had just painted. His eyes scanned the greenery before meeting her bright green eyes again.

Katie blushed. "Thanks." She swallowed, remembering suddenly what happened when she was with him last time. Well, the time before that actually. He kissed her. He actually kissed her. Then at lunch yesterday, she ran away so she wouldn't have to sit next to him. Talk to him. Look at him. Because she was scared—terrified. She looked past Travis for a moment, hoping to see somebody—anybody—walk through the door. Anybody. She couldn't be alone with Travis. He made her weak at the knees. She wanted to be next to him. With him as much as possible. Truth was, she really liked him. She could even fall for him. But she couldn't let herself do that. She grabbed a new bucket of paint and a clean brush, not saying anything else.

"So, um, I wanted to talk to you."

She popped the can open and dipped the brush in. "You're talking to me right now," she pointed out.

"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "but that's not what I meant." He swallowed. He was just as nervous as she was. He liked Katie, a lot. He had had a crush on her since 7th grade. She was cute in an elfish way. She was short and thin with a heart-shaped face, green eyes, and light brown hair. She was smart and funny (when she wasn't so serious.) "We need to talk about what happened Friday."

Katie froze, her breath caught in her throat. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. That's why she ran out on lunch yesterday and hid in the garden on the roof. She was lucky that he had disappeared at lunch today and never showed up. But she wondering what happened to him and where he was all period. She wished that everything could just be how it was before. That stupid kiss ruined everything. She liked it better when he teased and they pretended to hate each other.

Travis was thinking the opposite though. He couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. The only other thing he could think about was kissing her again. Then she freaked out though and wouldn't talk to him. Not that he had tried talking to her. He was socially awkward most of the time and only had the confidence to talk to her when he was making stupid jokes. How he was talking to her right now without saying something stupid... He mentally shrugged.

Katie did the only thing she could think of. She pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Yeah, that food fight was terrible. I couldn't get the mustard out of my hair until Sunday night. It sucked that we had to clean it up. It was Leo's fault."

Travis wasn't fooled for a minute. "I'm talking about that you kissed me."

Katie rolled her eyes, trying to keep herself from freaking out. "I didn't kiss you. You kissed me."

"You kissed me back," Travis pointed out.

Katie shook her head. "I can't stand you, Travis. Why would I kiss you?"

"You kissed me back," he repeated.

"I can't stand you," she repeated.

Travis raised his hands. "I give up! What is it that you want from me?" he demanded. "One minute you hate me, then you kiss me—and don't bother denying it, you kissed me—then you don't talk to me, now you're just pretending nothing happened."

"Nothing happened," Katie insisted, although she herself didn't believe it. "We're not even friends. I can't stand you, you can't stand me."

Travis shook his head wildly. "You know that's not true. I can stand you." Oh god that sounds stupid, he thought, but he kept going. "I think you're smart and pretty and funny. You're awesome. I've had a crush on you since seventh grade! I like you, as annoying as you are and as much as you piss me off."

Seventh grade? Really? Katie tried not to grin and hug him which was hard since she felt like she could float away. "Wow, Stoll. I'm impressed. You've managed to tell me that you like me and insult me at the same time."

"You're not even listening, are you?" he demanded, raising his voice. "I like you! Why do you have to be so damn difficult?!" Why couldn't this go as he had planned? The plan was that she would leap into his arms and they would make out and live happily ever after. Wow that sounded stupid admitting it out loud—well, in his thoughts. Still, why couldn't she at least admit that she liked kissing him? He knew she did. He knew Katie better than anybody. She likes gardening, painting, singing along with the radio, her favorite song was Countin' Stars by One Republic, but Maroon 5 was her favorite band, she prefers raining days to sunny ones, she'd rather read than play sports any day even though she was athletic.

Her eyes flared, but he could tell that it wasn't exactly because she was angry. She was frustrated.

Why didn't he get that she just wanted to be friends or whatever the hell they were before? She couldn't date him. If they date, it ruins everything. "Why do I have to be difficult? You're the one that keeps insisting I like you and I don't! I don't like you. You're a jerk to me all the freaking time! You're an idiot and you couldn't tell a good joke to save your life! I must've been drunk because I'd have to be out of my senses to ever kiss you!" she yelled.

The look on his face—It was like she'd been slapped. His eyes, usually so bright and lively, were hollow in this strange way. Like she had just sucked the life out of him with those words. Maybe she had. At least that's how he felt. I mean, who would want to have the girl of their dreams just tell them what she said?

He frowned from his spot across the stage from her where he had went to at some point in the argument. Wordlessly, he stalked across the stage until he was looming over her. For a moment, he just stared at her. Then he swooped down and kissed her.

Katie's heart was racing, and she wanted this, she really did, but this shouldn't have been happening. She did her best not to move her lips at all. She kept them pressed firmly together not allowing herself to kiss him, as much as she wanted to. He pulled away and looked at her just as the door opened and other students started filing in. He was expecting something. An answer maybe.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He gave her a short nod. "Fine. You should know that I like you. I really do. Now. But someday, if you want me, I might not be around. You better make up your damn mind and figure out what you want. I'm not always going to be here, waiting for you," he said in a quiet voice, nearly a whisper, and walked off.

Katie stood there, staring at the spot where he had stood. It's for your own good, she thought, trying to convince herself. After all, nothing hurts worse than a broken heart. Especially that last one. But this—whatever this was—hurt a lot, maybe even worse.

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Thalia walked into practice with Annabeth. She grinned at the blond when they caught sight of Percy. "There's lover boy," Thalia said, nudging Annabeth.

Annabeth blushed and waved back after Percy waved his hand at her over his head like a little kid. Thalia tried not to laugh at her ridiculous cousin. He was such a dork. And he was going to go out with her best friend. Whatever.

She didn't worry about it. After all, she had her own love problems. Er, Nico problems. Whatever. The point was, he was hot, H-O-T hot with that dark hair and dark eyes. And we was into her kind of music, he wore black, he was dark and quiet in a mysterious way, he—Well, actually, she didn't really know anything else about the guy. She just met him last week and only talked to him a couple times, but she liked him.

She rolled her eyes mentally. What was wrong with her? She doesn't get boy crazy. She's freakin' Thalia freakin' Grace, not some dumb blond. Okay, that was a stupid metaphor considering the smartest person she knew was a blond *cough* Annabeth *cough*. Anyways, the point is that Thalia wasn't the type of girl to waste her time with guys. Most of the guys she knew were idiots *cough* Stolls *cough*. Nico was different though, right?

Thalia wasn't paying attention and ran right into somebody as she walked down the aisle. The guy turned around and looked at her. This guy was hot. Not Nico hot. This guy had a category of his own. He was tall, lean, and muscular, but not in that steroids kind of way. He was blond with blue eyes that had a mischievous glint, not like the Stolls. It was a different glint. Like he was always planning something surprising. And he had a gleaming smile. It was Luke Castellan.

He looked down nearly a foot at her. "Sorry about that," he said, and smiled at her. Oh gods. He was one of those guys. The kind that apologized when somebody ran into them and smiled charmingly. It was sickening.

He wanted to pretend it was his fault? Fine. "Watch it," she muttered and gave him her worst glare she had. The death glare. It was pretty great. Luke's smile faltered. He clearly wasn't used to girls not swooning at his charm.

He really wasn't used to it. Luke got every girl he wanted. All of them. Except for Annabeth who was apparently going out with Percy Jackson soon. And now this girl, Thalia was rejecting him after three words and a smile. Was he losing his edge? Shit.

Yet there was something different about Thalia. She wasn't falling over herself like every other girl usually did. In fact, she looked like she wanted to kick his ass. She looked like that most of the time though. It was interesting. Thalia was interesting.

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Once practice started, Drew was seething. Nobody was getting the hints. There Thalia was, talking to Nico. Flirting. That little bitch. She thinks that she can do whatever she wants just 'cause she looks like some freaky punk rocker. Drew rolled her eyes. That girl needs to back off. Nico was hers. Not Thalia's. Thalia was just a wannabe goth. She wasn't even pretty. And Nico was hot. Hot guys belong with hot girls a.k.a. Drew. Duh.

And there was Annabeth. That little fake blond thought she could steal Drew's spotlight? Annabeth thought she could be Juliet? And Drew was an understudy? No. Just no. This couldn't happen. This doesn't happen. A little smirk played across her lips. She had a plan. A perfect plan to show those little bitches that you don't cross her path.

She decided to start with Annabeth. Drew wasn't much of a multitasker and after all, they say to do things one at a time. So Annabeth's first.

Drew studied the blond. She was standing next to Percy Jackson. They were laughing and talking. So the gossip was true. They really were going out. They were a cute couple, really.

At least..., for now they were.

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Leo watched Calypso paint the set from the left side of the stage, waiting for his part to start. She was really pretty, stunning, hot, beautiful, breath taking. There wasn't even words to describe her. She had long, straight golden-brown hair, milky pale skin, dark, almond-shaped eyes, and pouty lips. She had an amazing voice and she was in his shop class. If there was anything he really liked about girls, it was that they could build stuff. So of course Leo had a thing for her. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Calypso hated him. At least, she acted like she did. Hopefully, she didn't.

Calypso pretended not to notice Leo staring at her. Yeah, sure, he was cute in a scrawny, elf-like way. And funny. And sweet (when he wasn't being annoying and obnoxious). But she didn't want to let herself like him, if that made any sense. She's had her heart broken before tons of times (especially by Odie freshman year. Yeah, stupid name, but he was a real charmer). And yeah, she knew Leo liked her, but considering Leo thought he was "in love" with a new girl about every seven seconds, any relationship wasn't going to last long and would end in heartbreak. If there ever was one.

She glanced at Leo again. He wasn't looking at her anymore. He was talking to Dakota Johnson about something, but she couldn't hear anything. They were just out of earshot. Calypso wondered what Leo could be talking to Dakota about. They barely knew each other. Dakota was a tall, blond guy with weird purple colored eyes. He had a red Kool-Aid mustache a lot and staggered around sometimes like he was drunk. A Kool-Aid addiction maybe?

After a couple seconds they both glanced her way. She looked away quickly, not wanting either of them to see her watching them. Curiosity won the best of her though, and she glanced at them again, only to see Leo walking up to her looking determined. What was he doing? She stood up, not knowing what else to do. Leo stopped a couple steps away from her and looked at her a moment.

Then he started walking again, filling in the gap, but he kept right on walking, leaving her standing there, wondering what he was doing.

Leo really didn't want to do this, but a dare's a dare. Besides, Dakota thought it would get Calypso's attention. So maybe it was worth a shot. So Leo walked up to Lacey Smith, who was working on a costume with Silena and Hazel a few yards away from the stage. She was a cute freshman girl. She was blond with blue eyes, pink braces, and a tan. She looked like a model. Okay, so she was hot, but Calypso was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

"What about white trim?" Lacey was asking the other two girls. "I think it'd really pop with red. Or would that look bad? What do you guys th-"

Leo cleared his throat. All three girls looked at him. "Oh, hi, Leo," Lacey said and smiled brightly. "Want to see your costume? I think we've finished all the adjustments. I think you'll like it."

Leo tried to smile. "That's great. So I was wondering..."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" Everybody was watching him now, except for Annabeth and Percy who were currently on stage, Chris and Austin who were working on lights, and Piper and Jason who were sitting in the seats in front of the stage watching Percy and Annabeth. Leo glanced back behind him. Calypso was standing there with her arms crossed like she does when she's mad, but this time they were crossed loosely with her head was cocked slightly like she was curious. Wondering what Leo was doing. Standing next to her was Dakota. He gave him a look like, Get on with it already.

Leo turned back to Lacey. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out this weekend."

Lacey's eyes widened, and she grinned. "I'd love to go out with you, Leo!"

Wow. That was so not the answer he was expecting. A laugh, an are you serious, or a no, that seemed about right, but a yes? It was like a miracle.

To Calypso, it was definitely not a miracle. Did he seriously just do that? But he was supposed to like her. Not Lacey. Fine. Two could play this game. Calypso turned to her left and grabbed Dakota's shirt and before she knew what she was doing, she was kissing him. Then she pulled away and shot a look at Leo before walking away.

That left everyone thinking one thing: What the hell?