Part 3: We Need to Talk
"So I'm standing there with Dom and he just pulls me right into him." Kristine sat with Theresa in the Intensity Garage office.
"Okay. So now what?" Kristine lends forward.
"So a vase comes crashing into a wall. Then Xander and Sherrie start going at it."
Kristine looked at her for a moment. "I think you might want to rephrase that."
"What?" Theresa stared at the floor briefly before looking up wide-eyed. "Oh!"
"Yeah." Kristine passed, pulling the string on her sweats tighter. "I think we need to talk to Sherrie."
"About what?"
"About the unhealthy relationship between her and Xander."
"What relationship?"
"The one she wants.'
"What?!"
"You think she hates him?"
"Hell yeah."
Kristine stood and looked towards the garage. "She's in love."
"How do you figure?"
"Well, for one thing, she gets this look in her eye. Plus, you ever notice she plays with her ear?"
"Yeah. I thought it was a twitch."
"It is. But it only happens when she sees him." Kris sat back in the chair. "Love taps, Chick, love taps."
"Hmm." Theresa sat back and looked at her should be busy employees. They here sitting around, playing low card strip.
"Hey this is a place of business not a strip joint. Britany, put your clothes back on." She turned back to Kristine. "They are crazy."
"You know you wish you were out there."
"Of course."
Kristine stood, picked up her purse and walked towards the door. "I'll see you guys later."
"Alright then."
(((((
"It is that time of year." Mrs. Browning, the drama teacher, started. "For you to team up with a fellow actor and perform to your very best. Only this year, I have taken the liberty to pick your partners for I have noticed this class has the same male female ratio." She picked a clipboard and read the names to herself.
Kristine looked around the room, trying to figure out who she would be stock with. Soon she came across a new face.
Okay, I've never seen him before.
"Okay, oh by the way, just to make you guys work harder, I'm going to tell you something most teachers would never say to their students. But then again, I'm not most teachers and you are all adults. Kristin's acting level is what you should strive for." Mrs. Browning turned her attention to Kris.
"And you, being my best student will be teamed up with the beginning elect. If you remember, you too were a student elect, so I expect to give your partner the up most respect. Mr. V. Marcus Landry, please say hello to your partner."
Kristine turned to the guy she saw earlier. He matched her stare, a smile creeping across his face. At least he's cute. She waved to him and turned back.
"And class, remember, you are to work on this outside of class. You are dismissed."
Kristine pulled her backpack on and walked out the door. Marcus tapped her shoulder. Kris stopped and turned around.
"Did you forget?" He asked politely.
"No." she answered honestly. "I meet my partners in the hallway. It's easier when you don't have to worry about people bumping into me."
"Oh. So, I think you know what kind of play you want to do."
"As do I think you know what play you want to do." Kris flashed him a smile.
"I do, but, I believe you should give your idea first. It would be better for the both of us."
"I did believe that I would be matched with a friend of mine so I planned to do a scene from Small time Crook. But now, I might have to rethink that." She reached in her purse and produced a card. "Call me during those times."
Marcus looked at the card then at her. "I was wondering if I could take you out some time."
Kris looked him in the eye. "Depends on when some time is."
"How does tonight sound? My friends and I are going out."
"Ooh, sounds no good. My friends and I are going out."
"Oh, that's alright. We could it some other time." He pulled out his own card. "Call me when you want."
"I will." She put the card in her purse and looked around.
"Would you mind if I walked you out to our car?"
"It would be nice, that is, if I had a car."
"You ride the bus?"
Kristine turned, displaying false shock. "Oh no, never." She lightened her mood. "I have motorcycle."
"Oh. Interesting. I wouldn't expect you to have one."
Kristine walked outside, Marcus matching her stride. "And why is that?"
"You seem like the sporty type. The ones who own the little lime green VW Beetles."
"Lime green?"
"Yeah."
"I would kill myself before then." She stopped by her bike and pulled her black helmet out. "Here it is." She got on, her helmet on her lap. "So, I'll call you tomorrow?"
"If you want."
"Then I guess I will."
She pulled her helmet over her head, turned on the motorcycle and pulled off.
Marcus stood there for a moment before his phone rang.
"Hello? Yeah, I'm in. Nope. She knows shit. I won't let her find out. Trust me on this, all right? Yeah. Later."
(((((
"So, Sherrie?" Britany began, brushing her hair, "What's with you and Xander?"
"Nothing. What are you getting at?"
"Well you two are always fighting." Sandy said from the bathroom. "After the first two fights, one wonders about some things."
"Yeah, like why do you argue about everything." Theresa walked in, causing the room to become quiet.
"What?"
"You." Sandy stuttered.
"Me what?"
"You look like a… a" Britany stood, walking to Theresa.
"Like a what?"
"You look like a girl." Sherrie finished, her mouth gapped open.
"I do?" Theresa asked, turning to a mirror.
"Yeah." The three said in concord.
Theresa looked at herself, her light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, curls falling from the scrunchy. Her black bootleg cut hip huggers fitting her frame perfectly. She wore a black ottoman fishnet crossover top that stopped at her thighs.
"I guess I do look like a girl."
Sandy walked out with a towel wrapped around her. "It has taken her 20 years, but it has happened. She looks like a girl."
"Shut up." Theresa sat by Sherrie. "I think we need to talk."
"About what?"
"Xander."
"There's nothing there to talk about."
"I've known you long enough to be able to tell there is something there."
"Like?"
"Like love taps." Kristine stood in the doorway. "You know Teresa, anyone could get in your house."
"I see a stray got in." Sherrie commented.
"Yeah, I wonder why Theresa let you stay in."
"Bitch." Sherrie said, a smiling.
"You know it." Kristine sat on the bed, putting her bed on the ground by her feet. "Sherrie, you're in love."
"I am not."
"You are. And Xander likes you too."
"Why can't we drop the subject?"
"Cause I know you know you want him to jump your bones." Kristine stood up, pulling her outfit out of her backpack. "He thinks you're gorgeous, he wants to hold you. He wants to kiss you."
"Leave me alone please alone before I hit you."
"Sherrie, high school is a long way behind us. I'm a lot different now."
"Is that a challenge?" Sherrie stood up, a smirk on her lips.
"Nope. It's a fact." Kristine walked into the bathroom. "I'll meet you guys there."
"Then why are you here?" Sandy asked.
"It's easier because she is close to my class and closer to the club."
"Oh. So you're riding your bike?" Britany asked, picking up her purse.
"No. I did go home but that was three hours ago. I'm driving the Camero."
"Which one?" Theresa asked, standing in the doorway. Sherrie, Sandy and Britany had walked down stairs and outside.
"The 2002."
"Hmm. Later." Theresa left the room as Kristine closed the bathroom door and locked it behind her.
"So I'm standing there with Dom and he just pulls me right into him." Kristine sat with Theresa in the Intensity Garage office.
"Okay. So now what?" Kristine lends forward.
"So a vase comes crashing into a wall. Then Xander and Sherrie start going at it."
Kristine looked at her for a moment. "I think you might want to rephrase that."
"What?" Theresa stared at the floor briefly before looking up wide-eyed. "Oh!"
"Yeah." Kristine passed, pulling the string on her sweats tighter. "I think we need to talk to Sherrie."
"About what?"
"About the unhealthy relationship between her and Xander."
"What relationship?"
"The one she wants.'
"What?!"
"You think she hates him?"
"Hell yeah."
Kristine stood and looked towards the garage. "She's in love."
"How do you figure?"
"Well, for one thing, she gets this look in her eye. Plus, you ever notice she plays with her ear?"
"Yeah. I thought it was a twitch."
"It is. But it only happens when she sees him." Kris sat back in the chair. "Love taps, Chick, love taps."
"Hmm." Theresa sat back and looked at her should be busy employees. They here sitting around, playing low card strip.
"Hey this is a place of business not a strip joint. Britany, put your clothes back on." She turned back to Kristine. "They are crazy."
"You know you wish you were out there."
"Of course."
Kristine stood, picked up her purse and walked towards the door. "I'll see you guys later."
"Alright then."
(((((
"It is that time of year." Mrs. Browning, the drama teacher, started. "For you to team up with a fellow actor and perform to your very best. Only this year, I have taken the liberty to pick your partners for I have noticed this class has the same male female ratio." She picked a clipboard and read the names to herself.
Kristine looked around the room, trying to figure out who she would be stock with. Soon she came across a new face.
Okay, I've never seen him before.
"Okay, oh by the way, just to make you guys work harder, I'm going to tell you something most teachers would never say to their students. But then again, I'm not most teachers and you are all adults. Kristin's acting level is what you should strive for." Mrs. Browning turned her attention to Kris.
"And you, being my best student will be teamed up with the beginning elect. If you remember, you too were a student elect, so I expect to give your partner the up most respect. Mr. V. Marcus Landry, please say hello to your partner."
Kristine turned to the guy she saw earlier. He matched her stare, a smile creeping across his face. At least he's cute. She waved to him and turned back.
"And class, remember, you are to work on this outside of class. You are dismissed."
Kristine pulled her backpack on and walked out the door. Marcus tapped her shoulder. Kris stopped and turned around.
"Did you forget?" He asked politely.
"No." she answered honestly. "I meet my partners in the hallway. It's easier when you don't have to worry about people bumping into me."
"Oh. So, I think you know what kind of play you want to do."
"As do I think you know what play you want to do." Kris flashed him a smile.
"I do, but, I believe you should give your idea first. It would be better for the both of us."
"I did believe that I would be matched with a friend of mine so I planned to do a scene from Small time Crook. But now, I might have to rethink that." She reached in her purse and produced a card. "Call me during those times."
Marcus looked at the card then at her. "I was wondering if I could take you out some time."
Kris looked him in the eye. "Depends on when some time is."
"How does tonight sound? My friends and I are going out."
"Ooh, sounds no good. My friends and I are going out."
"Oh, that's alright. We could it some other time." He pulled out his own card. "Call me when you want."
"I will." She put the card in her purse and looked around.
"Would you mind if I walked you out to our car?"
"It would be nice, that is, if I had a car."
"You ride the bus?"
Kristine turned, displaying false shock. "Oh no, never." She lightened her mood. "I have motorcycle."
"Oh. Interesting. I wouldn't expect you to have one."
Kristine walked outside, Marcus matching her stride. "And why is that?"
"You seem like the sporty type. The ones who own the little lime green VW Beetles."
"Lime green?"
"Yeah."
"I would kill myself before then." She stopped by her bike and pulled her black helmet out. "Here it is." She got on, her helmet on her lap. "So, I'll call you tomorrow?"
"If you want."
"Then I guess I will."
She pulled her helmet over her head, turned on the motorcycle and pulled off.
Marcus stood there for a moment before his phone rang.
"Hello? Yeah, I'm in. Nope. She knows shit. I won't let her find out. Trust me on this, all right? Yeah. Later."
(((((
"So, Sherrie?" Britany began, brushing her hair, "What's with you and Xander?"
"Nothing. What are you getting at?"
"Well you two are always fighting." Sandy said from the bathroom. "After the first two fights, one wonders about some things."
"Yeah, like why do you argue about everything." Theresa walked in, causing the room to become quiet.
"What?"
"You." Sandy stuttered.
"Me what?"
"You look like a… a" Britany stood, walking to Theresa.
"Like a what?"
"You look like a girl." Sherrie finished, her mouth gapped open.
"I do?" Theresa asked, turning to a mirror.
"Yeah." The three said in concord.
Theresa looked at herself, her light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, curls falling from the scrunchy. Her black bootleg cut hip huggers fitting her frame perfectly. She wore a black ottoman fishnet crossover top that stopped at her thighs.
"I guess I do look like a girl."
Sandy walked out with a towel wrapped around her. "It has taken her 20 years, but it has happened. She looks like a girl."
"Shut up." Theresa sat by Sherrie. "I think we need to talk."
"About what?"
"Xander."
"There's nothing there to talk about."
"I've known you long enough to be able to tell there is something there."
"Like?"
"Like love taps." Kristine stood in the doorway. "You know Teresa, anyone could get in your house."
"I see a stray got in." Sherrie commented.
"Yeah, I wonder why Theresa let you stay in."
"Bitch." Sherrie said, a smiling.
"You know it." Kristine sat on the bed, putting her bed on the ground by her feet. "Sherrie, you're in love."
"I am not."
"You are. And Xander likes you too."
"Why can't we drop the subject?"
"Cause I know you know you want him to jump your bones." Kristine stood up, pulling her outfit out of her backpack. "He thinks you're gorgeous, he wants to hold you. He wants to kiss you."
"Leave me alone please alone before I hit you."
"Sherrie, high school is a long way behind us. I'm a lot different now."
"Is that a challenge?" Sherrie stood up, a smirk on her lips.
"Nope. It's a fact." Kristine walked into the bathroom. "I'll meet you guys there."
"Then why are you here?" Sandy asked.
"It's easier because she is close to my class and closer to the club."
"Oh. So you're riding your bike?" Britany asked, picking up her purse.
"No. I did go home but that was three hours ago. I'm driving the Camero."
"Which one?" Theresa asked, standing in the doorway. Sherrie, Sandy and Britany had walked down stairs and outside.
"The 2002."
"Hmm. Later." Theresa left the room as Kristine closed the bathroom door and locked it behind her.