**Okay, this is not the twist, I have not introduced it yet, but this is a
sort of turn in events. I know the way I am writing this is not according
to the comic stories at all, but I don't really care. I don't have any
copyrights over this, nor am I writing it for money, so I'm going to just
write it like I want to. Sorry if my changing the story offends you or
anything, but I'm not going to stop, and I'm going to write what comes to
me. Enjoy it or not, here it is.**
Mrs. White looked at me with a supremely shrewd expression on her face. I stood stock still on the stage for a few moments, then started to walk off.
"That," her voice rang through the auditorium clearly. I braced myself. "Was the best performance I have seen yet. Well done, Miss Parker. I hope you don't have a sixth period, because I want you here tomorrow." I tried not to gape at her, but did a little curtsy and walked as gracefully as I could off the stage. Gwen was waiting for me when I emerged from the auditorium. She looked like she was hiding her boredom.
"Well?" she said, walking with me through the halls toward the front of the school. She had a nail file in her hands, and was using it industriously.
"Does Mrs. White give complements often?" I asked, trying to sound depressed. Gwen looked up sharply from her work.
"Oh, Jessi, hun," she said sympathetically. "Don't be disappointed. She hardly ever does, so don't take it personally. It's really hard to get on White's good side. Trust me. I mean, yes, I did win her favor on my first tryout, but still. I've seen her be horribly cruel to some kids." She looked at me with eyes full of pity. I let every emotion into my face.
"She told me I was the best performance yet," I said smugly. We reached my dad's car and I got into the back seat. She slipped in next to me, completely silent.
"So, how'd it go?" came my dad's voice. He pulled into traffic.
"I have a sixth period now," I said pleasantly.
"Oh really?" said my dad suspiciously. "And why is that?" I took the thick script out of my backpack and handed it over his shoulder. I unrolled it and flattened it out on the steering wheel expertly. He peered at it unsuredly.
"Ophelia?" he asked incredulously. "Jessi, are you sure this isn't Gwen's script?" I chuckled and glanced at Gwen. She grinned.
"No, Mr. Parker," she replied. "I'm the Queen, Hamlet's mother. Apparently, our little Jessi has some talent." My cheeks turned pink and I smiled, pleased.
"Aw, shucks, you guys," I said jokingly. I put a hand up and waved like Ms. America. "I'd just like to thank the Academy..." Gwen elbowed me.
"Not so fast, young lady," she said sternly.
"You know, your mother wanted to be an actress," said my dad, grinning at me in the rear-view mirror. I tried not to look surprised.
"Mom?" I said. "I thought she always wanted to be a journalist." I saw my dad shake his head.
"Nope," he said. He turned onto our street. "She wanted to be an actress until about a year after high school graduation. She decided she didn't want to take orders like a servant anymore, so she went to college and...got...got her degree..." He trailed off, staring off to the side of the road. "Oh my god," he whispered. I followed his gaze and felt all the blood drain out of my face. I yanked my seatbelt off and got out of the car, running over to the disturbing scene. I felt my dad and Gwen getting out behind me. Before I could reach it, before I could see why there was a crowd of civilians and policemen around the front door of my apartment building, I had a premonition. It wasn't a long one, but I was painful and horrible enough to make me fall to my knees. My dad came up behind me and started to help me up. I lay limp in his cold arms. Because nothing more could have been as terrible to hear and see than that of my mother being murdered.
**Sorry, sorry, I know you're probably yelling at the computer screen and condemning me to hell right now, but I promise I'll have the next chapter out soon, like Friday or something. Now, I'm off to save my Spanish project from the fiery depths of Procrastination. :P **
Mrs. White looked at me with a supremely shrewd expression on her face. I stood stock still on the stage for a few moments, then started to walk off.
"That," her voice rang through the auditorium clearly. I braced myself. "Was the best performance I have seen yet. Well done, Miss Parker. I hope you don't have a sixth period, because I want you here tomorrow." I tried not to gape at her, but did a little curtsy and walked as gracefully as I could off the stage. Gwen was waiting for me when I emerged from the auditorium. She looked like she was hiding her boredom.
"Well?" she said, walking with me through the halls toward the front of the school. She had a nail file in her hands, and was using it industriously.
"Does Mrs. White give complements often?" I asked, trying to sound depressed. Gwen looked up sharply from her work.
"Oh, Jessi, hun," she said sympathetically. "Don't be disappointed. She hardly ever does, so don't take it personally. It's really hard to get on White's good side. Trust me. I mean, yes, I did win her favor on my first tryout, but still. I've seen her be horribly cruel to some kids." She looked at me with eyes full of pity. I let every emotion into my face.
"She told me I was the best performance yet," I said smugly. We reached my dad's car and I got into the back seat. She slipped in next to me, completely silent.
"So, how'd it go?" came my dad's voice. He pulled into traffic.
"I have a sixth period now," I said pleasantly.
"Oh really?" said my dad suspiciously. "And why is that?" I took the thick script out of my backpack and handed it over his shoulder. I unrolled it and flattened it out on the steering wheel expertly. He peered at it unsuredly.
"Ophelia?" he asked incredulously. "Jessi, are you sure this isn't Gwen's script?" I chuckled and glanced at Gwen. She grinned.
"No, Mr. Parker," she replied. "I'm the Queen, Hamlet's mother. Apparently, our little Jessi has some talent." My cheeks turned pink and I smiled, pleased.
"Aw, shucks, you guys," I said jokingly. I put a hand up and waved like Ms. America. "I'd just like to thank the Academy..." Gwen elbowed me.
"Not so fast, young lady," she said sternly.
"You know, your mother wanted to be an actress," said my dad, grinning at me in the rear-view mirror. I tried not to look surprised.
"Mom?" I said. "I thought she always wanted to be a journalist." I saw my dad shake his head.
"Nope," he said. He turned onto our street. "She wanted to be an actress until about a year after high school graduation. She decided she didn't want to take orders like a servant anymore, so she went to college and...got...got her degree..." He trailed off, staring off to the side of the road. "Oh my god," he whispered. I followed his gaze and felt all the blood drain out of my face. I yanked my seatbelt off and got out of the car, running over to the disturbing scene. I felt my dad and Gwen getting out behind me. Before I could reach it, before I could see why there was a crowd of civilians and policemen around the front door of my apartment building, I had a premonition. It wasn't a long one, but I was painful and horrible enough to make me fall to my knees. My dad came up behind me and started to help me up. I lay limp in his cold arms. Because nothing more could have been as terrible to hear and see than that of my mother being murdered.
**Sorry, sorry, I know you're probably yelling at the computer screen and condemning me to hell right now, but I promise I'll have the next chapter out soon, like Friday or something. Now, I'm off to save my Spanish project from the fiery depths of Procrastination. :P **