DISCLAIMER: I don't own the authorship and copyright of Star Wars. By the way, the story of the play "Juris & Arlette" is an altered version of "Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare. (You'll know why as you read the story.)

Chapter 10- The Auditions

As soon as the bell rang for dismissal, the class of 3-A went to the auditorium for auditions to the play they were going to sponsor, which was "Juris & Arlette". They were scheduled for to use the auditorium for that day, and some students from other sections dropped by to watch.

"Leia and I are going to audition for the role of Arlette", Siobe said to Rhye, Roxie and Xandy, who were sitting behind them. They, too, came to watch and root for Siobe and Leia.

"You auditioned for the lead, Leia?" Rhye asked in surprise. Leia was known in her circle of friends as someone who will never get up on stage to perform for a play, much more, to audition for a leading lady role.

"Well, I have no choice," Leia replied as she shook her head. "But anyways, I'm sure I won't be getting the part, so why bother? It's only for a silly audition."

"Still, you should be giving your best, even if it's only for an audition," Xandy reminded her.

Upstage, Ms. Koophius narrated the synopsis of the play after the students were each given a script to choose the part they'll be auditioning for.

"As we all know, the story of "Juris & Arlette" is a well-known tragedy here in Alderaan," Ms. Koophius bellowed out from the microphone. "Both belonged to rival families battling it out to win the throne of the royal family in this planet, but their children fell in love with each other, much to their dismay. So the two lovers eloped and an enormous battle happened between the two families..."

"And as we all know, they went to another planet, but they have to go as soon as they came there, because Arlette was afflicted with a life-threatening disease," Roxie continued the rest of the story to the girls. "She died, and after that, Juris killed himself because of depression, and their deaths united the two feuding families."

"That was so sad," Xandy said, misty-eyed. "I'm sure the play will be a hit."

"Not with Bearwin Krugg in it," Leia remarked. But no need to worry, since I won't be getting the part. She felt so well assured about it.

The girls talked while they watched the people auditioning for the different roles, until the time came for those who were auditioning for the part of Arlette.

"Siobe Iwa," Ms. Koophius called out. Siobe smiled at her friends and climbed out confidently to the stage. She talked to Ms. Koophius for a while and then, Ms. Koophius announced, "Siobe Iwa, the balcony scene, take one, action!"

The audience grew silent as they watched Siobe performed with much gusto, as if being an actress was very natural for her.

"I'm sure she'll get the part," Leia whispered, enthralled.

"She should, because her mother's an actress," Winter added, who was speechless upon seeing her perform.

Siobe was now finished, and she bowed in front. The audience clapped wildly for her.

"So, how was that?" Siobe asked as she went back to her seat.

"Oh, it's wonderful! I'm sure you'll be getting the lead role," Leia said.

"I hope so." But it was a different thought Siobe was thinking. I want Leia for the lead role, she thought. I don't know why, but I believe she'll do better, even if she doesn't feel like it.

"Next, Leia Organa!" Ms. Koophius called out.

Now it was her time to be nervous. Leia looked around, in case Tanya was there to mock her and felt relieved that not even her shadow was in sight. Leia friskily scanned the copy in her hand, and without even knowing it, opened it to the dying scene of Arlette.

"Stand up!" Siobe called out to her as she pulled her up from her seat.

"Don't worry about Tanya, she's not here. We'll be supporting you," Roxie encouraged her.

"Go Leia!" The other girls shouted. From the back of the auditorium, she could hear some of her classmates whispering, and she instantly knew it was her.

"Don't mind them if they're talking about you. Just give it your best shot," Xandy reprimanded her.

"I'm not expecting to get the role, but I'll try my best," Leia told them. She smiled a weak smile went up the stage. When she came up, she pointed to her class adviser the lines she'll be saying, and Ms. Koophius remarked, "Ah, the dying scene! You'll be needing Bearwin for this one."

The audience heard what she said, and they howled cheerfully at the idea of Leia pretending to die in the arms of the renowned Bearwin Krugg.

Dying scene! Leia thought, nervous. With Bearwin? Oh great. What have I gotten myself into? She looked at the hordes of students in front of her, and the committee, which was spearheaded by the drama club teacher, Ms. Halia, Mr. Althor, the principal, Ms. Zena, the adviser from the other section, who was in charge of the play of the third years, and Mr. Westenro.

Bearwin appeared from the back of the stage and said, "Did you call me, ma'am?"

"Leia needs you for the scene she'll be auditioning for," she replied, which made the students more excited. The auditorium was filled with the sounds of wolf whistling and cheering. Leia didn't know whether it was out of mockery or not.

Bearwin just nodded his head and mumbled, "Okay." Ms. Koophius led them in the middle of the stage in front of an all-too eager audience, and instructed Bearwin to sit down and hold Leia in his arms.

"Go to page 5, Bearwin, and read out the lines of Juris to Arlette as she dies," Ms. Koophius said. Then she went back to the podium and said, "Do well on this scene, you two!"

In the middle, Leia and Bearwin were starting to feel awkward with each other, but tried very hard not to show it. "Rest your head on my shoulder," he whispered to her. "Then we'll read out our lines."

"Are you sure about this?" Leia whispered nervously as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Sure." He started to put his arms around her, which made Leia felt queasy.

"Okay, dying scene, take one, action!" Ms. Koophius shouted. The audience was still howling, and she motioned them to calm down.

When the audience's howling came to a pin-drop silence, Leia and Bearwin started to recite their lines. Leia remembered that she was suppose to "die" in this scene, and tried to feel sad at the thought of Arlette saying goodbye to her beloved.

"Bearwin... err... Juris," Leia as Arlette started. " If we were to meet again in the next life, would you still want to be with me?" Her voice was tinged with emotion, and even if she was trying hard, it wasn't that obvious.

"Of course, my beloved, I would," Bearwin as Juris said in a whisper.

He hugged her closer as he said, "Are you going to leave me now?"

"I don't think I'll last any longer. If I die now, this will stop the war."

"Please don't say that," Bearwin said, as his eyes were now beginning to mist, as the scene calls for both of them to cry. "I can't live without you, Arlette."

Leia tried to think of a sad thought that will make her cry, and remembered the death of her adoptive mother, on which she cried buckets of tears before. It now came easily for her.

"So do I, Juris..." She pretended to catch her breath short and now, a tear started to fell from her eye. "By the way, what are you going to do tomorrow?"

"I'll wake up, and think of you. Then for the rest of the day, I'll be thinking of no one else but you. Why are you asking me that?" Bearwin's eyes was now flooded with tears, knowing that his character knew that Arlette was already on the verge of death's door.

"I think... I'm seeing an angel now, coming here to fetch me. I'm seeing the light, Juris, and it's so wonderful..."

Bearwin as Juris wiped a tear on the side of Leia as Arlette's cheek. "Please don't die, Arlette! I need you! And I love you!" He said tearfully.

"I'll have to go now." Leia was now crying full-time, and had forgotten the audience watching them. "I'll be preparing for you a stairway to heaven..."

"No, please!" 'Juris' exclaimed as he held 'Arlette' closer to him.

"Stairway to heaven... And I'll be your angel... I love you..." Leia-slash-Arlette said before her character finally breathed her last. Leia closed her eyes and "died". Bearwin-slash-Juris bowed his head and now cried tearfully.

It took a long time for them before Ms. Koophius announced on the microphone, "Okay, cut!" It brought them back to their senses, and when the two stood up, the audience was cheering wildly for them. Both bowed down in front, and Leia went back to her seat as she wiped away her misty eyes.

"That was marvelous, Lelila!" Rhye told her as she sat.

"All of us were enthralled at your acting. You know what, not a sound were to be heard while you guys acted!" Xandy added.

"Really?" Leia asked.

"You sure gave Jenny and Johnny of "Endless Love" a run for their money! I'm sure you'll be getting the part," Winter quipped.

"But Siobe was better," Leia commented.

"No, you're the better one!" Siobe told her. "I'll not wonder anymore if you get the part."

"You have to get the part, Siobe. They liked your acting. And your mom's an actress, so you have to make her proud."

The rest of the moment was spent watching the last of the 3-A students audition. As soon as it was over, Bearwin approached Leia at the gate of the school. Leia was waiting for the tram ride back home, when he saw her standing by the school gate.

"You did well, Princess," Bearwin said shyly with a smile.

"Thanks," Leia said dryly.

"You're waiting for the tram?" he asked.

"Yes."

"If you want, you can ride at the back of my swoop bike, and I'll take you home to the palace," he offered.

"No thanks," she declined. Even if the "dying scene" brought them closer, literally speaking, Leia didn't want her classmates to think that she was flirting with him next. I don't want to be linked to him.

"It's okay, Leia." He approached his bike and said, "Ride behind me."

"What if Tanya sees me? What if they talk about us?"

"Oh don't mind them," Bearwin said as he pulled Leia and motioned her to ride behind him. Leia had no choice but to do as she was told to.

They rode through the fields of Althera greens, which Leia used to pass by when she ride to school. Not a word was said between both of them except for Bearwin telling her to "Put your arms around me so you won't fall."

Even if she felt awkward riding in his bike behind him, as she held closer to him, she thought, this is just like in the soap operas. Schoolgirl rides at the back of a boy's swoop bike.

Leia admitted to herself that she enjoyed the ride, and felt the breeze blow again through her hair. She smiled.

Bearwin sped gently through the dusty roads, and was also thinking of the same thing. I'm enjoying this, but more so because you're with me, Princess. If only you knew what I'm hiding from you, he thought, smiling.

But he didn't want this soap opera fantasy happening to him right now to end.

If only you knew.

Can they be more than how they ought to be?

Oh yeah, there's really a drama entitled "Endless Love". It's Korean.

Please review! Thanks! God bless you!