"Alright guys, before we start, we're going to change a few things" Ms. Oceania announced. She stood tall in her silk black dress on the auditorium's massive stage. Her blue streaked hair glistened against the sunlight seeping through the open windows from above, making her look like a celestial being.
Instead of discussing works by Shakespeare, the teacher decided to focus more on the project since it will have more impact on grades compared to written work. The students in her English class occupied the large auditorium located in the South wing of the academy. The place was set out like a movie theater; it was split in half for Deluxe and Premium, the floor was lined with multiple rows of red padded seats, there's a stage in front with a large screen behind it, and two additional screens hang on the north wall just in case the people sitting on the farthest can't see what's going on in the stage.
The group participating in the Fall Event sat on the front row while the losing group—soon to be props men who are obliged to assist Group 1—sat on the second row. They sat accordingly; the tech crew were on the far right, main and supportive roles in the middle, and the original props men sat on the left.
"I applaud your group's performance, Rapunzel." Ms. Oceania looked down at the director, "But we have to change things up a bit. We need to drop the old English and modernize what the actors would say"
"But...they already memorized their lines!" Punzie protested.
"I've observed that" she said as a matter-of-factly, "The English Department talked and, well, let's be honest: though some will comprehend, majority of the students won't understand a word you're saying."
"You tell me, I don't even know half of what my lines mean" Adam whispered to Philipp.
"With that, I ask that your scriptwriter revise the entire script, but you may leave some untouched. Like, say, the ending" Ms. Oceania stated.
Punzie let out a sigh of dismay and sank on her seat. "Yes, ma'am"
"Believe me, you'll get everyone's attention better this way" the teacher assured while brushing the ends of her short hair. She started ambling down the stairs. "Now, in addition, I've taken the liberty of searching more scores that will serve as background music. Feel free to choose from any of the choices or just compromise and use all of them" she got off the stage and handed the tech crew a couple of paper sheets.
She started pacing in front of the first row of chairs, "I have no problem with the costumes. They are divine" she implied impeccably. "The backdrops are very creative, choreography can be improved, actors are perfect for their roles and their delivery is very natural. This play is only really missing 2 things"
"And that is?" Ariel asked.
Oceania turned to face them, raising her index finger at the same time, "One: props. To really bring out the setting, the props have to be organized and they should make everything look more realistic rather than just having it as a plain setup. Plan the place out like it's your own home. Remember that detail is key" she advised.
The artistic people nodded in understanding then they started whispering ideas to one another. "Second: musical number" Oceania placed her hand down.
"Umm...songs?" Eric paled up.
Belle raised her hand, "Ma'am, there's no singing in Romeo and Juliet"
"Yeah" Aurora agreed. "How are we going to insert that?"
Oceania smirked, "That's the beauty of it, you get to use your creativity into incorporating songs into the play. However, this is not a Broadway musical, we're just going to add a few songs. Let's set From Here to Eternity as an example; it's a drama play with singing thrown into it."
"Yeah, and Grease?" Meg asked.
"Exactly" the teacher nodded, "Now I ask you, what's a play without music?"
"I guess it'll be too bland and boring" Punzie said, pouting her lips in contemplation.
"But...how?" Aurora asked again.
"I won't suggest an addition if I won't help you kids with it" Oceania winked. "You can insert musical numbers in some scenes you think it'll be fitting, and absolutely necessary, to add one or in some scenes you wanna summarize through a song since it's perhaps too boring?"
"Ooh!" Ariel giggled and clapped her hands excitedly, "We can finally add all those cut scenes through a song!"
"And have Romeo and Juliet sing to each other in the balcony!" Belle added, a hint of dreaminess in her voice.
At that, the two who kept their silence this entire time caught everyone's attention. Jack and Elsa were sitting together in front, their heads were turned to each other as they were having a quiet conversation. Upon bringing everyone's focus to them, they stopped and sat up straight, redirected their gazes on the stage, and their cheeks turned pink in the process.
Some of the girls giggled knowingly while Oceania rolled her eyes playfully. "You guys ever heard of actors falling in love on set?" she asked, stifling a womanly laugh.
More boisterous cheering came after, further embarrassing the two. Everyone was teasing Jack and Elsa...all except for 3 girls in the back, one of which is no longer sitting with the other two. Olivia grabbed her seat's handles, knuckles turning white and veins popping, while Jenna tried to talk her into calming down. Maria kept her silence and just read the book that's been sitting on her lap.
"Yes, ma'am. It's very common" Aurora said.
Punzie stood up and gestured her classmates to pipe down, "Okay guys, settle down. Let's not get ahead of them, we still have a play to perfect."
"Umm, ma'am?" Eric raised his hand
Oceania glanced at him, "Yes?"
"Will it be lip-sync or we have to sing live?" he asked cautiously, "Because I cannot sing for the life of me"
The students laughed. "You kids are going to have to do it live of course, unless you want me to give you a lower grade" the teacher crossed her arms.
"Right...right" Eric shrugged and slowly put his raised hand down.
Elsa sank on her chair, making Jack look at her. "Hey, is there a problem?" he whispered.
She looked up at him and forced a smile, "Mm-m" she shook her head.
"Now" Oceania faced them all, "For today, I want you guys to brainstorm some fitting songs that you can use. Modern or classic, I don't care, just as long as it's relevant to the scene it's perfectly fine." She started. "Start working on the props, Jenna"—she called out to the apathetic girl sitting on the back—"make sure your little cluster helps out or your entire group will fail this class"
Jenna rolled her eyes, "Yes ma'am" she saluted lazily.
Oceania raised her brow and just ignored her attitude. "Get moving then" she clapped her hands.
[ Elsa ]
"So...what songs can we use?" Ariel tapped the capped-end of her pen on her chin, "There's so many songs out there, how can we pick just a few?"
"Well, if Ms. Oceania insisted that we use modern words, then I guess the songs should be modern too" Aurora said.
"Right" Ariel pointed the pen towards Aurora, "Let's look at my playlist then" she took out her blue iPod Touch and started running her fingers along the screen. Aurora scooted closer to her, helping her out.
Everyone was scattered around the auditorium. The tech crew had to be in the tech booth to test some things and come up with new ideas to mix the play up a little bit. The props were backstage, behind the curtain, fixing some of the work already done and creating new set pieces. Punzie and Belle remained where they were earlier and hastily revised the script. Ms. Oceania was with them, assisting and making more suggestions to my cousin. Us, the actors, were spread around the stage. We formed smaller groups to pick out some songs that we surely can sing in front of the entire student body. The latter made me very nervous.
I've sang at some family dinners before, the table was only composed of about 20 people. That I can handle, but this? I wasn't entirely sure. 20 to 400 isn't an equal ratio. The tech crew must be feeling massive relief now, they don't have to perform in front of a lot of people since they'll be behind the scenes. And none of them have to rule over a country one day! Lucky.
"I'd be lying if I say you had me believing there" Jack said.
I blinked and turned my head to his direction, "What?"
"Something is bothering you" he folded his arms over his chest, "What is it?"
I took a deep breath, "Just a bit nervous"
"Oh, the singing part?" he lay down on the wooden floor, his right hand supported his head while his other hand rested on his stomach. His gaze never left mine.
I nodded.
"Don't be. You have a beautiful voice" he smiled that signature alluring smile of his.
"Aww!" At first, I thought that was me reacting out loud what should be just a thought in my head, but no, only then did I realize that Aurora and Ariel were sitting nearby. And they heard what Jack said. Good thing or bad thing? No idea.
"Jack's got it bad!" Ariel teased.
He sat up and scooted beside me, "You girls have to tone it down, seriously"
"Why? Is Mr. Popular shy?" Ariel handed the iPod to Aurora before crossing her arms condescendingly.
"No, it's because of you-know-who" he whispered.
"Ohhh" Ariel's red lips formed a perfect 'O'. "Ah, what the heck? Olivia's just an attention whore anyway. We shouldn't mind her"
"Yeah" Aurora looked up from the screen, "We all know that even if she does the most extreme, she never gets the guy in the end nor harm the girl"
"Well, she already hurt me" I held up the arm Olivia scratched before. The wounds have completely healed—courtesy of Jack—only small marks were left behind, flecking my pale skin.
"Really?" She leaned forward and took a closer look, "Jennifer's was still worse" she said, backing up.
"Who's Jennifer?" I raised my eyebrow.
"Oh, no one to worry about. She doesn't go here anymore" she replied and reverted her attention back to the iPod.
I turned to Jack and he just shook his head at me. Code for he doesn't want to talk about it. His response only made the topic even more interesting.
"So" Ariel began again, "From that unscripted kiss you gave Elsa and the bond that's growing closer each day, I'm guessing you two have a little special something going on?" she insisted quite suspiciously.
To be perfectly honest, that's a fantastic question. Is there something going on between Jack and I? What do we call this relationship of ours? I mean, I like him and he cares for me. Hey, I'm not assuming, he said it himself last night!
Ahh, last night. The thought of it alone makes my cheeks heat up, turn my legs into jelly and make butterflies fly in my stomach. It was in the cloak of night that I experienced a very memorable turning point in this rollercoaster that I've been riding ever since I arrived at Highland Arts Academy. Every unanswered question had been answered, every baffling feeling became clear and every room for doubt vanished.
Jack is Jackson; the boys I've had split feelings for is just one person. And, thankfully, he is not mad at me for what I did. I found out that his singing voice is simply mesmerizing; a delightful addition to the list of all the small and big things that made me admire him in the first place.
Jack snickered charmingly, Ariel grinned before playfully smacking his arm, "Hey, you know I can keep a secret!"
"I, uhh..." Jack's cheeks became red, "have a wonderful friendship with Elsa" he shrugged.
Ariel pouted in disappointment, "You honestly believe that I'm going to buy that?"
"It's not for sale" Jack smirked as he draped his arm over my shoulders.
She rolled her eyes playfully, "Keep telling yourself that"
Aurora tapped her abruptly. Ariel's eyes widened and hurriedly turned back to the iPod, eyes moving as Aurora scrolled through.
Taking it as an opportunity, I held the hand that's dangling over my shoulder then entwined our fingers together. His fingers latched on the spaces between mine...I couldn't help but do the same. I felt him scoot closer, I let my head rest on his shoulder. I breathed in relief, feeling the cold and comfort his body brings. "You okay?" he asked.
I smiled and squeezed his hand, "Yeah"
"Ariel is..." he drifted off and ended up chuckling.
"Curious?"
"Yeah" he smiled, "She has to know everything that's going on, but she doesn't rumor them or what. She just has to know"
I giggled, "I figured. But, most of the girls here are very nice, it makes me wonder why you haven't had a fling with any of them before"
Jack chuckled, "I always hang with boys and the girls I only ever have hour long conversations with are Astrid, your sister, Punzie and Merida"
"But, seriously" I detached myself from him. He sat properly and looked at me. "You had zero feelings for anyone in the past?"
He shook his head, "Don't worry. I only have hots for the girl I was with last night" he winked.
My eyes dilated, my lips pursed together and I felt my heart thump even faster. At that moment, I wanna stand up and run away from here, look for Astrid, and drag her somewhere private to tell her what Jack said. I wanna yell at the top of my lungs, let the whole world that the guy I like likes me back.
Jack reached out and touched my shoulder. "You're reddening up"
I shrugged his hand off, "You practically just alluded that you..." I breathed deeply and looked away first before setting my sight back on him again, "like me"
He chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I know. It's new to me too"
"You had to let it go, huh?" I crossed my arms.
"It's only right that you know"
"I was expecting you'd tell me that straightforwardly somewhere else" I bit my lip.
His lips curved up to a wry smile, "Ah. So you were expecting it"
"Umm, well—"
"And you want it to be special?"
You're the first guy I ever liked! Of course I want it special, Jack! "Yeah, that too much to ask?"
He shook his head, "No, no. Just clarifying"
"Well, uhh, I think you should also know that..." I drifted off, pouting my lips and bracing myself to say it out loud in front of him.
"That?" Jack swayed his hand, gesturing me to continue.
"That I li—
"Eek!" Aurora and Ariel suddenly screeched in excitement. Elsa covered her ears and looked up, only to see all heads turned to them, even Punzie and Belle looked up from the script they have to get done asap.
"We found the perfect song!" both girls stood up and started cheering happily.
Jack and Elsa backed up from the two and watched them practically perform the entire cheer routine, adrenaline rushing into their veins. The whole class actually watched; the tech crew from the booth's window, the props peeked through the curtains and the other actors turned to see more.
The girls—especially members of the cheer squad—are well known for showing high ecstasy whenever something exciting comes up. The school just copes up with happenings like these since the administration believes that it'll boost up their confidence and 'on-the-spot creativity'. From the looks and duration of the girls' attention-stealing routine, they must've made a great discovery.
When their dance was over, they spun to each other and started jumping even more while exclaiming incomprehensibly. "Okay, okay enough." Ms. Oceania clicked her fingers, silencing the two. "What is it that you found that require you to dance afterwards?" she walked up the stage with hands on her hips.
"Ooh! Ma'am!" Ariel merrily skipped towards her, "We found the perfect song to be sung by those two lovebirds"—she stopped mid sentence to point at Jack and Elsa—"during the Balcony scene"
"Oh" Oceania nodded and folded her arms over her chest, "Let's hear it then"
"Wait, what?" Jack muttered.
"Well, they actually haven't rehearsed it yet" Ariel raised her index finger as a matter-of-factly.
"Hmm" the teacher tapped her finger along her chin, "Okay, since you two"—she pointed at the two cheerleaders—"practically stole 5 minutes of our time, I'm giving you 5 minutes to teach our Romeo and Juliet what they're ought to sing" she said in a light tone.
"So, you're not going to ask us what song it is first?" Aurora asked.
"I wanna be surprised. Plus, I have faith that our director's squad have good taste and that they don't cheer in such thrilled manner over nothing"
Ariel giggled in confusion, unsure if her teacher is being calm over their little display or she's being sarcastic. "We won't let you down"
Oceania looked down at her cell phone, "Okay, so we have 10 minutes before the bell rings. First 5 minutes for practicing Jack and Elsa and the remaining 5 for them to perform. Clear?" she looked at either Aurora and Ariel who both nodded eagerly.
"Alright. Now, for everyone else, 5 minutes left for you to continue on with what you're doing" she announced before going down the stage.
The two secret Princesses ran back to the lead, "This song is just, ahh, I can picture you two singing it live" Ariel held Elsa's hands and gestured to the empty auditorium. "I can already see it. Bright lights, beautiful costumes, romantic backdrop" Ariel sighed dreamily.
"It would help if you tell us what song it is" Elsa smiled.
"Oh Darling" Aurora answered and handed Jack the iPod.
Jack smiled victoriously as he looked at the screen, "I know this song, this is actually a great pick girls"
"Why thank you Jack" Aurora curtsied. "We didn't cheer over it for nothing"
Ariel pulled away from Elsa, "I'll get that to the booth now" she grabbed her iPod from Jack's grip and hurriedly walked to the very back of the auditorium.
"Familiar with the song?" Aurora turned to her fellow royal.
Elsa made an agreeing hum and smiled.
"Oh good! We don't have to work on you two anymore" Aurora sighed in relief, "To disintegrate our teacher's rage over our little routine earlier, I wanna make this grand so we can just laugh about the nonsense later on"
"What do you have in mind?" Jack asked.
"Well, I wanna have Juliet in the balcony, being pretty" Elsa smirked at that, "And you, Romeo, will have a guitar and you're going to serenade her from below. Since the song starts with Jack, we thought that the scene is just fitting" Aurora stated.
"You got a great imagination, Ro" Elsa complimented.
"Thank You honey" she smiled appreciatively.
"But I don't play the guitar" Jack cut in.
"Oh, Ariel has a karaoke version. You just fake play the instrument" Aurora giggled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go out back and see if they have a guitar in there somewhere and persuade the guys to make a human base for Elsa to stand on" she bid before waving them a 'be right back'.
Elsa exhaled loudly and hugged her stomach. Jack looked at her and placed his hand over her shoulder, Elsa turned to him and chuckled nervously, "Stage fright"
"It's going to be fine" Jack said reassuringly. "Just pretend that you're in a forest, picture the people as trees."
Elsa took another deep breath, "They might tease me...Olivia's even gonna be there" she added the later in an annoyed tone.
"Pretend she's the big bad wolf in the forest then"
Elsa held her stomach and burst into laughter, Jack laughed along with her. While they were in the corner, minding their own business, some of the students already sat on their chosen seats in the auditorium floor. Olivia sat with Jenna, she eyed the two having a good time, her anger for Elsa boiled even hotter.
"You are such a tease" Elsa nudged Jack playfully.
"But it made you laugh" he countered.
"I guess"
"Now, chill" Jack bent to her height and held her shoulders in place, "I'll be there with you, keep your eyes on me if it helps" he winked.
"Oh Jackson" Elsa chuckled femininely. "You know I can't keep my eyes off of you" she flirted.
This time, it was Jack's turn to blush and for his eyes to dilate. He pulled away from her and straightened up, struggling to keep his cool at the same time. "Heh...heh"
Elsa tilted her head to one side and looked up at him curiously. She knows that what she said got Jack pretty good, hence the stuttered chuckle, his sudden lost of words to say, and sheepish grin. She loves seeing him like that; vulnerable, but now's now the right time. "Ready for this?"
"Of course I am" Jack brushed his blazer.
"Thank goodness I still remember the lyrics" Elsa said.
"How can you forget? That song's really good." Jack fixed his brown hair in place, not even needing a mirror to do so. He looked over at Elsa, "I think you should let your hair down again" he suggested.
"What's wrong with my braid?" she looked down, placing her tied hair on her shoulder.
Jack smiled, "Nothing, it's just that..." He reached out and took off the white hair tie that's binding Elsa's hair, "You look better with your hair down"
Elsa undid the braid of her platinum hair. She swayed her head and let her blonde locks cascade down her back. She took a portion and let it sit on her shoulder, the end resting on her breast. She fixed the top and down came her side bangs.
Jack's eyes lit up at the sight. Her looks still amazes him no matter how many times he had laid eyes on her. Sure, Elsa's beautiful no matter what, but there's just something special about seeing her hair without constraints. For some reasons, that's how Elsa fashioned her hair whenever something memorable happens between the two of them; their first meeting, the dance, Elsa kissed Jack and vice versa.
"Alright, Jack and Elsa, let's see what you two got" Ms. Oceania called out.
The two took a deep breath and started for the center stage. All of their peers were already in their own places, every head was looking up at the stage, anticipated to hear the song and how it will be delivered. Ariel gave Jack and Elsa their own lapels to be heard louder by their class.
Aurora went over to Jack and handed him an acoustic guitar she found backstage. Since she failed to convince the boys to assemble themselves as a balcony for Elsa, Aurora used 2 stools stacked on top of each other instead. It looked sturdy enough and it doesn't look like it'll fall, as long as it remains untouched.
Jack stood a safe distance from the stack and watched as some boys assist Elsa to get on top. She used a small ladder to climb her way up, the boys held the stool in place to make sure she won't fall under any circumstance.
"Is it really necessary for her to be there?" Ms. Oceania asked Aurora.
"Yes ma'am. I asked for approval from Punzie and she liked the idea we've come up with. She'll insert this scene before the delivery of dialogue in the Balcony. So, this is sort of like a practice as well" she explained.
"Hmm, I see" the teacher nodded in understanding.
Once Elsa was safely standing on top of the stool, she turned to the audience, immediately feeling queasy. She sighed, closed her eyes, and followed Jack's advice: just pretend that you're in a forest, picture the people as trees. Elsa blinked twice and soon found herself in the woods. Sure enough, the wooden floor turned to grass and the curtains transitioned into a stone wall covered with vines.
"Ready!" Ariel turned and gave the signal to the tech crew in the booth. Wendy gave her a thumbs up before the music started playing.
The first 7 seconds were instrumental, Jack fake-played the guitar and hummed softly. He stared up at Elsa, "You seem quite nice for a girl with good looks and I'm the kind of fellow that'll make you feel better when your life gets shook so give it a chance according to your plans. I bet I'm not number one on your list to kiss but please understand"
His voice wowed the girls, even the boys. Jack has never sung in front of anyone, as he told Elsa before, this is his first time and yet he's a natural. Olivia leaned forward and rested her chin on her palms, listening to Jack's alluring voice. That was until it was Elsa's turn.
"You seem quite shy but you're oh-so-cute, and, I'm the kind of girl that would already be yours if you asked me to so just take a chance, try to hold my hand. I swear I'll never let go just let me know if you'd be my man"
Her voice rocked the class even more. Elsa was still under the impression that it was just her and Jack in the 'forest'. The way she sang with such affection aided with hand gestures made it all the more complex. Was she just singing the song, or is she already singing her feelings out for Jack?
Jack smiled, "I really want to...come out and tell you-ou...Oh darling I love you so"
"If you'd ask me for my heart, there's no way that I'll say no" Elsa placed her hands on her chest.
"Oh darling just take a chance please" Jack stepped a little bit closer.
"So we can stay together 'till hell starts to freeze" she sang while gradually placing her hands down and carefully swaying to the music.
He continued strumming the guitar. He thought of all the encounters he had with Elsa and all the sweet moments they had to really bring out his emotion for her without being too conspicuous about it. "You seem quite right for a boy like me"
"And I wanna know would you treat me well, would you treat me like a Queen?" That part made Jack smirk at her knowingly.
"'Cause I'd like to show you and make you see..."
"That although we're different ties we were meant to be" they sang in unison, their voices commingled perfectly, making their classmates awe sweetly.
[ Elsa ]
I got into Jack's advice far too deeply. There I was, stuck on top of a high boulder while my Prince Charming was down below, serenading me. Asking permission for my love. I still had a good view of him though, but I felt the urge of getting closer to him. Without having second thoughts, I moved closer to the edge.
Jack continued on, grinning. He paced closer to her and acted like the eager suitor, "I really want to...come out and tell you-ou...Oh darling I love you so"
"If you'd ask me for my heart, there's no way that I'll say—ahhh!"I lost my balance, my toes failed me and I suddenly found the surface far too slippery. I screamed and realized I was falling off the boulder—no, the stool! The blue sky turned into a bright ceiling, blinding me. I screamed, closed my eyes and braced myself for impact.
"ELSA!"
Then, there was a loud thud.
At first, there was silence. A second later, there were gasps then sighs of relief.
"I got you, I got you..." I felt someone hold me. A pair of arms were under me, supporting my weight and keeping any of my body parts from the ground. I exhaled and leaned my head to the right—onto something sturdy. I opened my eyes and got greeted by Jack's face, clouded with worry.
"Hey you" he slowly sat down, still carrying me. "You alright?" he asked, alarmed.
"Y-yeah." I shook my head and wiped my eyes.
"You scared me there" he whispered. He observed my body closely, looking for something that wasn't there before.
"Jack, I'm fine" I assured him, "I merely had a clumsy moment back there"
"Are you sure? No bruises, scratches, headache of some sort?"
I laughed softly, "I'm fine, really"
"We can take you to the nurse's office, I mean, it is our recess after this" he insisted.
"Seriously, it's not necessary!"
"Come on, Els. You might have a concussion!" he exclaimed worriedly.
I sat up, settling in between his legs and looking straight into his deep blue eyes. "If I say yes, will that make you happy?"
He raised his brow, "Your safety will make me happy"
"I am fine and safe, you made sure of that" I smiled appreciatively. "Thanks for catching me"
"Okay, your cute smile's not going to work on me this time, I'm taking you there whether you like it or not young lady" he stood up and reached his hand down to me.
I rolled my eyes, "Whatever makes you sleep at night" I reached up and grabbed his hand, letting him pull me up to my feet.
I looked down the stage. Everyone, with the exception of the big bad wolf, was smiling at us. Some of the boys whistled awkwardly while the girls laughed softly, even Ms. Oceania had a smirk on her face. They had this look on their faces which hints out that they're now sure of something about Jack and I, and that we were going to be teased romantically. It looked like they saw through our pretenses even before I fell, I can feel it.
I crept my hand up my blouse and felt the lapel's mic. I gave it a light tap and, sure enough, it blared through the speakers. Crap.
They heard, now they know.
Note to self: never ever, ever, daydream in public again.
A. N : I don't own the song used here. If you are interested in listening to it, look up Oh Darling by Plug In Stereo ft. Cady Groves.
-Trixie