Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I had just landed a not so important role in my high school play, and even though I wasn’t a main character, I put all of my energy into helping out in any way I could.  The play’s name was Shakespeare in Hollywood, and I loved the cast to death!  I had been in one other play before this, and although the experience was fun and everyone apart of the play had worked hard, there were cliques and social groups, and since I wasn’t high on the radar, no one really paid that much attention to me.  However, with this play, I felt like I had more of a connection with everyone working in it, and that the people were genuinely nice to me during rehearsals.  
If you have ever been to a theatre rehearsal, you know that it can take up PLENTY of your time.  So, on the second day of rehearsals, when we were expected to stay until seven o’clock it didn’t make me feel all that less stressed, especially since finals were coming up.   However, one thing did.  
Have you ever walked into a room, saw someone, and then immediately thought, I want to know that person?  Well, even if it sounds a bit corny, that’s what happened to me.  I had met this guy before, once before actually, but I only had a brief and awkward conversation with him and guys weren’t exactly my forte.  They should be easy peasey lemon squeezey for me to handle and deal with, especially since every guy in my class had a picture of me somewhere in his room.  Not that I am bragging about it or anything, it’s just that for homecoming, fourteen different guys had asked me to the dance, and I turned every single one of them down.   My friends often teased me about being able to hook up every single day of the year with a different guy each time, and not worry about hurting their feelings because just being with me would be a reward. With this said, I would have much preferred to hang out with my girlfriends.  I hadn’t exactly been in a relationship before..
Anyway, this guy that I am talking about, he was a senior, and boy could he make me laugh.  So it was he, on the second day of rehearsals, who made me feel slightly better and like I was a beautiful person, and that is where I will begin my treacherous journey through my first relationship.
“Everyone get up on the stage and spread around so that you cannot touch one another.  I saw that David!”  My theatre director Mrs. Creen yelled at us while people still filled in through the door.  It was past 4:15 on Wednesday afternoon, the signal that rehearsals for Shakespeare in Hollywood needed to start, or else we would be here for eternity, and no one in the room wanted that at all.
“Now when I say add ‘em one, grab yourself, add ‘em two, make groupings of two, add ‘em three, groups of three, all the way up until five, and if you aren’t in a group, then you will be out, and when I say scramble. Move around the room so that no one will be near each other.  Got it?”
“Yes Mrs. Creen.”  All of the theatre kids said together.  We had played this warm up game before, actually it was one of my favorites, because this way, I was able to get closer to my crush without it being too awkward.  The game was a perfect conversation starter.
“Scramble!” There was our cue to start moving around the room, and I started following the tall, dark, muscular guy I had a crush on, who in fact was the lead in the play, while trying not to make it too obvious.
“Add ‘em three!” Mrs. Creen shouted.
“Get the freak together!” shouted Alex, the boy that put an arrow through my heart every time he looked at me.  He grabbed me and another person near him and squeezed us together as tight as he could.  This was normal for theatre, we are all kind of wacky and crazy and being extra, super close was not thought of as queer. But I couldn’t help but enjoy being near him as we huddled together in a tight little group.  I smelled the sweet smell of his cologne, breathing it in so very deeply so I would not forget that scent ever. As the people who got out, moaned off of the stage, Mrs. Creen shouted scramble again, and again add ‘ems would be called, and people would get out.  All of this went on until someone won so we could start on our actual rehearsal for the play that we only had approximately two months to prepare for.
After the warm up game, I sat down next to my theatre friend Taylor, and started looking through the script trying to find where we were.
“Hey, do you know what page we are?”
“No.” replied Taylor, texting on her cell phone.
“It is page 23.” Answered Alex.  I hadn’t noticed, but he had been behind me when I had asked.
“Oh, thank you.” I blushed.  Man! I really wished that I knew how to flirt better, then maybe this senior would notice me. . .
“Hey, are you blushing?” Alex said, reading my mind.  I wondered if he could actually be able to.  Arg! I would have to watch what I thought around him.
“NO, what makes you think that?”
“Well, you are covering your face with your hand, and your forehead is read.”
“It is just a little hot in here, that’s all.  Don’t you think it’s a little hot in here Taylor?” I asked, praying that she would come up with some witty remark, save me from humiliation, and put down her dang cell phone.  Why was she always on that thing?
“No! It is the exact opposite! It’s like thirty-one degrees in the God forsaken theater hall.  No one should be made to sit in this temperature! No one!” She shouted, then, just as I for saw it, she went back to her cell phone.  
Up on stage, everyone was saying their lines accordingly, and pretty well.  Mrs. Creen called Alex up on to the stage, and I sat their wishing that I had said something smart to him while I had the chance, now my chance was ruined.
“Ha, well, it’s my cue to go onstage, miss me while I’m gone!” shouted Alex while he hopped up the stairs.  Sighing I cursed myself once again, and immediately turned to face Taylor.
“What was that?” I asked her, “I mean at least you could have acted like it was hot or something, I don’t care.  Now I humiliated myself in front of him!”
“Don’t sweat it,” she replied, “besides, I needed to get you alone to tell you something that I didn’t want busy body Alex to know.  You know Joey, the junior who plays Jack Warner?  Well, I am basically in love with him.”
“Really?” I turned and looked at who was on the stage, I didn’t see Joey, cause all I could see was Alex, Alex, and Alex again . . . AAAHHH I was head over heals, and had never felt anything like this before in my life.  I eventually peeled my eyes away from Alex and turned to look at Joey.  He had a nice figure.  Joey was more muscular than Alex, but Alex was waaaayyy taller than any of the guys in the play, heck most of the guys in the school weren’t as tall as he was.  Joey had a nice complexion, and although he wasn’t my type, I thought that he was attractive.  I turned back to Taylor.  “He’s cute, but have you talked to him at all yet?”
“No, I try to, but he doesn’t seem interested in me.  He never really looks at me, and I really wish that he would.  Guys don’t usually ignore me.  What am I doing wrong here?” She whined, placing her head onto her hands and sighed.
“I’m sure he’s just shy.” I thought.  Maybe it was true, but I didn’t feel like bringing her down today with the harsh truth, that maybe, he just didn’t like her.
We chatted some more, about pointless stuff, did our role, and then were told to go home. As I got up to leave, Alex came over to me and helped me with my bags.
“There you go.  So, will I be seeing you at our basketball game tomorrow?  It’s against our biggest opponent, not that they have anything on us, but it’s supposed to be a really good game.  It’s around seven.  So what do you say?”  He looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow was Friday, so Heaven knew that all I had planning for tomorrow was sitting at home after rehearsals and watch television, that, or read my book for English, this was a much higher step up,  plus the guy that I liked had just asked me to his basketball game.  I didn’t give it another thought.
“I will definitely be there.”
“Great.” He smiled at me.  As I watched him go, Taylor came up behind me.
“You like him.”
“Well, duh!” I said, goodness, sometimes all Taylor could care about was her.  Even when it wasn’t about her, it still was! She was still my friend, however, and I kind of wanted someone there with me at the basketball game.  “He invited me to his basketball game.  Knowing me, I will probably embarrass myself one way or another.  Can you come with me? It’s at seven.”
“Sure.  Hey, I will see you at tomorrow’s rehearsals, Charly.” She said, as her dad pulled up in his car.
“Okay, adios!” I yelled back at her.  Agh! Yes! I couldn’t wait for tomorrow! I smiled to myself as my dad pulled up in his gold car.
“Looks like someone had a good rehearsal today.  We are having pizza for dinner, so just help yourself when you get home.”  
“Okay.” I said.  We drove home listening to the radio.  Once I got into the house, I immediately grabbed two pieces of pizza and headed to my room, up the stairs and down the hall.  That night I laid out the clothes that I would be wearing to the basketball game.  I couldn’t wear something drab, but I couldn’t look like I tried to look pretty.  I looked through my entire wardrobe, and decided to go with the baby blue denim ripped short shorts and the navy blue tank top that was slightly revealing, but it wasn’t too bad.
Of course It wasn’t aloud at school to wear short shorts, so I would have to wear something else to class my jeans and a regular t-shirt to class.  I sighed happily as I got ready for bed after I did all of my homework.  I crawled into my comfortable bed and let the excitement rush over me.  Tomorrow I was going to go to Alex’s basketball game.  Maybe I would get his number.