Realize Your Potential (H.S)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Rehearsals with Styles around is not what I expected.

On the one hand, he's amazing, When we begin to rehearse the songs I immediately realize that I have nothing to worry about. I'm pretty sure that Styles could sing any of JD's songs in his sleep, with full inflection and everything. Even his acting is amazing. When we start working on our scenes together he always knows how to move and demand attention. When he's speaking you can't take your eyes off of him, but that's not far from the real Styles.

But then there's the other hand. The one where we're not working on a scene- he's constantly goofing around. Whether he's singing his parts for JD with this weird Shakira voice or pretending to shoot himself dead with his prop gun, I can tell Daniel has his hands full.

However, every time Styles pulls a new antic I just turn to Daniel, shrug, and give him a look that says, "You picked him."

Another one of Styles' favorite things to do at rehearsal is flirt with all of the other girls. Nat and I always sit back and watch as he uses his charm on all the ensemble members, wrapping them around his finger each time he opens his mouth. Especially when he starts singing. That's when they all start drooling.

I've realized that Styles' favorite target is Alexis, our Heather McNamara, who always tries to play hard to get. But as soon as Styles is off trying to flirt with someone else, she grabs his arm and brings him right back.

I haven't talked to Alexis much, but I can tell she's not the type of girl I'd ever be friends with. She's very pretty and decently talented, but she's also aware of both of those things. She's not afraid to act like a snob whenever Nat or myself are around, but we both agree it's because she's jealous. Because after Styles flirts with her, he always comes back to me, kisses my hand, and says the name "Veronica" with his best voice. The voice that dips low and rasps the middle of the name.

I'm not saying that I like the way Styles' attention always falls back to me, because we're just friends. But I do like the look on Alexis' face when she turns up her nose and looks away as if she hadn't even noticed us.

At the end of each rehearsal, Styles walks with both Nat and myself out to the parking and the three of us stand and talk until we all fear we might pass out.

However, usually Nat is the first to leave and Styles and I always end up talking for thirty minutes longer. It doesn't help that he parks his car next to mine, facing it so our driver's sides are always right next to each other.

"Look at all of those stars," he says tonight, pointing upward.

I gaze up with him, noticing the stars stretching out above us.

I laugh as I look back down at him. "That's nothing. You should see all the stars out in the country."

"So let's go then," he says, his eyes meeting mine again.

"What?" I ask.

"Yeah, why not? We don't have to go too far, right?" he says, now unlocking his car.

"I guess not," I say. "Just follow Quincy down for awhile and then you hit some plains. There's usually good stars out there."

"Well, then let's go."

Thirty minutes later Styles and I are laying on the hood of his car, pointing out different constellations to one another. However, most of the ones that he points out are completely made up. Still, I enjoy the names and stories he puts behind them like he knows exactly what he's talking about.