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Mr. Allen stares at us in the auditorium.
"Hello?" He waves a hand around the room. "Earth to cast, are you guys with me here?"
He's sitting by the theatre seat, watching us on the stage from below for another practice. The Midsummer Night's Dream play is next month, and while we've all managed to learn most of our lines, we're nothing but ready. Not after the catastrophe.
Our minds are elsewhere.
"Olivia," Mr. Allen snaps, and she blinks. "It's your turn, remember? Demetrius and Helena follow Hermia and Lysander into the woods?"
"Right. Sorry." Liv clears her throat, and has trouble looking at Vic as she says her next line. "Stop, Demetrius! Stop!"
Vic notices. "I'm telling you, get out of here — don't follow me around like this." His voice is awkward and uncomfortable.
"Will you leave me alone in the dark?" Liv swallows. "Don't."
"Stay at your own risk," he moves away, his voice almost unrecognisable. "I'm going alone."
Fast forward to the next scene. Helena finds Lysander sleeping in the woods alone, already with the love potion that Puck — I — gave him.
"Helena! I'd run through fire if you told me to!" Trey is the only one that's still convincing. Mr. Allen looks at him with heart eyes. "Radiant, beautiful Helena!" He takes Liv's hand. "I can see into your heart. Where is Demetrius? I'd kill him with my sword if I could!"
"Don't say that, Lysander," she pulls her hand away. Are her cheeks red? "What does it matter? Hermia still loves you."
"Hermia? I don't love Hermia; I love you, Helena. Who wouldn't love a dove more than a crow?"
From the other side of the stage, I see Justine frown a bit. At how Trey and Liv has grown physically close right now.
"Is it not enough that I'll never be pretty enough to get a kind look from Demetrius?" Liv talks to herself once Trey has left the stage. "My God, it's wrong for you to woo me in such a cruel, disdainful way. But goodbye. I thought you were a much kinder person than this..."
Her words slowly falter, and she stares at the distance with distracted eyes. Mr. Allen follows her gaze as if to search whatever she's staring at. There's nothing. He clicks his fingers in front of her face.
