Lights Up

Where Better to Escape Trouble than the Theatre?

Hello hello hello beautiful people. Author here. Who watched Hamilton on Disney+? Meeeeeeeeeee. I've seen it live, but it was so cool to see it with the original people. Daveed Diggs is a god. I know it's been forever since I updated, but here you guys go. On another note, I'm drawing fan art for my own book (yeah, I know) and I was wondering if you guys want me to put it on here? Comment if you guys want to see it. Hope you enjoy!

Dia's POV

It's the morning again. Yay. I mean, I know how the daylight cycle works, I know that the sun is going to rise. I mean, just ask Annie, "the sun will come out tomorrow" and all. Doesn't mean I want to get up.

As I'm getting dressed, I remember the Plastics' offer from yesterday. Yeah right. Like I'm going to abandon my new friends to hang out with a bunch of basic white girls who think they're better than everyone else. I just throw on a t-shirt and jeans, then step outside on the fire escape. Then immediately come back inside. Because it's cold. Add my favorite hoodie (it's black with a big Puerto Rican flag on it), and NOW I'm good. Time to head to the salon, so Dani can interrogate me about school. Again, Yay.

When I reach the salon, Carla starts to braid my hair, while Dani immediately bombards me with questions.

"Alright, chica, spill. V told me you were texting friends last night, and I want to hear ALL about them."

"Ok, so I met Crutchie first,"

"What kinda name is Crutchie?"

"It's a nickname Carla, one of his legs doesn't work and he has a crutch, so his friends call him Crutchie. Anyway, we talked about Harry Potter, he talked about his boyfriend, and he invited me to eat lunch with him and his friends."

I decided to leave out the part with Eacker so that my mother wouldn't go all social justice warrior on the school.

"Alright, so tell me about the others, any cute ones?"

"So there's Jack, who's"

"Is he cute?"

"Sure, Carla, but one, he's gay, and two, he's Crutchie's boyfriend."

"Ahhhh, continue."

"Anyway, he's an artist, and he and Crutchie are the CUTEST couple. Then there's Evan and Connor,"

"Are they-"

"Connor's gay and Evan's bi, and they're dating"

"Ohhhhhh."

"Connor looks like the stereotypical emo kid, but he doesn't act like it. And Evan has severe social anxiety. Then there's Frances, her mom is my English teacher, and she is a total activist, like going to protests and all that stuff."

"Sounds like your mother"

"Kind of, anyway, then there's Janis. She's the only other girl, she's also an artist. And Damien, who's president of the drama club."

"Drama club? That's great, Dia, are you going to join?"

I knew exactly what my mom was talking about. I had always loved theatre, but had never been able to be in a theatre program. At my last school, the theatre program wasn't school funded, because no one appreciates the arts, not that I'm bitter. You had to pay to audition, and buy your own costume, and pay for tickets to see the show, so we couldn't afford it. So I've never done theatre beyond singing showtunes in my room.

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

Then Dani got back on topic. "You said there were eight. Who are you not telling us abouuuuut."