Brighter Places [🗸]

22. i don't like that people change

***

Watching Lucas onstage is captivating.

It's one of those moments that make it eerily hard to look away. Not when he's there, the lighting almost playing favorites as it illuminates him. 

It's a full-dress rehearsal, the play looming over the horizon.  Audrey— played by Andrea Alvarez— clings onto Lucas as they both fall into their roles easily. Not only that, but Andrea almost seems to bring a new type of power to the role, one that's sure to allure the audience come opening night.

I murmur the lines to myself as they both speak, back and forth. It comes easy to them, the drama, the flair. It comes insanely easy to Lucas, who I'm certain was born for this. Or maybe, drama was born for him.

Insane that throughout all our makeshift practice sessions, despite my lack of talent in that realm, all the lines are practically instilled into my mind. I couldn't forget them if I wanted to. However, I'm not too sure that I'd want to forget them, anyway.

Imagine radiating as much star energy as Lucas Garcia. I fold my arms, leaning against the back wall with an easy chuckle. Couldn't be me. Another little laugh. Which is nice. The fact that laughter comes easier these days, that I don't feel like crying for no reason at all.

I don't feel broken. Not completely at least. And that's enough to keep my gaze on the stage.

Actors make it look easy. And I'm shit at memorization, talk less of singing and dancing and looking like you want to be onstage 24/7. So, I admire from afar, my mouth moving with the lines as Lucas speaks, my chest swelling with something too close to pride.

The dress rehearsal comes to an end, the director—Ms. Ingram— gathering all the actors to the center, shooting out some pieces of feedback, distributing high fives and after a few minutes of low speaking, she gives them a gesture to leave.

Ms. Ingram works everything, all the major events, sections of the school choir, the AP English class, and the entire drama department. I'm tempted to ask her how it feels carrying the entire school.

My train of thought is interrupted as Lucas Garcia swings off the stage, still fully dressed in his costume as he approaches me with one of those lopsided grins of his.

He's wearing oversized glasses, a vest over top of a t-shirt, plain pants reaching his ankles, leather shoes tapping on the floor beneath him.

 I'm certain the outfit is supposed to make him look awkward and shit, but honestly, it doesn't. It looks like he was meant to be in it. It's fitted, comfortable. His head's tilted up, huge glasses enlarging his already large eyes. The top few buttons of the shirt underneath are undone. He's smiling breathlessly.

His smile makes me undone.

"Nerd," I say, smirk curving onto my lips.

Lucas rolls his eyes.