"IF YOU'RE DONE GETTING YOUR DAILY DOSE OF CALCIUM, HEAD OUT TO THE STAGE." With dark narrowed eyes, Aarav stared down at the two freshmen sword-fighting with the limbs of a fake skeleton. One sheepishly dropped the bony arm and ran off, soon followed by his friend.
Gritting his teeth, Aarav bit back a curse, settling instead for an exaggerated eye roll. How were freshmen so insufferable? Not to mention that he'd have to help Mr. Wilson put the skeleton back together after rehearsal. The anatomy teacher only allowed the theatre department to use it as a prop under the condition that it'd return in good condition. That being said, Aarav was pretty sure resting in pieces didn't count.
Grumbling under his breath, he gathered up the dismembered skeleton and carried the pieces to the prop closet. He flicked on the lights with his elbow, then set the bones down on the nearest table. Taped to the wall was a detailed list complete with hand-drawn diagrams of the props used for the play. Aarav marked a note at the bottom about the skeleton.
His phone dinged with a new text and he tugged it out his pocket. A new message from Amma asking if he'd eaten. Aarav hadn't had food since lunch, but that wasn't unusual. He made it to dinner by surviving on coffee and the occasional bag of chips from the vending machine. With a sigh, readjusted his clipboard before making his way back.
"There you are," said a soft, rumbling voice when he entered the auditorium. Mr. Wilson, an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair, walked over to Aarav. Despite his cane, he held himself furiously upright. "I needed to talk with you."
"Is this about the skeleton? Some freshmen took it apart earlier. But no worries—I'll fix it." With great difficulty, Aarav offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Of course he would fix it. After all, he had everything under control. Dizzily, he stifled a rising yawn and shifted so that the doorframe supported his weight.
"That's not what I meant." Mr. Wilson shook his head and patted the boy's shoulder. "Every day, I see you come in with dark circles under your eyes and find you dozing off occasionally—"
"My apologies. Won't happen again." Aarav jerked away from the door and straightened his shoulders. Sliding his hands, which twitched convulsively, into his pockets, he ignored the burning in his chest and tightness in his throat.
"No, no. You're a good student. I'm just worried that you've been wearing yourself down this senior year."
"I'm perfectly fine." Clipped and mechanical, the words sounded like a recited phrase being pulled from a recording. "Perfectly fine," Aarav repeated. As commonly known, academic stress was normal—nothing out of the ordinary. He fidgeted and pushed his glasses up his nose.
"Well, if anything ever comes up, my door is always open for you." Doubt clouded Mr. Wilson's eyes but he didn't press the issue. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "I finished and submitted your recommendation letter last night. I trust you've taken my critiques on your application essay into account?"
"Of course. Thank you." Aarav adjusted his glasses again. "You didn't need to spend the extra time."
"I do have a degree in literature. Might as well put it to good use." Mr. Wilson chuckled and reached for a folder. He flipped through the papers for a minute before handing Aarav his director's version of the script. "I made a couple of suggestions here and there. Of course, it's up to you to implement them. This play is your project after all."
"Will do," said Aarav while setting it on his clipboard.
A soft thump made both of them turn around to see Jackie rubbing her head as she backed away from the door. "Ow," she muttered before her demeanor brightened. She skipped over to Aarav, her long ponytail swinging back and forth. "Hey, hope I'm not late."
"You're on time. Technically early, but you know how it goes."
"Now if only we could get Liam to stop showing up fifteen minutes late," quipped Mr. Wilson.
Aarav tilted his head at Jackie while she set her bag down against the wall. "How's it going with math?"
"I'm understanding it better. We reviewed today and everything actually made sense. Of course, I won't know for sure until I take the actual test."
"You'll be fine."
"Let's hope so. If you can't bring up your grade, I have no choice but to cut you from the play." Mr. Wilson clicked his tongue while his eyes settled on the girl.
"Right..." Jackie laughed nervously and bit her lip while she shuffled behind Aarav.
"You'll do fine on the exam," Aarav asserted.
"How do you know?"
His mouth formed a half-smile. "I'm the one who tutored you. You don't have faith in me?"
"No, it's not that!" yelped Jackie just as she stumbled over her own two feet. Aarav reached out to steady her. "I've just always been bad at math, so... you know..."
"Understandable." Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall and tilted his head, one foot crossed over the other. "The test is tomorrow, isn't it?"
At her feverish nodding, Aarav added, "I'm down for another study session after rehearsal."
"Wait, you don't need to do that."
"Only if you want." Aarav shrugged.
He'd completed his homework the day before, and his project with Madison and Iris was pretty much done. Complications aside, it'd turned out great—mainly due to Iris playing diplomat for the two warring parties in between fixing her makeup. Although Aarav had been planning to use the free time to edit his Stanford application, he didn't want to look at it right now.
"Then it's a definite yes." Jackie grinned at him and tugged absently at her red hair ribbon.
. . .
Accompanying the nearing opening night was the surmounting pressure to deliver the perfect performance. Perfection—Jackie expected no less from herself and Aarav didn't either. During rehearsal, he watched every scene with hardened scrutiny, obsidian eyes burning into her skin. Nevertheless, acting had become easier as the weeks went on. The more she got to know him, the easier it was to keep it together on-stage. Funnily enough, Jackie never thought she'd get used to his cold, clinical stare when she first met him. Now that Aarav was more familiar to her, she didn't get as nervous by his judgment.
There were only two more dress rehearsals until opening night. One more week. Jackie tried to contain her giddiness while she waited in the wings for her cue. Somehow, this felt different from the other plays she'd participated in. Westminster students were more dedicated than those at her old school where they had a limited budget. Costumes were one of her favorite parts of theatre. Even better was that Mr. Wilson mentioned more elaborate and higher quality ones were being designed for the actual Center Stage competition.
"Ready for our scene?" Liam whispered and nudged her shoulder with his own.
One bright smile from him made her heart flutter. She willed herself to not give into daydreams, to not get swept away by infatuation. Of course, he looked every part the perfect hero in his gold-trimmed vest and loose white shirt, which only made that harder.
Oh jeez, being a hopeless romantic was hard. Life was tough when she started falling for people based on the dumbest attributes.
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Jackie asked. She tried to convince herself that this would be just like any other play she'd done in the past. The only difference was that this was a private school full of well-off and talented students who had the money to finance their expensive hobbies. Oh, and they'd probably laugh if she made a fool of herself.
He grinned, sending a tingly feeling shooting through her body, and ruffled her hair. "How fearless."
She shook her head and absently plucked at a loose thread from the hem of her skirt. "Far from it."
Anahi—who played the wicked sorceress—glided across the stage with effortless grace, long black hair trailing behind her. She let out a shrill scream when eerie green smoke surrounded her body, which signaled the witch's vanquishing. The ending of her final line was the cue for the lights to dim and her to exit.
"Our turn," said Liam.
He held out a hand to help Jackie to her feet and the two made their way out to the center. The final scene. She swallowed hard and bit her bottom lip. He still had an easy smile on his face, unperturbed by the approaching end of rehearsal. Only the curtain call practice was left after this scene before opening night. After opening night would be preparations for the national competition. And then what? Would she even be prepared in time? Did Liam feel nothing at all, being so accustomed to years of this? Or was he simply better at hiding it?
Inhaling a deep breath, Jackie forced herself to concentrate on the moment at hand. The two were cast in a warm golden glow just as the the set transformed for the finale. The happily ever after. Envisioning herself as a fantasy heroine, she closed her eyes, blocking out all other thoughts. Gently, Liam set his arm around her waist while she placed a hand just below his shoulder, letting him lead her into a choreographed waltz. Around them, other students—playing the roles of miscellaneous villagers—danced and rejoiced.
When he tugged her close, she forget to breathe. His face was only inches from her. His eyes were cornflower blue and in them she found the bottomless depths of the sea, the sky. Liam guided her across the stage and under the lights with a soft melody playing in the background, Jackie could almost believe she was in a fairytale.
"Can't believe rehearsals are almost over," he said. His breath was warm against her skin.
"Shush. We shouldn't be talking." Jackie suppressed a giggle.
"Mics are off." He shrugged and grinned in his usual devil-may-care style.
"You really don't care, do you?" She took a step forward while he took one back, the pair swaying to the rhythm.
"What, afraid Aarav will kill us?"
"And Mr. Wilson." Jackie snuck a glance in the two's direction. In the audience, their faces were shrouded in shadow, invisible except for the glare of Aarav's lenses.
"Mr. Wilson mainly gives Aarav free rein. And besides, he's not that bad once you get used to him."
"What if mics get turned on?"
His brows raised ever so slightly in mock horror. "Oh no."
"Stop." Jackie's mouth twitched and she fought back a fit of laughter. Every time she was in his presence, she was plagued with an uncontrollable giddiness.
His eyes moved sideways before focusing on her again. "Time for the kiss," he whispered. Tenderly, he set a hand on the side of her neck—away from the audience—and rested a thumb against her lips. Her heartbeat quickened, and Jackie tried to remind herself that she had rehearsed this so many times before. She closed her eyes while Liam leaned in, the ends of his hair tickling her skin, his nose brushing hers.
Around them, the lights dimmed as the curtain lowered. From the theatre kids came a scattered applause that chased away the silence Liam stepped back, his lips quirked into a half-smile. "Not so bad, huh?"
Jackie wrapped her arms around herself. "Are stage kisses that easy for you? It's not awkward at all?"
He raised his arms and rested his hands behind his head. "Not really."
"What a pro."
"Nah, far from it."
"No, really," she insisted. "Everything's so easy for you. You're never fazed by all this."
"They say good actors make good liars." Liam brushed back his hair, fingers running through golden strands. "Believe me, sometimes I get stressed too. I just do a better job at hiding it."
"Come on, no one's infallible. Even people like Aarav have bad days," he continued and set both hands on her shoulders. "I get that this glitz and money seems new to you, but trust me, we're all human."
"I never would've guessed." Jackie tilted her head and pursed her lips. "I thought you were all a group of aliens."
He grinned. "Hm, now you caught me. Guess I've just been lying to you again."
"I suppose I should get used to it."
Shaking his head, he laughed softly. "Yeah, I come from a galaxy far, far away. My kind and I intend to gather intel on humankind and conquer the planet."
"You'll spare me, right?"
His brows furrowed thoughtfully and he fought back a smile. "Hm, that depends on if the other aliens like you."
"Hey, you two," Aaliyah called. A startled Jackie jerked away from Liam. Her friend gestured to the stage. "Get ready. We're running the curtain call."
"Right! Right." Jackie tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear.
She followed Liam to the wings where the rest of the cast waited. First went the ensemble members, holding hands as they filed onstage and bowed. They moved to the back, making way for the featured roles. When the final one finished, he nudged her shoulder.
"That's our cue."
Jackie nodded excitedly. Liam strode forward to the center, flashing a disarming smile to the empty auditorium. She could only imagine the cheers that would fill the audience on opening night. He bowed before straightening up again. Then he lifted an arm and waved before gesturing in the direction of the wings.
Jackie straightened her shoulders and made her way over to his side. She was only a couple steps away from him when her ankle twisted, making her stumble. Her shoe caught on the hem of her long skirt. Gasping, Jackie tripped and staggered forward. Before she knew it, she was falling off the edge of the stage. Even as the blood rushed to her head, all she could hear was screaming.
For a second, she was suspended midair. The ground rushed to her as she tumbled and only then she realized that the scream was hers.
"Jackie!"
A sharp pain overwhelmed her body while a series of gasps filled the air. In seconds, Aarav was at her side and his face loomed over hers. She groaned and sat up. Jackie was pretty sure she'd earned a couple new bruises.
"Okay, okay." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Careful there, you may have a concussion."
She rubbed her temples. Her back and limbs throbbed, but her head was fine aside from a slight ache. Carefully, Aarav helped the girl to her feet. The gathered students stepped back to give her space.
"I'm fine," Jackie insisted and ignored the pain from twisting her ankle. She laughed nervously and brushed her hair back from her face.
"Good to see there's no serious injuries." Mr. Wilson sighed and tapped his cane against the floor. "I'd rather not risk lawsuits from your parents."
Now assured that Jackie was alright, the rest of the students began to change out of costumes and pack up props and equipment.
Meanwhile, Aarav's eyes narrowed at her. So dark, they were almost black—like obsidian that swallowed all light. Almost accusatory.
Jackie swallowed hard. "Seriously, totally and completely fine—"
She slipped and stumbled again. Grumbling, Aarav steadied her, his arms holding her upright. "Just sit down for a minute."
"Thanks," she mumbled.
He helped her into the nearest seat and adjusted his glasses. "Why are you so clumsy?"
"I'm not!" she exclaimed just when her elbow slammed against the armrest, making her wince. To his credit, Aarav said nothing and only raised an eyebrow.
She sighed and asked, "This is a very bad example, isn't it?"
"Just don't do it opening night." His hands slid into his pockets and he leaned against the back of a chair.
"Sorry me getting hurt is such an inconvenience for you."
"What? No." He shook his head. "That's not what I meant to imply. Don't go putting words in my mouth."
"Sure thing." Jackie smiled a little. "So, Doctor Aarav, so wise and knowledgeable, am I allowed to get up and go change now?"
He straightened up. "Try not to die on your way to the dressing rooms," he said and gave a half-hearted wave before walking off.
"I hope the ghosts get you!" she shouted back.
. . .
"My dad would love you. They'd wish I was more like you. He'll want to adopt you and take you home so he can finally have a perfect son." Jackie swirled a croissant around in her hot chocolate, which was loaded with marshmallows. She and Aarav were seated in the corner of the coffee shop, math textbook and papers spread out on the table before them. She'd completed her review worksheet along with the chapter's practice problems, her writing all marked with Aarav's blue pen.
Aarav raised an eyebrow at her food. "That's weird. Don't do that. And speaking of your dad, have you talked to him lately? "
"You know, before my parents split, so many little things that would escalate into full-blown arguments." Ignoring his first comment, she took a bite of hot chocolate-covered croissant. "I don't want to talk to him. Just feels... weird."
As Aarav robotically patting her shoulder, Jackie's lips quirked up into a small smile. Even if the action was awkward, it was the thought that counted. Obviously, he wasn't used to comforting others.
"If it's about being replaced—"
"It's better off like this in a way," Jackie declared. "He never approved of my interest in theatre. An actress in the family? Unacceptable."
"My parents are the same way. They think all this effort I pour into directing is a waste of time and would prefer I focus on academics."
She snorted. "You spend so much time studying that you're practically a walking, talking textbook. What more do they want?"
"Stanford acceptance."
"The decision comes out in December, right?"
In silent agreement, Aarav nodded and looked down at his coffee. His fingers twitched and tightened around the base of his drink. "That's why everything for the play needs to go according to plan. They need to know this is something worthwhile."
Jackie peered at him. Even behind thick black frames, the dark bags beneath his eyes were visible. Under the direct sliver of sunlight, his eyes gleamed a rich copper—an almost golden amber that surrounded an eclipse. Then the light vanished and left behind the obsidian depths of an unyielding stare.
There was black in his eyes, his hair, his clothes. He finished off the coffee before tossing his paper cup into the trash. His order was always the same: dark, bitter, with no cream or sugar. After finishing off two cups already, Aarav might as well be a machine running on pure caffeine.
Dark eyes flicked to the open textbook. "You still worried about the geometry test tomorrow?"
"A little, but I'm feeling more optimistic about it." Shrugging, she toyed with the end of her ponytail. "Thanks again for the help."
"It's nothing."
"Nothing, huh? You're saving me from getting kicked out the play."
"Benefits me too, you know."
"But I get personally tutored by the current senior valedictorian." Jackie smiled and rested her chin against her palm. "Just accept the thanks."
"You're welcome," Aarav said mechanically while adjusting the cuffs on his button-down.
"See? Now that wasn't so hard."
"Really, me helping you is not that big deal."
"Oh great, we're back to square one again." Jackie sighed dramatically before dissolving into a fit of giggles.
When she looked up, she could see that he too was smiling.