"But where's Bright?" She couldn't help voicing her thoughts aloud, eyes scanning the crowd. Her friend followed her gaze, shrugging lightly when she couldn't spot him.
"Maybe he's back stage? You know, preparing for his role?" her friend suggested, trying to ease Emma's confusion.
Emma's face scrunched as she vaguely remembered seeing Bright in an elaborate costume earlier. She murmured, almost to herself, "But he was in costume earlier, wasn't he? Maybe he's on a minor part."
Her friend raised an eyebrow, commenting with a teasing smile, "Or maybe he's preparing a big surprise. That's what Class A is all about, isn't it?"
Emma, with a look of consideration, bit her lip and nodded. Yes, maybe Bright was preparing for a surprise.
Class A was full of them and this could very well be another. With one last scan of the backstage, she sighed softly and turned her attention back to the stage. It seemed like the only way to appease her curiosity was to watch the show unfold.
The backstage area had become a quiet, empty space, as the rest of the performances had all taken place.
Emma's friends decided to join the rest of the audience and watch Class A's highly anticipated drama from the comfort of their seats.
However, Emma, Rosalind, and Tina politely declined the invitation, claiming they needed to pack up their performance props and tidy up the backstage area.
In truth, they had an ulterior motive. Their excuse was nothing more than a fib, a convenient excuse to stay backstage.
The three friends shared a secret desire to watch Class A's drama from the side of the stage, far from the bustling crowd.
Why spend time searching for seats in a tightly packed audience when they could enjoy the show without any hassle from their exclusive vantage point?
They exchanged knowing grins, understanding that their shared secret brought an added thrill to the experience.
Positioned by the wings, the trio had a clear line of sight to the stage, allowing them to fully absorb the performance unfolding before their eyes. As the drama commenced, the friends couldn't contain their excitement.
By watching from the side of the stage, Emma, Rosalind, and Tina felt a stronger connection to the performance.
They could appreciate the nuances and efforts that went into every scene. It was a momentary escape from the responsibilities they carried backstage, a chance to both appreciate their fellow performers' craft and enjoy some stolen time away from the encumbered seats of the audience.
As the drama unfolded, each scene filling the air with tension, Emma still couldn't extinguish her curiosity about Bright's mysterious role.
She eagerly observed, hoping to catch a glimpse of him and satiate her curiosity.
"Swan Lake is the one with the Swan Princess, right?" Tina murmured, earning a drawn-out 'shhh' from Emma and Rosalind, both engrossed in the unfolding scene.
The stage lit up with a scene straight from a fairytale, the protagonist gracefully capturing the audience's attention.
It was Princess Odette, portrayed by the enchanting Tasya, whose ballet prowess was known throughout the school.
Emma couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration watching her. She had a hunch that Tasya may have been the brains behind the compelling idea for this performance.
Suddenly, from the shadowed recesses of the stage, emerged a figure draped in a dark cloak, stark against the artfully illuminated scene.
They wore a feathered mask completely cloaking their face in mystery. The audience let out collective gasps as they recognized the cloaked figure - it was the evil sorcerer, Rothbart, approaching the innocent Odette with ill intent.
But Odette was not drawn to Rothbart's deceitful advances. His repulsive character shone through, prompting her to reject him harshly.
Stung by the humiliation of her rejection, Rothbart placed a curse on the beautiful Odette, transforming her into a white swan doomed to reside in Swan Lake. Only true love had the power to overturn the spell.
As Odette's plight unfolded, the background music seamlessly transitioned to the mournful touch of Fur Elise, adding weight to the Swan Princess' sad tale. Emma, Rosalind, and Tina watched from backstage, utterly engrossed in the superb performance.
Just then, a handsome prince arrived, capturing the attention of the Swan Princess, as well as that of Emma.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw Bright in the role of the prince. Her heart skipped a beat, but the fleeting hope was dashed as she realized it was another Class A student playing the role.
Regardless, the presence of the challenging, yet charming prince heralded a turn in the tale and revved up the anticipation for what was to come.
Rosalind huffed slightly, her brows furrowing in a way that only an actor could properly perform. "Well, it seems Bright isn't performing. How lazy!" She pouted slightly, tossing a look over her shoulder at the empty backstage area.
Tina simply laughed, shaking her head at her friend's antics, "Oh, Rosalind, you're always so quick to judge!"
Meanwhile, the stage was bathed in an ethereal glow, enhancing the magnificence of the tender dance shared by Odette and Prince Siegfried.
The ballet was executed flawlessly, capturing the audience's full attention. Each twirl and leap demonstrated an intense passion between the characters.
"Bright in ballet?" Emma chimed in, skepticism creeping into her tone, "That would have been a sight. Can you imagine him in tights?"
Her comment earned her another round of laughter from her two friends. The idea of Bright, who was always more a man of action rather than finesse, attempting ballet seemed rather hilarious.
As they exchanged words and watched the scene unfold, the figure of the resentful sorcerer Rothbart materialized into the dim lights, obscuring the spotlight.
Hidden away, he observed the intimate dance, his presence filled with bitter envy, deepening the drama on the stage.
"Why am I finding myself strangely drawn to the sorcerer lurking in the corner?" Emma shrugged, her gaze pinned on the mysterious, foreboding figure of Rothbart.