Chapter Text
I leaned back in my chair, pulling open a loud crinkly bag of chips before glancing over to my left, handing the bag to Scott. "Eat this, and be quiet about it, alright?" I whispered to him comfortingly. "We don't want to get yelled at for eating backstage."
Scott looked at me appreciatingly before nodding and grabbing the bag, quickly wolfing down the chips before sighing. "I don't know why they wanted me to play this part. I'm no good at acting."
"You're the star of the show!" I exclaimed encouragingly, giving him a warm thumbs up. "You'll get the hang of it!"
"C'mon, Pearl, you see my acting." Scott replied with an exhausted look on his face. "People say I sound.. Robotic.. Lifeless.. I'm no good at this sorta stuff." He paused for a moment, sighing deeply. "I'm not like you."
I wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug, but the call for set came out, and Scott had to go on stage. He had the lead role. I'm not sure why they gave him the lead, actually. He can't act to save his own life. Probably because he's the 'pretty boy' amongst us sophmores. It's not easy to ignore his good looks. His hair is a brilliant teal color, it reminds me of the ocean. It flows serenly, and is always soft with a very slight curl to it. The funny thing is, I don't even think he puts much effort into his routine. He more or less just naturally looks like that.
Scott stepped up to the stage. I watched as he'd clenched and unclenched his fists, likely out of anxiety. He was never nervous performing until he got shot down time and time again by the producers of the show. Now he feels like he's going to get beraded just looking at the audience.
I was supposed to mentor him, but...
In my defense, it's hard to teach someone how to pretend when they've only ever been genuine.
I was lost in my thoughts, staring off into space, distantly registering my surroundings as I overheard Scott give his performance and deliver his lines. He fumbled over his lines sometimes, occassionaly got lost or blanked on a few words, but overall, he's not that bad.
The scene ended, and Scott headed back over to me, slumping down in the chair besides me. He looked defeated.
"You rocked it out there!" I beamed ecstatically.
"You know what I think would make me perform a bit better?" He muttered exhaustively.
I looked over at him with deep care. "Yeah?" I asked in response. "What would?"
Scott looked over at me. "I think I do my best performances when I run my lines over with you." He admitted somewhat sheepishly.
"That's interesting.." I replied, thinking things over. "I wonder if it's just a stage fright thing, then."
"Yeah, who knows. Pearl, I-"
He got cut off as the producers called for him again back on the set. Rubbing my eyes, I watched him a bit more intently, paying closer attention to try and see if I could piece together what was giving him so much trouble when it came to trying to perform with others.
This year, for the school theater production, we're doing some sappy love story. I'll admit, I do tend to be a fan of sappy romance.
Scott stumbled onto the stage. It took him a moment to get his bearing, before he brushed his hair from his face and put on a wavered smile, walking towards his co-host to deliever his lines.
"I love you more than all the stars in the sky!" He'd said, his voice sounding shakey and monotone. "The stars that shine, infinitely drifting towards each other for an eternity to come."
I could feel my mind start to wander. Most couldn't stand his acting; lots of others in the department wanted to switch him out for a different lead. The more and more I watch him act, I think I'm starting to understand why he got the role. His voice is entrancing.
Before I knew it, the practice was over.
Scott made his way back over to me. I stood up and greeted him, pulling him into a quick embrace. "That was great, Scott!" I reassured him with a smile. "You're getting so much better at this!"
"You think so?" He replied with a soft laugh under his breath. I simply nodded in response.
"This character is so.. cheesy.. who even wrote this thing?" He laughed again.
I smiled at him, holding back a laugh. I was always a fan of his dumb little remarks. "Some of that stuff is so sappy. I'd dare say some lines don't even make sense. But, hey, that's just part of theater. You need to really understand the character you're playing to get into the role, yknow?" I replied, trying to offer him some advice.
He nodded, grabbing his bag from off the floor and pulling out his script, reading over some of his lines. "At least I've got most of this memorized now!" He beamed. "How much longer do we have until the show?"
I hummed, grabbing my phone and glancing at the calendar. "...Let's see.. Our first performance is exactly a week away on next Monday."
"Next Monday?!" He exclaimed in dismay. "There's no way I can learn how to act in time." He uttered, a slight anxious laugh under his breath.
"Not to worry, star Scott!" I called out excitedly.
"...Star Scott?" He asked, noticeably holding back a laugh.
"Well, you ARE the star!" I replied, laughing myself. "What's a star to do? Do you think the stars could light up the night sky without help of the moon? Not to worry- I'll get you ready before the performance!"
"...I sure hope so!"