The curtains open...
I in center stage, breathe in, and out deeply.
My eyes search the crowd for someone I can look at, for people who look happy or familiar, even though my family despises me.
I find a guy, tall and handsome, and I train my eyes on him.
I begin speaking. Tonight, I am not Shelby, I am not a college student, I am not ugly, I am not stupid, for tonight all I am is Mary. Mary Poppins.
I begin my lines, and I do not feel as insecure as usual. Even though I'm in front of 1,000 people. A packed house. The lines flow from my tongue by memory. I do not skip a beat, nor do I miss a line. Tonight feels perfect, until I see my parents.
They crowd in the back of the theatre, they look at me in disgrace. I finish the scene, and as the curtains close back up, I run backstage.
Intermission is good for many things. For getting drinks of water, for stretching, for practicing lines, and for getting over seeing your parents for the first time in 3 years. Ever since I started college.
See it's surprise because, they hate me. They hate I chose acting rather than nursing. They hate I'm singing rather than teaching. They hate me because rather than following the money, I followed what I love. I have five minutes, and this time when the curtains open, I'm not sure if I'll be ready.
(I want to do an entire book on this, but for the competition, I'm only doing this little bit.) :-)
I Play
I tighten my bow, and watch the rosin dust twist and fall as I apply it to the horse hairs. I screw in the knobs on my music stand, and put a new waltz, or song on the stand. I tune my violin, and I play. My fingers playing a fast song, rushing from string to string. My bow going back and forth playing each note. My thoughts escaping me as I play the songs. I play songs by ear, or by sheet music. I play fast songs, or slow. I just sit back, and play.
MovieTalk
When you're bored and just slip in quotes from your favorite movie.
Example:
Friend: I'm so mad at Paul! He's a total jerk!
Me: Let it go! (Frozen)
Friend: I mean, he called me ugly!
Me: He's just a cotton headed ninny muggins! (Elf)
Friend: What?
Me: I understood that reference! (Avengers)
Friend: You're crazy!
Me: No, I'm a high-functioning sociopath, do your research! (Sherlock)
Friend: What are you doing?
Me: MovieTalk
Also look for: Booktalk- speaking only in book quotes, or songtalk- speaking only in song lyrics.
Hera
Like, seriously Hera sucks! Like we used to be best friends but naw! I invited her to my goddess only pool party right? And she was all like "Pool party? I'm the wife of ZEUS, I'm not going to a pool party!" So of course I didn't invite her! Then she made this whole big deal of it! Like HELLO, she didn't even want to go right? So her husband talked to my husband and it ended with this whole big fight So like long story short, now she's rebelling against Zeus and she's totes jelly.
Hopping the Barrier
Part 1
-I'm doing it in parts so I can work 2 chapters at a time, then put it all together :)
As long as I've lived in this house, we have had a conjoined roof with an abandoned home. And for as long as we have lived here I've always snuck in through the loose boards on the window. One day, I took the boards down all together. I would read Anne of Green Gables or work on homework, but this time was different.
I snuck in the window, crawling into the corner of the old bedroom where I think I'd worn the boards to fit my hips, when I notice boxes, and a boy. About my age, 16. Blonde hair, about 6 foot 2.
"What in the world?"
"I am so sorry! I um live next door... Again, so sorry!"
I swing my leg back out the window, when,
"Hey, I didn't catch a name!"
I breathe deep, nervous and a little shaken up.
"Natalia. You can call me Nat. Yours?"
I swing my leg back over and sit between the line of my roof and his.
"Chris. Nice to meet you, see you again sometime?"
I start to crawl into my window.
"Our rooms are conjoined, we are neighbors, and we more than likely will go to the same school. I don't think we have a choice but to see each other another time."
I close my window and start my biology homework, mourning over the huge embarrassment I caused myself. At least I didn't say anything stupid.
Chapter 2:
I crawl under the covers, my blankets shielding me from the cold air outside. All of the sudden, I hear a knock on my window. I unlock the latch and swing the window open.
"Hey, it's Chris."
"Yeah I had a pretty good idea of who it was. It's not really anyone who knocks on a second story window."
My heart is knocking on my chest. Am I too sarcastic? Am I pushing him off?
"Understandable. I don't think we had a proper meeting yesterday."
"And this is a proper meeting? It's a not-so-proper proper meeting than."
"And those are the best."
I hear my mom call. "NATALIA GET DOWN HERE!" Her scratchy voice reverberates throughout the house. "I'm so sorry Chris, but we should have this proper meeting again."
"Agreed! "
He smiles and turns back to his house as my heart rate calms. "NAT!" My mom yells as I head downstairs to see what she wants.