The first rehearsal

"Sorry I did not help you back there. I get really bad when it comes to my parents. I just kind of freeze when they are mentioned.” Anna apologized to me. She did not need to do that. I saw how her parents affected her yesterday. Why did she have to feel responsible for that? It made me a little angry at her parents, and made me want to protect her. I gave her a little hug and said “Just know that I am here to help you, you are no longer alone to face them.”

“It is just that I am a little scared of how they are going to react. Nobody, and I really mean nobody makes demands of my parents. My father is one of the largest arms dealers in the world. He really is a dangerous man.”

I gulped. I had no idea they were that rich and powerful. I only saw her father once on television in a boring show about the recession, and how we should handle it. I don't think I even watched the whole thing, that is how boring it was. But we would have to face this problem sooner or later, and I would rather have it sooner, because I hated things hanging over me like a Damocles sword. Especially troublesome things. In the meantime, I had realised that I could not completely control this roller coaster ride, but I at least needed to find a way to steer it. I have a girlfriend now, so I would need some sort of control to be sure that I still could find time for cooking, because I would never let all of this come between me and my kitchen!

Anna looked at me ranting to myself in my head, and then laughed, I could see her resolve changing “Let's get going, you are right, obstacles are only there to overcome!” Once again, I saw her transform into the strong indomitable counselor, Ms. Anna Lyst.

Anna spent the morning making preparations for the play. Anna even managed to convince Thea to visit the rehearsal this afternoon to help with the costumes. Apparently she was a big fan of Narcy Stick and that helped to sway her.

I on the other hand was forced to answer loads and loads of fan mail after yesterday. The TV station had just forwarded everything they received to my inbox. There were also several demands, even from people abroad, to help them set up an FBY office at their own school. I forwarded these to Ms. Lourdes, because that was a task more fit for the CYA. But it felt quite nice that people wanted to be part of what we were doing. I noticed that all the events of the last week made me feel a little proud of our achievements. Even if I was forced into it, I could not deny the results. I looked at Anna. If she had not been there, none of this would have happened. She really was a troublesome one. I really hated her at the start, but somewhere along the line, I got to know a different Anna, and now I am happy that we get to spend so much time together. It's safe to say, she brought excitement to my life. Thinking about the roller coaster we were on, made me think of how it started, and made me realize that I almost forgot about Louisa’s suicide, and how I was almost framed for it. So much had happened that it seemed so long ago by now. But it had been just a little over a week. One of these days, Anna and I would have to have an intense long talk about all of that.

Morning passed fairly quickly doing these miscellaneous tasks, and before we knew, it was time for lunch. The other girls arrived one by one in the bureau to eat, but we decided to go and eat in the gym hall where the rehearsal would take place. That way Valerie's fan club would not be alone over there with Ms. Stick.

When we arrived in the gym hall we set ourselves on the floor in a circle. I gave the lunchbox with the cute sandwiches to Anna. As soon as I did that, Gazette coughed. “Cough. Cough. That is a very cute lunchbox you made for Anna. Don't the two of you have something to tell us?” I turned completely red. This was so embarrassing I started stammering, but this time Anna saved me and was strong for the two of us. “The two of us are going out.” At those words the other girls all swarmed us and gave us a group hug.

“That is some special news indeed!” Thea suddenly said. She gave me and Anna a kiss. “I never thought I'd see the day where Anna would date someone. You sure work miracles little girl.”

Now Anna had become completely red.

What did she mean by that? I hated the fact that she knew more about Anna than me. But didn't what she just say mean that I was Anna's first too? I needed to find out more about the Anna I did not know...

“Of course I am not counting that whole fiasco your mother arranged. She should have known you swung the other way with that super large yuri collection of yours.” Thea then looked around the room and squealed. Thea ran to Ms. Stick. “I am such a big fan of your work. As soon as I heard from Anna you would be directing this play, I agreed to make the costumes! Seeing you is always such an inspiration, Ms. Stick. If I'm honest, when I was in high school I always thought I wanted to become just as stylish as you. You were one of my greatest inspirations!” Ms. Stick was clearly flattered by the compliments of the fashion icon Thea Trallic. “Oh, call me Narcy, please.” she answered.

“Then you can call me Thea.” They both giggled at that. Thea flirted heavily around Ms. Stick while discussing the outfits of the play. Thea was constantly complimenting Ms. Stick. I could see Ms Stick's ego grow by the second.

“I am opening a case file.” Anna whispered to me. “This is one, where I hope we won’t have to do much for. At least I hope.”

I looked again at those two. So Thea liked girls. Does that mean her earlier remark meant she tried something with Anna, and got rejected? I so wanted, but not wanted to know. “I hope you are right. I am not ruining Ms. Stick’s date for the case, if that is what you’re thinking.” There are some lines that should never be crossed. We should help people, but I would not tolerate playing with other people’s happiness. The way Anna looked at me, she clearly forgot about that date, but then her eyes went back to Thea and Ms. Stick and I saw her pupils turn into little stars. She said “I shall believe in Thea. Yuri is always better than not yuri. I am sure the light of yuri will prevail!” I chuckled. Anna was so cute when she got into her yuri worshipping mode.

Then Ms. Stick clapped and called everyone together. She asked me to take notes on a script about all she said about it. She said that it was really important, so I should pay really good attention to her, and her alone.

Even though Romeo and Juliet had already been casted. To decide the other roles Ms. Stick held a quick audition. “I don’t need more than a few minutes to read someone's talent and potential.” She declared.

Everyone was given a role at random, and had to read a couple of minutes from the script. Ms. Stick silently made a couple of comments to me about everyone. After all of that Ms. Stick took my notebook. She was clearly ready to severely criticize me, but luckily Thea distracted her by starting to talk about who would go best with which costume. Even though Ms. Stick seemed to be the one making the decisions, Thea was clearly leading her to some of her decisions. “Never thought that Ms. Stick would let herself be played like that.” I whispered. I heard Anna, Eve and Therese giggle at my comment.

I did it again. I let it out way too loud. But luckily this time, Ms. Stick was way too occupied getting praised by a fashion icon.

After a short discussion they decided that the nurse would be played by Maria. She was over the moon to be allowed to play in a role so close to her dear prince, or should I say princess? Her ladylike behavior did not stop her from being popular among the girls. Clearly much to Mia’s discontent. Maria even shed a tear thanking Ms. Stick.

Friar Laurence would be played by Elsa. I was imagining myself a tsundere friar saying “It's not like these violent delights have violent ends, you idiot!” A smile was forming on my face.

Mercutio would be played by Elodie and Tybalt by Fien.

I smirked at that. The fight on stage between those two would be like a fight between a great Dane and a chihuahua, with the chihuahua coming out on top.

Ms Stick noticed my smirk, and immediately said “Do you have any comments on my choices.”

I muffled my smirk away and answered that I could not have made better choices even if I wanted to. “Of course not, who do you think I am?” she answered with an air of superiority.

“Hey Narcy, is it okay that I start taking the girls' measurements?” I noticed that every time Ms. Stick wanted to pay close attention to me, which was of course only to berate me, Thea interrupted. Thea was really nice to save me from Ms. Stick, I did not know her very well, but I was glad that she was helping me. Ms. Stick nodded to Thea, and went with her. Thea gave me a look, like if she had won something over me. I did not really understand what she wanted to convey to me there.

The other roles were divided among the other girls, and Thea started to take everyone's measurements. Anna and I would be the stage hands and Gazette would be responsible for the production. All the girls with smaller roles would help us get the set in order when they had nothing to do.

Then Ms. Stick walked over and said to me: “Claire, I know you probably wanted to be in the play, and that you are very disappointed now, but I need you as the director's assistant. It is a very important job for the play too.” She looked at me like she really succeeded in putting me in my place, but I felt relieved. I was really expecting something to force me into the play. I really did not want to be in it. I was so happy that I had to stop myself from making a little fist pump. I almost thanked her.

Ms. Stick looked a bit disappointed that her words did not have more effect, but before she could start poking, Thea was again hanging around her, asking her a lot of stuff about her career as an actor. Ms. Stick was of course happy to tell Thea all about herself.

She was so engrossed in it, that I decided to start the actual rehearsals myself. Ms. Stick did not really seem to care about it, and kept engrossed in her discussion with Thea.

Anna and I made a little balcony with some of the gymnastic equipment so that we all could see our leads in action.

Mia came up and started with the famous scene.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! ...”

Both Mia and Valerie seemed to already know their roles by heart. Valerie as Juliet made everyone swoon, she had the air of an aristocratic natural beauty, right out of a fairy tale. And I am sure Valerie lost some of her fans to Mia, who was putting down a very flamboyant version of Romeo. Seeing what we were doing, Ms. Stick came up and gave me some comments on what she saw, so that we could go over them with the actors later. Then she went back to talk to Thea. I think she mostly wanted to show that she was still in charge.

The rehearsal went on for the entire afternoon, but Ms. Stick mostly just talked with Thea while Anna and I were doing our best to direct the stage to the best of our capabilities, which probably wasn't all that great.

When it was time to round up, Ms. Stick called me over and said “Remember that I will be coming over to your place tomorrow. You'll be cooking.” I nodded, and went to help the other girls put away the gymnastic equipment we used.

I heard Thea ask Anna what that was all about, and Anna explained about Ms. Stick's date. Thea did not seem all too happy with that development.

We were done for the day, but still had some stuff to discuss about the production so I invited Gazette and Anna over. Gazette told me that she would only come if Elodie could come too. Noticing that we were getting together, Valerie and Mia came over asking if they could come too. Suddenly Fien was zipping all around me.

I gave up. “Okay, fine, you can all come over so that we can discuss the production. But we are getting together to work, not to play!”