In Harmony(31)

“Well, whatever,” I said, relieved Isaac hadn’t been a complete asshole in this scenario. “I’m not in the play to follow Isaac unless he’s giving advice. I don’t know what I’m doing. And I have no idea how I’m going to get to and from rehearsal every night.”

“Your parents can’t help?”

“It was like twisting my dad’s arm to get him to sign off on the paperwork since I’m a minor. He works late most nights anyway and my mother was never the ‘carpool and cupcakes’ kind of mom. She’s not about to start now.”

“I’ll help when I can,” Angie said, “but you need to learn to drive, girl.”

“Or get a ride home with Isaac,” Nash said, and caught Angie’s pointed stare. “What? I’m being practical.”

“What about Justin Baker?” Angie said, jerking her chin to where Justin sat with Doug Keely, Ted Bowers, and couple of other jocks. “Your Laertes.”

“He’s super-hot,” Jocelyn stared and caught Caroline’s pointed look. “If you’re in to that sort of thing. Which I’m not.”

I smiled at the cuteness of the couples in front of me with a wistful kind of ache. I glanced over at Justin Baker and found him watching me. He smiled that friendly, curious smile and I quickly looked away.

“Who is Laertes again?” I asked Angie.

“Ophelia’s brother,” she said and rolled her eyes. “Girl, you need to get to work on that play. Maybe start by reading it.”





That afternoon, Angie gave me a ride to downtown Harmony after school. “What’s the rehearsal schedule again?”

“Monday, Wednesday, Friday nights and Saturday afternoon,” I said. “It’ll be every weeknight and all weekend as we get closer to opening night.”

“I got you covered on rides down here, and we can hang out at The Scoop sometimes, but you still got a lot of ground to cover between now and seven o’clock.” She leaned an arm on the steering wheel. “Why don’t you want to go home?”

“Because I can’t get back here,” I said. “I’m fine, I promise. My parents are self-absorbed assholes but it’s not worse than that.”

“Okay,” Angie said. “You know, when you first walked into class with your Disney princess hair and Manhattan clothes I thought you’d be a self-absorbed asshole, too. But you’re okay in my book, Holloway.”

“Thanks, McKenzie.” I gathered my stuff. “I’m going to kick it in the library for about four hours.”

“A suggestion about how you can spend that time…?”

“I’m going to read the damn play.”

She laughed. “Text me if you get stranded.”

“Thanks,” I said, climbing out of the car. I bent between the door and the interior. “Thanks a lot, Angie. For a lot of things.”

She smiled. “Don’t get soft on me now, girl. And I want a full report of what it’s like watching Isaac Pearce in action.”

I rolled my eyes. “I might even do some acting too.”

She made a fist. “Power to the women people.”

I shut the door and stepped out into bright, icy sunlight. Winter felt like it was releasing its hold and the air was clean and biting. I hopped over an exhaust-tinged pile of snow at the curb and headed toward the public library, about a block and a half from the HCT. I found a table under a window and settled in with a copy of Hamlet and my laptop open to Sparks Notes for when I got stuck. Which was frequently.

The old Willow was a straight-A student who considered going to college for something to do with English Lit. But Hamlet hadn’t been a part of school curriculum and I’d never seen one of the film adaptations.

I scanned Ophelia’s scenes and was relieved to see nothing overtly romantic on the pages. Hamlet and Ophelia’s happy relationship existed prior to the start of the play. Their first scene together was essentially her—under pressure from her father—breaking up with him.

Hamlet torments Ophelia, kills her father.

She goes nuts, kills herself.

The End.

No romance. No declarations of love. No touching.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

File this under: things I should’ve investigated before auditioning.

I might’ve been the greenest of actors on that stage, but at least I wouldn’t embarrass myself by having a panic attack in front of the cast from having to kiss or touch anyone. The black X across my body would stay invisible while I used Ophelia’s scenes where she descends into madness to exorcise some more demons and find a little peace.

It was an innocent, na?ve hope, and one that would eventually shatter into a million fucking pieces.





Willow



After a well-balanced dinner of fries, salad, and a chocolate milkshake at The Scoop, I walked the half block to the Harmony Community Theater. The front entry was eerily quiet, but a woman manning the front office directed me to a staircase that led to a second level above the stage.

The rickety steps smelled of dust and time. I passed closed offices and reached a large, dark room with one mirrored wall, like a dimly lit dance studio. A circle of chairs was set up in the center and the cast of Hamlet milled around them, talking and laughing.