Understudy

“If my college didn’t depend on this I would quit just like Aunt Barlow.”

“She won’t be jobless for much longer,” Mom says. She turns from me back to the television just in time for a kissy smooch scene that reminds me of Derek.

“What do you mean by that? Is she coming back to work?” At least one of my problems would be over if Aunt Barlow came back to school. Mom shrugs. “Her bills are piling up and she can’t find work anywhere she’s applied. If she doesn’t go back to work soon, they’re going to repo her car.”

“Excellent.” A smile spreads across my face as Mom gives me a disapproving eyebrow lift. I slide off her bed and rush toward the door, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. The Derek problem seems manageable now.

Mom stops me at the door. “Wren, you can’t wish ill will upon people. Especially family.”

My eyes barely stay open the next day, after having spent three hours doing a hundred pages of middle school math problems with my left hand. It was worth it though, to see Ricky waltz into play rehearsal the next day. All the stress and anxiety over getting Ricky back, coupled with last minute prop decisions and rehearsal have almost made me forget about Derek.

Yep. I’ve almost forgotten about how he would have been so perfect for me if he didn’t have little secrets. If he didn’t get escorted out of school by cops that day. If he didn’t have a secret not-girlfriend he can’t tell me about.

Maybe I haven’t forgotten about it at all.

“Hey boss, guess what?” Greg calls out from the rafters above the stage.

Cast members whoosh past me as they act out scene three. “What?”

“Let there be lights!” He flourishes his hand to another stagehand who sits at the ancient light board. The spotlight flips on, beaming a bright white burst of light onto the stage. Not blue, not green. White.

I lift my hands above my head and clap for him. He gives me a wink and I try not to let the cuteness of his facial expressions make me reconsider dating him. The spotlight works, the props are complete and my actors know their lines. Everything is going to be okay.

“Oh shit,” Ricky mutters from behind me on stage. I swing around and find him ducking behind the side curtain, his face pale as he watches the back of the auditorium. My heartbeat races before I even know what I need to be nervous about. I glance toward the back, using my hand to shield the bright spotlight. Gwen walks down the aisle, arms around her stomach. She’s still wearing that baggy hoody and leggings, and she looks like she’s gained another ten pounds.

All in her stomach.

Blake walks behind her, a smug expression on his face.

Derek gets to them before I do, but only a second before. “I’ve got this,” I tell him, stepping in front of him before he gets in another fight with Gwen’s boyfriend. Gwen’s eyes are swollen and red from crying. She stares at her chipped nail polish and gnaws on her lip.

“What’s going on, Gwen?” I ask in a sincere voice. I don’t know what made her cry but she doesn’t need to lie to me. If Blake has hurt her, I won’t need to worry about Derek beating him up—I’ll do it myself.

She looks up and a leftover tear rolls down her face. She doesn’t bother to wipe it away. “I’m…Wren, I have to…” She swallows and I force myself to swallow too. I’m pretty sure I know what’s coming. “I’m sorry Wren. I have to quit the play.”

Yep. It hurt just as bad as I thought it would to hear her say those words. “Why?”

Gwen hesitates to answer and I glance at Blake. He doesn’t notice though… he’s staring at Derek. “She’s leaving school,” Blake says, lifting an eyebrow as if to challenge Derek. I don’t pay attention to their stupid staring match. All I care about is the trembling crying girl in front of me.

“Gwen, what happened? Why are you leaving school?”

Her hand touches her stomach. “I’m pregnant, Wren. I’ve known it for a while.”

Derek stiffens behind me. He isn’t touching me, but I can feel his emotions emanating off him. He’s angry, but not at her. “You aren’t that far along,” he says, looking at her stomach. “Why can’t you stay one last week and do the play?”

She shakes her head. “That’s what I was going to do. My parents just found out and they pulled me from school today. We’re moving back to my grandparent’s ranch and I’m going to be homeschooled.”

“Oh god,” I mutter under my breath. She bursts into tears again.

My heart breaks for Gwen and I throw my arms around her in a hug. Her frail body feels cold against my skin. She sucks in a breath. “I’m sorry, Wren. I really am.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” I say as I hug her tightly.

“We’ll be fine,” Derek says, shuffling next to me. “Wren will make an awesome understudy. Don’t worry about us. You just take care of yourself.”

“You don’t need to worry about her wellbeing.” Blake sneers. “She’s my girl and I’m going to take care of her.”

Derek’s voice turns to ice. “Like how you took care of that fucking bruise on her arm?”