I stare at the girl in shock before schooling my features and looking across at Tully. I don’t think anyone has ever really had the balls to put us in our place like that, and I think this weird feeling pulsing through my veins is respect. How strange.

I wonder if that’s how Noah felt when I stood up to him that very first day.

How crazy.

“Way to go, little ‘Oompa Loompa,’” I say fondly. “Let’s go.”

Just like that, the three of us head out of the bathroom and meet up with the other ‘Oompa Loompas.’ “No one said anything about choreography,” Tully murmurs as some guy from my calculus class comes striding in with a bag of green wigs.

Half an hour later, we stand backstage as the play gets started while Tully and I desperately try to remember what the hell we’re supposed to be doing. I mean, it’s embarrassing enough just being a part of this, but if we were to go out there and stand around like idiots looking as though we didn’t have a clue, that would be so much worse.

“You ready, girls?” Mrs. Carson says, walking up to us with a wary look before roaming her eyes over our costumes to make sure everything is in place.

“Nope,” Tully says.

“Tough luck. The show starts in three minutes and you’re going out there whether you like it or not.”

I look across at her. “Do we get some kind of extra credit for doing this?”

She scoffs, looking absolutely appalled by my question. “Extra credit?” she laughs. “What you’re getting is the opportunity to perform in a school musical rather than face another suspension or maybe even expulsion if you consider your records. We take bullying extremely serious in this school.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that we were trying to help him?” Tully groans.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I scoff. “This school does not take bullying seriously. They turn a blind eye and you know it. How many times during my first year here did I come to you and tell you what was going on with those damn cheerleaders? Not once did you do anything about that, none of you damn teachers did. You’ve got your wires crossed.”

She ignores every word I say and turns up her nose. “I’ve told you already; unless you can supply evidence that you were there to help that young man, then you’re staying right here and performing proudly for your school.”

“Are you kidding?” Tully laughs. “Aiden told you himself.”

“Right,” she scoffs. “You want me to believe the victim when he says that you didn’t do it. You probably pressured him into saying that. I’ve seen how the students of this school fear you and those boys, Noah and Rivers. You could get just about anyone to do whatever you want and now it’s time to face the consequences.”

I take a step towards Mrs. Carson and even in this ridiculous outfit, I somehow manage to still appear intimidating. “Walk away.”

The irony isn’t lost on me that I’ve literally just done the one thing that we’re being accused of, but I don’t care, not after the way she just spoke of my pack and treated us like shit she stepped in.

Mrs. Carson narrows her eyes on me for a moment before giving in and stepping away.

“That was a dangerous move,” Tully warns me.

I shrug my shoulders. “She’s not going to do anything,” I tell her. “People like her are only interested in doing something if they can somehow gain. If she continues pushing, she risks that we screw up her play and that’s not a risk she’s willing to take.”

“Good point,” she murmurs. “You know it’s scary how easily you can read people.”

“Consider it a gift,” I tell her. “When you’re on the outskirts and bullied for so long, you quickly learn how to read people’s intentions. Mrs. Carson’s are her own personal growth and success. She’s pretty pathetic and self-centered if you ask me.”

The show starts and Tully and I make our way over towards the other ‘Oompa Loompas’ as to not miss our cue. We watch on from the side and soon enough, we’re being forced onto that stage.

Noah’s loud roaring laughter is heard above all else and I grin up at him to find not only Noah, but Aiden, Spencer, and Jared, all joining in with Noah’s rowdy laugh.

I hear Tully sigh beside me which is when the music starts.

Damn, this is going to be awful.

Precisely forty-five minutes later, Tully and I run off the side exit of the stage after completing our final scene. The show is still going but as long as we are no longer needed, we’re out of here.

We each rip off our wigs, toss them into a pile of costumes backstage and search out our clothes. We hurry into the bathroom and get ourselves cleaned up but let’s face it, I’ll be finding orange paint for weeks.

Tags: Sheridan Anne Haven Falls Romance
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