The Stage Is Set

 

Marian laid sprawled across the stage, the lights shining down on her. Ah, yes. The stage. Born (well, might as well have been at least) and raised onstage. Acting was a healthy vent for her whenever she was full of energy or anger. Singing was a way to release the power and strength of her soul. Writing was an account of her emotional and spiritual growth. And dancing…was a way for her body to taste the grace of her immortal side by having her soul guide her body into the movement and positions desired and it allowed her to move with the speed like she was moving with sound. Yes. The stage was where she belonged. It was her first love; maybe her only love.

 

Relaxing into the floor (she was used to it by now), she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of doing nothing. The theater was her world, the stage her ground, the lights a second sun…there was nothing to interrupt this Eden of hers…

 

“Oh. My. GOD! I HATE MY FATHER!”

 

Maybe except that. Marian shut her eyes tighter and some tension started seeping into her body. Well, it was better than having to deal with Frank all day…all that guy did was dish out bad jokes as if fourth period wasn’t enough…

 

“Mehhhhhhhh! Try having to write about MY life, Shakespeare!” Ann screamed, pulling and tossing some books out of her backpack. Marian was still trying to relax until a pink book ended up on her face.

 

“Ah! Ann!” Marian pulled, A Midsummer Night’s Dream off her face and shook it in the air as she began to lecture Ann.

 

“You don’t throw Shakespeare’s works around! It’s even worse than tossing the Bible!” Ann gave Marian a look.

 

“Or using it to smash a chocolate chunk? Like what you did last week at my house?” Marian blushed.

 

“I didn’t want to break it and have a mess all over the floor…” Ann rolled her eyes. Marian shook her head as she sat on the edge of the stage.

 

“So, I guess your dad’s still giving you a hard time about Randall?” Ann sighed.

 

“Yeah. He keeps telling me what a jerk he is. I don’t know how he’d ever know since he’s ALWAYS in his room, trying to mess around with the bank accounts to see if he’s got enough money to buy that stupid speed boat he wants so badly!” Marian rolled her eyes.

 

“No wonder your mom divorced him…”

 

“Yeah. She was the smart one.”

 

“But this is low even for your dad…c’mon don’t you think him threatening you to either pull you out of the dance completely or making you serve at that charity ball at the spaghetti dinner is a bit harsh? C’mon, I’d understand if you lied on your tax form or if you told your dad that you want to act, but this is…this is stupid…we need you Ann. You’re a part of this dance. We can’t do this with just two people. This is ridiculous…”

 

 Ann shook her head and jumped- there was a pair of arms around her waist.

 

“Hey you…” Marian giggled when she saw the blush running across Ann’s face. Randall was still cute as ever. If Marian ever admitted she once liked Randall…oh, that wouldn’t be pretty at all…

 

“Ahem…when you’re done smooching over there, can we get started with dance practice?” Ann shrugged Randall off her.

 

“Sorry, baby. I have to dance because Marian’s going to get bitchy if I don’t!” Randall laughed.

 

“Yeah right, bitchy. If you REALLY want to see her bitchy, you should see her in fourth period!” Marian glowered at Randall.

 

“Hey! You try sitting behind a guy whose idea of a good joke is turning around and going, ‘Pull my finger!’ That’s not exactly tasteful! It’s just…classless!”

 

“Not really. He does it in class!” Marian grabbed her forehead. Sometimes being around two people who dyed their hair blond REALLY grates on the nerves…

 

“Meh…”

 

“Hey, Renee! Look behind you! I think that’s Lance Bass behind you! Why don’t you go stalk him! Leave me alone!”

 

“But, James…”

 

“No, Renee! Just…God, just please go away!” James stormed into the theater with Renee pursuing with her heart in her hands.

 

“Renee! Would you please leave? You’re annoying the hell out of me!” Renee stood near James and put her hands on her waist annoyingly herself.

 

“James. I have practice in here. And the only reason why I’m following you around is because I need to talk to you about something important and you keep running for the hills! It’s kind of hard to talk to somebody about something important when they keep running away!” James rolled his eyes and stared Renee down.

 

“Oh yeah? Well, what IS this important thing, pray you tell? Is it about how much you LOVE me, or how you can’t live without me or you keep seeing me in your dreams…” Renee looked up, apparently hurt beyond belief with bitter tears in her eyes. Randall and Ann cradled and Marian looked over Renee with deep compassion. Marian knew from the moment Renee laid eyes on James, she started to fall; corny, Marian thought, but true. Of course, Marian really had to hold her back (not being a woman who believed in love at first sight) and coach her through it all, up to where she faced James, telling him that she cared. Renee was shocked, but nevertheless, overjoyed when James told her he felt the same. Marian rested her chin on her hands. What happened to him? Where was the sweet, caring, loving and tender James that Renee fell in love with?

 

Marian didn’t hold back a sigh of despair as James looked at Ann with desire in his eyes. Randall tightened his grip on Ann and she snuggled deeper into his embrace. That was when Renee turned his head to face her.

 

“I wanted to tell you that your guidance counselor needs your transcripts to look them over. I’ve been trying to tell you that for the past two days, and you’ve been pushing me away! I can’t tell you anything, because you’re being so immature that you won’t even listen to reason!” Renee stormed off into the backstage and threw anything that was in her way out onto the stage. Marian shook her head as another book collided with it. She growled.

 

“God! What is it with you people and throwing Shakespeare plays around?!” she yelled, picking up the copy of, A Winter’s Tale from off the ground. James lifted an eyebrow.

 

“You’re obsessed with Shakespeare, you know that, right?” She rolled her eyes.

 

“I care, why?” James smiled sweetly at Ann before giving Randall a death glare. Marian sighed once again. James and Randall were best friends…even when they were both going out with Renee and Ann. Why James fell for Ann, she would never really know. But she shook the thought out of her head and stood up.

 

“Ok. We need you guys out of here. We need to practice. We’re going to have a great performance that ALL three of us are going to love,” Marian said, throwing a glance at Ann, “and we’re going to win this talent show. So can you guys go? We can’t have any distractions.” Randall held Ann tighter. She smiled. Randall knew Marian understood what he was feeling. Ah yes, love…that thing that makes you hold on tighter to what you find beautiful.

 

“Ok. I’ll come pick you up after practice, ok?” Ann smiled that smile that only belonged to him.

 

“Ok. I’ll see you later, baby.” Randall began to let go when his eyes melted down to his heart.

 

“I love you, Ann.”

 

“I love you too, Randall.” She got on her tiptoes (Randall was about five inches taller than she was) to kiss him goodbye. He let her go, but never stopped looking at her until he tripped over a chair in the audience section.

 

“Ah!” he yelled, his legs flying in the air as he fell behind the chair.

 

“I’m…I’m ok…” Renee snickered as she came out of the backstage and seeing Randall just getting up. Marian bent her head down.

 

“Wasn’t worried…”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“…truth is wherever it is found…” Marian closed her philosophy book and pulled out her quote book. After she jotted the quote down, she stuck it under the cover of her notebook and continued taking notes. Her teacher looked at the clock.

 

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we have ten minutes before lunch. Remember not to leave your seat, however, you can always do the half seat method. Have a moral life!” Marian rolled her eyes. Moral? Her life? That was about as probable as Frank not being annoying…

 

“Hey, Marian!” Speak of the devil, she thought.

 

“Frank…aren’t you done annoying me for one day? You already nearly clobbered me today when you thought I was selling donuts.” Frank rolled his green eyes.

 

“Hey! I was hungry today! Geez, you know, you could ALWAYS cheer up a little bit, Mari!”

 

“Marian, dude. Get it straight. It’s MARIAN. Not Mary, not Mia, not Mayonnaise!” Marian recalled that incident in sophomore year when Frank called out to her, but called her Mayonnaise.

 

“I misheard!” he defended. “I didn’t hear it correctly! I thought it was a nickname or something!” Yeah, she thought. My nickname is white slop that tastes like crap. Oh yeah, fits me perfectly.

 

“Will you get over that stupid incident? Geez, that was two years ago!”

 

“It’s still stupid to this day.” Frank rolled his eyes a numberless time. Marian braced herself. Normally after a conversation like this, he would lean forward to her and ask the inevitable…

 

“Marian…why are you so damn uptight? I swear, if you were small enough, I could use you as a spring in my mattress. You’re always so damn negative, and you don’t see the bright side of things.” Marian leaned back. Ok…so he wasn’t going to ask her to pull his finger. She was about to ask where that question came from until he turned back around and put his notebook away. The bell announced the end of the period and the beginning of lunch. She gathered her books and was about to talk to Frank until he sped out of the room- very unlike what he usually did. But she shrugged it off and met Ann out in the hallway.

 

“So, how was chemistry?”

 

“Sucked, as usual. You know me.” Marian snickered.

 

“Yeah. The only chemistry you’re interested in is the one in between you and Randall!” Ann sighed in contentment. Oh yeah, Marian thought. I love it when I’m right.

 

“So…how are you two?” Ann sighed again.

 

“Well. WE are doing great. Randall is possibly the sweetest man I’ve ever met before in my life. Hey, Marian?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Ever get that…well, feeling?” She lifted an eyebrow.

 

“What feeling?” Ann shrugged, like she was having trouble understanding her own thoughts as well.

 

“Like…well, when you fall in love with somebody? And they’re like so…perfect?” Marian shrugged.

 

“Well, I don’t know, I’ve never really-”

 

“I mean, like Randall can read my every thought. He knows me like the back of my hand. And whenever I’m near him…all my trouble falls away. But whenever like I talk about it? Nothing I say seems to come close to what I’m feeling. Like…I guess there just aren’t any words to describe it. And all I can do…is say the big, ‘L’ word. Everything I feel for Randall runs so deep down inside of me. Marian?”

 

“Yeah?” Ann took a deep breath.

 

“I…I think he’s the one.” Marian lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

 

“…the one? Like…THE one?”

 

“Well…yes. I’ve never felt this way about anybody before. Never. Randall is the only one I’ve felt this with, and I’ve had a few boyfriends before him, you know? Marian…I love him. Oh God! Saying the words…I can’t describe this feeling…it’s so…so…”

 

“Indescribable?” Ann looked up.

 

“Yeah. How did you know?” Marian sank a little.

 

“Just a guess.”

 

“Marian? Do you realize we’re in an empty hallway now?” Marian looked around. Yes indeed, the small hallway was void of people, save Marian and Ann.

 

“Yeah. I can see that.” Ann sighed.

 

“I can’t take this anymore.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m in love with Randall, Marian.”

 

“I know that, Ann, what-”

 

“And my dad hates him.”

 

“So what, just don’t-”

 

“You know what? I’m running away with him.”

 

“I know, I know, I just- what?!”

 

“After graduation. I can’t stand this anymore. I’m in love with him. He’s the one, Marian. He’s the one I’m going to love all my life. And he loves me too, the same way, I can see and feel it in the way he loves me. We’re leaving to stay in Washington with his dad after graduation.” Ann put her hand on Marian’s shoulder as she stood there, gaping.

 

“Don’t worry, you and Renee are going to be in my bridal party. Don’t be offended that my cousin has to be maid of honor. She’s been like a sister to me my whole life. But I’ll fly you and Renee out there.” Marian stood up straight.

 

“Does Randall know about this?” A hand smacked Marian upside the head.

 

“No, Marian,” Ann retorted sarcastically, “I’M the one who proposed. Of course he knows, he thought the whole idea up! I’m going to go tell him right now. Can you believe it, Marian? I’m getting married!” Ann scooped Marian in a hug before she ran to the hallway door and smashed right into it. Marian shook her head as Ann slid down to the floor unconscious.

 

“They’re perfect for each other,” she muttered to herself. She began to turn around as she saw a somewhat familiar figure run down the hallway the opposite direction.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Drew Wade]

'"Oh. My. GOD! I HATE MY FATHER!"' well, that does tend to jump out at one. coming after the fact that it's a pretty peaceful scene, it takes me by surprise. I guess what I want to know is, where is that voice coming from?

I've got two suggestions, which I think will elevate the level of this writing to amazingly as awesome as can be. (and if you're wondering where I'm getting these, I just read a book called 'the first five pages' by noah lukeman, and it's good.)

you've got a lot of dialogue in here. the issue is not that it's not written well, because it is. in fact, all of your dialogue is written well. but that there's a hell of a lot more than a lot of people can stand. it's kind of serving to slow the pace down. some people who don't appreciate dialogue are just inclined to skim it, and for them, skimming it would be to skim through the whole chapter almost.

second, I think you could cut some.

that being said, even for a younger you, this was a great start.

i'm sorry if that seemed really critical. not trying to be.