The Beauty of Time

S   i   x

The Beauty of Time

Claire

            The day flew by and it was thirty minutes until I got to officially meet Avery in the flesh face to face. I was bursting with excitement.

            “Claire, you’re smiling like a little kid who just discovered the joys of candy. What’s up with that?” Bobby said having trouble not giving into a smile as we were walking down the hall wasting time before auditions. Apparently my happy attitude was seeping through. I tilted my head and looked at Bobby. “What?” he asked again.

            “I’m always happy and smiling. Why do you decide to point it out now?”

            “Because right now you’re smiling in a way I have never seen you smile. It’s genuine happiness. I honestly don’t think you’ve ever been happy like this before. Sure you have been happy and you’re a pleasant person, but this is a genuine one-hundred percent kind of happiness that you don’t seem to ever have.”

            “It’s quite honestly, nothing.” I insisted.

            “No, that’s not nothing. That’s definitely something, but I see, if you don’t want to tell me that’s up to you.”

            “Claire!” Kayla yelled from behind us. She ran up and linked arms with me. Bobby slid to the side just in time not to get knocked over. “You have been avoiding me all week. You choose Bobby over me now? What gives?” She whined.

            “Nothing! Why does everyone assume I have certain motives behind my actions? I wasn’t intentionally trying to ignore you. I’ve just been kind of busy.” Seriously though, what is it that makes everyone assume that?

            “Oh, yeah that’s right. I totally forgot that you were going to try out for Juliet. You have to practice your lines and work on your acting. I bet that takes like forever.”

            “What? Who said I was auditioning? I think I’m just going to observe and then get a private audition later if I decide to do it.”

            “It’s all over school. I just assumed that you were because it seemed like pretty accurate gossip about you.”

            “Gossip is exactly that – gossip. Don’t believe it until you hear it from the direct source and everything will work out fine.”

            “Yeah. So you’re not trying out for Juliet now? That’s so cool! I mean for me; I was going to try out if you weren’t. I even heard Avery might be trying out for Romeo!” Kayla winked.

            “Uh, I never said-”

            “Ah! This is so cool. Thanks, Claire; I’ll see you at try outs.” She said giving me a quick hug and then skipping off in pure bliss. My happiness was shattered for good. I looked at Bobby.

            “How do you get the exact words, ‘I AM NOT AUDITIONING FOR JULIET.’ out of what I said?”

            “Not a clue. I didn’t quite receive that message.”

            “That’s exactly what I thought.”

            “I’m sorry, Claire. You know Kayla’s popular and that gets to everyone sometime. Now is probably when it happened to kick in. Just ignore it.” Bobby put his arm around my shoulders in an act of comfort. “By the way, where is everyone’s favorite boy? I haven’t seen him since his first day.”

            “I’m sure he’s been around. Ya never know when someone may show up unexpectedly.” A slight smile began to surface again.

            “You’re probably right. Do you wanna grab a smoothie before we head to the auditorium?”

            “How do you always know how to make me feel better?”

            “Must come naturally, I guess. You want strawberry kiwi – your favorite? I’ll pay.”

            “Yeah, definitely.”

            “Alright. Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

 

›š›š›š›š

Titus

            “You are failing to devise a plan capable enough to succeed in the end result being destruction.” A voice from the darkness said.

            “Your Majesty, I apologize for your inconvenience. I was not expecting a Protector to come and imprint so soon.” The Dark Majesty was definitely loosing his cool. Ha-ha. It was probably all turning to steam.

            “I am becoming impatient far too soon for my liking as well as yours. It should not be taking this long.” His voice raised at the end in anger as he slammed his fist down on a hidden table, rattling whatever it was that had been resting there.

            “What would you like me to do? Have her run over by a bus?” At that instant two red beams flashed through the darkness glaring directly at me in pure hatred and anger.

            “You test my patience for the last time, boy, once more and you won’t see the light of day again.” The red dimmed to slight probe. “Now, I will explain once more and you better get it right after this. A Destroyer’s job is not to kill, but to destroy; hence the reason for the name. Your job entitlement is to bring the most destruction to a single son or daughter of the flesh as it is within our capabilities. We can allow illness and disease to enter their bodies, but not make it lethal; make them question their faith and beliefs; make them more susceptible to irritability; push them down; make them swear; plant in their head the idea to steal a candy bar; lie, kill, cheat, drink, fight, pregnancy, drugs! Your entire existence is to create pain in the lives of those that have choices and a life to live. You find out their weaknesses and every way you can to use it against them. Not kill! We do not kill! It’s not something we are allowed to carry out. You taking a life is an unimaginable punishment in replacement. Watch your step, but get the job done. How hard is that to understand?”

            “You’re right. I apologize once again. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

            “That’s what I like to hear, but it better lead to what I want to see. If you fail one more time I’m ordering a deadline.”

            “Yes, Your Majesty. It has been a pleasure.” I bowed and walked away into the surrounding red mist as swiftly as not to make it obvious, yet unable to help grinding my teeth and clenching my fists. The only way to succeed was to get past Avery. Claire’s life would be smoldering in ruins with Avery’s elimination fanning the flames. 

 

›š›š›š›š

Claire

            “Where is he?” I muttered to myself.

            “Where is who?” Bobby asked. I pretended to take a long drawn out sip of my smoothie to avoid the question. “Claire, why do you always try to avoid the subject when it happens to be something you find to be ‘touchy’? Confront the situation head on. If you don’t want to tell me then tell me that you don’t want to tell me.”

            “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just looking for a friend who’s supposed to be here.” I bowed my head and stared into the hole at the top of the straw, following it all the way to the pink concoction at the bottom.

            “That’s all you needed to say and I would’ve gotten the hint. Have you decided whether or not you’re going to audition today?” He asked. I repositioned myself on the dark red, plush, velvet material that made up the vintage theatre chairs’ cushions. Staring up at the stage, I watched two students pull the long curtains, made of similar material as the cushions, back to the sides revealing a decently large, but plain platform that had been so familiar over the past few years. Ms. Argus, the drama teacher, sat at a table at the front of the auditorium looking at papers in front of her. Some early students had come in and, like us, sat in various seats waiting for the auditions to begin. The more time that ticked by the larger the crowd became, but still no Avery. I breathed out a sigh and turned back to Bobby.

            “I might, but I don’t know what to do about Kayla. She assumed I was for sure not auditioning.”

            “Just explain to her what you really meant and then audition. She’ll understand. This is you area of expertise and she should respect that.”

            “Just because it’s my area of expertise doesn’t mean it can’t be hers too.”

            “She calls auditions try outs. She’s an athlete not an actress. Try outs are what you do for sports and auditions are for plays and productions.”

            “Yeah, but she probably just wants to try this new experience. Who am I to tell her she can’t?”

            “I never said tell her she can’t, but she can’t tell you that you can’t.”

            “True.”

            “Ok, Claire, I know you’re just trying to make excuses for her, but you need to stop putting yourself behind her just because you feel like being nice. You get so much crap from her that you don’t even take notice to. I see it all the time. You get trampled on by not just her, but her entire clan. Everyone sees how much potential you have, especially Kayla, so she tries to step on it as much as she can so it’s not noticeable any more. You have to let go; she’s not worth it.”

            “What? What are you talking about, Bobby? Kayla and I are best friends. How dare you say that about her?” Bobby was one of my closest friends how could he turn against Kayla? Was it jealousy? It couldn’t be after all these years, could it?

            “Everything I said is the truth. You just have to open your eyes to the reality of the situation. You’re not accepting the truth; you want to see what you want to see.” I stood up abruptly.

            “I’m sorry, Bobby, but I find that hard to believe. It really hurts that you would try to turn me against my friends out of jealousy.” I blurted out faster than I had thought through. I walked away and sat in one of the chairs towards the back. No sooner had I sat down, Ms. Argus stood up and turned around to face the decently sized crowd.

            “Welcome to the auditions for St. Casper High’s annual spring drama production. This year we will be performing a modern day twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. When I call your name please come up on stage and tell the audience what character you will be auditioning for, as well as the Act, and Scene in which you will be taking the lines from.  With that said I hope you all break a leg! The first audition will be performed by Dakota Erwin and after him will be Anna Lee.” She said and then returned to her spot facing the stage. Dakota walked on stage and quoted some of the plays famous words. He was decent, but Bobby would be by far much better. 

            I sat watching all the different performances. Some were good, but most were horrible. The forgetting of lines, tripping over of feet, nervousness, and the worst acting I have ever seen contributed to that last category. There were a few of course that were better than good and those would be the ones that get cast. Then I heard Kayla’s name called. She walked up on stage.

“Hi. I’m Kayla and I will be trying out for Juliet and I don’t know the Act or Scene. My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound: art thou Romeo and a Montague?” Kayla certainly did not know how to do a professional audition, but for the most part her acting didn’t suck too badly. Finally, Bobby was called.

            “I will be taking my lines for Romeo from Act I, Scene 1. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, for beauty starved with severity cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, to merit bliss by making me despair: she hath forsworn to love, and in that vow do I live dead that live to tell it now.” I can’t believe how much Bobby progressed in his skills since last year. He was sure to land the role. I guess I really shouldn’t be mad at him. He just seemed to be looking out for me. Bobby walked off the stage and sat back down in the seat he had been in before. I got up and began to walk over to him to apologize.

            “To end the auditions it will be Miss. Claire Scarlett!” Ms. Argus yelled from the front of the auditorium. My heart paused for a second and then skipped a beat. I froze in place with shock. My eyes were the only things that could move to a degree. I hadn’t signed up to audition. How was I on the list? Now of course, Kayla was hurrying over to find out what was going on.

            “Claire, what are you doing? You aren’t supposed to be trying out! Why are you taking this away from me? If you try out, you know you’ll get the part of Juliet…” Kayla rattled on about how I was stealing her one chance and that she was disappointed and that I turned my back on her out of selfish desires. Blah. Blah. Blah. I wasn’t even paying attention with the little span I had left.

            “Claire, are you here?” Ms. Argus asked again in her booming voice.

            “Yes! She’s here. She’s on her way.” His voice was immediately recognizable although I hadn’t a clue how. I had never heard him talk. I melted in place, yet still stayed frozen. He came! He actually came! What on earth was he doing saying that I’m on my way up? He has no right, but he came! A hand gripped my arm and gently pulled me along through the aisle, up the stairs, and now onto the stage. I stood in the blinding spotlights with him beside me.

            “Ah, there you are, Claire, and is that Avery up there too?” Ms. Argus looked up at us. I squinted past the lights and into the audience. I barely distinguished Kayla and Bobby who were both wearing bright red and angry faces. Kayla I could understand, but Bobby?

            “Yes, it is Avery. Claire and I will be performing our auditions together. I will be auditioning for Romeo and Claire as Juliet. We will be taking our lines from Act I, Scene 5.”

            “Oh, how excellent! What a treat to end the auditions! Please begin when you’re ready.” Our drama teacher said enthusiastically with a slight giggle.

            “Shall we begin?” Avery whispered to me. I gave him a sarcastic look. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He winked. He turned to face me and began to speak Shakespeare’s words as if they were just flittering off the page and filling the air with all the emotion that they were meant to have. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this; my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” How graceful his words twirled in the air with elegance and beauty. There was no other way to describe it than to say it took my breath away lifting everything off me as if I were floating effortlessly. I lost track of what was happening and then realized that the air became heavier and it was silent. Avery stared back at me calmly, but with a slight hinting smile tugging at his mouth. I was very distracted, but retraced his last words and was able to get my bearings just in time. Thank goodness for all the memorizing of lines for this play when I was little. I wanted to play Juliet so badly that I spent hours at a time getting her lines down.

            “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion show in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands to touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer’s kiss.” The words flowed effortlessly from my lips and out into the air where they seemed to have almost the same effect. How do you describe such a thing as what had just transferred between the two of us? It was more than just chemistry between both of us, but something that everyone in the room shared together in unison.

            “Have not saint’s lips and holy palmers too?” He asked, his smile now revealing curiosity and wonderment.

            “Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.”

            “O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.” He reached forward and interlocked his fingers in mine.

            “Saints do not move, though grant for prayer’s sake.” I looked up into his eyes allowing me to be taken away by the moment.

            “Then more not while my prayers’ effect I take. Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged.” He then leaned into me and gave me a tender kiss on the lips. That was when it seemed that the earth had just toppled over and I was in heaven. I breathed in a quick breath of fresh air, but his sweet scent still lingered in it. I looked up at him with feelings that had swelled almost to an unbearable point.

            “Then have my lips the sin that they have took.” My voice had even transformed to a breathy and almost husky tone.

            “Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.” Then he held my neck safely in his hands as the world began to spin again, his lips against mine. Everything seemed just as it had always been meant to. Perfection. Love. What could be better? My eyes were closed as I whispered back to him.

            “You kiss by the book.”

   

© By Amanda Gloth