"For you? I'd hold the skies on my shoulders, if it came down to it."
*****
He didn't think she'd ever look his way. Let alone, stumble into him- and into his life. But all things happen for a reason, and sometimes- when you love someone from afar...
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THE PLAY WAS set to be around six weeks from now, which meant practice had begun.
The cast this time was particularly lovely- with a lot more familiar faces, and so Mr. Rossi hadn't wasted any time with handing out the scripts and getting into rehearsals.
To save time and make sure everyone was at the same pace, he always divided all students into groups based on their scenes and made them practice amongst themselves. Then, he'd watch each group individually- offering advice on how to do better, and after that, he'd put it all together while making sure the transitions were smooth.
But what was surprising, was that this time he asked me to do something more.
"Ophelia," he says quietly, "What do you think about being a part of the play this time?"
"I am a part of the play, aren't I?" I give him a funny look, before understanding what he had meant, "Oh- Oh. Wait- what?"
He had given me a small smile. "Nothing major, of course- the Lord knows you'd run off stage if people looked at you for too long. How about- someone in the background?"
I wasn't going to lie- that had always been a dream.
There was absolutely no way I could be the main character because I couldn't remember any of the dialogues and I couldn't handle being the center of attention.
But to be a part of the play as a character- no matter how insignificant- made it feel like I was a part of the world created.
Being a background character meant living through the whole play experience without having to do anything major- except let my imagination run wild. Honestly? That sounded perfect.
"I think you'd make a great background fairy," he prompts, as I stare out into the chattering students, running my mind over the idea.
"And I think," I say, a slow smile spreading across my face, "I'd love to be a background fairy."
He laughs heartily at that. "Knew you'd like it."
I squeal a little in my spot, shrugging my shoulders as I shuffle my feet, while Mr. Rossi turns to one group of students, "Reed Ocean?"
The blond guy in question lifts his head, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Yes sir?"
Mr. Rossi beckons him closer, and Reed drags his feet as he makes his face toward us- a bored look on his face.
"Ophelia can be your fairy partner," Mr. Rossi gestures to me, "Take her through the main steps."
"Hmm," Reed gives me a once-over, his nose in the air. He was one of the smartest people in our grade, a tad bit snobbish in the way that he'd look down on most others, but I was hoping he'd be alright.
