Waking Ms. Briar; a sweet, clean romance_A Middleton Prep Novella

by Laura Ann

  “Ah...” Fauna said.

  Tom raised his hand. “How many are we looking to cast? What will we do if there are too many kids?”

  Steven turned to address Tom. “I don’t think we have enough students to worry about that, plus I don’t want to put kids out. I propose that anyone who doesn’t have a named role simply be part of the ensemble, or work backstage.”

  “Meaning?” Rory asked.

  “Meaning they are part of the background people.” Steven rubbed his temple like he was getting a headache.

  This must be hard for him, working with people who have no idea what they’re doing. Not to mention his eyes are bloodshot and his hair a mess, like he didn’t get enough sleep last night. What could have kept him up all night? She fought her feelings of sympathy, not wanting to soften towards him at all.

  “Are we all good then?” Steven asked.

  Everyone nodded their head, and the meeting was dismissed.

  ON SATURDAY MORNING, Rory was at The Center bright and early to help set up for auditions. They had asked each child to bring a short monologue to recite. She also had a stack of copied papers for those who didn’t have access to one or who forgot theirs; they could simply read the one provided.

  Steven walked in with a box in his arms. Setting it down at their table, he opened it and offered a book to Rory.

  “You look like you feel better. Were you getting sick?” The words were out of Rory’s mouth before she could stop them.

  Steven looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “Well...I mean...it’s just that you looked overtired the other day, your eyes were bloodshot and you kept rubbing your forehead like you were getting a headache. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Rory stumbled over the words, trying to make it out to be not be a big deal.

  Steven took a couple of steps in her direction. “It’s nice to know you were worried about me, Aurora.”

  “I wasn’t! I mean, I was, but I—” She stopped, unsure how to get out of the situation. Spying the book he had offered her, she grabbed it, being careful not to touch him in the process. “What’s this?” She asked.

  “The script.” He scrunched his lips together, like he was holding back a laugh.

  “Oh!” Sitting down, she began to flip through the pages. Excitement grabbed her as she read through some of the words. “I’ve never done a play before.” She smiled at Steven, her defenses momentarily forgotten.

  A chair screeched against the floor as Steven pulled up a seat close to Rory’s side and sat down, his shoulder rubbing hers.

  Immediately, she stiffened, her brick wall reforming as little sparks shot out from the point of contact.

  Ignoring her tension, Steven leaned over and looked at the script she held. “It ought to be fun. Most of these kids have never done anything like this either, so it will be a learning experience all the way around.”

  Rory took a deep breath through her nose. He smells soooo good. Just like I remember... Without realizing it, she had followed her nose and was now facing him with her eyes still closed. She shot them open when she realized it had gone silent.

  Steven’s face was nose to nose with hers and his green eyes danced.

  Jerking back, she tried to distance herself enough to regain her bearings. She scooted her chair over a few inches and tried to calm the heat in her cheeks. “Do we—” She cleared her throat. “Do we have everything we need for the auditions?” Her eyes were on the book in her hands, refusing to look at him.

  “I suppose we do.” His voice was soft, and held a hint of disappointment.

  “Great. I’ll just go double check that the front door is unlocked from the outside.” She jumped out of her chair and made for the front entrance. Once reaching the door, she took a few moments to collect herself. She could feel her resolve to keep him away dissolving with each touch, each tender moment. I’ve got to do a better job at keeping my distance. Professional. It has to stay professional.

  “Good morning Ms. Briar!” One of the teenage boys who regularly attended her science group walked up the front steps.

  “Morning Marshall! Are you here to audition for the play?” She held the door open and followed him inside.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I mean...Mr. Phillips is pretty cool and he does stuff like this, so I thought why not?”

  “I think it’s great! Let’s just go right on down the hall and you can get your paperwork all filled out.”

  “‘Kay.” He followed her down the hall, and she helped him find what he needed.

  Before too long, the audition room was filled with talking and laughing, as a couple dozen teens and preteens anxiously waited for their turn to go up front.

  Rory settled herself in the front row, being sure to leave a few chairs between her and Steven, and pulled out a notebook and pen.

  Steven stood in the front of the room and swung his arms wide. “Welcome everyone! Are you ready for this?” He manipulated his voice to mimic a boxing announcer and the kids lapped it up; hooting and hollering in response. Laughing, Steven waited until the crowd died down to continue. “Awesome! We’re excited to see you all here today. Let’s set down a few rules. You will be called in the order you arrived, so unless someone has an emergency, please wait patiently for your turn. When you are called up, you will need to recite your monologue and then you will be asked to read a few lines for the character you’re most interested in auditioning for. Please remember to be respectful of other people auditioning. No laughing, heckling or mocking will be tolerated, you will simply be asked to leave. A few of you might be asked to stay and read a few more lines so we can better assess where we would like to place you. Thank you for being here. Marshall! You are up first.”

  The lanky, teenager’s cheeks were fiery red as he walked to the front. He stood with his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight from side to side.

  “Anytime you’re ready Marshall.” Steven encouraged with a smile.

  Marshall nodded and took a deep breath. “Four score and seven years ago...”

  Rory had to hold in a chuckle as Marshall recited the words from history. I’m not sure the Gettysburg address is exactly what Steven meant when he asked for a monologue.

  WHEN AUDITIONS WERE over, Rory felt as if her emotions had been through a roller coaster. After Marshall’s several minute recitation, they had another boy who spoke in a flat monotone, almost as if he were a robot. Then there was the girl who stopped four times because her phone buzzed in her pocket and she insisted she had to get it. One boy recited rap lyrics that Steven had to stop after fifteen seconds. Another girl giggled so much you couldn’t understand a word that came out of her mouth. The lowest point happened to a poor boy who was so nervous he never said a word before running off stage to throw up in a nearby garbage can.

  Despite all the disasters, however, there were several students who did very well; clearly speaking their words and presenting a good stage presence. Rory found herself surprised yet proud of their bravery for getting up in front of a crowd and putting themselves out there.

  WHEN THE LAST STUDENT had left the room, Rory took a deep breath and smiled. “It looks like that was the last one!” She said to Steven. “Whew! We had a really good turnout! I think almost every kid who comes to the center showed up. A couple even brought friends.” She shuffled through the papers, looking at names.

  Steven was chewing on the end of a pencil, looking deep in thought.

  “Steven?” Rory looked up, when he didn’t answer her.

  He remained quiet.

  “STEVEN!” She said forcefully.

  “Hmm?” He finally looked at her, blinking his eyes as if waking up from a daydream.

  “I said, we had a good turn out didn’t we?”

  “Oh, yeah, yeah, almost everyone came. Everyone except one.”

  Rory sat down, confused at his statement. “What do you mean? Did you have someone in mind who didn’t make it?”

  “Well...�
� He looked at her cautiously. “I had hoped Anita would come.”

  Rory’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious! That girl is all kinds of shy! She wouldn’t be caught dead on stage.”

  “No, see you’re looking at this from the wrong angle.” He sat forward, his eyebrows up and eyes wide, excitement reflected in their depths as he prepared to explain himself. “Anita isn’t shy, she’s scared. I’ve seen it before. She comes from a rough home, and has learned not to stand out, not to draw attention to herself. She doesn’t trust easily, but inside is a girl who is dying to express herself. She would be perfect for our Sleeping Beauty.”

  Although Rory found herself moved by his passionate speech, she also felt a hint of defensiveness for her student. “Well...it doesn’t matter, since she didn’t come to auditions.”

  “Hmm...”

  “Steven, you need to let whatever is swirling through your head go. Anita has had a rough time as it is. It’s only been recently that she has even started asking for my help in class, without me approaching her first. Putting her on stage would be a mistake.” That hint of defensiveness was threatening to grow into a full blown flame.

  “Let’s just focus on what we have in front of us,” Steven soothed.

  Taking a deep breath, Rory pulled her anger back in. “You’re right. Now...what did you think of Ashton’s song and dance routine?”

  CHAPTER 7

  On Monday morning, the cast list was posted outside the Language Arts room. There was a crowd around it when Rory arrived and she smiled at the group as she entered her science room. Shortly after she put her stuff down, her door opened and a large group of teenagers came into her room, most of them were chatting and laughing, but a few had scowls on their faces.

  “Is everyone excited about the play?” she asked.

  Most of the kids cheered, while a few pouted. “Well, congratulations to everyone involved. I understand some of you got some pretty big parts, and some of you are going to be helping us behind the scenes, each and every one of you is very much needed. I’m also aware some of you didn’t get the parts you wanted, but let’s look on the bright side! We don’t always get what we want in life, whether in a play or in a job or sports, but that’s doesn’t have to stop us from having a good time. Every part is important, and if we work together we are going to have a blast!”

  A few mumbles followed her lecture, but nobody made any blatant remarks.

  “Go Anita!” Ashton called from the back of the room.

  Rory scrunched her eyebrows. Looking over at Anita, who sat in her usual corner seat, she watched the girl turn bright pink from the call out and duck her head. “Anita?” She asked quietly. “What are you doing in the play? I don’t recall seeing you Saturday at auditions.”

  “Well...I didn’t audition....but Mr. Phillips pulled me aside when I got here and asked if I would be willing to play the part of Briar Rose.”

  Rory sucked in a breath. That jerk! I TOLD him to leave her out of this. “I see.” She worked hard to contain her frustration. “And how do you feel about that?”

  Anita shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s kinda cool, but I don’t really like to be in front of groups...so I’m not really sure...” Her voice trailed off.

  “Do you want me to talk to him about it?”

  Anita just shrugged again, “I guess it’s okay. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “I’ll be your prince charming, baby!” Another boy, Trent, yelled.

  Anita’s cheeks grew even redder, and she buried her face in her arms, but not before Rory saw a small smile grace her face at the call out.

  Could Steven have been right? Maybe she really would enjoy it... Shaking her head, she scolded the boy for the remark before having everyone get out their homework.

  AT THE DINNER BREAK that evening, Rory went down the hall to Steven’s room. Peeking in, she found him at his desk all alone. Closing the door behind her, she stomped across the room and confronted him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  He smiled in a way that Rory knew usually caused women to sigh, but she refused to be one of them. “I don’t know what you mean?” He shrugged innocently.

  “Why did you put Anita in the play? I thought we discussed this.”

  “We did. And then I decided to put her in anyway.”

  “I don’t understand how you can take the risk? I told you she was too shy and fragile for it.” Rory’s conviction about Anita was shaky after speaking to her earlier, but she couldn’t seem to control the ‘mother bear’ protectiveness that the situation brought out in her.

  His face became serious, dropping the charismatic facade. “You’re underestimating her Aurora. She needs this.”

  Rory scoffed. “Needs this? Really? Why in the world would she need this?”

  “Because everyone deserves a chance to shine, everyone deserves their big break, and for her...this is it.”

  “You act as if this is going to skyrocket a career for her or something. All you’re going to do is scare her into retreating back to her shell.”

  “Only time will tell.” He started gathering loose papers on his desk, before standing and walking around the desk to Rory. Stopping just a few inches away, his voice dropping. “Give her a chance Aurora. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

  Rory could smell the woodsy smell he carried and it was doing marvelous things to her senses, but was also making it difficult to concentrate on their conversation, or why she was even upset. “I—”

  Steven closed in even more. “Trust me Aurora.” His voice had gone husky.

  Rory’s squeezed her eyes tight, she couldn’t find the words to answer him.

  He took advantage of her shocked state and leaned in until his mouth was right next to her ear. She could feel the brush of his lips as he spoke. “Aurora.”

  Her whole body trembled at his nearness and his light touch. Does he know what he does to me? Of course he does... he does this to every female. With a sigh of regret, she stepped back and out of his reach.

  When she opened her eyes, green eyes, heavy with disappointment, stared back at her.

  “I need to get back to my room before the kids finish eating.” With a heavy heart and feet, she walked out the door, refusing to look back.

  CHAPTER 8

  When the first day of rehearsals arrived, Rory found herself excited for the adventure ahead.

  “I have no idea what I’m doing,” she confided to Flora, who sat thumbing through a book of period costumes.

  Flora smiled at Rory. “I suppose we’re never too old to learn something new, are we?”

  “I guess not.” Rory smiled back. “I didn’t know you and your sister sew. When did you learn to do that?”

  “Oh, our generation were all taught—” Flora started.

  “To sew. It was what—” Fauna walked over and sat down.

  “Girls did.” Flora finished.

  Rory grinned. She loved how they finished each other’s sentences. They were always so in tune with each other. They’re like the weird, but lovable aunts that you always see in the movies.

  “Hi, Ms. Briar.” A soft voice from Rory’s left said.

  Turning, Rory smiled wide. “Hi, Anita. You ready to get started?”

  Anita shrugged and her cheeks turned pink.

  Rory fought the frown that wanted to cross her face. I knew this wasn’t a good idea. This is just like Steven, to put his own ego ahead of somebody else’s well being. “You don’t really have to—”

  “Anita!” Steven’s loud voice called from across the room. “Wonderful! It looks like we can get started.” His hundred watt smile was in place and his whole body oozed charm. “Have a seat ladies and gentlemen! And we shall commence.” He swept his arms wide, indicating everyone should take seats in the circle he had created.

  Once everyone sat down, he began again. “Welcome, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here! This play is going to be epic!” He punched a fist in the air to emphasize
his words.

  A ‘woot’ went up from the crowd, followed by giggles and laughs.

  Thriving on the attention, Steven continued. “I know that many of you have never been in a play before, and that’s okay! You’re going to love this. Being on stage can be frightening but it also can bring great rewards! Camaraderie among castmates can last a lifetime! In fact, I’ve even known people who found their other half, their one true love, indeed their very soulmate while doing a play together.” He winked at the group of girls in the room and a collective sigh swept the crowd.

  Ugh! Rory thought. And everyone wonders why he drives me nuts.

  “He’s a good catch, that one.” Fauna twittered.

  Flora nodded her agreement.

  Rory gaped at them. “Are you serious?” She whispered, trying not to disturb everyone else. “I don’t find it attractive in a man when he flirts with every female in sight. My idea of a good man is one who focuses his attention on just one girl, not the whole crowd.”

  “Did you have something to add, Aurora?” Steven looked at her with a raised brow.

  “No. Sorry.” Rory snapped her mouth shut, feeling heat creep up her cheeks; hoping Steven hadn’t heard her comment.

  “No worries.” He grinned. “I was just about to introduce you anyway.” Looking back at the group he said, “Ladies and gents, let me introduce you to your production staff!” He waved towards the group of adults. “Ms. Briar is going to be my assistant director!” He led the clapping, and Rory waved at the group. “Come to her if you have any problems or concerns and she will see that it’s taken care of.”

  Rory smiled at the kids, their eagerness and excitement helped curb her annoyance at Steven.

  “And these two lovely ladies will be helping you all look your best, may I present your costume mistresses! The Misses, Flora and Fauna Merryweather!” The whole room erupted in hooting and hollering.

  The identical twins, both blushed bright pink and pushed their hands in an outward motion as if to say ‘stop it’, all while smiling.