She sank down on the floor by the sinks and tried to comprehend what that meant. She had spent so many months thinking she was in love with him. Did it mean that actually she wasn’t? Or was it just because he felt nothing that it didn’t work? Did attraction have to be two ways?
After a few deep breaths she felt calmer. She was still confused about her feelings. All those months of obsessing about him and now she wasn’t sure he was right for her after all.
***
Gabriel stopped smiling the minute Flora disappeared from view. He hadn’t meant to be quite so tough on her. But her crush on him was getting annoying. She was a nice girl and he hoped he hadn’t scared her, he just wanted to put her off. Mind you, he reflected walking back to his dorm, it had been rather tempting just for a moment there. He had seen her in the library, she looked quite lovely with her hair swinging in a ponytail rather than that awful plait she so often wore. If only she played it a bit cool, but she was like a cuddly Labrador, just waiting to be stroked and petted, and he knew himself well enough to know that if girls were too nice he ended up treating them like dirt.
He’d done her a favour by staying cold. Hopefully that would be the end of it now and she’d move on and find someone more suitable.
It could have been pleasant though, and just for a second, when he put his hand on her leg, he had actually considered kissing her as if he meant it. She would have been sweet and adoring, and he missed the warmth of having someone.
He thought again about Vanessa. She had tried to ring him several times since they broke up, but he had ignored her calls. What was the point in dragging it out? She’d blown it with him; once it was over he didn’t go back.
Chapter Ten
“There was a deliberate voluptuousness that was both thrilling and repulsive. And as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal till I could see in the moonlight the moisture. Then lapped the white, sharp teeth. Lower and lower went her head. I closed my eyes in a languorous ecstasy and waited.”
Bram Stoker, Dracula
Out of habit Grace walked the long way to rehearsal. It was Friday at three-thirty, and Ben finished Chemistry on a Friday at three-thirty. Grace found her legs taking her past the Chemistry Lab as usual as the classroom emptied.
She generally just smiled at Ben as she went past. It was one of the many times a day that they “accidentally” saw each other. She knew it was kind of creepy that she had memorised his entire timetable, and that her seeing him each day in this way was tantamount to stalking, but it was only for a few moments; she never did anything or spoke to him for the most part. Perhaps the occasional “hi” would be exchanged. Once or twice he had walked with her as they had gone on to another part of the school. She had treasured those moments.
This particular Friday she wished she had taken a different route. As Ben fell into step beside her she realised that his presence had become more of a torture than a pleasure.
“Off to rehearsal?” he asked.
“Yes, thankfully just this last one to get through before the holidays. Let’s hope everyone will have learnt their lines by the time we get back next term. I hate having to tell them off all the time.” She rolled her shoulders at the thought of it.
“Oh dear.” Ben looked guilty. “I’ll make sure I know all mine, I promise.”
“It’s not you,” she reassured him. “Alex and Sophie have a lot of work to do, and Liam Anderson. I think taking on the role of Van Helsing was a bit more demanding than he anticipated. He’s already taking five A-levels, plus he’s a prefect, so I think he’s being stretched a bit thin. Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about Gabriel or Beatrice, they’ve both been brilliant and seem to be doing loads of extra rehearsal in their own time.”
Ben nodded thoughtfully. “And I suppose you’re responsible for finding something for all the other people to do as well? Doesn’t everyone in our entire year have to contribute in some way?”
“Unfortunately yes. The good news is that everyone doing Drama A-level is keen to work on it. The people doing Art or English have also got involved in the sets and the script and stuff. It’s finding tasks for the people who aren’t actually interested that’s a challenge. Thankfully there are a ton of easy jobs to do on the night of the actual performance. Selling programmes and showing parents to their seats, that kind of thing.” Grace felt weary, and wondered why on earth she had agreed to be director. It had just been so nice to be recognised for a change, to know that her fellow students had actually voted for her because they thought she could be good at it. In her low moments she wondered if they had selected her because she was a sucker who would do all the hard work.
She changed the subject. “So, we’re playing Clifton tomorrow?”
The rugby match scheduled for the next day was a big deal. Compass Court First Fifteen Team was made up of pupils from years Six and Seven, and playing against Clifton usually presented an exciting game. Most of the upper school would turn out to watch it. Ben had been a fixture in the team all year.
“Yeah, bring it on. I hope you’ll wear our colours again?” Ben shot a glance at Grace.
She flushed. When had he noticed that she wore the colours? Compass Court played in rather distinctive green and yellow striped shirts. Not the kind of colours you saw together very often. But Grace had been shopping in London last summer and had seen a kilt in a green and yellow check that had been a dead ringer for the rugby colours. She had worn it to every single home game this season.
“Oh, um, well, I just thought it was in keeping, you know?” She tripped over her feet in embarrassment.
“You have to wear it again tomorrow. The boys and me are superstitious about stuff like that. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but we haven’t lost a single game when you’ve been there in that skirt.”
Grace turned brick red. Had the whole team been talking about her skirt? Surely not – there were any number of people with scarves knitted in the colours, and lots of younger boys who bought rugby shirts in the colours from the school shop.
“I’ll be there,” she mumbled. After all, she was always there, she had watched every home match played since the day Ben had taken up rugby five years ago.
Together they climbed the stairs to the school theatre.
In the large room behind the stage Diana was conducting another costume fitting. Today’s rehearsal was for the scene where all the lead characters storm Castle Dracula.
Gabriel, Beatrice, Liam, Alex and Jenna were already there in full costume.
Jenna blew Ben a kiss as he entered the room and he grinned shyly at her. Grace felt her heart drop: they were clearly a couple now. She struggled to hide her dislike of the other girl and tried to avoid looking at her. Jenna, who generally managed to look amazing even in school uniform, was ridiculously sexy in her Bride of Dracula dress. Grace, who was still in uniform, miserably wished she had the figure to carry off a dress like that, but she knew she didn’t, never in a million years.
Ben picked his costume off the clothes rail and slipped into one of the three small dressing rooms to change.
“We thought we might do it in costume today,” Owen told Grace as he entered through the backstage door. “See if it makes everyone up their game a bit by feeling more in character.”
“Good idea.” Grace nodded. She walked out on to the stage. The set was really coming together as well. Leo and Rose, who were both taking Art A-level, had done a wonderful backdrop of the castle against a full moon, and had half finished painting cardboard gates giving an entrance into the supposed courtyard of the castle.
Before the stage a small group had gathered. Friends of the cast had snuck in to watch the rehearsal. Grace sighed. It was hard keeping them out, usually she got rid of the crowd to help the actors focus, but today she just couldn’t be bothered. Perhaps their presence would be another incentive for the cast to make an effort with their performance.
Owen and Pam were backstage instructing the actors, so Gra
ce took herself to a seat in front of the stage next to Sophie, who was lounging in the Assistant Director’s chair. She had her feet up on the table in front of her and was noisily going through a bag of crisps.
“You’ll have to move when Felicity gets here,” Grace warned her. She looked round. “Where are Felicity and Bradley?”
Sophie coughed delicately. “I think you might find they are making use of dressing room three.”
“Oh for goodness sake!” Grace jumped up and shouted through the curtains. “Felicity! Get your bum out here right now, we’re about to start.”
Sophie smirked and moved back a row. “Calm down, Gracie, it’s supposed to be fun.”
Grace slumped into her seat. “Sorry, I’m having a bad day.”
“Relax, sweetie. It’s the holidays next week. Everyone is already on demob and there’s no point in stressing. I’m sure they’ll all take it much more seriously next term, it just feels such a long way off at the moment.” Sophie leaned forward and massaged Grace’s shoulders.
Grace smiled at her gratefully. Sophie was right, and everyone would probably do better if they were enjoying it anyway. She really had to chill out.
Felicity St John appeared looking a bit red-faced, followed by Bradley Delacroi, who looked decidedly pleased with himself. Owen Lang and Pam McBride also took their seats.
Now that she had her full team assembled, Grace nodded to Jerry Doury, who was manning the stage curtains. They swept back and the small audience of cast friends behind her gave a reassuring murmur of admiration.
She began to relax. The set did look fantastic, and as Liam, Alex, Ben and Beatrice came onto the stage, she was really pleased with their costumes too. The boys looked every bit Victorian gentlemen, and Beatrice, in a bottle-green velvet dress with ruffled sleeves and a bustle, actually looked quite lovely. Grace realised Beatrice must already be wearing the corset as well; her waist was almost tiny, and the bustle gave her some great curves. She studied Beatrice – she was sure her face looked thinner too, and less spotty. Once they added in the stage make-up, she would really look the part. Grace felt really pleased she had talked the others into giving Beatrice that role.
***
Up on stage Beatrice was acting her socks off. Not that she was wearing socks with the awful dress they had put her in, but she felt every bit the part of Mina, calling for her true love.
Beatrice felt dreadfully sorry for Gabriel; he was currently in a coffin by the “door” to the castle, waiting for his cue. It was supposed to be full of earth, but thankfully Grace and Owen had decided to line it with black silks instead because it would have taken him too long to wash it all off before the next scene.
Beatrice saw the unusually large audience of at least twenty people and felt her hands begin to shake slightly. Would they carry on after this scene and make her and Gabriel do the final scene, which came next, where they kiss again?
Over the last two weeks Gabriel had kissed her five more times in their one-to-one rehearsals. Each time it had felt more and more intimate. She was starting to get comfortable with his hands on her. In general she wasn’t used to being touched, but Gabriel was so clearly at ease having his hands full of female, that she had become accustomed to it. But that had always been in private. It wasn’t the same thing at all to do it with everyone watching. Would they laugh? Would Owen?
***
Grace was feeling happier with every minute. Clearly having the actors in costume and the audience present was having a good effect. Gabriel and Beatrice were word perfect, and when they were on stage it seemed to energise the performance of the others as well. She was just starting to think it was all going to be all right, when Jenna appeared on set. She was higher up than the others, on a raised area looking down at the men and Mina. Her black dress was laced tightly down the front with red lace peeping over the low-cut neckline. Her black hair swung as she crawled back and forth on the “battlement” baiting the group below.
“She’s going to fall out of that dress if she’s not careful,” Sophie whispered cheerfully behind Grace.
“Let’s hope so,” Grace heard Owen mutter beside her. Pam poked him hard in the ribs.
“Whore of Satan!” shouted Liam on stage. Grace wholeheartedly agreed. Jenna was giving an excellent performance of lip-licking and pouting clearly captivating to the male members of the audience.
With Liam and Beatrice “trapped” inside a circle of salt, it was up to Alex and Ben to deal with Jenna.
She jumped down on to the stage, showing a great deal of leg and red lace petticoat as she did so. She was clearly enjoying herself; she hissed at them theatrically through her fangs, before spinning round knocking them both onto their backs at either end of the stage.
Grace winced. She would have to get some kind of padding for them to land on next time; both boys had done a very ham-fisted job of falling realistically.
Jenna turned her attention on Ben, who lay nearest, and crawled over his body. Pressing herself against him, she held him down.
Grace watched as if it was happening in slow motion. She gritted her teeth until it ached. Jenna straddled Ben, then she turned his head away and licked his neck.
Grace heard a loud crack and looked down to find the pencil she was holding snapped cleanly in two. She reluctantly looked back up.
Jenna made a show of sinking her fangs into Ben’s neck. With Ben facing away from the audience, Grace was unsure of his expression, but she was willing to bet good money that he was enjoying every second of the erotic embrace. She was horrified to feel tears welling up in her eyes.
Grace was just wondering if she could stand another second, when Alex charged across the stage, swinging his sword, and cut off her head.
Grace almost cheered as the fake head bounced across the stage, lobbed by Jerry from the wings, and Jenna collapsed across Ben’s chest, with her real head tucked behind his broad shoulders.
Ben heaved her off him, careful to use his body to block hers from view, then he and Alex pulled her offstage “to burn the corpse”.
Beatrice freed herself of the circle and ran to the coffin containing Gabriel; he broke out of it looking weak and old. Liam managed to hold off Beatrice and stab Gabriel in the back, while Beatrice screamed and fought theatrically. Then, threatening Liam with the dagger, Beatrice dragged herself and Gabriel through the “door” of the castle.
“Curtain!” yelled Owen. Grace put her head in her hands. She actually felt a bit sick after watching Jenna and Ben. She wasn’t sure how many times she would be able to sit through that scene again. They would all be waiting backstage now for her to go and discuss it with them. Or worse, what if Owen thought they should act it again and again and again right now? After all, it had been far from perfect.
Jenna and Ben were probably all over each other backstage as well. She got unsteadily to her feet and addressed Owen, “I’m really sorry, I’ve got an awful headache, would you mind if I left you to it for now? Felicity has a copy of all my notes, and there is only one scene left to do.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Sophie put her hand on Grace’s arm. “You look kind of upset.”
“No, I’m fine, really. I just need some fresh air and a few minutes to myself.”
Sophie frowned; she knew her friend too well to accept her words at face value.
“Please,” Grace said, giving Sophie a look that begged her not to argue.
The crease deepened on Sophie’s forehead as she watched Grace shove her pad in her bag, and then head out the door not looking at anyone.
She didn’t think Grace felt unwell. Grace had been cracking her neck all through the rehearsal, the way she always unconsciously did when she was feeling stressed.
Sophie had a suspicion about what was stressing Grace out, but surely it couldn’t be what she thought it might be? She pondered the situation for a few moments, then pulled out her phone and began to text Rose.
Chapter Eleven
“I am all in
a sea of wonders. I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
Bram Stoker, Dracula
“OK everyone, can we move onto the last scene while we’ve got you all here? This is our last rehearsal before Easter break, so it would be great to get to the end of the play.” Owen stopped shouting and dropped his voice so only Pam could hear him, “Chances are they’ll mess their way through this one as well. At least we should get some good comedy value when Beatrice kisses Gabe, I can’t wait to see his face.”
It was only a short scene but Beatrice was incredibly nervous. So far she had managed to stay focussed on the play and ignore all the people watching, but she’d had all the others about her and a lot of the attention would have been on Jenna. Now she had to do the final scene, which included a kiss.
The sets had been quickly changed, the castle was gone as they were now inside, but the set for the interior hadn’t been made yet so she just had to visualise where they were.
Ben was now supposed to be dead from his wounds, and Liam and Alex delivered a few lines and then left. It was just her and Gabriel.
He lay on his back on the floor of the stage and she knelt beside him. She stroked his cheek. “My love,” she tried to project a tearful voice, “I am beside thee.”
Gabriel clutched her skirts, coughed, and cried out for her to hold him. Damn, she loved acting with Gabriel!
“Give me peace,” he beseeched her. She picked up the dagger with genuinely shaking hands and plunged it into his heart. His back arched in awful agony, though in reality the knife was rubber. He looked up at her with such tenderness and love in his eyes that the wolf whistles of the audience just melted away. She bent her head and passionately kissed the hell out of her Romanian Prince.
Flirting Games Trilogy Edition: Books 1 - 3 Page 20
