Page 125 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

“Hey, guys,” I say to her and the others as I stand there with my tray. “How’s your day so far?” I sit down next to Mia.

They tell me their day is going great, nothing special.

Then the table is quiet. Mia plays around with her food while the others glance from her to me, not sure what to do.

Clearing my throat, I take a bite of my food. I tell them something funny that happened during class today and they smile and laugh. Everyone except for Mia. Their eyebrows furrow, as if not sure what to do. Like they’re torn between acting normal when Mia is clearly going through something. Something that has to do with me.

Is it the…kiss? Why would she act this way when we experienced something so spectacular? Unless she hated it. She’s disgusted by me.

No, it can’t be. From the way things felt at rehearsal, she wasn’t disgusted by the kiss at all. She was really into it.

I don’t know what’s wrong now, but whatever the case, she doesn’t want me around. I shouldn’t be at her table ruining book club with her friends.

Smiling pleasantly, I stand with my tray. “Sorry for interrupting. Have fun with book club.” Turning around, I scan the area for somewhere to sit. I’m definitely staying away from Tiffany’s table. It doesn’t take long for a few kids to haul me to sit with them. As nice as this is, I’d rather be at Mia’s table.

I force myself to eat, even though I’ve mostly lost my appetite. What’s wrong? Did I hurt her? I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I do a quick scan on Spill It! for maybe a video that someone might have posted about the kiss, but I don’t see anything.

A part of me convinces myself that this has nothing to do with me at all, but I know that’s not true. Why else wouldn’t she look at me?

Sighing, I push some mashed potatoes around on my plate, then shove it into my mouth. Maybe things will be better during rehearsal today.

***

Tori calls for attention after she steps out of her office after school. We’re getting closer to opening night, so everyone is very excited. We still have a long way to go, though.

Our director tells us we’re rehearsing one of the last scenes today. “Scarlett and William are hiding in the cave and they’re ambushed by a group of soldiers. Someone tipped them off. Half of the men grab Scarlett while the other men grab William. They order William to kill her. Can I have everyone in this scene on stage, please?”

Mia and I are sitting far from each other, but we walk toward the stage together, our shoulders nearly knocking into one another. Like the speed of light, she turns away from me.

We stand in the center of the stage, pretending to be in the cave, while the guards surround it. They slowly inch closer and closer, though William and Scarlett have no idea that they’re about to get captured.

They’re talking about their hopes and dreams for a better future, when the soldiers charge into the cave. A few snatch Scarlett, pulling her to one side of the cave, while a larger group seizes me, yanking me to the other side.

Mia and I are supposed to look at each other with longing and fear and love. For a second, I expect her to ignore me like she’s been doing all day, but it’s like something snaps inside her, transforming her into the Mia I know and feel weird things for. It’s like whatever happened today is thrown out the window and she’s normal Mia.

She looks at me with longing and I do the same.

“Fraternizing with the enemy?” the leader of the group demands as he shoves my head toward the ground. “You deserve death!” He and the others push me to the ground and one slams my face into the dirt.

“William!” Mia screams.

“Quiet, female,” one of the soldiers holding her yells.

“Don’t harm her!” I try to yell as they continue pushing my face into the dirt. “Do with me as you please, but spare her.”

The soldiers holding me laugh, deep and evil. They yank my face off the ground and one guy rams his fist into my jaw. I whip my head back to make it look like he actually hit me.

“William!”

“I said quiet!”

“Please,” I breathe, my chest heaving. “Don’t hurt her.”

One of the soldiers hauls me to my feet by my hair. “She deserves death,” he hisses in my face. “And you shall be the one to execute it.”

My eyes widen. “W-what?”

Mia’s eyes widen too and she tries to free herself from the soldiers, but they have a tight grip.

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