Ghost in theTheatre

It excited me that I was in a play. Alice in Wonderland sounded very fun to do. When I got there, I saw that many of my friends were hanging around in the theatre. We squabbled about our roles and the excitement of the production. I found it amusing, going to be the Cat.1

We started off right away, working on lines and adding in blocking. Finally break time came along and we all gathered on the stairs to eat lunch.2

"I'm so mad I'm the caterpillar," stated Josie, "I tried out for the White Queen."3

"I think you'll do great as the caterpillar, I always loved that character." I said. 4

"Well, aren't you a little discouraged you got the Cat instead of Alice?"5

I actually didn't want to be Alice, it was too big of a part. I didn't want to tell them I tried out for the Cat and got it; they'd get jealous, especially Josie. I told them that I, like all the girls did, tried out for Alice. Amelia got the part of Alice, and she was perfect.6

"Well, Amelia will do a better job, anyway."7

"You're too humble," Amelia said, "Being an actress is all about being a stuck up snob."8

"Maybe you're right." I smirked.9

After practice, we all went the the Dead Zone in the audience and lounged there until Josie's mom came for us. She's always late, but at least she's there to pick us up so we didn't have to walk home like some of the other kids.10

"You think we'll see the ghost this year?" Josie asked.11

"Huh?" I asked.12

"The ghost," Amelia answered, "There's a ghost in this theatre."13

"Bullshit," I stated.14

"No, really, people have said they've seen it doing things. Writing in lipstick, spilling water, misplacing props, all of that. No one's ever seen it, though."15

"We think its a girl, though, from the 20's, she was 16 and she wanted a part so that she could, like all the celebs, fall in love with the hot co-star. Someone from Hollywood might have been coming to see the play and you can't get noticed being a co-star. You had to be the star to get noticed. So she talked to the director about a bribe and she ended up sleeping with him, losing her virginity, and then being promised the part. It turned out that the director, being a sick bastard, gave the part to another girl he slept with before, not long after the girl made the bribe! She was cut from the play when she got pregnant and, during opening night, she went up to the lights platform above the stage, tied a noose around her neck, and jumped off onto the stage. She killed herself in front of 300 people. She got the stardom she always dreamed of."16

"Bullshit," I stated again.17

My pocket sang, "Arabian Nights", I answered a text from my mom.18

"Josie's mom can't take you home. I'll pick you up in 30 minutes."19

I groaned; being stuck in a lone theatre without your friends is the worst.20

"You can run up and down the isles like a mad person," Amelia suggested.21

"I'll pass."22

Alone in the theatre, I walked around a bit, bored out of my mind. I wasn't allowed down by the pool area, but no one was there to guard it, and Mom would probably be late.23

I go down there and the mystical chlorine water reflects the dim light and bounces off the walls. Its beautiful, but kind of creepy. Suddenly, something rushed past me. I screamed in fright and ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.24

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I thought to myself, "Unless the janitor was a cannibal." I flung open the door and looked around. "Mom?" I called.25

"Susan?" another voice called.26

It wasn't my mom, It was a deeper voice and my name isn't Susan. "No," I correct, "It's Mya."27

"Susan?" It called again.28

"Are you retarded?" I yelled.29

A boy came wondering out of the shadows by the pool, he looked at me and ran back inside.30

"Hey!" I call after him. I run into the pool area but couldn't find him. The entrance I stood at was his only exit. "Hello?"31

"Hi," he appeared. He was holding my playbag, with my homework, script, and pencils in it.32

"Thief," I growled at him. I didn't even notice it was off my shoulder. 33

"No," he shyly contradicted, "No, you left it upstairs. I liked it so I just took it. Finder's keepers."34

I snatched it back. I snorted.35

"Sorry," he said shyly.36

"Who are you, anyway?"37

"I'd rather not say."38

"Are you in the play, here?"39

He shook his head. "I'm Lou," He said, holding out a hand.40

I took it, even though I really didn't want to. His hands were nice and warm, mine were always cold. 41

"Mya," I grumbled, "So what are you doing here?"42

"My dad works late here at the school, I stay here for a while until he can take me home."43

"Why don't you take the bus?"44

"Is your bus wild?" I nodded. "Mine is ten times worse."45

Lou looked up at the ceiling, the water reflection danced off the walls.46

"So," I said, "Have you seen a ghost around here?"47

"Oh yeah," Lou said, "I see her all the time. We play games and stuff down here. She's my girlfriend and we have paranormal sex all the time." He giggled.48

"Pig," I growled.49

"I looked through your stuff," he said, "I see you are the Cheshire Cat." I nodded, not very happy he looked through my things. "It will be beautiful," he said, "The costumes are magnificent, and the play is very well written. The hardest part is remembering to always smile. I see that will come as a great challenge for you, Grinch."50

"Very funny," I rolled my eyes.51

"Mya?"52

"That's my mom," I explained.53

Lou nodded. "Maybe I can, you know, see you practice sometime. I'm a theatre freak and I'd like to see you."54

"No," I growled, "No. The theatre is off limits. No one's allowed there."55

Lou stepped forward. "No one's allowed in the pool, either. Look around, Cat."56

"Mya?"57

"I gotta go."58

*59

The next day, when I got to practice, I told the girls. "I met this freak yesterday. He's the janitor's son and he walks around in the dark places. He's like, emo, or something."60

"Is he hot?" Josie automatically asked.61

"Hell no." This was a lie. Lou had pale skin and pointy teeth. His smile was crooked, like he broke his jaw or something, and his hair was screaming to be cleaned. The roots were dark with grease and the rest was frizzy, broken, and dry. I thought long hair on men was sexy, but not this dude. He was also a little pudgy and scary tall. But his eyes were warm and doeskin brown.62

"I've seen him around, he's kind of contrary, you know, he acts odd. He's kind of shy and runs away from everyone. It was a miracle you got a word out of him, Mya." Amelia said.63

"Yeah, first he stole my bag and then he wants to come and see me practice."64

"Aww," Josie said, "Freak love. How romantically creepy."65

"Kind of like Edward and Bella in a way," Amelia added, laying across some chairs, "A scary stalker that eats people and an oblivious, stupid klutz that thinks watching her sleep all night is the most loving thing someone's ever done."66

"And wants nothing more than to get laid," I added.67

"Hey," Josie contradicted, "I love those books! Do you think maybe this guy is a vampire?"68

"That's what I hate about Twilight, everyone retarded now, thinking vampires and such are real, and worse, sexy. Besides, how fearsome is the name 'Lou'?"69

"Lou?" Amelia laughed, "What kind of a name is that?"70

"May?"71

I recognized the voice. "Oh shit," I whispered, "That's him."72

"He looks like Edward Cullen and Jacob Black combined!" Josie said too loudly.73

"Then you can hook up with him later, don't let him know its me." I put him hood up, but I felt him advancing up the aisles and rows. His hand gently touched my shoulder. 74

"May? It's me, Lou." I turned around and there he was, his eyes beaming down at me.75

"I'm not May, I'm Mya." I corrected.76

"Sorry," he apologized, sitting down, "I'm bad with memory, although I could memorize an entire play in three days, I tend to forget names and numbers within minutes."77

"Its wonderful to hear the whole concept of how your brain works, Lou," I said sarcastically.78

"Are these your friends?" He nodded to Amelia and Josie, smiling so wide his yellowish teeth made it look like he was going to bite my neck.79

"I'm Josie, and this is Amelia," Josie beamed.80

"Pleased to meet you," Amelia said politely.81

"Well, practice is gonna start soon, you better get going. Or pay the admission fee."82

"Couldn't I get, you know, a friend discount?"83

"No," I said sternly, "No one's allowed."84

"Oh, but I love the theatre so much, just being in it makes me feel so alive. Its obviously not going to be as cool as when the play actually goes, but still it is so interesting to watch actors at work. I haven't been an actor for quite some time, but I'd really like to watch you guys," Lou begged.85

"You're an actor?" Josie said interestedly. Lou nodded. "Dude! You should have totally tried out for the part of Edward Cullen in Twilight! I mean, with a haircut, you would look just like him! And I bet you're really talented."86

"Twilight?" He asked.87

"Well, I don't think Lou would like to wear mascara and lipstick in a badly played movie," Amelia said.88

"I bet he would, the freak," I sneered.89

"Well, it wasn't lipstick, it was a designer makeup. Its there because the blood the vampire drinks probably stains its lips. And the thick eyelashes help bring out the contacts that they wear when their eyes change color."90

"Ohmygod, I know, right? You like the Twilight Saga?" Josie said.91

"I've read all the books," Lou smiled, "Three times."92

"Ohmygod, I just finished reading New Moon for the second time and I'm halfway done with Eclipse."93

"Did you hear there's Midnight Sun she was working on but someone took it off her website?"94

"CHYA! I signed the petition on email trying to get her to publish it."95

"Yeah, I sent it to everyone, I wanna read that book!"96

The director showed up, "Alright, everyone, time for warm ups!"97

"Just say here, the director won't kick you out if you stay quiet."98

"Josie!" I grunted through my teeth.99

"He's not watching you, he's watching me," she said vainly, "Just ignore him." She turned to Lou, "We can talk after practice. Team?"100

"Edward." Lou said without missing a beat.101

"Me too!" She said, "TTYL."102

As we walked down the aisle to the stage, Josie swooned. "He's a dream." She got high on love and knocked into me, I shoved her back.103

"He's a nightmare," I growled.104

After practice, I was angry to see that Lou was still there. We planned to go to the 70's diner downtown afterwards. "Hey, Lou!" Josie called out, "we're going to the diner downtown, do you wanna come?"105

"No, Josie!" I scolded.106

"I can't," Lou whimpered, "My dad would never let me go, he always wants me here. You see, he has seizures, so I need to be here just in case."107

"Well, you were'nt anywhere near him when I saw you yesterday," I defended.108

"My senses, including hearing, are very sensitive and acute," He replied.109

"Well, over the weekend we should make out, I mean, hang out," Josie stammered.110

As we walked away, Josie whispered, "Acute senses? He's a vampire! To die for!"111

I hit Josie.