A Tantalizing Kiss

It was not going to be a good day, I could already tell.

I walked into school, mostly soaked. The rain hadn’t started until I had reached my bus
stop. Of course all the other kids were smart enough to bring umbrellas or stood underneath
something to protect themselves but I.

Leah’s eyes landed on me as I walked to my locker. I avoided her gaze, spinning the
dial open. I dropped my bag into it, grabbing the books I needed for the morning.

“Forget to take your clothes off in the shower this morning?” She smirked, leaning
against the locker next to mine.

I rolled my eyes, “I’m not in the mood, Leah. Not today.”

She raised an eyebrow, “I was only teasing you, Mase.”

“I know, Leah, but seriously, I’m just not in the mood for anything today.” I sighed,
closing my locker. “I have to go to Stein’s room. I’ll see you later.”

She nodded, giving me a strange look. “See you later.”

I walked away on my own.

I tried to avoid people that I hung out with as I walked there, searching instead for others
I had seen in the audition last night.

I came across no one.

The light was on in the room as I walked down the hallway, coming to a stop. I took a
deep breath before pushing the door open with my hand.

A collection of students already sat in the desks, their eyes on me as I walked in. Stein
looked up, not as interested as the others were. She handed me a sheet of paper before
turning her attention back to the book before her.

I glanced down at the title.

Les Misérables.

The name was unfamiliar to me.

I took a seat in my normal spot in the back, the only one. Everyone else seemed to be
pushed forward, reading over the sheet. I glanced down, taking in the words.

A few other students filed in as the minutes passed. I was beginning to wonder if there
was any point to being here when Stein suddenly stood up, clearing her throat.

There was a shuffling of papers as attention was turned on her. I leaned back in my
seat, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Good morning.” She greeted. A few people returned the greeting. I wasn’t one of them.
“The paper I handed out to you was, as I said before, the part that we’re going to be reciting
for your audition.”

I glanced back down, refreshing my mind with what was happening in the scene.

“I want three people to come up and act out Phantom-who will also read Andre’s lines
as well-, Carlotta and Christine. I’ll speak Meg’s one line.”

Hands shot up instantly. I glanced around, preferring to see someone else go first than
to risk it myself.

Stein pulled three people close to her desk forward. “I understand that it is only one
male part in this, but boys I want you to be comfortable acting as a girl. I will try to narrow it
down so that only a few of you have to though, since there are more girls.”

She assigned the first three parts.

I read with the paper as they spoke, trying to think of a way to make myself stand out, yet
fit in with the story line for each character.

~*~

“Next three.” She asked.

I raised my hand, hoping to be called this time. I had an idea of what I would say for
each character based off of the previous auditions. I was anxious to go, yet she continued to
ignore my hand.

Except this time.

“Alright, Mason, you’ll be phantom this time.”

I grinned, standing up. He may have had the smallest part of all three, but I preferred
playing a male to playing a female.

“Jessica, I want you as Carlotta, Olivia, I want you as Christine.”

The three of us stood before the room, the paper clutched between our hands. I glanced
around at my audience, noticing Rose in the back.

I turned my attention back to the paper.

“Phantom, you begin.” Stein sighed.

I cleared my throat before lowering my voice to an intimidating sound “Did I not instruct
Box Five to be kept empty?”

“He’s here: the Phantom of the Opera…” Stein mumbled clearly bored with saying the
line so many times.

“It’s him! I know it’s him!” Olivia said, faking fear in her voice.

“Your part is silent… little toad!” Jessica snapped, getting the French accent into the part
as an added bonus.

“A toad, Madame?” I said in my terrifying voice. “Perhaps it is you who is the toad!”

“Thank you, that’s good enough.” Stein said.

I blinked, realizing that she cut us off earlier than the other groups. Rejection flooded
through my veins. I had thought we were acting fairly well.

“Mason, before you sit down, could you read Andre’s next part?” Stein asked.

I gulped. She didn’t think I was good enough to read Phantom’s? Was I really that bad?
“Uh, yeah, sure.”

She sat back, her judging eyes trained on me.

“Which part?” I asked hesitantly.

“Just read the second part.”

I took a deep breath. “Ladies and gentlemen! Please! Remain in your seats! Do not
panic! It was an accident! Simply an accident!”

She nodded, writing something down on her infamous note pad. “Thank you Mason, you
may take a seat. I need my next three.”

I sat down feeling a wave of rejection hit me hard. This was the second time she had
given me a disappointing look.

There was no way I was going to be able to face Rose after this. I thought that I would be
able to at least redeem myself with acting. I guess not…

I watched without paying attention as the rest of the group tried out. Most of them
sounded highly talented. I realized then how foolish it had been to think that I would land a
big part in this play considering how inexperienced I was compared to others. Especially
Rose. She must have found this amateur act hilarious.

The bell rang for the beginning of the day just as the last group was finishing up.
Everyone stood up, heading towards the door.

“I’ll post the cast list on my wall tomorrow morning. Just remember that simply because
you’re an understudy does not mean you can blow off your role.” She advised.

I felt my heart sink at those words. What if I was an understudy? They rarely went on.
Why would the lead miss the big performance night?

I walked quickly to my first period class, hoping to get away from the Drama club. I half
jogged there, pushing past the clumps of kids in the hallway. I never had any patience for
underclassmen and their ignorance.

Walking into the room, Rodger’s eyes fell on me. He shot me a look of confusion as to
where I was this morning.

I took a seat in my normal spot, shrugging casually as if it didn’t really matter. Rodger
dropped the topic as our teacher stood up to begin the day.

The day passed slowly. I wasn’t sure whether or not I was anxious for Drama class or
not. I knew that I wasn’t ready for study hall. Of course, I could always sit away from Rose.
Nothing was binding me to her, preventing me from leaving.

I would feel bad though. Despite making a fool of myself twice and having her insult me
about one of them, I would feel bad if I left her to sit alone. She didn’t talk to anyone in that
class and it didn’t help that it was a fairly silent study hall either.

As far as I knew, she didn’t have many friends to begin with.

Despite the fact that the day passed slowly, I was surprised to realize that I was walking
towards my Drama class.

“Hey, Mason!” The familiar voice of my hot best friend called.

I turned around, walking back to Leah, “Yeah?”

“What did Stein want?” She asked, walking with me down the hallway.

I rubbed the back of my neck, a guilty expression on my face to keep up with the lie I told
her, “She uh… she wanted to yell at me for failing.”

Leah rolled her eyes, “She’s such a drama queen.”

I laughed at her corny joke. “Nice one.”

Leah grinned. “There’s Delran. See you, Mason.”

I rolled my eyes, watching as she skipped off to her boyfriend. Delran wrapped an arm
around her waist, giving me a small wave.

I nodded back, slipping into my Drama room a few seconds before the bell rang. I
grinned down at Stein at her desk.

“I’m early today.” I said.

She nodded, “First time all year, I think.”

“I’m not that bad, Mrs. Stein!” I whined, walking over to my normal seat next to Rodger.
Rodger gave me an eye roll.

“Dude, you coming to practice today?” He asked.

I nodded, “I hope so. If Coach doesn’t kick my ass for missing yesterday’s.”

Rodger rolled his eyes, “He’s not going to kick your ass unless you miss more than
one. You’re pretty good about attendance.”

I bit my lip.

Rose walked into the room just as the bell rang. Rodger leaned over, nudging me with
his elbow as she walked across the room to her usual desk.

“That ass is just too perfect.” He grinned.

“She’s insanely hot.” I agreed, leaning back in my seat. “Did I tell you she’s in my study
hall next period too?”

Rodger raised an eyebrow, “You lucky bastard.”

I smirked, “Oh, I know it.”

I was definitely not going to tell him that I may have ruined any chance to get with her
because of the audition.

Stein cleared her throat, standing in front of the class.

“Hello students.” She said.

A chorus of hellos were returned.

“Today, I decided that we’re going to do a warm-up activity to introduce Phantom to
everyone.” She said, “Now, I’m positive you’re all familiar with the beginning since you were
supposed to read up to scene five like with every other play.”

I knew that most of the students, myself included, hadn’t.

“I want us to get organized into pairs.” She instructed. Rodger and I exchanged a glance
at that word. “And work on the hand-out I’m passing you. You may find a partner once you
have a paper.”

She passed out the papers down the rows. Rodger and I didn’t have to move since we
were sitting close to each other.

The paper was a prediction answer sheet about certain parts of the play. Stein had
taken exerts from scenes through-out act one and posted questions afterwards. Based
solely on our knowledge of from those small cuts, we had to answer the questions to the
best of our ability.

To cut to the chase, Rodger and I faked every answer.

We were the last to drop the papers off, having erased the inappropriate poorly drawn
doodles on the side of the paper. I sat down at the desk, giving Rodger a look. Stein would
kill us if we hadn’t erased them properly enough.

“So, man, how’s your sister?” Rodger asked, grinning playfully.

I narrowed my eyes, “Caden’s here.”

“Damn it.”

“You seriously need to lay off her man, it’s gross.” I frowned.

“It’s not my fault I’m so into her!” He laughed, “And she seemed pretty into me the other
week after the game.”

I rolled my eyes, “She hadn’t seen Caden in almost a month. She was into anything with
a boner at that point.”

“Man, I wish I had your life.”

“No, you don’t. And that would be incest, Rodger.” I corrected.

He shrugged, guiltlessly.

I made a face, walking away. Rodger laughed, staying put. He turned around to talk to
the others around him.

The bell rang. I hurried out the door, the first into the hallway. I didn’t waste time today,
heading off to Study hall quickly.

The room had barely cleared out by the time I walked in, setting my books in my normal
spot. I took a seat, pulling out my math homework.

I grabbed a calculator, getting to work as I waited for the rest of the class to enter.

I glanced up as someone sat in front of me. The familiar blonde hair cascading down
her back sent a smirk across my lips. I glanced down at my work, pretending I hadn’t seen
her there.

“Were you being serious today when you were acting?” Rose asked curiously.

I flickered my eyes up to her, but only my eyes. “Well hello to you to, Rosie-doll.”

“Don’t call me Rosie.” She said harshly. There was an underlying tone in her voice that
told me she didn’t like the name at all.

“Got it, Doll.” I said.

She groaned, “Don’t call me ‘Doll’ either.”

“It’s one or the other, Babe.” I held back the laughter threatening to escape, setting down
my pencil. I flipped the hair out of my eyes to get a better look at her.

“Can you answer my question?” She asked.

“Yes.”

It was silent for a few minutes.

“Well?”

“I answered your question.”

She blinked. “No, I mean the first one I asked you when I walked in.”

I nodded, “Answered that.”

“You were?”

“Yup.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Well uh… good job.”

“You too, Doll.” I leaned forward, resting on my elbows. Rose’s arm was rested on my
desk, her body angled to the side so she could face me better.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

I cocked my head, “Why don’t you like me?”

“Because you’re an annoying boy who doesn’t actually care about Phantom, but instead
is only in it for the grades or to get in a girl’s pants.” She spat.

I frowned, “You wound me, Rose. I’m only in it for the grades. I’m not a sex-addict.”

“Sure about that?” She mumbled.

I laughed, “I’m positive.”

She gave me a hesitant look.

“We should definitely go to the movies or something sometime.” I said, grinning
innocently.

“I already said no the first time.” She rolled her eyes.

The bell rang, kids filing back into their seats.

“Is there any way I can get you to go on one little date with me?” I asked.

She opened her mouth to speak, when I cut her off.

“How about this.” I offered, “If I get a part in the play, you go on a date with me. If you get
a part, then we won’t.”

“And what if we both get a part?” She asked.

“Then we’ll flip a coin.” I smirked.

She narrowed her eyes, “Whatever. Fine, I’ll take that stupid bet. You weren’t that good to
begin with compared to some of the others.”

I laughed, playing with a strand of her hair. “You wound me.”

She pulled her hair out of my hands. “Good.”

I leaned back in my seat, a new confidence flowing through me.

Maybe today wasn’t as good as I’d wanted, but I could tell tomorrow would be a better
day.