You and Me (Perhaps, Book 2)

ACT I - Scene 3

PAC Meeting Room

    What was Riley doing here?

    He sat down in the seat directly across from me—it was the only one open—and I noticed that he was trying really hard to not look at me directly. I also tried really hard not to stare at him, but it was difficult not to. Why was he here? Did this mean that he was participating in this PAC production, too? In his efforts not to stare at me, I watched as his eyes fell upon Daniel. An uncomfortable flush began to discolor the skin of his neck.

    My mind wandered back to my sophomore year, recalling all the memories that I had shared with Riley: the good and the bad. I remembered how well he and I had clicked when we had first met—all the practices we had; the line-readings; how Sam and I had taught him how to tango; how he had helped me after I had sprained my ankle, constantly picking me up from home and taking me to classes, carrying my books for me.

    Then, everything had fallen apart on Halloween night.

    The party had been amazing: we had drank and danced together. I had allowed myself to consider the possibility of dating Riley, after learning from Sean that he was head-over-heels for me. Things had been so fun and easy...until we ended up in my dressing room. I had thought I could go through with it—I had thought that giving myself to Riley would make me forget about how much I was falling for Daniel, but it hadn't. I had changed my mind halfway through, but Riley had been so drunk. He didn't stop, even after I started begging him to. Then, Daniel had came into the dressing room after he had heard me scream, and pulled Riley off of me.

    Riley had dropped out of our production of DIM, consumed with guilt over what had happened between him and I. He had refused to speak with me until the final performance, where he had told me that he continued to like me more and more as the days passed, and wished we could have been something more than what we were. Then, he had said good-bye, and walked away. He had ended our friendship, and gone overseas to study. Last I had heard, he had extended his study abroad for two more semesters.

    But now, he was here.

    "My name is Riley," he began his introduction, snapping me out of my reminiscing. His voice was surprisingly steady. "I will be playing the role of 'Lucas'." My heart began to pound. Logically, it would make sense that he would be 'Lucas'—Clark had said we were waiting on him, after all. But, even still...

    "Um, I've been studying abroad in Europe for the past year and a half. I've spent time in London and Paris studying theatre. I'll be starting my last year of college at Accent Academy in the fall." His eyes finally strayed to me, and I felt myself look away.

    "Ah, so you must know Gloria and Daniel, then?" Clark asked. I looked back towards Riley to see him nodding, giving Daniel a cursory glance. I chanced looking at him myself: his face was one of perfect neutrality.

    "Yes, we are acquainted," he said, giving Clark an easy smile. I think that only I noticed the smile seemed to be forced. My hand slid onto his on my knee, and I felt him raise his fingers and link them through mine.

    "Riley and I used to do line-readings, and we would practice together sometimes," I quipped, turning my eyes back to him. He merely nodded in confirmation and looked pointedly away from me.

    "I'm very pleased to know that so many of our core performers know one another. That should make for an even smoother production, I think." I glanced at Riley, and then towards Daniel. Both of them seemed to be thinking exactly what I was thinking: that this probably wouldn't be as smooth so much as it would be awkward. Clark didn't seem to notice the unrest, though, and turned towards the last person seated at the table: a man with jet-black hair named Jesse, who would be playing 'Alexander'.