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This is a challenge for FictionNET ( http / sycotic . org / fnet ) If you're looking for a nifty (mostly based on Harry Potter) writing forum, join Fnet and say that Keladryie sent you. It's seriously worth it.
This is written for the challenge: Original Challenge 10 - Schools Out!
Under these guidelines: Hokay, so, it's apparently nearly the end of school somewhere in the world gets hit by Aleta
Write about it. In pure original (can't write in fandom here) write a fic, hopefully a one shot of the end of school. Be it just for a holiday break or forever, it's up to you. So…that’s it!
Those looking in from the window would be slightly mystified by what they saw. Four members of the class, the entire class actually, standing on the stage in their acting blacks. The lights were positioned to only illuminate their faces so they looked as if beheaded, their throats meeting nothing but an eerie black as their collars met the darkness perfectly.
Of course, everyone knew they were simply wearing black for that effect, so it didn't exactly freak anyone out. New kids got a bit of a fright though at times.
That night would be their last on stage under their school name. For five years they had been together as a close knit team, gaining new members for a few terms every so often, losing them all until it was only the four of them again. Once this was all over, tomorrow, what would they do? Sometimes they wondered, individually and never vocally (for that would show weakness) whether they'd be able to cope doing the same thing out there in the big wide world. As actors, you grew to bounce off each other since most acting depended on bouncing off each other, using each others words to remember your own, using each others reactions to build your own. Since these four had worked together for five years now on different productions they were firm in their places as who they were, and they were almost type cast already, even though none of them were over 20 years old. Hanna was always the cheeky one, the dancer. She had been Puck in Midsummer’s Nights Dream and Elly in the Waiting Womb, now finally in their last production, she was Abigail.
Alysha was always the coy little precious one, the weaker character. She had also always been the main star when doing a musical, since she was the best singer of the entire school. It was almost a pity she was fat and didn't even try to become better with active sports, without the ability to dance or move gracefully at all it was doubtful she'd get a career in musicals where you needed to be able to dance at the same time, generally.
Matty was the only male in their class and had been everyone from Ren in Footloose to Stanley in a Streetcar named Desire, now he was Proctor in The Crucible and had been offered the character role in a touring version which was set to tour the country, since The Crucible was a text in the Year 12 certificate.
This was along with Katie, who had been offered her part as Elizabeth Proctor. Those two were lucky. They had depended on each other for five years now with their lead roles; she had been Stella in Streetcar alongside him, amongst other things in their five years...
With school now over, their training at its end, what would happen to them? They had been to a relatively small school, at the most they probably only had 1000 students so there had never been much competition for the parts they went for. Most of the school was more interested in sports anyhow, and more than half the students were indigenous Australians, way 'too shame' to get up on stage when they could be playing footy instead, or painting silently in the art block.
"Closing Night tonight guys." Mrs Stokes-Chapman announced, raising gracefully from her seat at the back of the room by the lighting board. "Are you all ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Katie murmured, rubbing her knees. They had just done a run through of the closing act, and falling to her knees sobbing for the past two months of performing had made them slightly bruised. Her script husband offered her a hand up, causing Alysha to glare at the couple. It was no secret she wanted the lead male and had him on numerous occasions, but that wasn't enough until 'Katie backed off'...even though it was also clear Matty wasn't interested in Katie, nor her in him. They simply worked well together.
"Will we get roses?" Hanna asked from her upside-down position. She was also a gymnast and apparently felt more comfortable standing on her hands, either way it was amusing to watch and try to imitate.
"If someone buys them for you, you will." Mrs Stokes-Chapman replied with a wry smile, known better as Aunty Lou to her students.
"Are you going to buy them for us?" Hanna asked, she had always been straight to the point.
"You'll have to wait and see now, won't you?" Aunty Lou chuckled as the bell rang. "I'll see you all tonight before 6pm, in full costume and your butt-" she added to Matty, "In that makeup chair. Alysha, you have music, don't you? Hanna-banana, to remedial Maths, Matty to PE class and what do you have Katta?"
Katta being Katie's nickname, she replied. "Design. But Ms Bradley won't even be there..."
"So either go there and work anyway, or help Matty write his final assignment." Aunty Lou had already packed up her notes and files, used to her students trying to avoid class even though they were in their final year, on their last official day. As Year 12 students this was the end, but their assignments didn't have to be due for weeks after, just as long as they were handed in by the last day of the school year. Year 12 students finished going to school almost two months earlier than other students, simply because they usually ran out of things to learn before their exams. Australia, Darwin especially, had a strange school structure.
The four students followed their teacher out and then disbursed, except for one who followed another.
There was a slap, some swearing and a yell, and then both headed in opposite directions.
"Hey, what happened?" Matty arrived early for once and found his fellow cast member holding her cheek still with a tissue, seething with silent anger.
"Your little fun whore," the shorter girl replied, checking the tissue for the amount of blood still flowing from the cut on her cheek, "Decided to attack me for 'being too close to you."
"Would you quit calling her that?"
"Hey, you sleep with her like that when it means nothing, makes her a whore." she shrugged, chucking the tissue away in a bin beside the table. "Want to finish that essay or not?"
Before they even knew what was happening, it was the end of school. Time to head home, get changed and then head straight back out to the Entertainment Centre to prepare for their final night. They had left their last official day at high school forever without even really noticing. Sure, they would return once to pickup their ticket for Graduation and perhaps hand in a hard copy of an essay that just wouldn't open in an email attachment, but over 50 of the students wouldn't even set foot back on the school grounds.
And it was as if no one even noticed.
Years later now, and it was the ten year reunion. The Closing Night production had of course come and gone, and although most had kept in contact for the first year or two after the end of high school, there was now only one or two who actually remained friends for the past ten years.
Now though, they would all be reunited. The school although it had always been worthy had struck oil the year before, and for publicity purposes had flown every student back to the grounds for the reunion. Although shifty, all had accepted even though they had the gut feeling they would all be harassed by the media for the entire event. It was just that kind of school.
It would be good to see everyone though.
Mrs Louise Stokes-Chapman was waiting in the drama room, her son beside her to meet them all. Even though a few had met him for five minutes once or twice (he had been born the year after they had left school, so a few students had still been around then) none had really met him properly, and she wanted them to now.
Hanna arrived first, looking more tanned than ever (although she had dark skin already) with her fiancée in tow, and then she was followed by Matty and Katie who were only in the town for the weekend since they were both leads in a production in Sydney, finally Alysha arrived and Katie rose from her chair, finally able to get her revenge. All though school they had been 'friends' because it had been convenient, they had been in the same classes, productions, so it had just been easier that way. Of course they had fought and made each others lives a living hell for most of it too, and Alysha had officially had the last word on the last day of school, more than 10 years ago now. Until now, of course.
It had been old news that she had never earned a place in a musical as her dream had been. For the first four years she had tried, then the last six she had just worked for her parents, the only job she could enthuse herself to be involved in. She wasn't exactly looking pick of the bunch still though, but Katie wrapped her in a hug, a smile at Matty as she did so with a wink.
"It's been ages!" she exclaimed, Aunty Lou exchanging a look with Hanna and then Matty, who shrugged innocently, their crafty teacher knew something was up.
Alysha was about to reply before Katie's hand caught her attention and she grabbed it, staring at the ring on her finger as if it didn't make sense.
"Why are you wearing Matty's ring?" Alysha asked after a long pause. His ring had been legend, the one item he would never take off, never let anyone else touch. In their high school it had been common nature to peer through each others wallets, bags, jackets, just to investigate. Most swapped shoes even just for a laugh, or shoelaces, but Matty had never let anyone else even wear his ring for a single moment until now.
"You bloody bitch..." Alysha snapped, shoving her old friend away as she realised, despite Katie's silence. The snarky grin had been enough for her.
"She's my wife." Matty glared at the girl he had once slept with. "So you might not want to do that again, or else I'll get a bit pissed off."
Katie was immediately tackled, but it was from Hanna, always the playful one even in her adult years.
"Congratulations!!!" She squealed in her ear, making Aunty Lou laugh and explain Hanna to her son.
"You were there!" Katie escaped from Hanna's clutches, unable to see Alysha's reaction from there.
"It was so beautiful as well!" Hanna gushed. "Seriously the best cake I have ever had at a wedding! You guys had real icing!"
Alysha, in front of them, just looked broken.
Matty rose and wrapped the girl in his arms, nuzzling her ear with his lips.
"That’s why..." Katie murmured, her a hand curled up around Matty's shoulder as he held her, "That you should never leave school in such a way. Your last impression here was the worst out of the whole school. In the last weeks I ignored you and got on with my life, but you kept pushing on and on, making every little thing you could personal...that's why you're losing at life, Alysha. You would be living with your parents still if they hadn't bought you that house...you're a spoilt and disgusting little brat...something you should have grown out of by your 16th birthday....take a look at yourself." Katie paused as Aunty Lou sighed, wondering if she should have done more while she could to set Alysha on the right tracks. She had helped Hanna move out of home after all, she had helped Matty get off the drugs he was smoking everyday, and she had brought Katie far in her acting career...what had she done to save or help Alysha?
Nothing. Because Alysha had always been so sure, and had done whatever she could to convince everyone she was always the best at everything...especially when she wasn't. Louise sighed. She had failed one of her students...
Alysha turned and left the room in silence, Katie's words echoing in her ears as she finally won the 15 year battle.
"Live your last school day as the start of the rest of your life, because that's what it is. You made your last day a misery and a childish fight, so that’s all your life has been. You have the talent to be a fantastic singer, yet you're too bloody lazy to organise yourself to be someone who can make actual use of it."
"You're a waste of space, Alysha."
"You made your last day a living hell. So welcome to your life of it. I hope you suffer."
The three remaining drama students walked out of their school for the last final time, or at least until the next reunion.
They bid each other goodbye and left in different directions, one in one direction, two in the other.
"Was I too rough?" the female asked the male, and was answered by his shrug.
"It was all truthful...what you said. That's all that matters. She started the fight, for these years she harassed you with phone calls and on the internet, she tried to destroy you in the public eye by telling those critics and gossip magazine lies about you...I've always thought she deserved it, Love."
They took one final look at their school, knowing they wouldn't come back here for even a good reason anymore. It was true they had accepted the offer of doing drama workshops for the school, but they wouldn't be based on the grounds so they didn't count.
"The last day of school life is important..." Katie murmured. "Too many people screw it up. I hate it when people do that..." and with that, they both returned to their lives down south under the lights and in fame, winners for a fact because they knew the real importance of the end of school.
