They reached the drama hall, and Haru saw that the others were indeed here.
‘Oh Haru’ Sasha beamed, stopping her performance. ‘It’s you.’
‘I’m here too you know’ Aubrey spoke up as they moved further into the hall, but Sasha ignored him.
‘It’s great that we’re all here now’ Amelia spoke joyfully.
She and Ben were sitting before the stage, around their chairs were several opened boxes that were filled with props, several were scattered on the floor as they had tried to sort through them.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt’ Haru mumbled.
‘Oh, don’t be silly’ Sasha waved him away, crouching and slipping down from the stage, moving over to them. ‘And stop apologising for everything.’
She was wearing a very wide-brimmed hat with a fabulously bright red feather pinned at the side, the hat itself was bright yellow.
‘Is that an ostrich feather?’ Haru asked, standing before Sasha now as the others watched them silently.
‘Yeah, it’s nice isn’t it?’ she gleamed, taking it off her head and shoving it down roughly onto Haru’s head. ‘What do you think?’
‘Yeah is really nice’ Haru said straightening up again and tipping the hat back on his head so that it didn’t cover his eyes. ‘I really like it, it’s so pretty.’
‘You can keep it if you want.’
‘Oh no I couldn’t’ Haru fumbled. ‘That would be stealing.’
‘Everything here is donated’ Aubrey beside him explained. ‘They wouldn’t even notice. Heck, half the stuff here we donated ourselves. Didn’t we Amelia?’ Aubrey spoke to her.
‘We sure did’ Amelia gleamed. ‘That hat belonged to my grandmother, she really did dress fabulously. Look’ she said, turning back to one of the boxes at her feet and reaching into it. ‘Do you like it?’ she asked pulling from the box a fox-fur scarf. ‘This is the real thing’ she told them, ‘sadly… I don’t really like fur…. But it’s here already and so….’ She brought it to her face then, snuggling into it. ‘It’s really soft’ she mumbled, ‘but smells a little dusty.’
‘Forget that’ Ben sitting beside her scoffed. ‘I like this’ he said, bringing from the box at his feet a hat (that looked more like a helmet) with a rotor blade on the top.’
‘Oh waw’ Haru gleamed. ‘I’ve never seen anything like that out of a cartoon.’
‘Here’ Ben gleamed, moving towards him and handing it over.
Haru took it from him, holding it in both his hands. He raised a hand to spin the blade, glancing back up at Ben happily.
‘It’s so cool’ Haru breathed.
‘So, do you still wanna be in the play?’ Amelia offered, as Haru moved forwards to see what else was in the boxes.
‘I would love to’ Haru beamed excitedly, ‘that is…. if you still want me to.’
‘Don’t be silly’ Sasha told him firmly. ‘We wouldn’t have offered if we didn’t want you to.’
‘Yeah what did I say about being nervous and stuff?’ Aubrey said to him.
‘You never said anything like that’ Haru replied quietly, a little uncertain now.
‘Well I’m saying it now’ Aubrey gleamed.
Haru chuckled lightly behind his hands at this.
‘You’re so funny’ he smiled to Aubrey.
‘Thanks buddy!’ Aubrey gleamed back.
Haru’s attention lingered on Aubrey then, he tensed suddenly, glancing away hastily, feeling a jolt in his heart.
‘I um…’ Haru said, taking the yellow hat off his head. ‘I can’t take this’ he said handing it back to Sasha. ‘It belongs in this drama hall.’
‘Ok’ Sasha frowned in amusement, ‘if you say so.’
She took the hat from him, tossing it back into one of the open boxes on the floor.
‘So, um…’ Haru began, ‘how is the show going?’
‘We haven’t decided still on what we’re going to perform’ Sasha said to him. ‘We’re still just messing around.’
‘Oh, I see’ Haru mumbled with a smile.
Beside him Aubrey frowned down at him.
‘Hey I have an idea’ he blurted suddenly. ‘Why don’t we perform Courage of the Black Nightingale?’
Haru cast a look to Aubrey, eyes wide with surprise. Sasha and Amelia both began to clap lightly with approval at the suggestion.
‘I’m afraid I don’t know that one’ Ben voiced.
‘It’s a story of love, loss and betrayal’ Aubrey told him dramatically.
‘And…’ Haru added, ‘learning to trust again.’
He and Aubrey shared a glance then.
‘I think it’s a great idea’ Aubrey continued, turning back to Ben.
‘Great’ Ben smiled. ‘Then let’s do it.’
Aubrey turned back to glance at Haru with a smile. Haru stared back tentatively, before sighing, and smiling in return.
‘Let’s make a start then’ Sasha voiced, ‘we should…’
The door to the hall suddenly opened, and one of the teachers entered.
‘What are you lot doing here?’ she barked. ‘Why are you not in class?’
Haru tensed suddenly as the others around him instantly scattered, running in all directions.
Aubrey escaped through a nearby window, and the others ran backstage, escaping through a door hidden at the back of the hall.
Only Haru remained.
He glanced back at the teacher nervously, alone now in the hall.
He swallowed the lump in his throat.
‘I didn’t get in any trouble’ Haru told Aubrey the next day. ‘I was given permission to skip class so….’
‘Lucky’ Aubrey glowered. ‘I got in trouble. I got detention for days! I’m not allowed any free time, I have to be either in class or in my dormitory.’
‘Then what are you doing here?’ Haru asked him. ‘Shouldn’t you be in detention?’
‘No, I ran away’ Aubrey replied sullenly, resting his chin on his knee as they sat on the bench at the edge of the grounds, ‘I’m a delinquent remember?’
Haru turned away with a groan, bowing his head. ‘You shouldn’t do stuff like that…... and I’m not lucky for skipping class. I had to skip class because the others were picking on me… I was having chest pains…I had a panic attack.’
Aubrey glanced towards him then, listening silently.
‘I got the tests back earlier today… the results for my blood test. They didn’t find anything wrong….so um…. the nurse thinks it’s just stress.’
Aubrey looked away then, staring towards the buildings nearby.
‘School….’ he began, ‘…can be hard…’
‘We should find a time to do the play together’ Haru said, placing his hands on his lap and leaning back.
‘Yeah’ Aubrey said distractedly. ‘That would be nice.’
‘But we need to do it in a way that won’t get anyone in trouble’ Haru said turning to Aubrey, who glanced back at him. ‘Promise you won’t get yourself in trouble like that again.’
‘And why would I do that?’ Aubrey laughed, waving him away. ‘Aint nobody gonna tell me what do to.’
‘Aubrey please.’
Aubrey frowned, letting out a sigh. ‘Fine’ he relented. ‘I will try to be good. Happy?
‘Yes’ Haru gleamed. ‘I am. It’s not good to break the rules.’
‘If you say so’ Aubrey replied turning away. ‘I’m just trying to keep up my reputation as a delinquent. So what do you like to do?’ Aubrey asked him suddenly changing the subject.
‘Me?’ Haru said, tensing slightly. ‘I…I don’t know what you mean. I don’t really do anything.’
‘Your records say you play the violin.’
Haru stared at Aubrey in shock.
‘How do you know that?’
‘Are you any good?’ Aubrey teased.
‘Wait you looked at my records?’ Haru asked, ignoring the question as he suddenly realised what Aubrey had said.
‘Yeah I did’ Aubrey gleamed cheekily. ‘In the main office. The lock’s easy to get around. You know why? Because I had a key. I pickpocketed off the staff. Don’t worry I put it back.’
‘You saw my records!’ Haru spoke angrily now, raising his voice.
‘Hey I didn’t see anything much. Just your previous school records and stuff. You’re pretty rubbish in all your subjects aren’t you?’ Aubrey teased. ‘Well except for music.’
‘And art’ Haru glowered, hugging his knees to his chest.
Aubrey shuffled up closer to him on the bench they sat.
‘You’re not mad at me are you?’
‘You’re looking at my personal files’ Haru told him sullenly. ‘You shouldn’t do that.’
‘Tell me how I can make it up to you’ Aubrey spoke seriously.
Haru groaned, hunching his shoulders and bowing his head as he hugged himself tighter.
‘I want to do the play’ he said. ‘But I want to do it properly without getting in trouble.’
‘Well ok’ Aubrey replied. ‘Let’s start arranging times we can all meet. Let’s go see the girls first and ask when they’re free. Sasha and Amelia should be in their dorms now.’
‘Are we allowed in the girl’s dorms?’ Haru asked nervously.
‘Don’t know!’ Aubrey grinned merrily, rising to his feet and waving back at him as he began to saunter away. ‘Are you coming?’
‘Yeah’ Haru replied beginning to feel very nervous. ‘I’m coming.’
They walked side by side back towards the buildings, Haru’s left hand twitched involuntarily as they went.
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