The next day at lunchtime, the five of them met up again.

‘So where shall we start?’ Sasha began as the others gathered around her. ‘Let’s try on some costumes.’

‘Shouldn’t we decide who’s acting what part first?’ Haru suggested tentatively.

‘Nah’ Aubrey waved happily at him. ‘We always do things this way. It’s more fun this way.’

‘Did you have an idea of who you wanted to be in the play?’ Amelia asked Haru.

‘No’ Haru replied. ‘I don’t mind really.’

‘That’s alright’ Ben said, sitting back on one of the seats. ‘The truth is we spend most of the time messing around anyway. We’d get so much more done but…’ he smiled then, ‘it’s all about the fun.’

‘Oh, I want to try something ‘Aubrey said suddenly, turning to Amelia beside him and grabbing her by the wrist, dragging her up onto the stage.

‘Hold on’ Amelia laughed, stumbling after him.

‘Hey Aubrey’ Sasha called, turning towards the stage then, ‘what do you have there in your hand?’

Aubrey waved the papers at her briefly, before handing one of them to Amelia.

‘You’re Levy’ Aubrey said to Amelia, she took the paper from him. ‘You wouldn’t lie to me…would you?’ Aubrey voiced, speaking in a dramatic voice now as he read from the paper. ‘Levy…. I need you.’

Amelia glanced briefly down at the paper, quickly gathering herself.

‘What’s wrong?’ Amelia replied, acting now as the character Levy. ‘Are you alright?’

‘You…. love me right….?

‘Yeah….’

‘You love me?’

‘Yes’ Levy replied.

‘You don’t plan on leaving me do you, you won’t ever…?

‘I don’t plan on leaving you Austin.’

‘You won’t. Ever leave me. Right?’

‘What’s gotten into you?’ Levy asked. ‘Why are you asking me these questions?’

‘You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?’

‘No.’

‘You wouldn’t lie to me?’

‘No! I would never lie to you. I love you.’

‘You swear.’

‘Yes. I love you.’

Aubrey tensed suddenly, gripping his hair, hunched over.

‘Good’ Austin said. ‘I love you too.’

He grabbed her then, hand grasped around her throat, Amelia did not react, but tilted her head backwards, allowing him to grasp her more easily.

‘I saw you with him’ Aubrey hissed, glancing briefly at his paper before looking back at her. ‘I saw you with him.’ He shoved her back then, and she fell to the ground. ‘I saw you with him, I saw you kissing him.’ He bent down to her then, grabbing her roughly by the hair and shaking her, Amelia screamed. ‘You were supposed to belong to me!’ Aubrey screamed over her. ‘All of you’ Aubrey breathed, kneeling over Amelia now, grabbing her by the face with one hand, with the other holding her roughly the hair. He spoke in a dangerous whisper now.

‘Oh, how sordid’ Sasha gleamed cruelly, watching the performance, beside her Ben looked on calmly, but on her other side, Haru was afraid.

‘All of you belongs to me…...right?’

‘Yeah…’Amelia whimpered, ‘please…’

‘I’ll cut out your heart…. keep it really close to me’ Austin whispered dangerously.

‘Someone help me!’ Amelia screamed.

‘You’ll die now’ Austin cried, raising his fist, holding an imaginary knife.

Amelia began to scream at the top of her lungs, struggling in his hold.

‘Oh no Levy…you’re bleeding out. Don’t die just yet.’

Amelia began to whimper.

‘Kiss me’ Austin whispered, holding Amelia by the back of the head. ‘I need you alive for this…’

Aubrey leaned forwards, actually kissing Amelia softly on the lips, she lay there limp in his arms.

‘I love you….’ Aubrey whispered into her ear, loud enough for the others to hear. ‘Goodbye.’

Sasha began to clap loudly behind them, smiling at them before lowering her hands.

‘Very good’ she declared, as Ben beside her nodded approvingly. ‘What did you think Haru?’

‘I was…beautiful’ Haru breathed, ‘and…scary…’

Aubrey frowned at him, releasing Amelia before straightening again.

‘That was really incredible’ Haru said breathy now as Aubrey rose, turning to help Amelia to her feet. ‘It was…. oh….’ he sighed, smiling then. ‘I wish I could do something like that, it was really convincing.’

‘Well you can if you give it a try’ Aubrey said, placing his hands upon his hips and grinning at him. ‘Acting is in the heart’ Aubrey said, pressing his hand upon his own chest in a genuine gesture. ‘It comes from within.’

‘I’ve never really been confident’ Haru admitted. ‘I don’t know if I could do something like that.’

Aubrey snapped his fingers then. ‘Hey I’ve got an idea!’ he spoke to Haru then with a smile. ‘Why don’t you take the lead role in this play?’ Aubrey suggested.

‘What?’ Haru gasped.

‘That will help you build your confidence, right? Performing in front of a crowd?’

‘I suppose’ Haru trailed off. ‘But I don’t know if I could do that.’

‘Well that’s ok’ Aubrey grinned. ‘You can practice in front of us.’

‘That sounds great’ Sasha cried out. ‘You could be the lead role.’

‘Oh no I don’t know if that’s a good idea’ Haru said beginning to panic a little.

‘Don’t be silly’ Sasha waved at him. ‘It will defiantly help with your confidence’ she said. ‘Ben used to have terrible stage-fright, he would freeze up and begin to sweat.’

‘Is that true Ben?’ Haru asked him.

‘Yeah’ Ben replied calmly. ‘Acting on stage was difficult at first, but it made me become a better person, I grew because of it. I’m way more confident now, and it was all because of acting. Cool right?’

‘Oh waw’ Haru sighed longingly. ‘That sounds amazing.’

‘So will you do it?’ Amelia asked.

‘I’ll give it a try’ Haru replied, hiding his reluctance.

‘You should answer with a bit more confidence’ Aubrey told him. ‘Will you do it?’ Aubrey asked him again.

Haru hunched his shoulders, balling his fists on his lap before looking up towards the others again.

‘I’ll definitely do it’ he spoke more firmly now. ‘It’ll be fun.’

Beside him Aubrey smiled, tilting his head playfully at him.

‘That’s more like it’ he said.

Haru went to his next class feeling excited. Feeling nervous, and even a little scared, but happy.

Not even the teasing of the boys around him could bring him down.

Later that day after classes had finished, Haru headed back to his dorm, intending to sit quietly alone and study.

Along the way, he saw a figure a short distance away, lurking behind a tree.

Haru tensed suddenly, recognising the cloaked figure.

‘….Aubrey?’

Aubrey raised his head then, meeting Haru’s eyes briefly, before gliding backwards and hiding himself amongst the trees.

Haru ran towards him, searching for him amongst the trees. But to his disappointment after several minutes of searching, he could not find Aubrey.

Haru let out a weary sigh, bowing his head, feeling disappointed and dejected. He returned to his dormitory and sat heavily on the bed, taking out his books from his bag and placing them on his lap.

He looked out of his window towards the darkening sky. It was not that late, but it seemed that the night had deciding to come early.

He sat on the edge of his bed gazing through the window. He did not read his books, instead continued to stare at the sky, and at the stars that grew with brightness with every passing minute.

Eventually he began to feel tired, placing his books down upon the floor beside the bed, and lying down, resting on his side.

Haru blinked once, letting out a breath, he closed his eyes, quickly beginning to nod off, and was asleep in minutes.

It was less than twenty minutes later, there came a knock at his window.

At first Haru heard it in his dream, but as the tapping continued, Haru slowly began to wake, opening his eyes and blinking.

He sat up, looking towards the window, seeing the dark shape of a head beyond the glass.

Haru let out a cry of shock, jumping back in fright. He stayed there for a moment, staring wide-eyed at the figure in the window before regaining himself.

He leant forwards, opening the window so that he could speak to the figure.

‘Aubrey what are you doing?!’ Haru spoke in a frantic whisper.

‘Can I come in?’ Aubrey asked politely, hanging by his fingertips precariously from the ledge below his window.

Haru grabbed him by the arm, pulling him inside urgently. helping Aubrey as he climbed through the window and into his room.

‘What on earth are you doing here?’

‘I came to see you’ Aubrey said. ‘I have something I’d like to tell you.’

Haru frowned down at Aubrey as he straightened up, lowering his hood.

‘We’re practicing in the drama hall now’ Aubrey whispered to him excitedly, ‘all of us are there. We’re going to practice in the dark, with only candles to light our way. Isn’t that going to be so…...atmospheric?’

Haru let out a slow gasp then, eyes wide with excitement.

‘So you’re excited?’ Aubrey asked him.

‘I’ve never…’ Haru uttered, ‘…done anything like that before.’

Aubrey’s eyes shone wildly at Haru, his grin almost predatory now.

‘It’s going to be so much fun’ he breathed excitedly, ‘but we have to be quiet’ he said, bringing his finger to his lips. ‘We wouldn’t want anyone finding us.’

Aubrey stepped lightly across the room, moving over towards the door.

He paused before it, turning back to Haru.

‘Are you coming?’ he asked him.

Haru felt his heart skip a beat, eyes wide in the dark room.

He stepped over towards Aubrey as he opened the door, following him out of the room.

‘I hope I didn’t interrupt your studying’ Aubrey spoke in a hushed voice as they made their way along the silent corridor.

‘No’ Haru answered. ‘I wasn’t…um…’ he trailed off.

‘Trouble studying?’ Aubrey asked.

‘I’m not doing well in my classes’ Haru admitted glumly as they went. ‘I’m behind everyone else so… I have to do some extra work.’

Haru glanced sideway at Aubrey.

‘I’ve got a lot to learn’ Haru said, ‘but I just can’t get anything to stick.’

‘You’re trying too hard’ Aubrey told him.

‘That’s not very helpful advice….’

They descended the stairs together, walking side by side, they headed outside.

‘The night is so cool and beautiful’ Haru said pausing and gazing up at the stars.

‘Hey look a bat!’ Aubrey voiced. ‘Did you see that just then? It’s chasing moths in that light by that building.’ He glanced back at Haru then. ‘Come on, keep up’ he hissed in a whisper to Haru who lingered behind him.

‘S-sorry’ Haru called after him, jogging to keep up.

‘Man you’re such an air-head.’

‘You were just staring at bats’ Haru scowled in annoyance.

They entered the building across the grounds, moving swiftly down the corridor, they entered the drama hall.

Sasha, Amelia and Ben were already there, turning towards them both as they entered.

The scene looked magical, all of them were wearing witch’s hats, and were carrying burning lanterns on the ends of chains.

Amelia giggled at them, pulling her hat back so she could see them more clearly.

‘Welcome’ she announced. ‘Welcome.’

Haru approached the three, grinning wildly, the lights from the candles shining in his eyes.

‘You will be the main character’ Sasha said approaching him, draping a cloth over his shoulder as she did so, part of his costume for the play.

Haru took it off his shoulders, feeling the fabric between his fingers.

‘Waw’ he breathed. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘I got one just like it’ Aubrey said, opening his cloak then to reveal the shirt he wore beneath.

Haru looked at Aubrey’s shirt, the fabric sparkling with every movement, the light catching in the dim hall.

‘It looks like the stars in space’ Haru mumbled.

‘Hmm?’

‘Ah’ Haru breathed. ‘Nothing.’

‘Do you like it?’ Aubrey asked him.

‘I love it.’

‘We match!’ Aubrey sung happily, lifting the edges of his cloak like wings.

‘Alright you swaggering peacock’ Sasha said waving him away with an irritated expression. ‘Don’t forget that Haru is the lead role in this play. Don’t go stealing the show now, kay?’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it’ Aubrey chuckled, maintaining his happy demeanour and ridiculous grin.

‘Alright’ Ben said, speaking clearly so that he would be heard. ‘Let’s start.’