Part XIII of a work in progress.
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
The school day passed slowly.
Michelle noticed that Kayla was in her geometry class. If she was honest with herself, then she would know that she had seen Kayla walk in every day and barely given it a second thought that she was also the girl from her chorus class. She found herself wanting to say hi to Kayla in the halls. She even opened her mouth to do it a few times, but, all that would come out was a cough.
She was tired all day. Teachers caught her yawning. Kids asked if she was sick. She couldn't explain the exhaustion that had come over her, but, she hoped that she could get over it by the time the real work on the play started.
Every time she found herself alone in the bathroom or in the halls, she started to go through the warm ups that they had done on the first rehearsal.
"Ten, nine, eight...seven..."
After school, she waited with Ryan in the hall, staring at the wall as Ryan went on and on and on about the book The Outsiders and the movie of it that they had watched in their seventh grade language class. Then, the jokes they had made about the movie were hilarious. Even in eighth grade, they were funny. But, now Michelle found herself getting sick of the punchlines. She tried to smile but she knew it came off wrong. Ryan didn't seem phased by it, though.
Other kids were gathered in the hall around them, immersed in their own conversations.
One of the Tinas and Summer were huddled together in one corner. When Ande walked into the room, she walked right past Gerrard, Ryan, and Michelle and sat down a few inches away from Tina and Summer. The act seemed useless to Michelle. Why even pretend not to want to be part of the conversation? After a few seconds, Ande butted in and made her presence quite clear.
Atta girl, Michelle thought spitefully.
Suddenly, the doors to the chorus room opened and Mr. James waited, holding the door open for everyone while they gathered their books and filed in.
Elena sat down in the second row, so Michelle sat next to her. Ryan sat one row back, and Ande, Tina, and Summer one row forward. On the other side of Elena was Taylor and the rest of the girls playing the sisters in the play.
With nothing to say, Michelle stared at the door and wondered if she would get a look at Pete or Keith during the rehearsal.
She got her answer to the second when Keith came waltzing through the door, his book for the play tucked under one arm, and a cigarette tucked behind his left ear. Michelle stared at him, wondering if she would reach that level of cool by the time she was 21 years old. Doubt it, she answered herself plainly, leaning back in her chair.
There was no fluttering of her heart or anything romantic, like she used to feel with Vince or any of the guys before him. Still, she felt like what Keith thought of her mattered. She just wasn't sure how yet.
The lights of the chorus room felt harsh and unforgiving. Michelle had that feeling in her stomach as though everyone in the room knew exactly what she was thinking and what she was feeling. In her head, she played out romantic scenes that she could write during any of her free time.
He laughed and bent his head back slightly, whispering so that no one in the classrooms they were walking by could hear them. "Frankly," he told her, grabbing her hand, "I don't give a fuck whether we get caught or not."
"Then why are you whispering?" She shot back in a whisper of her own.
Mr. James walked with confidence, but, not so much ease, to the center of the front of the room. He cleared his throat, making it just as obvious as he could that he wanted all eyes on his bloated self. "I believe we are going to attempt reading through the book today, correct?" He stared at Lee as if she had just made the announcement, rather than having been sitting there and hearing it for the first time like everyone else.
"Um, sure," she answered, her voice dripping with unease.
I would hate to have to "co-direct" with him. I bet she'll do all the work, she made the silent bet to herself, still doing her best to listen to everything that was going on.
When Mr. James finished leading himself in circles, everyone took out their books. And so the reading began.
Keith's attempt at an accent made Michelle laugh softly to herself. She could hardly tell if it was supposed to be German or Italian.
The sheets were soft and comfortable. She could hardly peel herself out of bed, but, she sat up and looked over to the window, where he was sitting and staring out. "What are you looking at?" She asked, smiling and stretching.
He turned to her, looking a lot more awake than she felt. "Outside," he told her, quietly.
The image stuck in Michelle's head like a cheesy song from the 90s. Her concentration faded slowly as everyone but Keith read their lines. Kayla's conviction did catch her attention, and Elena's attempt at a whine made her smile. Lee did fantastic, as Michelle expected. But, Keith surprised her. Maybe, by the end of the play, she would know him better than she ever could have in the seventh grade.
The room felt like a tent, flimsy and unsure as Michelle looked all around it, only listening to everyone. There were shadows in the small practice rooms, but, the room itself was almost violently lit up. Her shoes were dark and black against the white of the tiles. Her fingernails were choppy and uneven as she bit them down.
This is going to be good, she told herself as Joanna and Daron ran their scene. Each of them stumbled over words and phrases, but, they still made Michelle smile. This is going to be good.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Shred
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
You are the
----------------------------------papers that I shred
on Saturday night when I realize
I have
more important things to do,
-------------------------------so I procrastinate.
You
------f
----a
----------l
-------l
like melted snowflakes
to the fate that you have chosen.
You drift
---------------down
----------------------and down
until you touch the floor and
reacquaint yourself with the
grooves in the wood.
Make me smile like you did on
that day when
-----------------------we first met
and I'll shut down the power
until you can regain your composure.
----Because
you are the paper I shred
without
-------------------------------thought
and without---------------------- mercy
until there's nothing left but
single letters and
unfin-----------------ished
th---------------------------------oughts.
---
You are the
----------------------------------papers that I shred
on Saturday night when I realize
I have
more important things to do,
-------------------------------so I procrastinate.
You
------f
----a
----------l
-------l
like melted snowflakes
to the fate that you have chosen.
You drift
---------------down
----------------------and down
until you touch the floor and
reacquaint yourself with the
grooves in the wood.
Make me smile like you did on
that day when
-----------------------we first met
and I'll shut down the power
until you can regain your composure.
----Because
you are the paper I shred
without
-------------------------------thought
and without---------------------- mercy
until there's nothing left but
single letters and
unfin-----------------ished
th---------------------------------oughts.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Reminder
Copyright Julia Bydulia
Please read and tell me what you think
---
I print you on my skin like
I tie a string around my finger:
reminding myself not to forget.
Don't forget the long nights when we didn't talk
or the short nights when we did
and don't forget the look on your face when I
repeated myself and you expected less.
Your eyes were like guiding lights in the darkness
and I followed them as they darted and dashed
everywhere but my eyes, but my smile,
but my self.
Don't forget the promises that were never told
or the dreams you had where they were
and don't forget the echoes you could barely hear
or the shouts that rung vibrantly in your ears.
I print you on my skin like
I post sticky notes on my mirror:
reminding myself of you
every morning and every night.
Please read and tell me what you think
---
I print you on my skin like
I tie a string around my finger:
reminding myself not to forget.
Don't forget the long nights when we didn't talk
or the short nights when we did
and don't forget the look on your face when I
repeated myself and you expected less.
Your eyes were like guiding lights in the darkness
and I followed them as they darted and dashed
everywhere but my eyes, but my smile,
but my self.
Don't forget the promises that were never told
or the dreams you had where they were
and don't forget the echoes you could barely hear
or the shouts that rung vibrantly in your ears.
I print you on my skin like
I post sticky notes on my mirror:
reminding myself of you
every morning and every night.
Informal Reunion
Copyright Julia Bydulia
Please feel free to comment if you read.
---
The playground was our refuge
when we were younger
we would hide under the wooden steps
and promise not to change.
The playground was our doorway
and we stood still in it for too many years,
stopping the other from moving.
We were stuck.
The rooms that we ended up in
when we took that step forward
turned out to be different rooms
than we had originally planned.
Meet me at the swing set
with an open mind and a bad memory
and maybe we'll get along better
than the suckers who showed their faces at the reunion.
Please feel free to comment if you read.
---
The playground was our refuge
when we were younger
we would hide under the wooden steps
and promise not to change.
The playground was our doorway
and we stood still in it for too many years,
stopping the other from moving.
We were stuck.
The rooms that we ended up in
when we took that step forward
turned out to be different rooms
than we had originally planned.
Meet me at the swing set
with an open mind and a bad memory
and maybe we'll get along better
than the suckers who showed their faces at the reunion.
Story, An Untitled
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
Part XII of an unfinished story.
---
Practice was exciting. Mr. James read off the cast list.
"Lee will be playing Jo. Joanna will play Meg. Mary will play Beth. The two Amys will be played by Elena and Tayler. They look alike, right guys?" He laughed that big fake laugh and looked around the room, expecting a response. A few people smiled. "Kayla as Marmee. Keith came back to help us out and play Professor Bhear. Lee's friend Peter is going to come from another school to play Laurie." The list was going on and on, but, Michelle heard her name nowhere on it. Mr. James went on. "Charlie will play Mr. Laurence. Daron is going to play John Brooke." He turned the page on the packet he was holding. "For the scene about the newspaper--"
"Weekly Volcano Press," Lee told him, smiling.
He nodded at her and then went on. "We'll have Tina as Clarissa, our other Tina as Rodrigo 2, Summer as the first Rodrigo, Michelle as Braxton, Gerrard as the troll, Tanya as the hag, and Daron as the knight." Michelle's heart stopped and when it started again, it felt as if it was beating in her feet instead of her chest.
"Everyone else will be chorus members or dancers or whatever, right?"
Everyone nodded and Lee clapped her hands, standing up. She turned to Mr. James. "Auditorium?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.
"Sure," he answered, seeming uninterested in what she did.
Elena and Michelle turned to each other. "Amy! I'm Amy!" Elena cried, jumping up and down. "I'm young Amy!"
"Braxton! I don't know who that is! But now it's me!" Michelle squealed, spinning around in a few tiny circles.
In the pit of her stomach, she felt a tiny thrill. She couldn't help but think, I got a part and Ande didn't! before she walked with everyone else into the auditorium for warm ups.
Little Women would be great. It would be grand! Michelle could feel it in every step she took, every swinging or swaying of her arms. Her heart was smiling with the rest of her. She had a part.
Everyone was on the stage already when Michelle finally climbed on. The whole cast formed into an uneven circle. Michelle stood with Elena on one side and Kayla on the other. Ande was a few people down from her. She could see her and Gerrard out of the corner of her eye. Keith was standing next to Charlie, directly across from Michelle, near Lee and Joanna.
"Let's warm up!" Lee announced. "Quiet time! Reach for the cookie in the sky," she instructed, reaching her arms as far over her head as she could. Everyone else followed her lead. "Aaaaaaaand flop over like a rag doll." She and everyone else flopped over loosely, doing their best to touch their toes. "Slowly roll up, one vertebrae at a time, and count backwards from ten. Ten...nine...eight..." Michelle counted along in her head and followed Lee's instructions with everyone else.
They followed that up with a few vocal exercises. "Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot, we'll be together whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!"
"We'll probably just play some games for today. I wanna see if Pete can come in tomorrow. Whether he does or not, we'll start our read through." Lee stretched a little. "Let's introduce ourselves!"
The names didn't surprise Michelle. She recognized most everyone from the halls or knowing them through other people. A few of them were new, but, they wouldn't be too hard to remember. She laughed at the prospect of any of them actually committing her own name to memory, but, she said it anyway.
They all played fun little theater games for the full two hours. She and Elena paired up for the Mirror Game. Their new catchphrase became "of one mind" as they did their best to follow each other's movements and match each other's thoughts.
Of one mind, Michelle whispered in her thoughts as she watched Keith out of the corner of her eye.
Part XII of an unfinished story.
---
Practice was exciting. Mr. James read off the cast list.
"Lee will be playing Jo. Joanna will play Meg. Mary will play Beth. The two Amys will be played by Elena and Tayler. They look alike, right guys?" He laughed that big fake laugh and looked around the room, expecting a response. A few people smiled. "Kayla as Marmee. Keith came back to help us out and play Professor Bhear. Lee's friend Peter is going to come from another school to play Laurie." The list was going on and on, but, Michelle heard her name nowhere on it. Mr. James went on. "Charlie will play Mr. Laurence. Daron is going to play John Brooke." He turned the page on the packet he was holding. "For the scene about the newspaper--"
"Weekly Volcano Press," Lee told him, smiling.
He nodded at her and then went on. "We'll have Tina as Clarissa, our other Tina as Rodrigo 2, Summer as the first Rodrigo, Michelle as Braxton, Gerrard as the troll, Tanya as the hag, and Daron as the knight." Michelle's heart stopped and when it started again, it felt as if it was beating in her feet instead of her chest.
"Everyone else will be chorus members or dancers or whatever, right?"
Everyone nodded and Lee clapped her hands, standing up. She turned to Mr. James. "Auditorium?" She asked, cocking her head to one side.
"Sure," he answered, seeming uninterested in what she did.
Elena and Michelle turned to each other. "Amy! I'm Amy!" Elena cried, jumping up and down. "I'm young Amy!"
"Braxton! I don't know who that is! But now it's me!" Michelle squealed, spinning around in a few tiny circles.
In the pit of her stomach, she felt a tiny thrill. She couldn't help but think, I got a part and Ande didn't! before she walked with everyone else into the auditorium for warm ups.
Little Women would be great. It would be grand! Michelle could feel it in every step she took, every swinging or swaying of her arms. Her heart was smiling with the rest of her. She had a part.
Everyone was on the stage already when Michelle finally climbed on. The whole cast formed into an uneven circle. Michelle stood with Elena on one side and Kayla on the other. Ande was a few people down from her. She could see her and Gerrard out of the corner of her eye. Keith was standing next to Charlie, directly across from Michelle, near Lee and Joanna.
"Let's warm up!" Lee announced. "Quiet time! Reach for the cookie in the sky," she instructed, reaching her arms as far over her head as she could. Everyone else followed her lead. "Aaaaaaaand flop over like a rag doll." She and everyone else flopped over loosely, doing their best to touch their toes. "Slowly roll up, one vertebrae at a time, and count backwards from ten. Ten...nine...eight..." Michelle counted along in her head and followed Lee's instructions with everyone else.
They followed that up with a few vocal exercises. "Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot, we'll be together whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!"
"We'll probably just play some games for today. I wanna see if Pete can come in tomorrow. Whether he does or not, we'll start our read through." Lee stretched a little. "Let's introduce ourselves!"
The names didn't surprise Michelle. She recognized most everyone from the halls or knowing them through other people. A few of them were new, but, they wouldn't be too hard to remember. She laughed at the prospect of any of them actually committing her own name to memory, but, she said it anyway.
They all played fun little theater games for the full two hours. She and Elena paired up for the Mirror Game. Their new catchphrase became "of one mind" as they did their best to follow each other's movements and match each other's thoughts.
Of one mind, Michelle whispered in her thoughts as she watched Keith out of the corner of her eye.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Story, An Untitled
Part XI of an unfinished story.
Copyright Julia Bydulia
---
After school, Michelle was nervous. She got the feeling in her mouth she usually did when she got nervous. Like her tongue was itchy, like there were tidal waves of blood flowing through the veins of her head. She let all of it flow and tried to take deep breaths, concentrating on the tiles of the floor as she walked over them.
Her locker was on the opposite side of the school from the chorus room, so she had more than enough time to think.
There were people all around. A lot of them were in track shorts and tshirts, their sneakers squeaking on the floor as they all walked together and out of sync with one another. Michelle tried to walk as quietly as she could, just to set herself apart. She hugged the wall of the hallway and rushed toward the chorus room. There were some teachers walking, too. Only a couple of them caught Michelle's eye. She wanted to seem cool, instead of like a weird kid, walking alone in a Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie who might shoot up the school if she got the chance.
The cafeteria was quiet as she walked through it. There were some kids getting water bottles from the machines. They were all laughing together. They weren't wearing sweatpants or shorts or anything with a school logo on it, so Michelle betted they were there for either band practice or the rehearsal. One of them had beautiful blond hair that Michelle envied. She recognized the girl from her gym class and could have sworn her name was Elaine. Neither one of the others looked particularly familiar to Michelle, but, one of them was short with long brown hair.
Michelle walked past them and toward the chorus room. She was greeted by a group of kids waiting for the door to the room to be unlocked. There was Lee and Kayla both sitting along one side of the wall. A girl named April was sitting alone with just a tote bag nearly as big as her torso. Michelle recognized Tina and Summer, two girls who were obviously Hot Topiv junkies. Charlie and Gerrard were sitting together, much to Charlie's disdain, it seemed. Michelle saw Elena and jumped toward her, happy to see someone she could actually talk to.
"Door's locked?" Michelle said, rolling her eyes.
Elena nodded, kicking the bag that was sitting next to her on the floor and tucking her hair behind one ear.
Just then, a surprising face greeted them all by busting through the chorus room doors. "It's open!" The Face yelled as he kicked the door stop in place and ran back inside the room.
Michelle felt her heart kick into gear. She hadn't heard that Keith had come back to do the musical.
Keith had graduated two years ago, just after the year when he had performed as Mr. Bumble in Oliver! with Michelle. She knew of his existence, but, didn't really know him as well as other's might. When they had first met, she was in seventh grade and he was a senior. It was embarrassing, but, Michelle had to admit that he intimidated her. She ran into the room before anyone, intrigued by Keith's appearance at the rehearsal.
He was sitting in the back of the room, his feet resting on the back of the chair that she usually sat in. A streak of reddish-pink hair stuck out from the front of his hat as he reclined, staring at everyone as they filed in the room. Michelle wondered if he even remembered her.
Then, she wondered why her heart seemed to care so much if he did or didn't.
Copyright Julia Bydulia
---
After school, Michelle was nervous. She got the feeling in her mouth she usually did when she got nervous. Like her tongue was itchy, like there were tidal waves of blood flowing through the veins of her head. She let all of it flow and tried to take deep breaths, concentrating on the tiles of the floor as she walked over them.
Her locker was on the opposite side of the school from the chorus room, so she had more than enough time to think.
There were people all around. A lot of them were in track shorts and tshirts, their sneakers squeaking on the floor as they all walked together and out of sync with one another. Michelle tried to walk as quietly as she could, just to set herself apart. She hugged the wall of the hallway and rushed toward the chorus room. There were some teachers walking, too. Only a couple of them caught Michelle's eye. She wanted to seem cool, instead of like a weird kid, walking alone in a Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie who might shoot up the school if she got the chance.
The cafeteria was quiet as she walked through it. There were some kids getting water bottles from the machines. They were all laughing together. They weren't wearing sweatpants or shorts or anything with a school logo on it, so Michelle betted they were there for either band practice or the rehearsal. One of them had beautiful blond hair that Michelle envied. She recognized the girl from her gym class and could have sworn her name was Elaine. Neither one of the others looked particularly familiar to Michelle, but, one of them was short with long brown hair.
Michelle walked past them and toward the chorus room. She was greeted by a group of kids waiting for the door to the room to be unlocked. There was Lee and Kayla both sitting along one side of the wall. A girl named April was sitting alone with just a tote bag nearly as big as her torso. Michelle recognized Tina and Summer, two girls who were obviously Hot Topiv junkies. Charlie and Gerrard were sitting together, much to Charlie's disdain, it seemed. Michelle saw Elena and jumped toward her, happy to see someone she could actually talk to.
"Door's locked?" Michelle said, rolling her eyes.
Elena nodded, kicking the bag that was sitting next to her on the floor and tucking her hair behind one ear.
Just then, a surprising face greeted them all by busting through the chorus room doors. "It's open!" The Face yelled as he kicked the door stop in place and ran back inside the room.
Michelle felt her heart kick into gear. She hadn't heard that Keith had come back to do the musical.
Keith had graduated two years ago, just after the year when he had performed as Mr. Bumble in Oliver! with Michelle. She knew of his existence, but, didn't really know him as well as other's might. When they had first met, she was in seventh grade and he was a senior. It was embarrassing, but, Michelle had to admit that he intimidated her. She ran into the room before anyone, intrigued by Keith's appearance at the rehearsal.
He was sitting in the back of the room, his feet resting on the back of the chair that she usually sat in. A streak of reddish-pink hair stuck out from the front of his hat as he reclined, staring at everyone as they filed in the room. Michelle wondered if he even remembered her.
Then, she wondered why her heart seemed to care so much if he did or didn't.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Story, An Untitled
Part X of an unfinished story.
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
"You guys!" Michelle slammed her paper plate of cheese nachos down on the table, followed by her water bottle. Everyone at her lunch table looked up at her. Nella smiled sweetly at her, Craig kept on chewing his crackers, Allen shrugged noncommittally. "Today is the very first time that the cast of the play is getting together! I'm not, um, calling it a rehearsal yet because we don't even have our parts yet. But whatever."
Nella laughed. "You're so cute," she commented, as she usually did.
"Cool," Craig said, though he sounded like she had just told him that his dog died.
Allen stayed hunched over his plate, trying to get as much grease off his pizza as he could. He didn't say anything, though Michelle heard him make a small grunting sound.
None of these were quite the response she wanted. She dug into her nachos, frowning as she did and trying not to get the corn starchy cheese all over her chin, because she knew that Craig would have to make a comment about--
"You've got white stuff all over your face," he told her, giggling like a five year old girl.
Allen jumped on the bandwagon and laughed with him. "I think it missed your mouth," he commented, pointing to the cheese that was on her chin.
Michelle wiped it off as fast as she could. "Shut up, you pervs," she yelled at both of them.
Nella laughed at her, though she looked a bit oblivious as to why Michelle was so angry. She couldn't really keep up with some of the sex related jokes that Allen and Craig loved to make. It was part of the reason that Michelle loved hanging out with her. She never cursed and never said anything bad. On the other hand, it could mean trouble, because Michelle cursed a lot and barely said anything good. Still, she loved Nella.
When Michelle turned around, the first thing she saw was Vincent, his face red from laughter. She smiled and looked around at everyone else at the table. There was Terrence, who was obviously the source of the entertainment, John, egging him on, and Ande, looking glum. How could you ever look that sad sitting with so many hilarious people? she thought.
She recalled all the times that she had been feeling cheery, and then sought out Ande to tell her whatever it was that was making her that way. The cheeriness didn't last long after she found Ande. Somehow, there was always something going horribly wrong or something frustrating her that no one could fix, no matter what they did. Michelle remembered watching Ande sit silently at their lunch table, picking at a tiny salad and staring off into the distance while everyone else laughed and talked to each other. Her eyes were always dead. Dead, that is, until someone gave her the attention she so obviously yearned for.
At her new lunch table, only Vincent gave her the light of day. It was obvious that Terrence didn't want her there. Terrence couldn't quite grasp the concept of Ande's constant sadness. He only ever felt happy and only really expressed his feelings through laughter.
Michelle turned back to Nella and smiled at her from across the table. "What's up?" She asked, unscrewing her water bottle.
Nella just shrugged and smiled pleasantly. There was something reassuring in the smiles Nella was always flashing.
The bell rang to tell everyone that lunch was over. Michelle tried to walk out with Vincent and his friends without having to run into Ande. She ended up walking with Craig most of the way. She smiled genuinely at his jokes, but, she wished she could hear what Vincent was saying that was making Terrence laugh so hard.
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
"You guys!" Michelle slammed her paper plate of cheese nachos down on the table, followed by her water bottle. Everyone at her lunch table looked up at her. Nella smiled sweetly at her, Craig kept on chewing his crackers, Allen shrugged noncommittally. "Today is the very first time that the cast of the play is getting together! I'm not, um, calling it a rehearsal yet because we don't even have our parts yet. But whatever."
Nella laughed. "You're so cute," she commented, as she usually did.
"Cool," Craig said, though he sounded like she had just told him that his dog died.
Allen stayed hunched over his plate, trying to get as much grease off his pizza as he could. He didn't say anything, though Michelle heard him make a small grunting sound.
None of these were quite the response she wanted. She dug into her nachos, frowning as she did and trying not to get the corn starchy cheese all over her chin, because she knew that Craig would have to make a comment about--
"You've got white stuff all over your face," he told her, giggling like a five year old girl.
Allen jumped on the bandwagon and laughed with him. "I think it missed your mouth," he commented, pointing to the cheese that was on her chin.
Michelle wiped it off as fast as she could. "Shut up, you pervs," she yelled at both of them.
Nella laughed at her, though she looked a bit oblivious as to why Michelle was so angry. She couldn't really keep up with some of the sex related jokes that Allen and Craig loved to make. It was part of the reason that Michelle loved hanging out with her. She never cursed and never said anything bad. On the other hand, it could mean trouble, because Michelle cursed a lot and barely said anything good. Still, she loved Nella.
When Michelle turned around, the first thing she saw was Vincent, his face red from laughter. She smiled and looked around at everyone else at the table. There was Terrence, who was obviously the source of the entertainment, John, egging him on, and Ande, looking glum. How could you ever look that sad sitting with so many hilarious people? she thought.
She recalled all the times that she had been feeling cheery, and then sought out Ande to tell her whatever it was that was making her that way. The cheeriness didn't last long after she found Ande. Somehow, there was always something going horribly wrong or something frustrating her that no one could fix, no matter what they did. Michelle remembered watching Ande sit silently at their lunch table, picking at a tiny salad and staring off into the distance while everyone else laughed and talked to each other. Her eyes were always dead. Dead, that is, until someone gave her the attention she so obviously yearned for.
At her new lunch table, only Vincent gave her the light of day. It was obvious that Terrence didn't want her there. Terrence couldn't quite grasp the concept of Ande's constant sadness. He only ever felt happy and only really expressed his feelings through laughter.
Michelle turned back to Nella and smiled at her from across the table. "What's up?" She asked, unscrewing her water bottle.
Nella just shrugged and smiled pleasantly. There was something reassuring in the smiles Nella was always flashing.
The bell rang to tell everyone that lunch was over. Michelle tried to walk out with Vincent and his friends without having to run into Ande. She ended up walking with Craig most of the way. She smiled genuinely at his jokes, but, she wished she could hear what Vincent was saying that was making Terrence laugh so hard.
Story, An Untitled
Copyright Julia Bydulia
Part IX of an unfinished story.
---
It felt like a month had passed by the time Mr. James handed out schedules for rehearsals. Michelle was sitting in chorus class, making small talk with Kayla, Petunia, and Elena. Mr. James smacked a stack of calendars down on a desk in the corner of the room and leaned on the desk. "First rehearsal is next week," he announced in a booming voice without looking at anyone in particular. "Schedules are here," he added, tapping the papers before he ran back to his office and shut himself in.
Elena and Michelle both jumped up and headed toward to desk to grab their own schedules. "Practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays," Michelle muttered to herself as she flipped the page to find the schedule for the next month as well.
"How many times do you think he'll change it?" Kayla asked, randomly popping up behind them and peeking at Michelle's schedule over her shoulder.
Michelle laughed awkwardly and nodded. "I know, right?" Immediately, she felt stupid. That's all you can think of to say? I know, right? SERIOUSLY? She shouted at herself as she pretended to examine the schedule, her eyes unfocused and a small, fake smile on her face.
When she looked up, the first thing she saw were the windows above the doors that lead outdoors. The sky was bleak and gray with a few stringy looking clouds drifting slowly across it. They looked like a lot of kites torn by tree branches. Michelle watched them mindlessly for a few seconds, keeping her eyes glaze over and pretending that the trees she could see were really giants' fingers.
"Michelle?" Elena waved a hand in front of Michelle's face. She and Petunia were both laughing at here.
"What? Huh?" Michelle blinked a few times and started blushing.
"Class is over," Elena informed her.
"The bell rang, honey," Petunia added.
"I didn't even hear it," Michelle whispered as she turned around and blinked at the clock. Elena and Petunia both laughed again and Petunia patted her shoulder.
As Michelle walked out the doors that lead out into the school, she swore she could hear a giant's throaty voice. "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishmen." Regardless of whether it was just her imagination running away without her, Michelle's heart rate sped up. "Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll have his bones to grind my bread!" She ran through the cafeteria, ahead of Kayla, Elena, and Petunia, to get as far away from the leafy fingered giants as she could.
Part IX of an unfinished story.
---
It felt like a month had passed by the time Mr. James handed out schedules for rehearsals. Michelle was sitting in chorus class, making small talk with Kayla, Petunia, and Elena. Mr. James smacked a stack of calendars down on a desk in the corner of the room and leaned on the desk. "First rehearsal is next week," he announced in a booming voice without looking at anyone in particular. "Schedules are here," he added, tapping the papers before he ran back to his office and shut himself in.
Elena and Michelle both jumped up and headed toward to desk to grab their own schedules. "Practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays," Michelle muttered to herself as she flipped the page to find the schedule for the next month as well.
"How many times do you think he'll change it?" Kayla asked, randomly popping up behind them and peeking at Michelle's schedule over her shoulder.
Michelle laughed awkwardly and nodded. "I know, right?" Immediately, she felt stupid. That's all you can think of to say? I know, right? SERIOUSLY? She shouted at herself as she pretended to examine the schedule, her eyes unfocused and a small, fake smile on her face.
When she looked up, the first thing she saw were the windows above the doors that lead outdoors. The sky was bleak and gray with a few stringy looking clouds drifting slowly across it. They looked like a lot of kites torn by tree branches. Michelle watched them mindlessly for a few seconds, keeping her eyes glaze over and pretending that the trees she could see were really giants' fingers.
"Michelle?" Elena waved a hand in front of Michelle's face. She and Petunia were both laughing at here.
"What? Huh?" Michelle blinked a few times and started blushing.
"Class is over," Elena informed her.
"The bell rang, honey," Petunia added.
"I didn't even hear it," Michelle whispered as she turned around and blinked at the clock. Elena and Petunia both laughed again and Petunia patted her shoulder.
As Michelle walked out the doors that lead out into the school, she swore she could hear a giant's throaty voice. "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishmen." Regardless of whether it was just her imagination running away without her, Michelle's heart rate sped up. "Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll have his bones to grind my bread!" She ran through the cafeteria, ahead of Kayla, Elena, and Petunia, to get as far away from the leafy fingered giants as she could.
Rabid Okapis Slowly Maul Four Year Olds in a Department Store
This is a favor for my friend Matt.
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
The roof was too low to stand and the room was too short to lay down.
Sigmond was laying on his back, cold and damp, his eyes closed against the ragged sensations caused by the room. He could hear footsteps over him and felt an uneasy rocking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
His mother was somewhere off in Ireland, eating the fruit flies he'd commandeered for her. He wondered if her teeth were still as razor sharp as they had been ten years ago.
The sun was shining somewhere else in the universe, far away from Sigmond.
The honey badgers were on their way. There was no escape.
His father was still in Russia, chewing on the bones of the innocent. Sigmond wondered who the bones belonged to. He wondered if he could kill a child so mercilessly.
His fingernails were twelve feet long. "Yes!" He cried, scratching them against the cement of the walls and the floor. "I'll build a restaurant in Paris!" The thrill of an escape filled him and he set to work on the restaurant. "The hamburgers will be exquisite!"
The honey badgers were getting closer. Their noses were twitching, and Sigmond knew that they thirsted for his blood.
"HAMBURGERS!" He cried out, the sound echoing off the walls and making his ears bleed. "HAMBURGERS!"
Copyright Julia Bydulia.
---
The roof was too low to stand and the room was too short to lay down.
Sigmond was laying on his back, cold and damp, his eyes closed against the ragged sensations caused by the room. He could hear footsteps over him and felt an uneasy rocking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
His mother was somewhere off in Ireland, eating the fruit flies he'd commandeered for her. He wondered if her teeth were still as razor sharp as they had been ten years ago.
The sun was shining somewhere else in the universe, far away from Sigmond.
The honey badgers were on their way. There was no escape.
His father was still in Russia, chewing on the bones of the innocent. Sigmond wondered who the bones belonged to. He wondered if he could kill a child so mercilessly.
His fingernails were twelve feet long. "Yes!" He cried, scratching them against the cement of the walls and the floor. "I'll build a restaurant in Paris!" The thrill of an escape filled him and he set to work on the restaurant. "The hamburgers will be exquisite!"
The honey badgers were getting closer. Their noses were twitching, and Sigmond knew that they thirsted for his blood.
"HAMBURGERS!" He cried out, the sound echoing off the walls and making his ears bleed. "HAMBURGERS!"
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Story, An Untitled
Part VIII of an unfinished story.
Copyright Julia Bydulia
---
After school, Michelle went to the hallway outside the chorus room to wait with the other kids who were auditioning. She sat down on the floor and set her books down next to her. The floor was cold and she shivered as she shied away from everyone else, all girls who she knew of, but, didn't actually know.
Mr. James busted through the locked doors of the chorus room, a stack of paper in his hand, his hair disheveled. "Come on in, you guys," he sighed, rushing back into the room.
Kayla, a girl that Michelle liked talking to in chorus class, scoffed at Mr. James's attitude and stood up with everyone else, gathering her books and heading into the chorus room. Michelle walked right behind her and sat next to her when she picked a seat.
"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" She asked Kayla, when Mr. James gave them each an audition form to fill out. It was the first audition she had ever been to, and she was feeling more nervous than she ever had. She spun her CD between two fingers and ripped the corners of the paper with her monologue on it.
Kayla nodded and pulled a pink led pencil out of her bag. "There ya go," she said. Kayla always seemed polite and sweet and talented to Michelle. She'd never really seen anything below the surface.
"Thanks."
Mr. James ranted for a few minutes, as they all expected him to. A short girl that Michelle didn't quite recognize sat on the other side of the room with a smile plastered onto her face. She wondered what it felt like to be her, with long and dark hair and very round cheeks.
"Whose first?" Mr. James finally finished.
Michelle volunteered reluctantly.
I hope that someday this will be something I laugh about where I do well or not, Michelle thought to herself.
When it was just her and Mr. James in the room, it was even more nerve wracking. She wrung her hands and swallowed hard. "Ok. Song or monologue first?" She asked him.
"Whichever," he said, his tone bored and cold.
So, she started with her song and sang two verses of Penny Lane. Her monologue went off without a hitch. Her heart was still pounding as she waddled toward the door and reached for the cold, metal handle.
Laugh today, she told herself in her head as she grabbed her bags and headed down the hall, preparing for the wait for her ride to get there. That wasn't so bad. Just had to do it like a band aid.
Copyright Julia Bydulia
---
After school, Michelle went to the hallway outside the chorus room to wait with the other kids who were auditioning. She sat down on the floor and set her books down next to her. The floor was cold and she shivered as she shied away from everyone else, all girls who she knew of, but, didn't actually know.
Mr. James busted through the locked doors of the chorus room, a stack of paper in his hand, his hair disheveled. "Come on in, you guys," he sighed, rushing back into the room.
Kayla, a girl that Michelle liked talking to in chorus class, scoffed at Mr. James's attitude and stood up with everyone else, gathering her books and heading into the chorus room. Michelle walked right behind her and sat next to her when she picked a seat.
"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" She asked Kayla, when Mr. James gave them each an audition form to fill out. It was the first audition she had ever been to, and she was feeling more nervous than she ever had. She spun her CD between two fingers and ripped the corners of the paper with her monologue on it.
Kayla nodded and pulled a pink led pencil out of her bag. "There ya go," she said. Kayla always seemed polite and sweet and talented to Michelle. She'd never really seen anything below the surface.
"Thanks."
Mr. James ranted for a few minutes, as they all expected him to. A short girl that Michelle didn't quite recognize sat on the other side of the room with a smile plastered onto her face. She wondered what it felt like to be her, with long and dark hair and very round cheeks.
"Whose first?" Mr. James finally finished.
Michelle volunteered reluctantly.
I hope that someday this will be something I laugh about where I do well or not, Michelle thought to herself.
When it was just her and Mr. James in the room, it was even more nerve wracking. She wrung her hands and swallowed hard. "Ok. Song or monologue first?" She asked him.
"Whichever," he said, his tone bored and cold.
So, she started with her song and sang two verses of Penny Lane. Her monologue went off without a hitch. Her heart was still pounding as she waddled toward the door and reached for the cold, metal handle.
Laugh today, she told herself in her head as she grabbed her bags and headed down the hall, preparing for the wait for her ride to get there. That wasn't so bad. Just had to do it like a band aid.
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