#Chapter 26 Friends in Fast Places
I stare at her with wide eyes, shocked.
“But…why?”
“What do you mean ‘Why‘? You were great up there! Not only did you and Alex help refine the script and storyline, but your performance was fantastic! Carter still sent me the details. I know you adlibbed that line during a titular scene. And it fit well! It’s a waste to have you stay in the background, so I want to see you on stage more.”
For a moment, I’m speechless. Anxiously, I look back at Alex, who gives me two thumbs up. But that’s not reassuring at all!
“…..What about the, uhm, sss…stuttering?”
She hums. “What about it?”
“Won’t that rrr–ruin some of the linesss?”
“Oh, hon.” She starts counting off with her fingers. “Bran Walden, Yearny Easton, Emilia Frank. That’s just three of my favorite actors who stutter or had one at some point. Emilia Frank’s is neurogenic, so she always takes slower–speaking roles. Still, isn’t she amazing?”
“Ah…”
Mrs. Taylor walks over and puts a hand on my shoulder.
“Having a stutter doesn’t mean you can’t act. You clearly have a passion for it. What do you think?”
…I don’t think anyone’s ever told me this before.
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#Chapter 26 Friends in Fast Places
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I’ve stuttered forever, but it’s either not bothered them or bothered them a lot. It’s the first
time someone other than my mom’s told me that I could act even whilst stuttering.
But…I can?
I can do this?
…. It hits me harder than I expect.
I don’t realize I’ve started to cry until Mrs. Taylor hugs me.
3
I agree to change my position. It was a daunting decision, but in the end, with Alex’s and Mrs. Taylor’s encouragement, I decide to make the shift.
Immediately, things start changing around me.
With Mrs. Taylor’s return from maternity leave, the bullies no longer dare to come back. Although quirky, Mrs. Taylor is no–nonsense on school discipline. She also gave Carter, the club president, a disappointed chat after someone said I was almost kicked out.
Hailey just winks at me when I mention that.
Because a lot of people saw Alex and me perform, I became more than just Alex’s ‘longest fling.‘ A few students who came to watch even complimented me!
The hockey team, who mostly came to see Àlex fuck up, ended up invested in the story. One even said he cried during my death scene.
It makes my heart flutter in a way I haven’t felt in years.
Yeah…this is it. This is why I like acting so much.
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#Chapter 26 Friends in Fast Places
It was fun on stage, and it’s still fun after I’m off.
42802
Hailey and I hang out more now, especially since we’re both performers. We start walking to classes together as long as they’re close enough to each other.
“Heyyy, Cynthia. I was wondering,” Hailey sings, a nervous tint to her voice. “You’re, like, cool with the hockey guys, right? Well, sans Oliver, but is he even a team member anymore?”
I shrug. Whatever he’s doing is his business.
“Right, well, I was thinking…could you maybe talk to Alex about putting a good word in for me with Len?”
“Len?”
“Oh, yeah, uh, Lenard Patel. You know, tall guy, brown hair, green eyes, dreamy. Kinda
quiet but nice to people. Manspreads…”
“Sss–stop drooling, Hailey.”
She checks her lips, finding out I was joking.
“Uhm, so, like, I would love to hang out with him, but I need an in. The sign thing didn’t exactly work out–don’t look at me like that, I said I was sorry!! But yeah. So. Pleaaaase-?”
Right, Lenard. The “Len” of his name made replacing it with “Alex,” though the x had looked a little wonky since it had been an N before. So, he was the guy whose, erh, stick,
she’d wanted to hold.
I should maybe say no, not because I’m angry at her. But, setting people up isn’t a thing I really do. At the same time, she stuck by me in the worst of the bullying, and I think she’s a good friend, the stick incident aside.
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#Chapter 26 Friends in Fast Places
“…I guess. I’ll talk with Alexsss about it.”
“Eeeee!! You’re the best, Cynthy!”
She hugs me so suddenly, I almost topple over.
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When we part ways, I start trying to think of how to make it work. What’s something a lot of people can do as a group, just to set things up? Like, first date places…
Alex took me to a diner in the area, but going out to eat might just be boring. Maybe…
Well, Alex is better at this sort of thing, I can just ask him.
When lunch period comes around, he and I meet up as usual. He seems to really be enjoying today’s snacks, eating them alongside the lunch he brought from home.
“Alex…uhm…if we were to go on a date, wherrre would be a good plasss–place?”
He almost chokes on his food, but collects himself, brightening right up.
“Oh, hmm. There’s this new indie movie coming out in a few days! What was it…erh…Astral Projection, I think. We could go watch that. When’s a good day for you?”
“Huh? Oh! Uhm,” I fiddle with my fingers, surprised by his eagerness. “I mean…it’d be nice if we could invite friendsss. Uhm, like, I’d like to bring Hailey. Maybe you could bring a friend of yoursss? Like…erh…”
Then I sigh. It’s best if I’m honest, isn’t it?`
“…Hailey would like to meet Lenard. Are you two clossse?”
When I look up at his face, I find myself pausing at his expression. For a brief moment, his eyebrows scrunch, his mouth twisting with dissatisfaction. But he straightens it out,
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#Chapter 25 Frends in fast Moses
shrugging.
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“We’re kinda cool, I guess.”
Huh. Usually if I ask about his team, he’ll start chatting about them like the blabbermouth
he is. It’s unusual for his words to be so short.
“Oh. Uhm…then. If it’s alright, could you, me, Hailey, and Len work out a day to go to the moviesss? I mean, I do want to sssee it, too.”
He moves his fork around his lunch box–I think it’s some kind of beef pasta, but it smells
heavenly. Alex was eating quite heartily just before, so I wonder…have I hurt his feelings somehow? But why?
“…Yeah, I’ll talk to him.” He sighs, then starts eating again. “…Do you know what Astral Projection is about?”
“A little. It’sss actually referring to lusss–lucid dreaming, yeah?”
“Mmhm. I heard it’s full of action, too.”
He slowly starts chatting again, and I feel much more at ease. But, I wonder if I’d said something to hurt him. Was he…looking forward to it just being us two?
We set a Sunday when Alex and Lenard don’t have a game. While we don’t really have to dress up nicely, I still put in more effort than usual. I tuck my sweater into the long skirt I have, and I even try wiping some of the smudges off my Chuck Taylor knockoffs.
I park at the trolley stop closest to home instead of driving. Trying to find parking downtown might be more trouble than it’s worth, so I decide against it.
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#Chapter 26 Friends in Fast Places
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Besides, the winter lights are very nice to look at from inside the trolley car. I take a few
pictures on my way there.
As expected, the little indie cinema has more traffic than usual. It doesn’t have a lot of available parking, and if you park on the street, you have to pay a parking meter. Eugh.
I get off the trolley at the stop and look both ways. Then, I start crossing the street. I open my phone to check for any update text messages.
I’m a bit early, but we said we’d meet up like this to get good seats-
Suddenly, tires screech.
Bright lights flash onto my body.
I look up to see a car speeding at me.
Wh…
Where did it-
Before my brain can process it, someone’s hand grabs me and pulls me in.
They don’t smell like pine.
Instead, they smell like the cool earth after it’s rained. Like fog.
“Are you okay?”
I finally hear their voice as the white noise fades from my ears. A police motorcycle passes, sirens blaring, and I finally look up.
The dark–haired man lets go of me, tall and imposing, but far from unkind. Instead, he somewhat reminds me of Alex.
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#Chapter 26 Friends in fast Muces
“Uhm…okay. Yeah.”
The tall guy sighs.
“Good, good. Be careful out here, okay?”
That’s all he says before waving a goodbye at me and walking off.
I just stand there on the sidewalk, eyes wide.
Wh… What just happened?
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