Accidentally Yours, Alpha.

Mixed Emotions.

I couldn't place my head around it.

After saying my lines, I heard a piece of glass shatter suddenly. I jerked in the direction of the sound, but all I saw was the audience applauding cheerfully like nothing happened.

I turned back to meet Roy's gaze who was now completely focused on me in a way that made me hold my breath.

“Hey. Are you good?” he whispered, but I was too dazed to speak.

The environment seemed like something strange was slowly starting to fill the air. The fluorescent lights got dimmer and the classroom started to feel like an alternate reality.

My skin burned hot. I felt feverish and electric at the same time, like every nerve ending in my body had suddenly come alive.

Weirdly, the crescent-shaped birthmark on my collarbone that I’d had since birth and never thought twice about, began to burn as well, but it wasn't painful.

Professor Jefferson cleared his throat, breaking whatever spell or confusion had settled over us. "Ok. That was, intense. Let's take five minutes, everyone."

Most of the students got up immediately and scampered around like they couldn't wait to get away.

Hayley shot me this deadly look from afar, probably furious that I was getting all this attention from Roy.

On the other hand, Darcy looked like she wanted to grab me and demand to know what the hell had just happened, which was fair because I wanted to know the same thing.

I stood to my feet and made for the hallway on wobbly legs, my heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat.

I needed air. But most importantly, I needed to figure out why a simple line reading had just felt like the most important moment of my life.

"Miss Lockwood," Professor Jefferson called softly behind me as I walked out the door.

I turned around and he was standing by the door with one hand tucked into his vest side-pocket, and the other adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes were kind with a bit of sparkling in them.

"What just happened in there?" I asked, my voice came out smaller than I intended.

He studied me for a little while like he was weighing his words very carefully. Then he smiled gently.

"Sometimes," he said, "a role finds you for a reason."

"That wasn't just acting, was it?" I asked, touching my collarbone where the birthmark was still ticklish. "That line, it felt like it meant something deeper."

He nodded slowly. "Indeed. Some words are actually older than scripts, Miss Lockwood."

I stared at him, completely lost. "What does that even mean?"

He turned around and walked back into the classroom, leaving me standing in the hallway with more questions than answers, and a birthmark that still felt like it was on fire.

I walked over to the window, peeped inside the room and watched as Professor Jefferson picked up someone's discarded script from the floor. He stared down at the faded, yellow pages that looked far older than any school play should be, and exhaled softly.

"It has begun," I heard him murmur to the empty room.

Feeling more perplexed and thinking I might actually be going crazy, I made my way to the cafeteria. I believed eating some good food would shake off all the weird energy and keep me thinking clearly. Plus I was starting to feel lightheaded, like I was running low on sugar.

Over at the cafeteria, I ordered for some doughnuts and a milkshake. As soon as my order was done, I took up my tray and glanced round the hall.

Darcy was already at our usual table, and she had this bright smile. She was waving over at me like I was a returning war hero.

"Susie! Over here! I saved you a seat!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled, as if I sat anywhere else.

Eitherways, I had made it exactly three steps towards her when Hayley Graves and her usual clique of friends walked up to me like they had long been waiting.

"Well, well," she purred, blocking my path. "If it isn't our new leading lady."

Her friends giggled. She continued:

"I have to say, Susie, I am really curious as to how this is all going to work out. I mean, Roy Henderson and... you." She looked me up and down like I was some disgusting lowlife.

I tried to step around them but they moved like a pack, standing in my way.

"I heard he specifically requested for you," one of her girls, Freya, said with fake sweetness. "Is that true? Did Roy Henderson ask for little Susie Lockwood?"

The cafeteria suddenly went quiet around us, like everyone was now listening to our conversation.

"I... I don't know," I stammered, clutching my tray tighter. "I didn't even audition."

Hayley laughed. "Aww, you didn't audition? How could you possibly have gotten a role then?” She said whilst giving me the fake puppy eyes.

“Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble you freak, but I bet you were only picked for fun, which I find rather entertaining. Get that into your fat skull, okay? And of course, I still look forward to witnessing your.. memorable downfall."

She then leaned in closer. “Break a leg, Susie. Literally.” Finally, they moved aside.

I ran over to Darcy's table with a puffy face and tear-filled eyes, trying so hard not to let the tears roll down my face.

"I am so sorry Susie," Darcy said, pulling me into the chair beside her. "Just ignore them. They're only jealous because Hayley auditioned for the lead and didn't get it. You know she's been the star of every school production since our first year, and now you swooped in and stole the spotlight from her again."

"I didn't swoop in anywhere," I muttered, staring at my sad-looking doughnuts. "F*ck I don't even want this role. I should just quit and tell Professor Jefferson I can't do it."

"Are you insane?" Darcy's voice went up about three octaves. "You cannot quit. This is the chance of a lifetime!"

"It is the humiliation of a lifetime Darcy."

"Susie." She grabbed my hand across the table and gave me that serious look she used whenever she thought she needed to save me from myself.

"Do you know what this means? If you kill your role, you could have all these acting agencies trying to sign you as their talent by graduation. And if you think you're not made for fame, at least bag the guy. Roy Henderson is going to have to spend the next two months getting to know you, talk to you, act romantic scenes with you. You're going to be in his circle, don't you get it?”

She did seem to make a lot of sense, but I couldn't help that little voice in my head that had me obsessing over every flaw and shortcomings, believing I was not good enough.

"You mean I'm going to be more like his target practice that he has probably already placed a bet on somewhere with his group of friends."

Darcy sighed, offered me this weak smile, and went back to sipping her iced chocolate frappe. “I don't know what to do with you anymore.”

As she said that, I began thinking about the way he had looked at me earlier. He didn't seem disgusted. If anything, he looked like he was interested in me, like I was a puzzle he was just trying to figure out.

Then again looks could be deceiving, couldn't they?

I looked over at Darcy. Gosh I hated disappointing her like this. If she could strongly believe in me, then why couldn't I do the same for myself?

“Hey.” I called softly.

She turned to look at me without saying anything.

“Wanna head home together?”

“No, I've got Geometry. You can go though.”

Darcy was an Arts major like me, and Geometry was definitely not in the curriculum.

A chilly sensation ran through my body. I had this sudden difficulty to respond to her, so I quietly packed up my food and left without saying goodbye.