No Rules To Love

Chapter One - Part One

I kicked open my apartment door and slumped across the threshold. At that moment, I resembled a zombie. It certainly seemed and felt like the apocalypse, and I was left stranded with no food or weapons.

And I was also a huge drama queen.

My legs and arms were heavy, and my eyes drooped, seduced by the call of sleep and rest. My backpack felt like I’d filled it with a ton of bricks, and I swore the straps would leave lasting dents in my arms... If my arms didn’t drop off, that is. Gravity was too strong, and it took all my strength not to succumb and fall into a heap on the floor.

My mouth gaped open as I let out an audible yawn, making my eyes water in the process. I closed the door behind me, wincing at the sound, and locked it. After I threw my bag down at the side of the door, I kicked it for good measure. I was too tired to walk all the way to the bedroom and place it in my closet. That task could wait for another day.

I then shuffled a few steps further into the apartment and into the living area. I saw my roommate, Ashley Marks, on the couch, her head buried inside what looked like a book of sheet music or lyrics.

She glanced up at me as she heard me coming and threw me a wry smile. “How was your rehearsal?” she asked. Of course, she would love the fact that she could sit at home while I worked hard in rehearsal.

“Long,” I sighed as I descended — fell would be the more appropriate word — onto the sofa next to her. I rested my head on the back of the couch, and although it wasn’t the comfiest of positions, I willed my eyes not to close. I knew that if they closed, it would take me forever to open them again, and a snore wouldn’t be too far off.

Ashley chuckled from beside me, her head still buried in the book. Whatever she looked at had engrossed her. “That’s what you get for being one of the most talented third years at this school.”

My response was a mere small laugh, and I rolled my eyes. I would’ve thrown a cushion at Ash or something like that, but I was too tired to even move. My arms were too comfortable pinned to my side. Once again, gravity held firmly in first place.

Ashley and I were both approaching the end of our third and final year at Mountview. Soon, we would be thrust into the vast, unpredictable world of the acting industry. The thought of this transition was a potent mix of excitement and terror, a feeling I’m sure many of our fellow students can relate to.

Ashley and I met as soon as we arrived at Mountview, during the awkward orientation. Luckily, we both resided in the same student halls. We both realised we shared a lot in common when we happened across each other in a peculiar speed dating exercise. We went around the room and got to know each other in just two minutes. Then the bell would ring, and we would have to move on to the next person. A strange exercise, but one that is a staple at drama school.

The one thing that brought us together the most was how far we had travelled to attend the school. I hailed from Manchester, while she travelled from Liverpool. Neither city resided close to London. Thus, proving how committed we both were.

Halfway through our first year, Ashley and I both became tired of the dire living accommodations. The parties continued on until the ridiculous hours of the morning. All filled with lewd noises and silly drinking games. I understood people wanted to have fun in the first year and live their lives away from their parents, but it got tiresome very quickly. Also, no one knew how to tidy up after themselves, apparently. It annoyed me to no end to enter the kitchen and see a mountain of unwashed dishes on the side.

So, we decided to find our own place to live; we both demonstrated maturity and shared similar values when it came to housing. Because we both worked at the same café and received a decent wage, we didn’t find it challenging to keep up with the rent. Though it was a little more expensive than our previous digs. We realised our luck to have had stable living accommodations over the last two years. We gelled together, and arguments were rare.

As we drew to a close of our third year, we were currently rehearsing one final musical. We had completed our final written work. We had completed our showcase. This was it. Not only was this to say goodbye to the rest of the students, but it was also a crucial part of our course.

Performing in these musicals was a fantastic way to get noticed. The school invited agents and casting directors to watch our productions. As with every show, the invited people hailed from all over the world. There would be a high demand for tickets to this show, as it was the last one we would perform before graduation. Everyone would want to see it. The other year groups in our school, friends, and parents from outside. And, of course, the casting professionals would be in attendance.

The musical we rehearsed was West Side Story, and the school cast me in the lead role of Maria. It pleased me greatly to have been cast in the lead role. Not only did it always humble me to receive a lead role, but West Side Story remains one of my all-time favourite musicals. I relished the challenge of Maria. Challenges fuelled me. She was a challenge to sing, and words couldn’t describe the journey she went through. Not to mention the tragic finale of the show. I have been doing a pretty good job of it so far, if I did say so myself. Ashley was also in the production, playing one of the ensemble dancers and the dance captain. She was an incredible dancer. Cruise ships and West End shows would clamour for her as soon as we graduated.

The rehearsal that I’d just left contained only the principal cast. Hence, the reason I had just bundled through the door, and Ashley had already settled at home. She sat comfortably in her dressing gown and fluffy socks. Lucky. It looked like she occupied her time by reading the libretto for West Side Story, most likely. She’d littered the book with her annotations.

My rehearsal consisted of going through the same scene about ten times, and it just so happened that the scene had me running from one side of the stage to the other... Multiple times. Not only was the scene exhausting physically, but emotions also ran high during the dialogue. No wonder tiredness consumed me.

Rehearsals usually wiped me out because I always put all my effort into them. But this one seemed particularly difficult, as we neared opening night, so we all wanted it to be perfect. Tensions ran high between the director and the cast. We all sat on the edge of an argument at any second. We all clearly needed to drink a cup of tea, enjoy a bath, and calm down. But the tension was something I was accustomed to. I had been performing from an early age, and it was all I knew. Despite the hardships, I never had a better feeling than when I performed on stage. Nothing felt better than the audience clapping and cheering for me.