Stage Light and Side Eyes
619 Words
Chapter Nine: “Stage Lights & Side Eyes”
The assembly hall smelled like sweat, dust, and too much ego.
“Alright people,” Mr. Benson barked, tapping his folder against his palm. “Remember, this is your Literature presentation. It’s not Nollywood. Keep it tasteful, keep it real.”
His eyes lingered a second too long on Sandra, a curvy final year girl sitting in the front row.
She smirked. Crossed her legs slowly.
His gaze flicked away.
Raina whispered, “You saw that, right?”
Nina nodded once, hoodie half-off. “Not my gist to carry.”
Malik leaned in from behind. “That man’s trousers are suspiciously tight today.”
Jayden choked on his drink.
---
Group Two went first. A chaotic mess.
Mercy forgot her lines. Josh tried to freestyle. The fake dagger fell mid-death scene.
The crowd hollered. Phones flashed.
Mr. Benson didn’t even look up from his clipboard.
Then he said, “Group Three. You’re up.”
Jayden stood, stretching. “Let’s cause small damage.”
Raina fixed her hair nervously. “Do I look okay?”
Malik offered her a soft smile. “You look like you’re about to steal the whole show.”
Raina’s face went redder than her lipstick.
Nina stood slowly, eyes empty, but her fists clenched — ready.
---
The lights dimmed.
Their scene: Juliet confronting Romeo after Tybalt’s death.
Raina had the first lines, but her voice cracked. Twice.
She blinked, panicked.
Malik stepped in, ad-libbing Tybalt’s ghost — distracting the audience just enough.
They laughed. Raina caught herself. Picked the line up. Recovered.
Jayden watched her a second longer than usual.
Then — it was Nina’s turn.
She stepped forward. Head up. No hoodie.
The crowd quieted.
“Art thou gone so? Love, lord, ay husband, friend?”
Her voice? Not loud.
But clear.
Sharp like broken glass.
Jayden answered with his lines. Less cocky now.
There was tension. Real heat.
When he reached out and touched her hand in the final scene —
the audience literally gasped.
Someone whispered, “Are they dating?!”
Someone else muttered, “Is that the girl from the leak—?”
Mr. Benson cleared his throat loudly.
Eyes shifted.
Jayden’s hand dropped.
Nina stepped back. Scene over.
Silence.
Then thunderous applause.
---
Backstage, Raina sipped water shakily. “I almost died.”
Malik handed her his jacket. “You came back strong.”
“You saved me.”
“Would’ve saved you again.”
They locked eyes.
No one said it, but something had shifted.
---
On stage, Group Six took over.
Janelle in black. Zeek in white.
No lines flubbed. No fake dramatics.
Just raw silence and eye contact that had everyone holding their breath.
Even Jayden blinked. “Okay... they kind of bodied that.”
Backstage, Sandra brushed past Mr. Benson. “You liked it, sir?”
He smiled too softly. “I expected nothing less.”
Her hand grazed his waist as she passed.
Malik noticed.
So did Nina.
No one spoke.
---
At the end of it all, the principal clapped once and said, “Best group gets an automatic A.”
Group Three and Group Six tied.
Nina walked off without celebrating.
Jayden followed, calling her softly.
She turned.
He said, “You didn’t flinch this time.”
She shrugged. “I still felt like screaming.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I’ve done worse.”
Jayden looked at her.
Not like a dare.
Not like a game.
But like he didn’t want to blink and miss her.
Nina looked away.
“Don’t catch feelings, Carter.”
He grinned. “Who said I ever had any?”
---
End of Chapter Nine.
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