“Good thing your parent’s didn’t care then, huh?” Trystan’s gaze cut to Brie.
The snake-like smile that spread across her face fell as his words hit her. “Fuck you, Trystan.”
“Anytime, Brie.” Trystan smirked, as Brie’s face contorted into a scowl that resided in evil bitch territory. Brie folded her arms across her chest and turned away. Venom radiated off of her. He’d pay for that later. He knew every jab, every insult he hurled at her would be repaid tenfold, but Trystan didn’t care. Brie needed to be knocked down a few pegs and he didn’t mind doing it, not when she kept trying to screw with him.
Tucker yelled, “From the top. Now, people.”
They started again. The guy in the lighting cage changed the lights on the set so there was a single golden spot on center stage. Its broad beam was soft, spilling light across the stage like a streetlight on a dark night. Trystan moved to stage left and started his lines again. He had no trouble with this part. As the scene went on, they moved closer together. Romantic tension was rising steadily. Tucker didn’t stop them. Brie played her part well, but not as well as Mari. Trystan said his lines with conviction. They were perfectly played, because he pretended Brie was Mari, the girl he wanted and couldn’t ever have. It fit perfectly into that scene and made it easier to act opposite Brie and not puke on her.
They ran through the act perfectly. Everything was flowing at a steady rate toward the end of the scene. Trystan’s stomach was pooling with dread. That act ended with a kiss, a passionate kiss. To make matters more awkward, Trystan could feel Mari’s eyes on him, watching him get ready to kiss someone else. He couldn’t think about that now. If he wasn’t half way convincing, Tucker would have them start over.
With every ounce of charm he had in him, Trystan pulled Brie close, gently wrapping his fingers around her waist. Brie let him, and slipped into his arms like she belonged there. The scent of her perfume filled his head. At one time it had been attractive, but now the scent repelled him. He breathed through his mouth, inhaling as little as possible. Brie pressed against him, letting him feel her curves.
Trystan’s voice was deep and seductive. He acted as though he were saying the line to Mari, “I’d do this.” Trystan moved in slowly and pressed his lips to Brie’s. Revulsion shot through him, but he didn’t stop.
It’s Mari, he told himself. Pretend she’s Mari. Trystan closed his eyes and splayed his hands across Brie’s cheeks, kissing her a second longer than he should have. The students in the wings got wrapped up in the steamy kiss. Trystan could feel all eyes on him, and for once, he wished they weren’t. It was the emptiest kiss he’d ever had.
After all this time, he finally understood what Mari meant—that a kiss was worth something—that it meant something. This was the difference between a shallow kiss and one that he craved with every ounce of his being. When Trystan opened his eyes, he looked Brie in the face. For once, she was silent. Shocked. They both stared at each other as the spot light faded and curtain swung shut.
Trystan dropped his hands and stepped away. He felt sick, like he’d done something wrong.
“Trystan,” she said his name like he had a tremendous effect on her. Brie stared at him with her red lips parted, waiting for him to respond. He’d never kissed her like that before. Sure, he’d kissed her plenty of times before that, but it never meant anything. It was purely fun, purely lust. This time was different, because he was thinking of Mari and her perfectly sweet lips. Apparently, Brie felt the difference. The look in her eye said she wasn’t done with him yet, that he could have more.
Trystan said nothing. There was no way he was telling her what changed, why the kiss felt passionate. Instead, he turned to the wing where Mari was sitting and walked off stage. When he passed through the curtain, there were several stage crew members blocking his path. One slapped him on the back and said, “Holy hell! That was hot!”
Brie watched him walk away with her fingers to her lips like she never realized what she had while she had it.
When Trystan finally plowed through the kids, he found Mari’s seat empty. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. That was Mari’s kiss and he gave it to someone else—someone he detested. Trystan sat down hard in Mari’s chair and leaned back, running his fingers through his hair. Where was she?
Tucker’s voice boomed from the other side of the curtain, “Take a break, Scott.”
That was all he needed to hear. Trystan got up and exited through the side stage door. He walked through the empty halls toward the cafeteria and went to the vending machines. He normally didn’t buy stuff like that. It was too expensive, but he wanted caffeine. He was shaking, his stomach churning inside of him like he’d be sick.
Fishing a dollar out of his pocket, Trystan fed it to the machine and then pressed a button. A Coke tumbled out of the bottom of the machine. He bent down and picked it up, lost in thought. Trystan walked back slowly, drinking his sugar quickly, when Seth ran up next to him. A teacher screamed at Seth to stop running, but he didn’t slow until he reached Trystan.
“Hey man,” Seth huffed. “You almost done? I have us a dinner date lined up.” He waggled his eyebrows, very proud of his latest catch. It had to be the 7-Eleven twins. Seth had been hanging around them nearly every day.
Trystan groaned inside, but he didn’t show any sign that he wasn’t interested. He didn’t want to fight about Mari again. Nodding, Trystan said, “Yeah. Give me about forty-five minutes. We should be done by then.”
Seth grinned, “She’s so hot, man. And her rack is like,” he paused his hands cupping the air as a look of awe spread across his face, “so perfect.”