Once Upon A Time...

I tapped my foot impatiently; making the only noise that was in the room. Everyone was silent – Lizzy’s mouth was screwed shut and she looked scared shitless, her face pale like a ghost. I sat next to her on my own chair, facing the desk that belonged to the one and only vice principle. Lizzy and I were anxious, waiting for the woman to burst.

Once I had sang, Liz joined in a bit, supporting me as the other students clapped and cheered. After we finished singing, she gave us a disapproving look, but let it go until after the audition were over. Once it was, she immediately called for us. Becca, Harry, and Brandon had been with us a while ago, until she spoke her first word after giving us cold stares.

“You three are free to go,” she had said, pointing to Becca, Harry, and Brandon, probably deciding they didn’t cause as much ‘trouble’ as Lizzy and I did.

The clock’s ticks were getting annoying as the minutes passed by, and I was growing more and more impatient as no one was saying a word. I could do it – I could bolt out of the room right now, and no one would be able to catch up to me. But that would mean laving Lizy behind, and I don’t really think that would be a good idea to just suddenly stand up and exit. Lizzy would definitely be confused and flustered. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try to do it, in a less…bold, way.

I awkwardly stood up from my chair, using my arms to lift me up. I crossed my legs, hesitant when the vice principal would call me out. She was currently looking hardly at her office window, though I am sure she could see my reflection. Lizzy had also noticed my movement, but she stayed still, making it clear she realized what I was about to do, and she wanted no part of it. Pfft, scaredy cat.

I slowly started backing away, cautiously, as if I knew I was already as good as caught. There was no fucking way that woman hadn’t noticed me, but there was also no way I was going to fucking sit there all day while she ‘gathers her thoughts’.

Once I took one more step backwards, she finally snapped, “Rion, sit down, now!”

“Why?” I asked, “So you can stare outside 24/7? I came here so you could scream at me, then calm down, then give me detention or something, so then I can get my ass out of here. It’s fucking 8 pm!”

“Alright? You girls want detention? You got it. Everyday, until the semester ends.”

“What?” Lizzy finally found the courage to speak up, standing up from her own chair, “We graduate at the end of this semester! You can’t do that to us, besides, was that really so wrong of us to do? We’re the ones in the play, we should be the ones choosing where the money goes.”

I nodded, standing closer to her and backing her up.

The vice principal sighed, “Why?” I raised my eyebrows in question.

“Why would you want to give all the money to children’s charity?” she continued, “Why give it to them, when we can give it to you guys, or to the school, where it can help you guys, where you can become even brighter and smarter students. Why give it to them? All they are is simply children.”

Lizzy and I shared a dubious look, wondering how this woman could be so heartless.

“You know what? You’re right.” I shrugged. “That is all that they are. You want bright and smart students, but the thing is, those kids could be those bright and smart students. Wasn’t that how we all started out? Just children?” I asked.

Lizzy approved, “That’s right. Just children. Just children with thought, with feelings. With potential.”

I continued for her, “But with no parents, no family, no relatives, no money, and no chance.

Her gaze softened, and she shook her head lightly. “Alright then, convince me.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Convince me,” she said again. “Prove to me that they really do have potential, and you may have the money to do as you please.” She turned away then, giving Lizzy and I a small time to think.

“Convince her? How the hell are we going to do that?” Lizzy questioned, clearly having lost hope.

“I know how,” I said, “But you have to help me.”

She looked at me questioningly, but still nodded, “Yeah, ok, anything.”

“Miss?” I asked, gaining her attention.

She turned around, “Yes?”

“If you could, can you meet us this Saturday in front of the school and we’ll prove it to you.” Lizzy looked confused, but went along with it.

She appeared to be thinking about it, the finally answered, “Alright, I’ll be there at !2. Don’t be late, and make it worth my time,” and with that, she left, leaving us alone in her own office.

******

“What was all that about?” Lizzy asked as we were walking through the hallway, trying to exit the school without wasting anymore time.

I ignored her question, not wanting to spoil anything, “You’ll see,”

She whined, “You always say that,”

I shrugged, not really caring about her thoughts on it.

******

Before I knew it, the week was almost already over. Everyone who was helping out continued doing so; making costumes and editing the script and such. No one dared to bring up what happened with the vice principal. Soon, though, it was already Saturday, and I was waiting in front of the school building with someone else for the other person. And no, I’m not waiting for the V.P. with Lizzy; I’m actually waiting for Lizzy with the V.P. I was upset, but mostly pissed. I kept wandering, sitting down, sitting up, as it was already 12:25. How late can you get? Perhaps she had forgotten, I had thought. But I texted her 30 minutes ago, at exactly 11:55, and she would be there soon. So where the hell is she?

I could tell the V.P. was also getting a bit impatient, muttering about how seniors are so irresponsible. Not a moment too sooner, a white car approached and parked near the sidewalk.

As soon as she got out, she started babbling, “I’m so sorry I was so late,”

I was about to burst, claiming she wasn’t just ‘late’, but she was hella-ass late as shit. However, I didn’t as I noticed she was wearing way too many clothes for a warm day like this one, and way too much makeup then usual. Where the hell does she think she’s going? We’re with the vice principal, not the effin Queen!

I let it go though, thinking something bad must have happened to cause her to be late. The vice principal must have also noticed this, as she didn’t get angry. Instead, all she said was we should get going. We decided to go with my car, then after I would drop them off back here.

The drive took about 45 minutes, and soon we were approaching a small house like building. Lizzy looked confused, but the vice principal just sat patiently.

Before I could say anything. Lizzy spoke up, “I need to go to the restroom. Is there one in this building?” I nodded.

“Alright then, you two girls go and I’ll see where you brought us, Rion,”

********

I washed my hands as I looked at Lizzy who was looking at the water running through her hands. She herself looked like the life was sucked out of her and I have to admit, this was a new side of her. She had always been cheery and energetic, while I was very calm and collected, only hyper with people I knew, which nowadays there aren’t much.

“Lizzy? You ok?” I nudged her as I realized tears were forming in her eyes and the only reason she was looking down at the water was to hide them from me.

“Yeah, it’s just…” she took a deep breath, “It’s official. Harry and I are… over.”

I tried my best to cheer her up, “You and Harry have been ‘over’ many times over the years. I’m sure you’ll get through it.”

She shook her head, “I don’t think we will,” she got some paper towels to dry her hands, “Actually, I know we won’t”

I wanted to scream, shout, be happy, that maybe now I could actually have a chance with him. But I couldn’t. All these years, and I just can’t. I’ve been thinking, and what if the only reason Lizzy has everything I don’t is because she’s actually worthy of it? Sometimes I wonder if I’m just under appreciating but my life, but my parents are dead, and I was raped, and I’m in love with a boy I can’t have. How the fuck am I under appreciating things? How am I supposed to under appreciate things when there’s nothing to appreciate in the first place?

And yet, I don’t complain. I don’t whine, or complain. I haven’t cried since I was a young teenager, after my parents died. I received the news in Oklahoma, where we went every summer to our vacation house. It was still barely the beginning of summer where I was already in the hospital, waiting for a word from the doctors. They said they didn’t make it, and since I had no other family or relative, I had to go to an orphanage. It was packed, and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. Who would? I stayed there for a week, before I escaped to L.A. I don’t think anyone even noticed I was gone since there were so many kids there. Once I arrived back ‘home’ it had already been the end of summer. My parents credit cards and such were back in L.A. so I had to use my own money to get back there, meaning I had to stay in hotels and have small jobs, which was a lot for me considering my circumstances.

I remember finally arriving home, having to break the window because I didn’t have a key. I went straight to my room and cried for the first and last time. Even now, it seems so unrealistic. So, how the hell is Lizzy deserving of good things, but I’m not?

“Liz, you can’t get this upset over a boy,”

“I thought he was the one, Rion. I know I’m still a bit young, but he – he made me happy,”

I feel like a devil, taking someone’s happiness away from them even though I’m not actually the one doing it.

“I know he did, Lizzy, but guess what? If you guys weren’t working out, that means you weren’t happy. That means you two weren’t meant to be, there’s someone else out there for you - someone who is meant for you. And you know what? That person will make you 100 times happier than Harry did.”

She nodded, letting my words sink in. “You know what, Rion? You are absolutely right.” She took off her coat and sweater, leaving herself in a tank top and skirt. “I am going to take off all this makeup and I am going to be happy because that is what I deserve and I am going to forget about Harry and God, you give better love advice then Theresa,” I laughed, smiling at her compliment.

******

“And how did you end up here?” Lizzy asked the small young boy who looked up at her with big wide eyes.

The place I had brought us too was an orphanage I have been volunteering for a while now. Currently, Lizzy was trying to bond with some of the kids, as the vice principal and I were not too far away, watching the kids to their homework. The V.P. raised her eyebrows in surprised, surprised at what kind of schoolwork the kids were doing.

“How old are you, son?” she asked one of the kids who was doing some multiplying with very big numbers for a word problem.

“Five,” he answered shyly, not stopping his work.

One of the reasons I loved this orphanage/charity was because they actually cared about the children. One of the workers thee explained to our vice principal about how the children get tutored. Unfortunately, they were running out of money to pay to the tutor to teach the kids.

******

I pushed open the doors of the church, lighting a candle once I was inside. It was already night, and I could only hope once I was back to school in two days, the vice principal would have already changed her mind.

It was quiet, dead silent. A few priests were standing outside, talking, but they could no longer be heard. The fire on the candle grew slightly as I placed it in near all the other candles.

“I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You would listen
To a gypsy’s prayer
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I see Your face and wonder...
Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
God help my people
We look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will"

“I ask for wealth

I ask for fame

I ask for glory to shine on my name

I ask for love I can possess

I ask for God and His angels to bless me”

“I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God
God help the outcasts
Children of God”

Notes

so RIon's past gets revealed a bit, the dream she had was obviously what it was - just a dream. be prepared, because more of theresa is going to be shown! and lets just say theresa+lizzy+rion=trouble. Big trouble. Answers will be revealed to all your questions soon.

Feel free to comment on your thoughts and questions. xo