The Theater Room Transcript

> Skylar chats with a couple guys he's made acquaintances with in the class.
>
>

> Zaiya is sitting somewhere and playing with his phone, keeping it hidden in his backpack, while waiting for the teacher to get the class started.
>
>

### Demi, Gail, Yvete, and Ryan Enter

Maya Rice

> Demi is leaning back in her chair, gaze lifted slightly toward the ceiling. She's muttering something under her breath, repeating lines over and over.
>
>

> Gail, sitting next to Demi, curiously leans over to see what she's up to. "Whatcha doing?" She asks with a curious tilt of her head.
>
>

> "Dying," Demi mutters, not shifting her gaze.
>
>

> Yvette drums her fingers on her desk, waiting for class to begin.
>
>

> Ryan enters the classroom, tossing down his bag on one of the tables and hopping up onto it to take a seat. The desks are much more comfortable than the tiny chairs the school provides.
>
>

> "So," Ryan speaks loudly and clearly, addressing the whole class. "That Homecoming assembly...pretty interesting, right?" He grins, thinking of the fight that had broken out. "How many of you guys are planning on going?"
>
>

### Mason Enters

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason finally finds his way to the room, with maybe about... a minute to spare? Nailed it. First day, a success. Mission accomplished.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Zaiya looks up from his phone. He also thinks of the fight. Curiosity and questions run through his mind, but he doesn't voice any of them. Waits for others in the class to respond to the Homecoming question.
>
>

> "ME!" Skylar's hand shoots into the air. "I can crash it." he realizes after he says this that he probably doesn't want to risk being sent to the office a second time today, but eh the teacher doesn't seem to be in the room yet so he should be fine.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan is about ready to respond to Skylar, raising an eyebrow at his eagerness to crash /Homecoming,/ but his attention is drawn away when Mason enters. He almost immediately straightens up, lips curling up into a smile.
>
>

> He thinks back to when he had been giving Mason and Marlene their tour of the school...yes, Mason /had/ had Drama listed as his first class of the day. A small laugh escapes Ryan. Damn, he really /hadn't/ been paying much attention to anything other than how cute he was.
>
>

> Trying to make his staring a bit less obvious, Ryan shifts his focus back to the topic of Homecoming. "Demi?" He looks at the younger girl. "You going?"
>
>

> "Mmmmm." Demi sighs, putting a pause to reciting her lines. "I don't have a date."
>
>

> "That doesn't mean you can't go," Ryan says.
>
>

> Gail nods eagerly. "Yeah, Ryan's right. I don't have a date yet either, but I'd die before I missed out on Homecoming."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason glances around the room and then found a nice spot a bit separate from the others. Still, y'know, there and facing the others and listening and paying attention, but not like... sitting right next to anyone or anything.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Zaiya raises his eyes at Skylar, but keeps quiet.
>
>

> Sky turns to stare at Mason. "Uhh...wrong class?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan is a bit disappointed when Mason chooses to sit a distance away from him, but he doesn't let it affect him too badly. When Skylar speaks up, Ryan jumps to Mason's defense quickly. "Right class, actually. He's supposed to be here." He pauses for a moment before laughing, running a hand through his hair. "That...probably sounded weird. He's new. I gave him a tour this morning." He glances over at Mason, flashing a friendly smile.
>
>

> "Ooh, a new kid?" Gail bounces up and out of her chair, hurrying over to Mason. "What's your name? Where did you move from?"
>
>

> Demi watches with a vaguely amused look as Gail floods Mason with questions. Typical of her.
>
>

> "Yvette is new, too," Gail says, gesturing behind her to Yvette.
>
>

> Yvette gives a shy smile. "Yeah. I started first day, same as everyone else."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason opens his mouth to retort, but Ryan speaks up for him and he shrinks back a bit. His cheeks redden a bit at his very quick jump to his defense. He could have handled it, but....
>
>

> "Yeah, just new." He shrugged, and then jolted with surprise at the Gail ambush. "Oh- uh, Mason, uh- New York?"
>
>

> He glances over at Yvette. "Uh... nice to meet you." He may seem a bit overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Probably because he is,
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar winks at Ryan and leans back against whatever is convenient. He's ready to make a comment, but has the better sense to keep it in for the time being.
>
>

> Zaiya puts his phone away and looks around for the teacher.
>
>

### Ms. Sylvie Sheridan Enters

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan strolls into the classroom, papers fluttering in her arms as she enters. There's a wild look in her eyes, and she begins to grin as soon as she spots her students. "Well!" She laughs, placing her papers off on a desk to the side. "Look at this. All of my students, arriving earlier than the teacher herself. Promise me that you won't all go running to Mr. Brownlee about this?"
>
>

> Ryan, distracted by Mason and Skylar's wink, does not respond.
>
>

> "Promise!" Gail confirms, nodding to Ms. Sheridan.
>
>

> The teacher's grin widens even further, and she gives Gail a nod of acknowledgement. "I always /knew/ there was a reason you were my favorite," she says in a light, joking tone, winking at Gail.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason draws back a bit, looking over at the teacher. Oh thank god, hopefully the rest of the class can now focus on, uh. Her. And not him. Thanks.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Looks like we'll have to mark you tardy~" Sky jokes at her.
>
>

> Zaiya smiles, zips up his backpack fully, and sets it on the ground beside his chair, ready to start whatever Ms. Sheridan has planned for them today.
>
>

Maya Rice

> The mention of marking her tardy makes Ms. Sheridan remember to take attendance. Her gaze sweeps across the class, taking note of each familiar face, and then -- oh? Had she been assigned a new student? Focusing on Mason, she smiles at him and says, "I suppose you're a new student, hm? Unless you've been hiding in my class all this time." She chuckles. "What's your name, dear?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason sits up a bit straighter and smiled slightly. Gives a bit of a hurt expression. "All this time and youre just now noticing me?" He joked. "... I'm Mason. And, yeah, new student. Hi."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Sky quickly checks his phone. Discretely, of course.
>
>

> Zaiya just. Zones off.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan looks amused by Mason's joking tone, nodding when he provides her with his name. "Well, Mason, I'm glad you've decided to pursue theatre! I'll let you in on a little secret --" she leans a bit closer to him, lowering her voice the smallest fraction. "My classes are the greatest ones you'll ever take." She straightens back up, grinning confidently. "Spend a day with all of us," she makes a wide, sweeping motion to gesture toward the rest of the class, "and you'll never want to leave."
>
>

> Gail nods silently in agreement.
>
>

> Clapping her hands together, Ms. Sheridan continues. "Moving on!" she says, glancing around at each student. "We'll be starting off today with a warm-up." She looks to Mason for a moment. "We do something to improve our skills each day -- improv, tongue twisters, all sorts of exercises."
>
>

> "Are we going to do improv today?" Demi pipes up, sounding a bit reluctant.
>
>

> "Not today," Ms. Sheridan shakes her head. "Today we'll be playing a game! I'm certain that anyone who has attended a summer camp has heard of it. We'll be practicing the skill of being able to keep your composure despite whatever ridiculous circumstances you find yourself in." As if to demonstrate, Ms. Sheridan very suddenly switches to a serious tone and expression. "Has anyone here ever played, "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile?""
>
>

> Gail, recognizing the name, nods in response. "Yeah - it's so /hard!/"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason smiles at the teacher talks, relaxing considerably. Good... good. This class was gonna be good. Yeah.
>
>

> He listens carefully and frowns at the mention of the game. "... whats that?" He asked. He had never once heard of this game.
>
>

### Gale Enters

Jerith Walker

> Gale pushes open the door and peers inside, too nervous/doubtful to completely walk in. "U-Uh, I'm s-sorry..." she speaks up loud enough to be heard. Her face is burning again.
> She resists the urge to glance over at Zaiya.
>
>

> Zaiya turns immediately at the sound of Gale's voice, raising his eyebrows.
>
>

> Skylar groans loudly and rolls his eyes at the interruption. Come onnn let's get to the gameeeeee.
>
>

> Gale gives him a quick glance but otherwise ignores this.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan glances over, face brightening. "Oh, Gale!"
>
>

> "Yeah?" Gail tilts her head, eyebrows furrowing. There's a puzzled expression on her face.
>
>

> Ms. Sheridan, realizing her mistake, laughs. "Oh, not /you/ Gail...this Gale." She gestures toward the girl at the door.
>
>

> Gail shifts her gaze to the /other/ Gale, lips curling up in a slightly amused smile. It seemed as if they shared the same name.
>
>

> "Did you receive your schedule change, dear?" She asks the student, turning toward her.
>
>

> Ryan, noticing that Mason's question has gone unanswered, takes it upon him self to right the situation. He lowers his voice a bit so he's not speaking over his teacher, but speaks loudly enough for Mason to still be able to hear him. "We all get into a circle, basically...one person's put in the center. They have to go around, pick a nice...victim." He grins. "It's their job to do anything they can to get the other person to smile while asking, "Honey, do you love me?" Whoever they've targeted has to respond with "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile," while remaining completely straight-faced."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason watched the exchange until Ryan adresses him. He returns the grin, eyes lighting up a bit. That sounded pretty fun, actually. A bit nerve enducing considering he didn't know, like, anyone yet, but... it should be fine, right?
>
>

> He leaned over a bit and stage whispered back. "Is tickling allowed?"
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Gale feels herself brighten at Ms. Sheridan's reaction to her bc! Wow!! Someone responding positively to her appearance!! Ms. Sheridan is a blessing.
>
>
> The nervous feelings quickly return when Gail speaks up.
> Her mind and emotions go through several stages and she loses track of what she's supposed to be doing.
> Aaand evidently, her teacher has said something.
>
>
>
> She grips the new schedule harder in her grasp. "Um...I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
>
>

> Zaiya watches the exchanges, chuckling at Gail's mistake.
> Gale had changed her schedule? Why? Huh. He hadn't heard anything about this.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "I asked if you'd been given your schedule change," She repeats. "I assume that you /have/, seeing as you're here right now."
>
>

> Ryan's smile falters for a moment. "No physical contact allowed, sadly."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Damn." He leaned back a bit, thinking. "... any hints for a newbie...?" He blinked at Ryan, tilting his head almost helplessly.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> She nods awkwardly. "So why was I given a schedule change?" She still hasn't fully entered the room.
>
>

> Zaiya keeps his focus on his girlfriend.
> Oh, she didn't know. That explained that,
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Hmm..." Ryan considers. "Well, you should always target the weakest link. Someone who's already struggling not to smile, you know?"
>
>

> Gesturing for her to come in, Ms. Sheridan says, "I know that you had signed up for our starting level course, but...well, I thought that /this/ class would be better for you!" She keeps her explanation vague.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. Grinned. "Smart." He looked over at the teacher and the other new kid.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> She walks the rest of the way in, glancing over her shoulder timidly as the door closes behind.
>
>
> As Sylvie speaks, she feels she's being flattered, and brightens a bit.
>
>
>
> Gale bows her head. "Thank you, madam."
>
>

> Zaiya gives her a soft, encouraging smile.
>
>

> "Sooo, are we gonna get to the game?" Skylar claps his hands together.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan, now able to fully focus on the class, nods in response to Skylar. "Everyone up on your feet! Form a circle right over here," she gestures off to an open area in the classroom. "Do we have any volunteers to be the first one in the center?"
>
>

> Ryan takes a place in the circle, standing in wait.
>
>

> Gail strolls over to the group, watching the other Gale with a curious look. She shifts a bit so that she's standing nearby her.
>
>

> Demi joins the group, still seeming a bit out of it, focused on something else.
>
>

> Yvette pushes her chair out and comes to join the circle, praying that she's not picked to go first.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason takes a place in the circle wherever theres room. If there happens to be space next to Ryan he tries for there.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Gale takes a place in the circle. She figures she'll figure out what the game is soon enough, so doesn't bother asking.
>
>

> Zaiya stands beside Gale. He gives her another smile, then leans over and mutters something by her ear. Squeezes her hand.
>
>

> Skylar's hand shoots up.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Fortunately for Mason, there /is/ room beside Ryan. He made sure to shift his body just enough so that he'd have enough room for an extra spot next to him, moving only when he spots Mason approaching, unable to stop himself from smiling. His plan had been successful.
>
>

> Noticing his raised hand, Ms. Sheridan nods. "Alright, Skylar. Take your place in the center. Everyone else, remember -- don't laugh or smile!"
>
>

> Demi avoids making eye contact with Skylar, praying that he won't go after her.
>
>

> Gail keeps a straight face, glancing around at all of the other students.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason slides in next to Ryan and gives him a smile before turning his attention to the teacher and the chosen child. Skylar. Alright. So no smiling.
>
>

> Mason takes in a breath and exhales it, taking a neutral expression and watching Skylar.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar makes a beeline for Demi. "HONEY-" he flings his arms out to either side as if to embrace her, but is careful not to make contact with anyone. "If you love me-" he drops to his knees and clasps his hands, staring up at her with gigantic puppy eyes. "Won't you please-" his voice becomes choked with a fake desperation, "/please/ /smile/." his voice breaks on the last word.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Demi jumps a bit, startled by the sudden approach. Her eyes widen as Skylar goes on, and she bites down on her lips, expression shifting just a bit the longer he speaks...when his voice breaks, she's unable to keep her lips from curling up into a smile. She groans, pouting a bit. "Fu --" Remembering that there's a teacher in the room, Demi pauses. " --uuuhh...you...oh, you." She laughs awkwardly, playfully punching Skylar's shoulder. If she could be screaming right now, she would be. "I should have known you'd go after me, a poor, innocent --"
>
>

> "Get in the circle, Demi," Ryan laughs from his spot.
>
>

> Demi tosses a glare in his direction, but obeys the command. She glances around at the group, trying to decide who to choose.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason was barely holding back a grin as he watched. He diverted his gaze when she cracked and focused on swallowing his own amusment and firming his neutral expression.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar grins and gets to his feet again, stepping back into the circle. "You gotta toughen up, missy."
>
>

Maya Rice

> Demi lets out a little 'pfft' sound at Skylar's comment, gaze eventually settling on Gale. A new student was the /perfect/ target.
>
>

Demi approach8es, tossing her hair over one shoulder and looking at Gale with wide doe eyes, fluttering her lashes. She locks her hands together and then brings them up to her in front of her chest.

> "Honey," she begins in a high-pitched, sickly sweet tone, "do you --" she drops the pitch of her voice suddenly, making it go as deep as she can, raising the volume as well. "LOVE ME?"
>
>

Jerith Walker

> When Demi approaches, she resists the automatic urge to smile politely. Fizzling out any amusement she feels, she responds with an even voice, "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason watched. Pretty good. If he got chosen he certainly wasn't going for her.
>
>

Maya Rice

> When she fails to get Gale to smile, Demi stomps her foot, muttering, "Damn it!" Her eyes widen, once again realizing that there is a /teacher/ nearby. "I mean, uh. Darn it?"
>
>

> Ms. Sheridan looks as though she's trying to hide a smile, pointedly glancing off to the side.
>
>

> With a sigh, Demi returns to searching for a new victim. She considers going after the /other/ new kid -- he had been smiling earlier, after all -- but eventually she opts for the other Gail. She usually has a hard time holding a straight face during improv exercises.
>
>

> Demi, returning to the deep voice approach, makes eye contact with Gail.
>
>

> Gail immediately begins to smile, but manages to force it away for a few moments.
>
>

> "Honey," Demi's voice is low and scratchy, "Do you --"
>
>

> Gail breaks, a slightly muffled laugh escaping her.
>
>

> Demi grins, now grabbing a hold of Gail and pushing her into the center of the circle. "I /knew/ I'd get you," she grins.
>
>

> "Yeah, yeah." Gail rolls her eyes. She moves into the center of the ring of students, curiously looking at everyone else. "Hmm." She eventually decides to go after Zaiya.
>
>

> Approaching him, she tilts her head just a bit to the side before starting to speak. "Honey," she raises her eyebrows, "if you," lowers them, "love me," raises them again, "won't you please just smile?" Gail goes on to punctuate nearly every word with an overly dramatic eyebrow raise, grinning as well now that she's allowed to.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Gale continues to hold back all smiling, although it's tough. She quickly gets her face back to a neutral expression as the class continues on around her.
>
>

> Zaiya is also struggling. Compulsive smiling is the hardest to fight down.
>
>
> Gail approaches him.
> Apparently compulsive smiling shouldn't have been his biggest worry.
>
>
>
> "Honey..." he breaks, laughing quietly.
>
>

> Gale raises her eyebrows at him.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason is still safe. He glances over at Ryan to see how he's holding up smile wise.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan is full on grinning, not bothering to hide his amusement as long as there's no one currently in the circle.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Zaiya walks to the center of the circle and proceeds to stare at the ground. He glances around shyly, unsure how he should go about doing this. He's been in the circle once before.
>
>
> Well...this class IS about stretching outside of your comfort zone, right?
> Ohhh boyyy he's going to have to act ridiculous if he's going to get a laugh.
>
>
>
> He stands there for probably too long.
>
>

> "THIS IS HILARIOUS." Skylar calls out in a monotone.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason smiled slightly seeing Ryans smile. This was a pretty good class. He swallowed the smile and returned his gaze to the center. Ahah. He felt a pang of sympathy. He was tempted to just laugh and slip into the center just to save his ass, but that probably wouldn't count.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan pushes his smile away once Zaiya is actually in the center of the circle, waiting patiently for him to chose someone from the circle. He glances sideways at Mason, gently nudging him with his elbow and smiling very quickly before returning to a straight face.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> He casts Sky a quick glare before returning his gaze to the floor.
> He goes to a classmate who's typically bad at this game and gets really close to their face. "Honey, if you love me, won't you please please smile?"
>
>

> They respond evenly and without laughing or smiling.
>
>

> Welp, that didn't work.
>
>
> ...New kid, maybe?
>
>
>
> Zaiya walks over to Mason, puts his hands together and hops up and down. In an eager sort of voice, "Honey if you love me won't you please please smile!!"
>
>

> Gale observes. Poor Zaiya.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason glanced over at the nudge quick enough to catch a glimpse of the smile, grinned and nudged back a bit harder to compensate for the weight and height and strength advantage that Ryan had. He quickly bit down his smile and looked back to the center, although it was a bit harder to hold down now. And then he made eye contact with Zaiya. He cracked a half sympathetic and half amused smile.
>
>

> "Honey, you're free." He had no hard feelings about losing. Be free tou poor soul. He headed to the center of the circle. He spun on his heel to face Ryan and narrowed his eyes, locking his eyes with Ryans.
>
>

> "Hoooooneeeeeyyyy~" He said in a singsong waltzing over. "If you love me wont you pleeeeaaase smile~?" He stood on his tiptoes, fluttering his eyelashes up at Ryan.
>
>

Maya Rice

> As soon as Mason accepts defeat, Ryan has a feeling he'll be the next target -- after all, he /is/ the only person in the class Mason knows. He mentally prepares himself, trying to keep his thoughts concentrated on something else.
>
>

> Ryan almost instantly falters when Mason whirls around to face him, having to remind himself to keep it together. He was better than this, wasn't he? He wasn't going to let one cute boy take him down. Maybe /two/ cute boys, he thinks, with a sideways glance at Zaiya, but...
>
>

> Mason raising himself up on his tiptoes is the thing that nearly causes Ryan to laugh, but he manages to hold it in, starting to respond. "Honey, I --"
>
>

> "Ryan," Gail speaks up, catching his attention.
>
>

> "Huh?"
>
>

> "You're smiling."
>
>

> Ryan tilts his head. "What? I'm not --"
>
>

> Yvette, finally joining in on the group activity, nods. "You are."
>
>

> "But I --" He starts to protest.
>
>

> Ms. Sheridan interrupts him. "I'm sorry to say, dear, but you /are/ in fact smiling -- nearly grinning, really!" She hurries over to pat him sympathetically on the shoulder, shoving him into the circle after a few brief moments of gentle patting. "Which means it's your turn!"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan being sent into the middle of the circle results in quite a few turns of him failing to make anyone laugh. Eventually Ms. Sheridan decides to wrap the exercise up, still wanting to make sure that they have time to take care of more serious matters.
>
>

> "Alright, class!" She claps her hands together as everyone begins to return to their seats. "Today we will be starting work on our Shakespeare unit. Tell me, have any of you ever read Shakespeare?"
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar makes some half-appropriate comment about the content of one of Shakespeare's works. If only I knew more about his works, I'd be able to specify said comment. Sadly, I do not so I can not.
>
>

> Zaiya focuses on a spot on the ground.
>
>

> Gale glances around at the others. It...sounds familiar?
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason glanced around before hesitantly raisig his hand.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan side-eyes Skylar but decides against commenting on what he's said, waiting to see if any other students have anything to contribute. She brightens a bit when she notices Mason raising his hand, but still continues to wait, curious as to whether or not any of the others students have something to contribute.
>
>

> Ryan raises his hand. "Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet..." He looks to the sophomores in the room, smiling but also looking vaguely pained. "You guys will probably start reading his stuff this year, unless they changed things around."
>
>

> Gail nods, recalling being told by her English teacher that they had plans to, at the very least, read Macbeth at some point during the year.
>
>

> Yvette speaks up. "We read a lot of Shakespeare at my old school. My tenth grade English teacher was practically obsessed with him," she laughs.
>
>

> Demi had groaned the moment she'd heard Shakespeare. "He's so /boring,/" she sighs.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "I agree with Demi." Zaiya actually speaks up, cracking a nervous grin.
>
>

> Gale listens to everyone's contributions and thinks about the fact that they're all new classmates. Bye Drama 1 class,
>
>
> She casts a glance up at her boyfriend when he speaks. ...Is he okay?
>
>
>
> She'll ask later.
>
>

> "So are we gonna do one of those?" Skylar leans back in his seat, putting his arms up behind his head.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason looked over at Ryan as he spoke, smiling slightly. He returns his gaze to the teacher, slipping his hands into his pockets. That could be fun, actually. Its more fun acting Shakespear out than it is reading it.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "We'll be working with some of Shakespeare's pieces, yes," Ms. Sheridan confirms with a nod. "You will each be given the chance to select a monologue from any one of his plays. You'll have plenty of time to both memorize and /understand/ your monologue. For those of you who have read Shakespeare, you'll know just how difficult it is to truly understand what he means, what he is saying."
>
>

> "Thou art correct," Demi says in a deep, mocking tone, rolling her eyes. She'd rather be doing /anything/ else in this class.
>
>

> Ms. Sheridan laughs, nodding again. "I have a collection of monologues already printed out and ready for you to select from...however, if any of you happen to have one in mind that you are sure you would like to perform, feel free to bring it to me." She goes to retrieve a pile of papers from her desk, starting to spread them out on a nearby table. Once she's finished, she steps back and places her hands on her hips.
>
>

> "Well, go ahead! Try to find one that's best suited to you. If you prefer comedic performances, try to avoid those with a more tragic overtone."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Ha ha!" Skylar rocks forwards and up out of his seat excitedly and sifts through them.
>
>

> Zaiya, looking troubled, requests to go to the bathroom.
>
>

> When Ms. Sheridan mentions how difficult it is to understand Shakespeare's works, Gale feels her shoulders tighten with stress.
>
>
> Well...this will be tough.
>
>
>
> She glances guiltily at Zaiya as she heads over to the table, not knowing for sure what's up with him but feeling like she's to blame.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan shuffles through papers on the table, mostly picking out ones that have "comedy" written at the top. Eventually he selects one, grinning from the moment he sees the word "cats" at the top of it. Yes. Perfect. "Got mine," he calls, returning to his seat.
>
>

> Ms. Sheridan grants Zaiya's request, trying to quell her curiosity. He looked...distressed.
>
>

> Demi searches through papers as well, not feeling very enthusiastic about the whole thing. "What's, like, the shortest one in here...?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason sifts through the papers, looking for ones hes familiar with. Ah- theres one. He grinned, pulling it out. Now, /theres/ an easy emotion to portray. He took it and headed back to his stuff. Picked up his bag and took a seat closer to Ryan than at the beginning of class.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Thank you." he leaves the theatre room.
>
>

> Gale grabs a short one and focuses on reading it.
> Her eyebrows furrow and she mouths the first few words slowly, fucking up pronunciations.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan doesn't look up at first, not realizing /who/ is sitting down next to him. He assumes it's Demi, maybe Gail -- he glances upward finally after reading the first portion of his monologue and freezes. Oh. Holy shit. Today was just getting better and better.
>
>

> "So," he says, forgetting all about reading his monologue. "What did you pick out?"
>
>

> "This one looks pretty short," Gail comments, holding up a paper.
>
>

> Demi snatches it out of her hand, reads it quickly, and then grins. "Perfect." She returns to her desk as well, concentrating on reading over the monologue a few times.
>
>

> Yvette goes in search of something specific, fearing that perhaps she'll have to look it up and turn it into Ms. Sheridan, but -- ah, there it is. Lady Macbeth. Taking her monologue from the pile, Yvette heads over to her seat.
>
>

> Gail, after helping Demi out, files through stacks of papers. It takes her a while, but she eventually selects one that doesn't look /too/ difficult...and one that also looks maybe, sort of, a little gay.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He lets out a small nervous laugh when Ryan notices him. "Hey." He gives a small wave. It was alright for him to sit there, right?
>
>

> At Ryans question he relaxed a bit. "Uh, this one." He turned the page towards Ryan. "Its from Romeo and Juliet- Friar Lawrence cussing Romeo out for his bad decision making."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Sky eventually chooses one and lets out a loud chuckle. He grabs it and wanders around the room with it.
>
>

> Gale quickly gives up, deciding to ask Zaiya for help with the piece later. She walks back to her seat with the paper.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Gail finishes reading over hers once, lowering her paper once she has. It looks like nearly everyone has chosen their monologue by now...well, except for Zaiya, but he wasn't currently in the room.
>
>

> Ryan grins. "Ooh, Romeo and Juliet?" He tilts his paper toward Mason as well. "Me too. Mercutio, though, not Friar Lawrence."
>
>

> Noticing that everyone seems to be settled, Ms. Sheridan claps her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Now that you've all selected a monologue...I'd like for everyone to partner up. Your partner will help you when it comes to learning your monologue. They'll watch your progress, give you tips on how to better yourself and your acting."
>
>

> Ryan, hearing the word "partner," immediately looks to Mason. He mouths, "partners?" not wanting to interrupt Ms. Sheridan.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason laughed softly. "I can see you as Mercutio pretty well. Very fitting." He gives a grin before looking back to the teacher with a smile. He immediately glances over to Ryan at the mention of partners. His smile brightens at Ryan seemig to have him as first pick. He nods.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar flips a coin among his friends to decide who'll get to be teamed up with him.
>
>

> Gale looks around for her bf. Jiggles her leg anxiously.
>
>

> He returns not long after Ms. Sheridan makes her announcement, and heads straight for her (Ms. Sheridan).
>
>

> Gale quickly flashes a smile at him when he enters.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan explains a few more things to the class before leaving them on their own. She heads to her desk, sitting down just as Zaiya arrives and hurries over to her. Still curious about what had been bothering him, she straightens up. "Yes, Zaiya?" She keeps her voice soft.
>
>

> Gail considers asking Demi to be her partner, but the other girl seems far too concentrated on her monologue for Gail to interrupt her. Glancing around the class, Gail eventually spots someone else she can ask. She heads over toward Gale, offering a friendly smile as she approaches. "Hey, other Gale! You have a partner yet?"
>
>

> Demi purposefully avoids partnering up with anyone. Maybe Ms. Sheridan won't notice...
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Nice," Ryan grins, now returning to speaking at full volume. He leans back in his chair, grabbing a hold of his monologue and looking over it again. "So...how do you memorize things best? Do you write them out or just say them out loud over and over, or...?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason thinks carefully and rests back in his chair as well. "Hmm... I think writing it out helps a bunch. But doing it over and over should help a good amount too.... what about you?" He scans his page before lifting his gaze to Ryan.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> He doesn't meet her gaze. "I have some...bad experiences relating to Shakespeare. Would it be okay if...I did ano--"
>
>

> "AYYYYYYYY" Skylar loudly exchanges a high five with one of said friends.
>
>

> "...Another monologue?" he finishes.
>
>

> Gale snaps into alert mode at the sound of her name. "Oh! Um..." She casts a couple glances over at Zaiya, conflicted.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Oh?" She tilts her head, humming softly in thought. "Well, the point of this unit /is/ very closely tied with how Shakespeare's works are written...being able to understand all kinds of language is important when it comes to theatre."
>
>

> She pauses for a moment, thinking, considering what she can do to help him out. "...Perhaps if you found another monologue you would be comfortable with performing and altered it so that it /sounded/ Shakespearean?"
>
>

> Gail, noticing the hesitation, laughs a bit, smile turning vaguely awkward. "Hey, it's alright if you don't want to. I can find someone else."
>
>

> "Writing it doesn't do anything for me, really. I have to stand up and read it...or perform it, once I have enough of it memorized. Repetition is best, at least for me."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason nodded. "I think for me... I dunno, writing it out I think makes me process it better. Makes me pay more attention, have to read it and remember it and then write it out." He nodded. Smiled slightly. "... so you wanna try your method? Stand up and read your monologue?"
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Jaxon ran down the arts hall and groaned as the theatre room came into sight. -nice going you idiot you are so late-. Jax got to the door and struggled with his bag, he awkwardly knocked on the door.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Zaiya's gaze trails along Ms. Sheridan's desk. "I could...do some sort of other old english language. Something set in the 1800s...Roman Empire...I dunno."
>
>

> "No! I do, I just..." She looks between them a couple more times, then smiles at Gail. "Let's pair up."
>
>

> Skylar opens the door immediately. "Sorry we're busy." He teases, then steps aside to let Jaxon come through. "You're late, my dude."
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Jax rolls his eyes. "Sorry, my best friend just started today and she missed the summer intro, so she was so lost this morning and...you don't care do you?" Jax said awkwardly standing the door.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Hmm." Ms. Sheridan considers further. "Why don't you go ahead and look up a few monologues from /around/ Shakespeare's time?" She gestures over toward the one single computer that occupies the drama room. It's old and takes ages to load, but it still technically works. "If you think you've found something that could potentially work out, call me over."
>
>

> She looks up when she hears a knock on the door, but Skylar gets to it before she can. When she sees Jax, her eyebrows furrow, listening in on his explanation as to why he was so late. Although she didn't entirely believe him, she wasn't going to call him out on his claim. Gesturing for him to come in from her desk, she calls out, "Come in, come in!"
>
>

> Gail lets out a vaguely relieved sigh, glad she hasn't just made a fool of herself. She quickly takes a seat nearby Gale before frowning thoughtfully and standing again. "Do you want to, like, go out in the hall to practice?" She tilts her head. "More privacy, I guess."
>
>

> "Yeah, why not?" Ryan gets up slowly, stretching. He holds his monologue in one hand, looking down at it. He chuckles a bit. "Try not to make fun of me too much when I fuck some of this up."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason grinned and relaxed into his chair, resting his hands on his lap. "I'll /try/."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Skylar is already walking back to his friends.
>
>

> She smiles a bit more at hearing the relieved sigh. "Oh!...Uh...Yeah, sure." she shrugs a shoulder and stands up.
>
>

> Zaiya nods.
>
>

> "I'll try. Thank you." he gives Ms. Sheridan a polite and vaguely anxious smile before heading off for the computer.
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Jax enters and awkwardly stands by the door. He didn't know anyone in here and he hated that. Well he knew them, but the didn't know him, he was an observer, a drama contributor and listener. Holding his books close to his chest, he sighed and tapped his foot. He didn't want to sit next to anyone who didn't know him and make them uncomfortable. He took the nearest empty seat and set his stuff on the desk. He rose his hand.
>
>

Maya Rice

> As soon as she has the issue with Zaiya under control, Ms. Sheridan gets up from her desk and hurries over to Jax, tilting her head at his raised hand. She smiles a bit. "I'm assuming you have some questions, yes?"
>
>

> "Great!" Gail grins and then, raising her voice so Ms. Sheridan can hear, calls, "We're going out in the hall!" She heads outside with Gale in tow, gently closing the door behind them. It's much more quiet outside.
>
>

> "What monologue did you pick out?" Gail tilts her head. "Like, character and play and all that?"
>
>

> Ryan, holding his monologue, begins to recite it. "More than prince of cats, I can tell you," he begins, unable to stop himself from grinning at the mention of cats. He continues on, stumbling over a few tricky, unfamiliar words. Despite the mistakes, Ryan reads in a clear voice, managing already to discern some of the meaning behind his monologue, adding different tones in when he can completely understand what is being said.
>
>

> Once he finishes reading over it once, he stops and looks to Mason. There's a half-smile on his face. For a moment he's quiet, and then... "No offense, but if I met Shakespeare in real life, I'd probably punch him in the face." He laughs, shaking his head, placing his monologue down for a moment. "Like, I get /some/ of this, clearly, but...god, why did he have to be so /extra?/"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason grinned as he watched Ryans performance, staying true to his word of not teasing. It was kinda cute, actually. Ryan certainly didn't seem to have any issues with being the focus of attention. Confident.
>
>

> When Ryan finishes he gives a few small claps. "Not bad." He grins. He laughs at Ryans comment about Shakespear. "In Shakespears defense, these were written a looong ass time ago. They probably all more or less spoke this way-" He paused, thinking. ".... although I /do/ think I've read that he /did/ make up some words.... so honestly he was probably a pain back then too."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Oh, um..." Gale looks down at her paper and stares at it for several moments. "Ma...Mac...Beeth or Beth?" she looks back up at Gail questioningly before remembering that it had been in her Drama 1 class that she'd had to announce her difficulties.
> Her face flushes."Sorry; I can't read well."
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Jax nods. "Yeah, I just need caught up. Being late and all. Just curious as to what we are doing."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Well, that's easy!" Ms. Sheridan gestures over to where the pile of remaining monologues are. "We started our Shakespeare unit today. You'll each be performing one of his monologues of your choice. Once you pick one out, find a partner and work on getting your memorization down." She pauses for a moment, trying to remember any other details. "Oh! If you need help interpreting, feel free to ask me. I know Shakespeare's works can be quite hard to read."
>
>

> Ryan gives an over-dramatic bow in response to Mason's clapping before straightening back up. He laughs when Mason makes the comment about Shakespeare probably just being as frustrating back in his own time. "Yeah, he was probably a real douche. I bet someone /did/ beat him up, at least once." Ryan smiles at the thought, pausing for a bit before turning to Mason. "Soooo...you wanna try reading yours out loud now?"
>
>

> Gail had been a bit confused when Gale was struggling to read, but as soon as she explains... "Oh!" She shakes her head when she notices the other girl's face going read. "Hey, don't worry about it. I can help you out." She extends her hand so that she can take a hold of Gale's monologue, help her with reading it. She smiles when she glances at the paper and notices the character name at the top. "Okay, so...Lady Macbeth!"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. "I'm tempted to look that up now." He blinked at the seond part. He felt a bit of heat rise to his face but kept an easygoing smile. "What, me? I've gotta go now? No encore?" He chuckled softly and pulled himself up, looking down at the sheet. "... sure, I can try."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Gale is...way too touched by this.
>
>
> Tears well up in her eyes.
> Nope, not today!
> She shoves the feelings down.
>
>
>
> "Lady Macbeth." She nods. "Got it."
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan takes a spot on top of his desk, watching Mason eagerly and waiting for him to begin.
>
>

> "I think we're going to read Macbeth this year, actually," Gail says. "Not in here, but...still." Gail glances up. "Okay! So, like, is there any way you normally handle monologues? I mean.../do/ you have a method?" Gail tilts her head. "I'm sure we can come up with something if you don't, but I don't wanna seem pushy." She smiles.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason took his place a few feet in front of Ryan, shifting slightly from one foot to the other as he scanned his page. Opened his mouth once, shut it, inhaled and exhaled, and then begun. He got into character as best he could, but didn't bring his eyes up from the paper. He focused on the words for right now, and barely fumbled with any of the words. He had good diction thats for certain. He seemed to understand what was being said, because he actually did. Part of why he chose this one. He only looks up to glance at Ryan after he finished.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> After a while of searching, Zaiya leans his elbows against the desk and rests his forehead on the palms of his hands. He stares at the keyboard, seeming far away.
>
>

> "I don't...I don't really have a method yet." Gale shakes her head. "I haven't read a monologue before, I think."
>
>

> Skylar is having a lot of fun with his monologue, being expressive and reading it easily from the get-go.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ryan, once Mason is finished, grins at him and begins to clap loudly, stopping only when he receives a glare from Yvette from across the room. "Well," Ryan says, "You can certainly /read./ Now we'll just have to see if you're any good at acting," he laughs in a teasing tone.
>
>

> "Hmmm." Gail takes in what she's been told. Eventually, she asks, "Well, if I read it out to you, do you think you'd be able to memorize it? I mean, clearly not all at once, but..." she trails off, waiting for an answer.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason snickers softly, cheeks flushed a bit. "Hah hah, I /know/. I'm working on memorizing it first." He sits back down and works on memorizing/practice with Ryan for the rest of the period.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Zaiya leaves and doesn't come back, not taking his backpack with him.
>
>

> "Yeah! That sounds goo--" She goes silent as she sees Zaiya leave. Did she notice a couple tears drip off his face...?
> She decides to ask him later, as that's all she can really do, and focuses on memorizing her own monologue.
>
>

> Skylar works on his with his partner, occasionally getting sidetracked, but still working.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sheridan had questioned Zaiya's exit when she saw him heading for the door, having received a barely audible response. She felt vague concern for her student, but she wasn't about to chase him out of the room and demand more answers. She spends the rest of the period helping her students out, answering occasional questions.
>
>

> Ryan works together with Mason, honestly probably more focused on his partner than his actual monologue. Some time during their practice, he offhandedly mentions the party he'll be hosting this weekend. It's not quite an invitation, but if Mason /wants/ to come...well, now he'll know about it, at least.
>
>

> Gail spends most of the time focusing on her partner's monologue, hardly looking over hers at all. When she hears the bell ring, she jolts up in alarm, eyes widening. A smile appears on her face, and she opens the door to hurry back into the classroom alongside Gale in order to collect her things. "Guess we'll have to work more on these tomorrow, huh?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Mason also found himself a bit more interested in sociaizing with his large classmate than the monologue. The mention of a party sparked his attention, but... well, Ryan didn't exactly invite him, right? He didn't know the details, and... all Ryan did was mention it. Mason comments that it sounds like fun, he hopes Ryan has a good time.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Yeah." Gale gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry we didn't have time to get to yours."
>
>
> ...
>
>
>
> "...Wait. Tomorrow's Saturday."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "It's fine! Don't worry about --" Gail cuts herself off when she, too, realizes that tomorrow isn't a day they'll be attending school. She laughs at her own mistake, rolling her eyes. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget that we ever get breaks."
>
>