Girl Trouble (Completed), Ayesha Azhar [fun to read TXT] 📗

as far as I know,There is a minor part left.No one auditioned for it, Mr Owens is still looking for someone."

"Which part is it?" I heard myself asking.I couldnt believe myself. Was I really thinking about auditioning? Surely not?

"Of Rosalind who is Merope's younger sister, its really a very small part, just a few lines,I dont think its taken yet."Ashley replied.

  "Merope,hmmm....."Who was Merope?I didnt know the play cast that well, I only knew the lead role of Sandy because of Mandy.

"Merope's the second lead,which means Mandy."Ashley said, seeing that I didnot have any knowledge who Merope was.

 Mandy, hmm...so Rosalind was Merope's sister,meaning I would be Mandy's sister.If I got the part ofcourse and that only IF I auditioned.And that even if that part wasnt taken yet.

 But if I did get the part, was I ready to spend so much time in Mandy's aqquaintance just yet? But why should I care? Mandy should back out if she wanted too, not me. Mandy had never, as Ashley said, encouraged me.These were my real friends,I looked around the room, who recognised my real talent.

      "Okay,"I said,"I'll ask Mr Owens tommorrow."

"You better do,"Jake said.

    "Oh, I am so excited!"Ashley exclaimed, hugging me again,"I did SO wanted to be the lead."

"Well,you are now," I pointed out,"So no worries."

   "I know, it still is totally unbelievable, Me, the lead role of such a great play? Wow!Amazing!"Ashley threw her hands in the air.

  I sighed. Mandy too,had been so excited, so happy, when she had been announced the lead last year.She would be so heartbroken, so devasted when she would find out that she wasnt the lead.Oh, she would need some moral support.She had no other good friends except me.What would she do, all alone?

  "Does Mandy know?"Ashley broke into my thoughts.

"Mandy? What does Mandy know?" I said.

     "I mean, does Mandy know that she is not the lead, I am?"

"No, how would she know?"

   "You ofcourse."Ashley pointed towards me,"I mean, you told a whole roomful of people that Mandy is not the lead, I am, then ofcourse you would have told your best friend too."

     "No, I havent,"I shook my head,"We arent talking right now."

I was surprised, didnt Ashley remember what I had told her about my necklace.Ofcourse,Mandy and I werent talking, how could we be, after all that had happened?

        "Oh," Ashley said."Well, thats all you both seem to do ever since I have known you, I mean, I have never seen you two being friendly toward each other, you are almost always fighting."

    "Yes, it IS sort of strange,Ash, ever since you have came, we two are always having fights."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

   "Nothing,"I replied."Just saying, by the way, congratz on gettig the lead."

"Thanks."

   "I'll be going now, is getting quite late,Ash."

 "Okay, and thanks Steph." 

   "For what?"

"For telling me the good news."

  "Oh that, no problem.Bye now."

 "Hey,Steph!wait!"Jake called.

   I turned around"Yes?"

"You are going home alone?"

  "Ummm...yes."

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

  Jake was offering to walk me home.What did this mean?

  "Umm..no, I'll be okay, but thenks for offering."

"You sure?"

  "Definitely."I nodded."Bye now."

" Okay good, bye then."

I turned around,"By the way, when will you go home, Ash? its getting quite late."

   "Oh, I'll hang around,Jake wont get rid of me so easily."Ashley smiled.

"You bet I wont."Jake smiled back.

  I felt awful leaving them both here together, but I had too. My curfew was 7:00, I had to get home by 7:15 at the latest.It was already 6:55 now, If I didnt get home at 7:10 atleast, mother would be worried sick.Father would be home by that time too, and they would both be worrying together.So I had to leave now.

   I left them like thatand started walking on the road.What was that sound I had heard when I was coming?Had someone been following me?Most probably not, just my own imagination playing tricks on me.

Anyways,Mandy.Oh,Mandy,Mandy,Mandy, what was I going to do about her?She would already be completely broken on finding out that she was not the lead and then she would find out that I had told everyone that she was not the lead beforehand.

I had turned everyone against her!Oh, what had I DONE?It seemed as if everyone knew the news except the person it most concerned.

Chapter 9

I woke up early the next morning. There was a sickening feeling in my chest.Today was the day that the roles of Sustenance would be announced.Today was the day that Mandy's heart was going to be broken. Oh God,what would happen today?

    I dressed quickly, one part of me wanted to get to school quickly, so that I could get this all over with and leave it in the past.But one part of me wanted to delay this forever. I was trembling to think of what would happen when Mandy would find out that she was not the lead.

"Morning,honey."my mother called out as I entered the kitchen,"Breakfast?"

   "No thanks, mother, I really dont feel like eating today."

"Come on, Steph, have a little bit of toast atleast."

 I sighed.What was the use arguing?Mother never let me go to school without eating anything first,and besides the school bus wasn't due for another 10 minutes.I pulled out a chair and sat down.

"So, how's school going,Steph?" my mother asked, buttering the toast.

"School's good."I replied, taking a bite.

   "Everything is fine between you and Mandy?"

I choked."Yes,ofcourse,why....why are you asking?"

  "Nothing,but i havent seen Mandy around the house since the past few days,so I just wondered."

I remembered Ashley's theory that there was always something in nothing.But I didnt ponder over it. 

   "Everthing's fine,mother."

"No,really Steph, your father and I hardly ever see Mandy these days, infact we hardly ever see YOU."

   "Well,umm...I have been kind of busy these days."

"Busy with what? You were late last night, so I called Mandy, she said you werent with her, If you  were not with her, then where were you?"

  Damn Mandy.How dare she tattle on me?

"Umm...I was with,err...some new friends."

"What new friends?"

"Oh, look,there's the school bus,I'll talk to you later, mother, bye."

  "Ok, bye, Steph."

Thank God. the school bus came at just the right moment.Though there was only walking distance between the school and my home,Mandy and I had decided that we would go by the school bus. We usually came home in the afternoon on our bikes or sometimes we walked home, but we almost always went to school by the bus.

         I climbed up the steps and into the bus, Mandy and I always sat together, but today she was sittting with Nicole instead. Ashley didnt go by the school bus, so I had noone else to sit next to. I just went and sat by myself.Mandy was sitting on the seat behind me.

  "Hey, so today the roles of Sustenance will be announced.Goh, I am so excited."a girl named Lia Candara said.

 "I know,"her friend Eschell replied."I do so hope you get the second lead."

   "But what if I dont?"

"Dont worry, you will."

  "But, there are two candidates for the lead, the one who wont win will surely get the second lead, wont she?"

   "Umm.....I dont know, that depends on Mr Owens, I guess."Eschell replied.

"Who  do you think will get the lead?"  

     "Ashley John, I thought she was MUCH better then that McHugh girl."

"Really?Well, I  dont think so,Mandy was good enough too."

     I was sure Mandy could hear all this, she was sitting just behind me.I looked back at her,she was taking care not to let her eyes meet mine.If she was going to be so rude,then I didnt care either. 

  "I agree with you,Lia."I joined in the conversation,"I too think that Ashley will get the lead."

"Really?"Lia said, surprised."But isnt Mandy your best friend?"

    "Was." I said,putting emphasis on the past tense. Serve Mandy right.I looked back at her again, Finally, she looked at me, with this sort of strange look, not angry, just surprised.

  "You guys,"Eschell said."Why do you both think so? Mandy was very good too."

 "She may be, but I dont think Mr Owens will make a tattle tale the lead."I said, looking back at Mandy.

     "Tattle tale? what do you mean?" Lia said.

"Oh, nothing."I said and sat back on my seat.

     When did I become so mean?Oh, well, nothing could be done now.The bus came to a stop at the school gate. Mandy got out quickly, I followed. I had thought she would say something to me about yesterday, but she didnt, she just walked ahead of me and went into class.

    The rest of the day passed in restlessness, whatever was going to happen today?Finally, drama period came during which the roles of Sustenance were going to be announced.A lot of people had gathered in the auditorium to watch the roles being announced.I saw  the two girls from the bus, Lia and Eschell sitting in a corner. Lia with her head in her hands. Probably wishing with all her heart to get the second lead. Poor her, how broken she would be to find out that she was not the second lead.How broken would Mandy be to find out that she was not the lead.

   I saw Mandy too, standing with a group of her friends. But that didnt worry me, because I knew that they werent real friends, just Mandy's worshippers. Anyways, it would be good for her to have some support when she would find out that she was not the lead.

  I didnt think I would care, but as I looked at Mandy's worried face, all our good memories flashed in my brain. All the good times, how could I leave her alone like this in such an important day of her life? No, I couldnt, she was my best friend, I had to be with her, support her today. I took a deep breath and took a step towards Mandy.

"Hey,Steph."I turned around, it was Ashley.

  "Hi."I replied.I turned around again, Mandy was looking at me, I took another step towrds her.

"Come on,Steph."Ashley took my hand,"Where are you going?"

  I looked back again, Mandy or Ashley? they were both staring at me. I remembered yesterday,Mandy's words

"I want nothing more to do with you, Stephanie Moore."

   I remembered mother's words

"Mandy said you werent with her."

  and then Ashley's words

"I would really like to know you better,Steph"

   Ashley.Ashley was the right choice.Mandy had left me,Mandy had herself finished everything with me, Mandy had tattled to my mother,why was I going towards her now? I took a step back and turned towards Ashley.

  "No where, I was just looking for you,Ashley, where's Jake?"

"He must be here somewhere," Ashley replied." come on, lets get a seat."

     She started towards the chairs, I followed,Ashley was  the only candidate who did not look worried, ofcourse, she already knew that she was the lead, what  need did she have to worry? We chose a table and sat down. I looked back again.Mandy was still staring at me, her mouth hanging open in surprise.I giggled, what had she thought?That I would still go with her after what she had done yesterday? All the previous times, it was Mandy who used to get angry and I had to convince her, now i was angry at her for a