The Drama is real - Chapter One

September 22th

Charlotte Madden had never been so excited in her life. Ever. 

She was pretty positive she wasn't going to make it through this alive. 

She was the lead. 

She has done it. 

The very thing that she had worked for and hoped for since she saw her first broadway show, at six years old. 

The realization of what this really meant, how much work this was going to take, came crashing into her in one large wave, but she pushed it down. She could deal with that later, now was the time to celebrate. 

"Charlie?" Her best friend in the whole world, Lola Garcia, yelled over her shoulder at her, though it sounded small and far away. "Charlie, are you ok?" 

She looked up at her and stretched a smile over her face, all her joy exploding out of her. "Oh my gosh!" She shouts and hugs Lola. 

"You did it." Lola whispers in her ear. "You really did it!" 

She breaks away and walk over the rest of her friends, who sprinkle her with "good job" and "well done" and "I knew you could do it." 

But she was mostly just proud of herself. 

She finally did it. She was here. After so many long years of hard work and small parts, she had done it. 

And she didn't indend to waste a second. 

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"Char, we are just so proud of you." Her mom winds around the chair and puts a small cupcake in front of her. "This is part of the celebration." She places a kiss of Charlie's cheek and grins. "Ok, everyone. You can dig in now."

Charlie watches as her little brothers and father start to chow down on her suprise with a wide smile on her face. 

"Oh Charlie. Thank you for getting the main role." Her brother, Josh, says through large bites of chocolate cupcake, Charlotte's favourite.

"So, when do you guys have your first reherseal?" Her mom questions, pulling out her phone to put it in her calander. She tosses her dark hair out of her face. People say Charlotte is an exact replica of her mom, but the long, dark, wavy hair is about the only feature they have in common. 

She finishes swollowing a large bite of cupcake before responding. "Tuesday night." Her cupcake is gone in the next few bites and she excuses herself from the table. "I have stuff to work on." She smiles, her parents can see through her vaugeness, but they let her go off anyway.

She sits on her bed, trying so hard not to break out in a huge grin, and opens up her script. 'A romantic, mystery comedy, based in the 1950s.' She says, though it doesn't have a name yet. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she dials up Lola and leans it up against her laptop screen. 

"Charlie! Hi!" Lola's voice fills her room with joy. "How do you feel? Do you have that main character energy yet?" 

"I'm trying." She has her eyes on the screen, but Lola can see through it. "What you working on?" 

"You know, the unnamed script." She breaks out in a smile. "I really do need to give it a name, I thought you could help." 

Lola cracks her knuckles. "Of course I can." They sit in silence for a minute, Lola wearing her classic 'I'm thinking face'. "The murder of the heart?"  

"Nah." Charlie leans back on her bed. "That sounds too cheesy. I want something more exciting, that will make you want to see what it's about." 

Lola waggles her eyebrows, which means she's about to say something Charlotte will hate. "My question has always been, how are you writing a romantic play, if you have never even been in a relationship?" 

"I have decided to wing it. Plus, I've watched enough Rom-coms to know what it's like. I don't need to experience it for myself." 

"But, we're seniors. You have less that nine months to get a guy, before the high school romance experience will leave you forever." She puts an hand to her heart. "I don't want that." 

Charlie rolls her eyes. "You know I have decided to work on myself this year. The script and the show before guys. You know my rule, Lola Garcia." She waggles a finger at her, like a mother would to a forlorn child. 

Lola waves her hand at her friend. I know, I know. 'I won't date anyone until I find my Laurie.' Fine. Suit yourself. Have fun watching Bluey with your brothers for the rest of your life." Lola waves at her, then she's gone. Leaving Charlotte alone in her thoughts and trying to convince herself that what she's just said is actually the truth. 

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September 24th

"Charlotte! Welcome." Miss Markle stands at the front desk. "Could you sign in?" She questions. 

"Of course." She leans down and signs her time of entry. Heading into the gym, she drops her stuff down on the floor.

"Char! Long time no see." Lola walks up and gives her a big hug. 

"It's been less that forty-eight hours." Charlie laughs. 

"Ok, Ok. Everyone! Take a seat on the floor." Mrs. Williams. The director of the show and Charlotte's favourite person ever. 

Everyone gathers on the floor, in a large circle (or something like it) before Mrs Williams speaks again. "Welcome everyone!" She smiles, it's brilliance lightting up the room. "How is everyone today?" 

There's a large spattering of "Good" and "Ok" before she continues. "I just want everyone to go around the circle and say their names and what grade you're in?"  

Everyone cycles around the circle, half-heartedly saying their name and grade, though most people alreadt know each other. When it comes to charlotte, she pipes up, not wanting to look like a coward. "Charlotte. Grade 12." It continues, until her eye catches on a guy, sitting across from her. 

He has dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes."Theodore. Grade 12." He says and Charlotte's breath catches slightly.

Of course. Why? Why? Why? Lola is never going to let me live this down!

As if she could hear her thoughts, Lola nudges her with her shoulder. "There's your Laurie." Her eyes crinkle as she smiles. 

Yes. And she had a huge problem on her hands.