Chapter 20
MOST LIKELY TO MOVE AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK
I’m clapping and smiling like an idiot as David finishes Citrus Prep’s rendition of “Be Our Guest.”
It has been so fun to watch my brother perform.
His French accent is over the top, his comedic timing hilarious, and his singing was perfect.
My chest swells with pride at the amazing job he is doing up there, but I’m thankful more than anything else.
It’s obvious that he belongs on the stage and it makes him happy.
Of course, David being in Beauty and the Beast is only one of the two good things to come from the changes in how they choose Citrus Scholar.
The other? Ella, of course.
I have been living for scene changes through this entire musical just so I can see her.
Thankfully, my family and I are sitting in the front row and are close enough to see everything.
Each time the stage hands come out to reset for the next scene, I lean forward in my seat in hopes of getting a glimpse of her.
Since this year is moving way too fast, I want to take advantage of every second I get to see her even if she’s just moving stuff around on stage.
It’s not just seeing Ella that has me strangely emotional as I watch Beauty and the Beast. It’s the set itself.
Every bit of it is filled with memories.
The stone walls we painted when we almost kissed and the stupid rose David was looking for when he interrupted us.
There are the tavern walls we did while discussing our favorite movies and the trees we cut out while singing obnoxious pop songs together.
The stage feels like a timeline to our relationship, and it’s been hard to focus on the performance while I’m busy remembering all the stolen moments I had with Ella while working on it with her. It’s filled with secrets only her and I know, and I don’t want to forget a single one.
Since there isn’t a set change after David’s song, I don’t get to see Ella yet.
I’m fighting for my life to pretend like I care about the Beast’s solo.
The guy playing him is doing fine, I’m sure.
I just want him to finish so we can finally get to intermission.
I tap my toes impatiently against the floor until he sings the last note and the curtain closes.
I clap for the least amount of time as polite before I jump up from my seat and go backstage.
As sneaky as I thought I was when I came here after school to help Ella, most people aren’t surprised to see my face–and no one tells me to leave.
In fact, a few theater kids say hi to me as they prepare for the second act in a flurry of motion.
Some of the extras are still taking off their plate costumes, and stage hands move flats around as they reset.
They’re all wearing black in an effort to blend into the background during the performance, so I look for the pop of blonde hair in their midst. Eventually, I find Ella carrying a prop off to the side. When she sees me, her eyes widen, and she almost drops the rose and glass container in her hands.
I rush over and put my hands underneath it. “Careful. Can’t have you shattering this before Belle breaks the magic spell.”
Her eyes shift from side-to-side before she leans in. “What are you doing back here?”
“Whispering isn’t going to make it so people can’t see me.” I snort. “And I came back because I wanted to see you.”
“But you’re not in theater. You’ll get in trouble.”
I shrug. “I’m not really worried about it. Besides, I’ve painted enough of the set that I should get honorary membership."
She eyes me wearily. “Well, if you’re claiming membership, then you can come help me move some of these trees onto the stage for the next scene.” Ella leads me to where all the trees are leaning against the wall. “I’ll put them in the right spots if you can help me carry them.”
“No problem.”
She hands me a cardboard cutout of a tree with a weight on the bottom then grabs another tree for herself and walks out onto the stage.
I listen to the audience talking loudly on the other side of the curtain as I wait patiently for Ella to put the trees where she wants them.
We do this a couple more times with more trees until the stage looks like a forest.
When she’s satisfied, she looks up at me. “So, what do you think of the musical so far?”
I sigh dramatically. “It’s all right. The time between scenes really takes me out of the story though. I wish they had better help.”
“Shut up.” She jabs me in the shoulder.
I grab her hand before she can snatch it back and pull her toward me. I lean in so that our noses are almost touching. “You are doing a great job, but every time I see you, I want to do this.”
Her face scrunches in confusion. “Do what?”
I close the distance between us and give her a quick kiss. “It’s driving me crazy watching you there.”
“Hey, stop that.” Ella pulls her hand back and smacks me in the chest. “How am I supposed to focus on my job when you come back here and distract me with kisses?” She hits me again.
I chuckle. “Now you know how I feel.”
“Mr. Williams,” a voice says from behind me.
I turn and see one of the directors who happens to also be our history teacher.
She frowns at me. “Last time I checked, you were not part of this production. If you’d be so kind as to stop distracting Ella and make it back to your seat in time for the second act, it would be greatly appreciated. "
“Yes, ma’am.” I turn back to Ella and wink. “I’ll see you later.”
Without a glance back, I navigate through the actors and props to the exit door leading to the auditorium. When I step out, I come face-to-face with my father. He’s standing outside, his arms crossed over his chest. “What were you doing backstage? You aren’t in the musical.”
It looks like everyone is pointing out that obvious bit of information tonight. I shrug. “Thought I’d say hi to David.”
He raises his brows. “Really? Because I just saw him in the restroom, and you weren’t there.”
“Right,” I say because I really don’t know how to respond. I feel like a mouse caught in a trap. I’m not exactly sure what my dad knows. I can only wait for him to tell me what he’s disappointed about now.
“Did you go backstage to see that Adams girl?”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t have some fascination with her.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“I’m sitting right next to you. I can see the way you search for her between each scene. I’m not an idiot.”
He’s smart enough to see that I am looking for Ella but not smart enough to stop blaming her for what her father did. That seems pretty stupid to me.
“You are a Williams. You should know better than to get involved with someone like her.”
“Someone like her?” I ask slowly. I know what he thinks about her father and her family.
I have heard the hate spewed toward the Adamses for years.
I have been guilty of misplacing my anger toward Ella and regret blinding following the mob mentality.
If my father is going to tell me I shouldn’t be involved with her, I want to know the exact reasons for it.
“Her father almost destroyed us. You know that. She is destined to be just like him. If you make the mistake of trusting her, she will destroy you, too.”
My blood is boiling, and I bite the inside of my cheek so hard that I’m surprised I don’t draw blood.
My father knows nothing about Ella. He doesn’t know that we ruined her just as much as her father ruined us.
The only difference is that she didn’t do anything wrong.
I made her life a living hell for the last few years, and I don’t ever want to hurt her again.
Even now, I feel the need to protect her reputation to my father.
I tilt up my chin. “So what if I did get involved with her? She’s not a bad person.”
“Why do you vex me?” he says almost to himself before he gives me a pointed look. “You are not allowed to get involved with her. I forbid it.”
I have spent years in constant fear of disappointing my parents.
I have worked hard to meet their expectations, and now he’s telling me I can’t date Ella?
It’s a little late for that. I laugh coldly.
“You forbid it? It’s March. I graduate in two months, and then I go off to college.
How exactly are you going to tell me that I can’t date her? ”
His returning smile is so icy I get chills. “Everything you have is because of me. The house you live in, the food you eat, the car you drive. I can take it all away.”
My brows lower. “You’d take away my food if I dated Ella?”
“Is that what you’re getting from all this?”
“No, what I’m getting from this is that you are willing to take out the anger you have toward a grown man on his daughter. And if that’s the case, maybe I don’t want to take anything else from you.”
My hands are shaking at my sides by the time I finish speaking.
I have never talked to my father like that before.
I’ve been too afraid to. I’ve fought hard not to disappoint my parents and could never understand how David could be so flippant about their approval.
And now, faced with him insulting Ella, I finally get it.
I brace myself for whatever comes out my dad’s mouth next.
He doesn’t say anything. He only nods once. “I understand.”
The auditorium lights flash, signaling the end of intermission.
I make my way back to my seat, trailing behind my father the entire time.
I am dying to know what’s going through his mind right now.
Is he going to cut me off? Will I have a place to stay when the musical is over?
I really don’t know, but I can’t control what happens next.
I can only try to enjoy the rest of the musical and find joy in the small glimpses I get of Ella.