Rising Shards

Oka watched as the bus she rode in with Lillia stopped at an unfamiliar building with strange architecture. It was here she’d be spending the weekend at a theater camp, learning lots of new acting techniques from professors at this supposedly prestigious college, as well as seeing a real musical in person, something Oka had only dreamed of before.

“Man, this is my first time at anything like this,” Oka said as they got off the bus.

“Don’t overthink it,” Lillia said.

“Right,” Oka said. “Have I mentioned that I’m glad you’re my friend? You really help me out through things like this.”

Lillia smiled softly. “Likewise.”

The group of students from the theater club gathered in front with Oka’s uncle, Reit Kilander, checking names off on his wristband projection.

“Wonderful, we’re all here and accounted for,” Reit said. He stretched one arm over his head, pointing at the front of the group. “Naomi, could you please lead the girls to the lady bunks for this weekend getaway? I pinged the directions to your power blocker.”

“Gladly!” Naomi said.

Naomi Ratuna acted completely different while in the theater club than she did as prefect for Oka’s dorm hallway. While she was mean and strict there, she was practically bright and bubbly while acting. Lillia was staring at her like she usually did. Oka didn’t get Lillia’s crush on Naomi until she saw how she acted around her theater friends. Oka and Lillia split off with the girls’ group and followed Naomi into the college campus.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Oka said. “I think this weekend we should try and get you closer with…you know.”

Lillia flinched, snapping out of her haze of crush staring. “What are you saying? Don’t say that out loud!”

“You help me so much with my crush, let me help you!” Oka said.

“Stop saying this out loud,” Lillia said.

“Nobody’s listening!” Oka said.

“I’m kinda listening,” Kyre Krista said as she put a big glob of hair gel onto her head.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, Kyre.” Oka said.

“Who do you guys have crushes on?” Kyre asked. “If it’s me, you have to tell me.”

“It’s not you,” Oka said.

“You know, it’s kind of hurtful to tell me that.” Kyre said.

“But you just…asked…” Oka said. She sighed. “Whatever, we’ll talk inside!”

“We will?” Kyre asked.

“No, Kyre,” Oka said. “Lillia and I.”

“You know, it’s kind of hurtful to exclude me right to my face like that.” Kyre said.

“I…but…just…” Oka said.

“Just give up, Oka, it’s pointless.” Lillia said.

The “lady bunks” for the girls was a stuffy band room that had sleeping bags laid out for everyone. Oka and Lillia picked theirs out towards the far side of the room next to each other. Oka, having never been in a sleeping bag before, dove into hers. “Ahh, moderately comfy, with the ground beneath it just a bit too harsh on my back,” Oka said. “Just like I imagined.”

Lillia cautiously wiped hers down with some anti-germ wipes.

“I’m now wishing I had done that before I climbed into mine,” Oka said. “But, anyways!”

Oka leaned in to whisper to Lillia.

“Our real mission is to get you close with Naomi.” Oka said.

“Our real mission,” Lillia said. “Is to learn acting lessons this weekend. And to see a musical performed live by Pillar Wheat University's theater department.”

“We can do that awesome stuff and this!” Oka said. “Come on, let me help!”

“What can you help with exactly?” Lillia said.

“I’ll be your wingman!” Oka said. “I’ve never done it before, but I bet I’m pretty good at it!”

“Right,” Lillia said. “Oka, I am flattered you want to help, but you do help me enough already. Just having someone to talk to about that…business. It’s very useful to me.”

After getting their stuff packed away, the acting classes started right away. They were a lot more rigorous than Oka was expecting, with some intense vocal work to start, followed by some physical training. Lillia took it all in stride, and Oka was amazed that she wasn’t at all worn out by any of it.

The third class was the most fun so far for Oka, where they focused on improv acting. She actually made the professor laugh with one of her jokes which felt awesome. Lillia was a bit more flustered with this. Without a rigid structure to adhere to, it seemed like she couldn’t keep her shell up as much. When the professor asked for students to pair up for a duo session, Oka snuck up beside Lillia.

“Psst,” Oka whispered. “Lillia.”

“Quiet,” Lillia said.

“Go over there and stand by Naomi! There’s a perfect spot there, she doesn’t have a partner yet!”

“No,” Lillia said. “Just be my partner.”

“No, I don’t wanna!” Oka said. “You go be with Naomi. There’s a cute girl from another school who I’ve fallen madly in love with and I’m going to partner up with her then run away with her.”

Lillia’s eyes widened. “Y-you’re joking…”

“Ha! Got you!” Oka said. “I’m not giving up my crush that easy. And neither should you!”

“This scenario…just isn’t what…” Lillia said. Naomi was just standing there, waiting. She had a ton of friends in this group, surely one of them would go to her first.

“You gotta go quick or she’s gonna get a partner!” Oka said.

“But what about you?” Lillia asked.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll partner with Kyre or something!” Oka said. She shoved Lillia forward.

* * *

Lillia stumbled for a second, stopping right before Naomi.

“Lillia Cadence,” Naomi said. “Do you have a partner yet?”

“I…I don’t.” Lillia said.

“Perfect! We’ll pair up, then.” Naomi said. “Nice flower, too.”

“Huh?” Lillia said, feeling at her hair. There was somehow a flower there that hadn’t been there a few seconds earlier. She tried to maintain her composure as she glanced back to Oka, who gave her a thumbs up that Lillia wished was at least slightly subtle. Another benefit to having her as a friend, I suppose. Lillia thought.

The professor gave each duo three small strips of paper. Two were their characters, and one was their scenario. Lillia was supposed to be a gas station attendant, while Naomi was playing a vampire. Their scenario sheet just read “toilet broken.” Each duo had to go up in front of the others and perform a short scene. Lillia didn’t even have time to consider the fact that she was about to perform on a stage of sorts with her crush. Naomi’s character in the play at school didn’t share any scenes with Lillia’s, giving Lillia plenty of time to watch Naomi perform. But that watching came with the longing feeling of wanting to be there with her.

The duos were given two chairs to work with as their sole props. Generally, the other duos just used the chair to pretend they were in a car even if their scenario didn’t involve a vehicle. People were generally playing their scenes comedically, but Kyre Krista threw Oka a curveball when she randomly added that her character recently suffered a tragedy involving chairs that she described in darkly graphic detail. Oka tried her best to cover for Kyre but the scene was lost as her partner kept trying to bring the mood down even more. Lillia solemnly vowed to repay Oka for the sacrifice she made to ensure Naomi was her scene partner. Oka winced all the way back to her seat and put her head down in shame, something Kyre didn’t seem capable of feeling.

Despite their scene having a vulgar premise, Lillia wanted to relish the moment with Naomi as she was directed to the front of the class. Naomi looked expectantly at Lillia to start.

“Right…I…am a gas station,” Lillia said, coughing from a dry throat. “Attendant.”

The entire class’s eyes were on her. Well, except for two boys and three girls on their phones. Lillia didn’t want to be doomed to the same reaction Kyre got in polite sympathy claps. She also didn’t want to perform badly with Naomi.

“And I’m toilet shopping because the gas station I work at has a toilet that’s out of service!” Lillia yelled. Her sudden outburst got Oka laughing instantly, and some others joined in. Lillia’s inner performer kicked in.

“You would not believe what some people will do to a toilet. At a…gas station.” Lillia said. It wasn’t the best joke, but it kept the momentum rolling. Especially as Naomi pretended she had a cape and dramatically sat down by Lillia, moving her chair beside the other. Naomi gave a quick smile to Lillia before getting fully into character.

“I am Count Dramatis,” Naomi said, baring her fangs more than she normally would. “I had a big vampire party over the weekend and now my plumbing is in shambles! So I too know the pain you feel, lowly gas attendant. Unrelated, but do you mind sparing blood? Any blood will do. But preferably your blood.”

“This line at the toilet store sure is long, isn’t it Count Dramatis?” Lillia said. “I hope they have a working bathroom in here or I’m gonna have to use a store model!”

Lillia would normally never make such a joke, but she was feeding off the energy of the class, and more importantly the energy Naomi was giving. By the time their scene ended, they had the whole class laughing.

“Great work!” Naomi said. “If I ever need an improv partner, I’ll know who to call.”

“R-right,” Lillia said. “The same…to you.”

Naomi winked and sat back down with her friends as Lillia sat down by Oka, who looked giddy at how it all had gone.

* * *

The rest of the weekend proceeded without anything too exciting happening. The second day was mostly watching speeches from actors, then a performance of a famous musical that shocked Oka in that she actually knew it. They both sang along to every song. Lillia had the songs stuck in her head all the way to the end of the trip. She and Oka walked back to the bus still singing their favorite songs from the musical. They sat in the comfy enough coach bus seats, taking one last look at the college before the bus took off.

"That was awesome," Oka said. "I never thought I'd get to see a real musical in person."

"And one you knew, too," Lillia said. "I'm surprised your school had a tape of The Domicile given the way you describe that place."

"Right? It must've been the newest tape there!" Oka said. "Is it weird that I'm a bit homesick?"

“By homesick you mean missing her specifically, correct?” Lillia asked.

“Oh, come on,” Oka said.

“I think I’ve earned some teasing after your behavior this weekend,” Lillia said. “And for scaring me with that joke about meeting someone here and running off with them.”

“That’s fair,” Oka said. “And you’re right, her specifically. Zeta her, not the imaginary new person I made up.”

“Because I’m invested in yours as well, you know,” Lillia said. “If you ever need me to be your…er, wingman. Just tell me?”

“Got it!” Oka said.

“Well, just a few hours or so and we’ll be back,” Lillia said, looking out at the highway. “I’m sure she’ll be very excited to see you.”

“I know I’ll be happy to see her,” Oka said. “This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing her since I met her. Or met her the second time, I guess.”

“It’s good to take breaks,” Lillia said. “Now your feelings are probably that much more invigorated by missing her.”

“That’s true,” Oka said. “Now I’m gonna have to see if I can get her to do an improv scene with me. Yours was so good. So romantic, even!”

“Shhh,” Lillia whispered. “She’s right there!”

“Sorry,” Oka said. Lillia glared at her. “I mean…sorry…that scene was really romantic? Yes, sorry that scene was romantic, I know you didn’t like those two ending up together in the movie. The movie that was playing.”

“Decent save.”

The movie playing on the coach bus screens didn’t interest Lillia too much, but it was fine. She was happy to stare out the window and daydream about having more scenes with Naomi. As a bonus, Naomi was seated a few rows in front of them, giving Lillia a great chance to observe a third of the back of her crush’s head.

Oka and Lillia were quiet for the rest of the trip, the events of the weekend catching up with them and making them very sleepy.

“You look very content,” Oka said. “Didn’t think it’d go this well, huh?”

“I did not,” Lillia said. “And thank you.” Lillia held her fist out.

Oka bumped her fist against Lillia’s. “Anytime.”