School was tough for Sophia that day. Everyone was talking about the now infamous article by Evelyn. Everyone but Sophia and Harry. When they got to their first class and opened up the newspaper and read the article, neither one spoke to the other. The silenced followed them through the rest of the day. She didn’t really know why they weren’t talking, though she wasn’t exactly speaking to him either. She didn’t believe Harry felt like she wasn’t meant to play Juliet. Sophia knew exactly what he had said and the context it was placed in, but maybe the reason she hadn’t spoken to him was because he really wasn’t the one talking to her.

---

Harry sat in his room with his literature book in his hand, Frankenstein. He had literally read the same sentence a thousand times but didn’t retain a single word. How had he not said anything to Sophia? Did he feel guilty about what Evelyn had written? He didn’t know the answer, all he knew was that he was certainly avoiding her. But that couldn’t last much longer he had rehearsal with her in an hour.

“Shouldn’t you be reading that?” Harry heard Eli say as he walked in to their room.

“I am reading it.” He protested.

Eli sat down next to Harry on his bed. “What are you really thinking about? The article?”

Harry exhaled with a sound of exhaustion and laid back on the bed. “I don’t know. I shouldn’t feel responsible, I mean I didn’t write it. But she looked so…”

“Upset. Yeah, she’s going to be upset Harry.Evelyn wrote some harsh words about her.”

“Have you talked to her?” Harry questioned. Knowing how close Sophia and Eli were he knew what the answer would probably already be.

“No actually I haven’t. She isn’t talking to anyone according to Audrey. Says she just sat silently through lunch.”

Harry sat up on his elbows and looked at Eli. “You didn’t talk to her?” He said in surprise.

“No. Didn’t I just say that. Did you hear anything else I said after that?”

“Sorry, it’s just…she seems to really get on with you. I thought if she talked with anyone it would be you.”

“Are you jealous?” Eli asked.

Harry avoided the question and got up off of the bed. He walked over to the dresser and grabbed his script placing it in his back pocket. “Listen, mate, I’d love to sit and chat but I have rehearsals.”

“See you at the dining hall then?” Eli called after Harry as he walked out the door. Harry didn’t respond back he just waved his hand back in acknowledgement.

---

Emma stormed into the news room with every intention of cussing Louis out. How dare he think that he could do this to her. Especially after she knew everyone else knew that that was her article.

“Ah, Emma. How are you this lovely afternoon?” Louis said with a cheerful voice, not even looking up from what he was concentrating on to look at her.

“How am I doing? Oh I don’t know I wrote a pretty good article, which I work my ass off for, only to have it be written by someone else. So my day? It’s pretty bad. Actually you know what it sucks. That’s right it really sucks.”

Louis put down whatever it was he was working on and turned his attention to Emma. “Listen Emma it’s nothing personal. This kind of thing happens in the real journalism world all the time. I have to make sure this paper is at its best and the article you wrote was not the best.”

Emma stood with her mouth open. “I am a good journalist! I can work harder than anyone else at this damn school! You had the best when I wrote that article!” She yelled holding back tears of frustration.

Louis stood up from his chair and leaned up against his desk so he was eye level with Emma. “I know you are very good, Emma, I’ve read your work at your old school. But I need great. I need legendary. I want the journalist who come from this school to be talked about long after they have left here. That article you gave be was not your best. Would you want me to publish something unworthy of what you are capable of?”

She looked down at her hands. “No I wouldn’t like that.” She said in defeat.

“Good.” Louis said patting his hand on the side of her shoulder. “Prove me wrong Gladwynn. Now go, no work on the paper today. But be ready for Monday.”

---

Sophia sat off on her own in the auditorium seats. She had gotten there early so she didn’t have to walk in on others staring at her. She was nervous about rehearsals. She didn’t know what she was most nervous about seeing, Penelope or being forced to have to run lines with Harry.

Harry. Sophia didn’t really know why she was nervous about him. It wasn’t like they were great friends, but he had become a part of her daily routine whether she liked it or not. And if she was honest she kind of missed him or the routine. Definitely the routine. She didn’t like change no matter how annoying it might me.

“Sitting alone. Has today really been that bad?” She looked to see Harry standing at the end of the row.

“Hasn’t been great.” She answered.

“Can I sit?” He asked pointing to the seat next to her.

She moved her purse out of the seat so he could sit. “Listen Sophia about today. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She told him.

“Yes I do, Soph. You needed someone today and I know you have the girls but I should have defended you.I should have told everyone how out of context the whole article was but I didn’t. I know we aren’t friends and we don’t get along –almost never—but I’m not a bad person no matter how much you may believe that.”

“I don’t think that, Harry.”

“Yeah, you do. But I get it, I’m kind of a jerk sometimes. So what do say, want to join me up front?” He asked standing up and extending his hand out to Sophia. She stood up not taking his hand but walked along next to him. He leaned over to her as everyone stared at them. “Your still the star of this play, Sophia, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.”

Notes

Enjoy! And let me know how you like the story so far!