Miss Laine grinned when she walked into the Theatre room.
"Oh no.
Are we going on another hike?", questioned Weronika.
"Seriously, that face gives me nightmares", said Amethyst.
Miss Laine chuckled.
"You'll like this.
I asked Leonie to keep this a secret, but I think she actually just forgot."
"Forgot what?", asked Leonie.
Miss Laine laughed.
"There's my answer.
It's a Theatre Club tradition to have a sleep over at the school on the week before the show."
Leonie gasped.
"Oh!
I completely forgot!
The sleep overs are the best!"
"I have forms for your parents to fill out", said Miss Laine.
______________________________
Darius ran into the already busy Theatre room, his sleeping bag trailing behind him.
"Woohoo, let's party!"
Darius stopped in his tracks when he saw everyone with their sleeping bags.
For a split second, he was taken back to the makeshift homeless shelter he stumbled upon.
"The wind's gone from your sales, hasn't it?", remarked Eli. His brow furrowed in concern.
"Darius?"
Darius frowned.
"Bad memories from when... when I ran away."
Eli's face softened.
"Oh, Darius..."
A second later, Darius chuckled.
The others didn't quite believe it though.
"Come on guys, it's a sleep over party, not a pity party!"
"Camryn has something to tell you!", exclaimed Leonie, earning a glare from Camryn.
"Leonie!", she hissed.
"It's embarrassing."
"No it's not!
It's really sweet."
Camryn sighed.
"Fine.
But, let me just show you instead."
Camryn got up and grabbed Darius' hand, before dragging him out of the Theatre room.
___________________________
Meanwhile, Isaac and Stanley were in the changing rooms, putting their bags away.
Stanley stared at his phone, a forlorn expression on his face. He looked up and his eyes met with Isaac's.
"Hey.
Can I ask you something?"
Isaac nodded eagerly.
"Of course!"
"What do you think I should do about Rhys?
I mean, should I really invite a rival to see our performance?"
"Collman's show happens before ours. Even if he was a spy, he wouldn't be able to sabotage us", said Isaac.
"So you think I should ask him to come?"
"Do you want him to come?"
"Yes and no.
I was a right d*ck to him before.
But... having him there would make me a lot less nervous."
"Then inviting him might be your chance to make things right", said Isaac.
Stanley smiled, before nodding his head at Isaac.
"Thanks, little man."
_____________________________
Kennedy leaned against the wall, staring out at all the smiling faces.
She exhaled sharply, drawing out the sigh as she slid down the wall.
"Kennedy, are you ok?", asked Maxon.
Kennedy threw her arms up.
"I don't even know anymore!"
"Well, what's wrong?", questioned Maxon.
He sat down beside her.
"It hurt me when Miss Laine said I wasn't being authentic.
That I didn't have a fight I cared about", admitted Kennedy.
"Oh, Kennedy!
She didn't say that!
She just meant that you weren't using it in your acting", clarified Maxon.
"No, look, I... I went home and I thought about what she said.
She's right.
I don't have a fight I care about."
"What are you talking about?
You're Kennedy Kingston!
You're the one who cares about everyone!"
"Yeah, but that's just who I am!
I've... I didn't defend my friend against a dr*g dealer.
I didn't struggle with an eat*ng d*sorder!
I didn't choreograph a dance routine to cheer up a friend in hospital!
I didn't go above and beyond for something I cared about."
Maxon frowned.
"Hey, look at me."
Kennedy just stared at her hands.
"Kennedy?", he whispered.
Kennedy sighed and her eyes met with his.
"You... you almost died trying to save Eli from that fire."
Maxon's voice trembled as Kennedy remembered the fire.
"I-I don't know how you felt when Leonie told you about her búlìmìa, but... I'd bet everything I own on you trying to make her realise she wasn't at fault."
Kennedy blinked, the tears being released from their cages.
She looked away from him.
"And you cared about me", he said.
Kennedy looked at him again.
"You organised a whole presentation to help my Mum out.
You knew how much it meant to me", he said.
"Just because you aren't as outspoken as Stella... doesn't mean you don't have her drive.
If not more than her."
A weak smile appeared on Kennedy's face.
"Thank you", she whispered.
Maxon reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face.
"You don't need all these outfits.
You just... you just need to stop comparing yourself to other people."
"That's hard for me."
"I know.
But a diamond is incomparable to a rubbish bin, you know?"
Kennedy smiled, but her eyes widened slightly.
"Hey, careful!
My friends are the so-called
'rubbish bins' in your analogy!"
Maxon chuckled.
"Oh yeah.
Oops."
_______________________________
"Can I open my eyes now?", asked Darius.
"You're the one that insisted on closing them!"
Darius opened his eyes. An anxious Camryn stared at Darius' face.
The boy's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly.
"Is... is that a good reaction?
I can't tell."
On a large wall in the skate park, a beautifully poignant painting of a homeless boy giving a piggy back ride to a little girl stood tall.
"Did... did you do this?"
Camryn just nodded.
"H-How?"
"With pray paint, acrylic paint and a whole lot of stenciling", she said.
A laugh escaped Darius' lips.
A small metal box, near the boy's hand, caught Darius' eye.
Camryn saw him looking at smiled. "Oh, that's a money box.
People can put change in it, and at the end of each month, the money goes to different homeless charities."
Darius smiled at this.
"Do you like it?
You know what?
It's probably a bit much, I can get rid of the-"
Darius tackled Camryn into a hug, though the girl didn't protest.
He held her closer.
"-It's perfect, Camryn.
Thank you so much."
Camryn smiled and gently rubbed his back.
"I'm glad you like it."
____________________________
Weronika laughed as Meredith pulled a funny face at the phone.
"Oh, that's great!"
Meredith chuckled.
"It was really nice of Amethyst to let us use her phone."
"I know!
I missed her a lot.
I can't wait to spend more time with her.
Our friendship definitely needs some work", said Weronika.
"Oh, it's going to die.
Where's Camryn's charger?", asked Meredith.
"Oh, Leonie's looking after it.
I'll get it!"
"Ok, I need to go to the toilet.
Will you put it on charge?"
Weronika nodded.
"Yeah.
I'll be two seconds."
Weronika ran out of the room. Meredith quickly scrolled through the phone, a smirk on her face.
She clicked on a video, watching only a few seconds of it.
Her thumb hovered over the 'DELETE' button, before pressing down on it, a sinister smile appearing on her face.
______________________________
What are your thoughts on this chapter?
Any theories?
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