A Debated Decision

jealousy: [jel-uh-see]; noun; resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself.

    "I am a complete genius!"

    Rehearsal hadn't even started and Mrs. Freedman was already singing her own praises. Ethan turned from his conversation with Nova to see the director walking up to them.

    "You're not even onstage yet and the chemistry is back! I should direct Broadway shows." She shook her head, "So I take it the date went well?"

    "Yes ma'am." Ethan nodded, smiling slightly. "Miss Desai is a wonderful fake date."

    "Maybe a real date someday?" Mrs. Freedman winked and nudged her leading man good-naturedly.

    "I'm taken, Mrs. Freedman," Ethan laughed, "But I'm flattered at your interest."

    "You basketball boys are just too much sometimes." The director giggled, "But that is beside the point. Let's get this rehearsal started!" She yelled the last sentence the room at large, and everyone started gathering around to rehearse the beginning of the second act, which they had hardly done even once. Ethan turned to Nova once the director had run off, feeling his face turn a bit red.

    "That was uncomfortable."

    "You played it off beautifully." She promised, laughing. "Does anything interesting happen in our scenes today? I don't think I've read through the lines completely."

    Ethan felt his heart sink a bit at her words before he silently berated himself. He shouldn't want Nova to be interested in him. He had a girlfriend. A beautiful girlfriend who he loved very much.

    But today they were rehearsing the most passionate scene in the entire production, with Ethan's character fighting for Nova's love with another one of the male actors. The scene ended with Nova running and jumping into Ethan's arms, declaring her love for him and sealing it with a kiss that was described in the script as "unlike anything either person has ever experienced".

    And Nova had no idea what they were even rehearsing.

    But that was fine. It was completely fine.

    Ethan repeated those words in his head as he walked up to the stage with Nova, and eventually the image in his head turned to Ross Geller screaming "everything's fine" when he was holding a pan straight out of the oven in his bare hands.

    That was how Ethan's world was spinning at that moment.

    He climbed up onto the stage and helped Nova up after him, looking up at the sound of the door opening in the back of the theater.

    Scarlet Levings walked in and sat in the back row of the auditorium, her face stony and her arms crossed. Ethan was so shocked at her appearance that he almost dropped Nova off the stage.

    Scarlet gave him a short wave, her perfectly manicured fingernails clawing at the air and her meticulously plucked eyebrows arching slightly. Ethan realized he was still holding onto Nova's hands and dropped them immediately, walking to the opposite side of the stage to await Mrs. Freedman's instructions.

    He had to pull off this acting. Because the last thing he wanted was for Scarlet to hear a teacher yelling at him to show more chemistry and passion with the new girl.

    Especially when she was already jealous to begin with.

    "Action!" Mrs. Freedman called out.

    "Let her go." Ethan ordered one of the other actors, Ryan Fowler, "She loves me."

    "I'm not holding her hostage, you giant oaf." Ryan snarled, "She doesn't love you anymore. She's devoted to me."

    "She loves me!" Ethan cried out in exasperation. "We have history, we have such a rich and full life that we've shared. I would die for this woman, and you stand there behaving as if she were your property."

    Ryan opened his mouth to speak but Nova interrupted him, right on cue.

    "Does anyone even care who I want?"

    Both men were silent.

    Nova stepped away from Ryan, pulling her hand from his grasp. He was her character's boyfriend, and yet the script spoke volumes of her lingering love and devotion for Ethan's character.

    "Who do you love?" Ethan whispered.

    Nova shook her head, turning her gaze from one boy to the other.

    "Who do you think?" She replied, smiling genuinely at Ethan.

    Ryan let out a roar of frustration as Nova ran towards Ethan's open arms. He twirled her around in the air before she pressed her lips to his, almost knocking him over.

    She was clearly a gifted actress.

    "It's always been you." Nova whispered, her mic allowing her voice to travel through the theater. "Haven't you seen that?"

    Ethan broke character for a brief moment to look over at Scarlet, arms still crossed, head cocked as she watched her boyfriend declare his love for another woman.

    "I--"

    But his head was turned for a second too long and he lost his balance, causing him to drop Nova and watch her crash down to the ground.

    "Cut!"

<><><>

    "Great rehearsal everyone. Nova and Ethan, I loved it, but I want even more next time. Give me everything you've got, and this will be like clockwork, people!"

    Nova nodded and smiled at Mrs. Freedman as she walked off the stage on the opposite side as Ethan. She had been nervous about this rehearsal since she had read through the lines three nights earlier, and she was hopeful she had been successful in making Ethan think she hadn't even known they were doing such an intense scene today.

    The scene had gone so well, even during the first run. But then Ethan's gaze had left hers and he had turned to look out in the audience, at his real-life girlfriend--who was perfect in every way--reminding Nova all over again that she was nothing to this boy in reality.

    So she had to treasure the brief moments where they bent reality, just a tad bit, to be together.

    Nova watched silently as Ethan ran to the back of the theater and gave Scarlet a long kiss, wiping the sour look off of her face. Clearly the blonde beauty was not alright with him making out with another girl for a play...and Nova wondered if Scarlet could tell that she was head over heels for Ethan.

    She desperately hoped not.

    As Nova started towards her backpack on the other side of the theater, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

    Ryan.

    "Hey." She grinned, "Great job today. I don't think anyone could play a better antagonist."

    "You're too kind." Ryan Fowler laughed, starting to walk with her to her things. "You're so talented. It's clear why you got the lead."

    "Why thank you." Nova blushed slightly, "That's quite a compliment."

    "And it's all leading somewhere, I promise." He laughed. "I was wondering if you were free for dinner this Saturday night?"

    Nova was a bit taken aback by the sudden offer, but she hid it, ignoring the sounds of Ethan and Scarlet's flirty laughter from behind her.

    "I would love to!"

    "Great! I'll pick you up at seven."

    "Great." Nova nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."

    She walked off, trying and failing to think of Ryan as anything other than a distraction.

A/N: Three's Company is back! I'm determined to make this the summer/fall of finishing my stories so that I can start new ones with a clear conscience, so here we go! I'm so excited to continue with this story and hope that you guys are still interested in it!

Three's Company will now have Tuesday/Thursday updates, since I don't update any other stories on those days and it gives me something to update and some notifications to go through (even though I average 200 notifications an hour even on non-update days...my phone battery is dead 24/7) on those days as well!

Let me know your thoughts and if you're even still reading this story after pretty much three months of no updates! But it's back now and will be back until it is finished.

-Katherine