Dark Angel

                "The Drama Club has decided to put on an end of year production, the play, which I'm sure most of you will know by now is Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare. It will be a musical version of the play and the auditions will be held on Monday after school. Thank-you." Mrs Kirby, a worn looking woman of the age of fifty-five, finished her Friday afternoon notice and stepped off of the stage to leave the theatre.
         
                Whispers emitted from all around the hall, except for the far left corner, in which, a sixteen year-old boy sat innocently listening to his Mp3 Player.
With Mocha brown hair and Honey coloured eyes this boy could charm any teacher, which given the nickname "Dark Angel," suited him fine, he was far from Angelic.

              His pointed nose and almond shaped eyes had the attention of virtually every girl in Year eleven and ten; there were even some Sixth Formers who had caught his eye once or twice. His striking good looks came packaged with a casual attitude to both his schoolwork and his homework, usually unnoticed by his mother - Jane.
They lived in an apartment over looking Kensington in London, the town in which both Jane and her son had grown up.
         
              After the whispers around the hall had eventually died down, the Headmaster - Dr Morgan, took to the stage to address the students one last time before they were dismissed.
" Your uniform, Year eleven, is as always immaculate well done. And as I'm sure you all want to leave to talk about Romeo and Juliet, I want to wish you luck for on Monday at the aud- CHAD THOMAS MERRYWEATHER, take those headphones out of your ears at once!"

              A hundred or so eyes swivelled to the back of the left-hand side of the hall as the silently sitting boy jumped out of his seat at being addressed to so sharply.
Slowly, he removed the headphone from his ear and his eyes met the steely gaze of Dr Morgan. "You called Sir?" He drawled lazily.
Sniggers followed this comment all throughout the hall.
"Too right I did, what have I told you about bringing your Music Player into school and then playing it in assembly? What gives you the right to special privileges?
I have confiscated it at least seven times and yet here you are listening to it - again!
Right, I've had enough of this.
Get out of this hall and go down to my office, no objections. Now!"
         
          Across the hall, Tali Maurine sat silently giggling at her best friends obvious neglection of the rules, earning her disapproving glares from the other teachers.
Quieting down she brushed her cropped brown hair out of her face and straightened the bow on top of her hair. Sure, she was in Year Eleven but even the oldest person in Britain was allowed to wear a bow once in a while.
         
            As the Hall door swung shut, Tali sat back in her chair and as they left the hall, looked into her diary to find that the first lesson of the day was Media Studies.
Sighing at the long day ahead of her, she stomped out of the hall along with the other two hundred or so students from year eleven, hands rammed into her pockets and a scowl fixed upon her otherwise pretty face.
Upon entering the English Block five minutes later a voice interrupted her thoughts,
"Tali, wait up!" The drawling voice of Chad sounded from around the corner of the English Block, and two seconds later his puffing form came racing straight into her causing the two of them to fall onto the floor.

          "Oops, sorry Tal," he grinned cheekily at her and offered her a hand up off of the floor, whilst brushing the dust from his blazer, "You know me, can't wait to get to class."
"Yeah right," retaliated a slightly ruffled Tali as she inspected her sure to be bruised thigh, "if I had a penny for every time you've been thrown out of the class or sent to the Principles office, I would be a millionaire by now."
"Aww don't be a spoilsport, I didn't run into you that hard, sure - hard enough for a small bruise but not so hard you have to give me the cold shoulder about it." Pouting slightly whilst knowing she wouldn't be able to resist his Puppy Dog Eyes, he started whimpering and making pouty faces.

              Knowing she couldn't stay mad at him for longer than ooh say, five minutes, Tali began to laugh, "do you know how ridiculous you look?" She trilled whilst ruffling his hair in an affectionate way, "okay I'll forgive you, but if I've broken anything I'll be sending you the medical bill."
"Agreed." He replied, admiring, as he so often did, his best friends forgiving streak.
"So," she mused, "what did Dr Morgan say this time?"
"Oh the usual. Disgraced the school. Don't know what to do with you. Confiscate Mp3, and the list goes on. But you know what the worst thing is? He's made it compulsory that I try out for the auditions of Romeo and Juliet! How naff is that."

              Sighing, he turned to look at her, " you know what would be so incredibly cool?"
Warily, Tali turned to look at him and as realisation dawned on her, determination set in her eyes, "No."  She replied flatly.
"Aww please Tal, you know you're my best friend and I wouldn't ask. But it's compulsory! Please?" he whined piteously.
"Ha! It's not compulsory for me and if you didn't want to try out you shouldn't have gotten into trouble - AGAIN!" Smiling with satisfaction because she knew she had won this argument, for now, Tali walked down the corridor and entered the Media Studies class. Thoroughly disgruntled, Chad slouched into the room Tali had just entered and didn't speak to her for the rest of the class.

*

Monday morning loomed over Chad's head bright and unwelcome.
Groaning, he sat up and bumped his head on the low ceiling of the rented flat that he and his mother shared, "oh crap," came his defeated voice as he looked down at the calendar next to his bed and saw the thick red circle and the Monday written neatly in it. Auditions. Today. Doomed. Were several of the words that sprang to mind.
Tali had still refused to take part in the auditions after a whole class of the cold shoulder from him, so he had decided, although inside he knew that there was no chance, that maybe she had thought about it over the weekend and had changed her mind.

         

Walking into the bathroom he gazed intently at his reflection in the large mirror, flecks of amber intruded his honey eyes and after a while he brought his gaze to his tanned cheeks. That holiday in Barcelona had been worth it, if only for the summer sun. Picking out his blue toothbrush, he cleaned his unnaturally straight teeth, which after having three years worth of braces on had finally become free a little over six months ago. Sighing heavily at the prospect of school in just over an hour away, he walked into his room and picked out his uniform; grey trousers, white shirt, dark green tie and a dark green blazer, with Crestville School written on the breast pocket.

"Chad, breakfast's ready," Jane called, from the kitchen that was directly opposite his bedroom.
"Be there in a second mum," he called back.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder, and tying up the laces on his Converses he sat down across from his mother, who was watching her sons every move.
"Those auditions for the school play are today aren't they?" A rhetorical question naturally, but Chad couldn't help but characteristically drawl back.
"Yes mum, the auditions that I told you were today, all of two days ago, are indeed today, five gold stars for you. Tomorrow we'll learn the alphabet," he smirked.
"There is no need to be rude you cheeky git, I was merely interested, now eat your breakfast."
Raising his eyebrow but saying nothing Chad looked down at his breakfast, how appetising. Not. Two pieces of burnt toast with solid butter on top.
"I think I'll stick with the Chocolate birthday cake that I had yesterday," he said disdainfully.
"You'll eat what you're given, I am not letting you have cake for your breakfast."
After a few more futile attempts to have the cake, Chad gave up and resignedly ate the now cold toast and even more solid butter.

         Eight twenty came all to quickly for Chad and sooner then he would have liked, he found himself on the ten minute walk to school, stopping off at Tali's on the way there, as he always did.
Out she came in her grey skirt, white shirt, green tie - tied loosely under her undone top button -, and green blazer. Uniform much the same as Chad's with the exception of the skirt. Smiling, she gave him a commiserating hug and told him he would be great, nailing the part and would have the best time ever being the main character in the play. Apparently the wrong thing to say as when she left him to go to Registration twenty minutes later, he looked greener then before and looked quite possibly upon the verge of being sick, there and then.

         The day flew by quick for the both of them, guilt wrapping its way around Tali's head, even if I did want to audition I wouldn't be prepared, she had tried to reason with herself. Do you think Chad's prepared anything came the guilty side of her conscience well he shouldn't have gotten into trouble cue the rational side of her brain. A few minutes later the voices came back you know he can't help getting into trouble, it's part of his charm the guilty part really didn't want Tali to learn anything and cue the rational side did I just call Chad charming? Ergh, I need help! With that she folded her arms across the table and promptly started banging her head against them, earning her some curious glances from her classmates.
                                       
*