*Damien's P.O.V*

The curtains open and the spotlight hits the stage right in the center. We have rehearsed every millisecond and moment of this yet I still feel terrified. I have stepped on this stage countless times in front of crowds of hundreds of people, yet my legs still feel like Jello. 

Walk onstage in three...two...one. I breathe in as silhouettes appear in front of me, people, specifically Rhea in the front row. Probably smiling uncontrollably knowing that I am about to perform an original piece. The light hits my face and all the nerves go away, like blowing out a candle. At this point muscle memory takes over and my lines come spewing out. This scene is a monologue of me basically describing what the play is about.

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," the words slip out of my mouth on queue. I feel like a fly on the wall watching all of this happen while my body floats effortlessly across the stage, finding comfort in routine rather than current feelings and thoughts.

That is what acting is really. Stepping outside of yourself yet feeling every moment. Every stir of a baby in the audience, every twinkle in the eye of someone, and every opening and shutting of the auditorium door. I feel it all while doing something completely different. Completely present, yet absent. I run through this whole thought process while at the same time, reading off my lines. Everything can be practiced to look genuine.

A look.

A moment.

A minute or two into my monologue, Rhea gets up and walks out of the room. I know that she is probably using the bathroom or getting a snack, but her presence gives me confidence. I finish the rest of my monologue, messing up a line, but still pulling it off nonetheless. 

I walk off stage relieved but disgruntled then walk into my changing room. While pushing the door open, I start unbuttoning my shirt and repeating the line I messed up.

"Stories of heartbreak, reunions, and-"

"WOAH!" I am interrupted by Rhea's voice coming from behind the door. I quickly try to re button my shirt but Rhea already got a peek of my chest. 

Her face goes completely red as she half covers her eyes, mischievously peeking through parted fingers. I huff in disbelief and stomp past her, completely ignoring her childish behavior.

"You know you can't be here," I say flatly and finish unbuttoning my shirt, silently loving the fact that she is here.

"And you continue to undress because..." she teases and kicks her legs like a toddler.

"Because I don't care that you are seeing me shirtless. You saw me in me undies before," I reply in a pirate voice and chuckle, remembering her face that day.

"That was an accident because I wanted to surprise you in the morning. Plus that was forever ago."

"Rhea that was last week."

I see her crossing her arms in the mirror and I smile to myself. She looks gorgeous in her outfit tonight. Pencil skirt and a tee-shirt, framed by a cream shawl she loves to wear. I change my shirt while looking up at her periodically. She answers a text on her phone so she never notices me admiring her. I then realize she has to go because she isn't going to see me in my draws again.

"Okay, now you have to get out. I have to change my pants."

She mouths an "okay" while flicking her hand in the air. She then walks past me, slapping my butt on the way out.

"Hey!" I yell after her then laugh to myself at her cheeky behavior. Okay bad choice of words but no wonder everyone thinks we are dating.

I finish getting changed then walk out of the changing room, only to find Rhea chatting it up with one of the tech guys. I clench my jaw and walk towards makeup shamelessly jealous. I hate when Rhea and I have a moment, that only I feel is special. I hate how she leads me on then lets me off of the hook, yet I just stay there, waiting to be pulled in. I'm tired of it, I really am. Maybe I just have to accept the fact that we are meant only to be friends.

I get to makeup and am greeted by Regina. She signed up for the makeup crew and it turns out she can sing. So well it leaves you with chills afterward. She performed a song in a showcase about a month ago.

"Hey Damien," she chirps and leads me by the arm to the makeup table. "You look tense what's up."

"Nothing really, just a little nervous," I lie and she doesn't seem to detect it. She starts massaging my shoulders and all of my anger melts. "Thanks Regina"

"No problem," she replies holding my gaze in the mirror. No you love Rhea, she is just an acquaintance. I avert my gaze and check my social media.

She then touches up my stage makeup and beams at me while showing me the finished look in the mirror. I was never a fan of makeup, but she really got rid of the shininess. Before I got into theater, being shiny just meant you weren't ashy and I was perfectly fine with it. 

I then leave the room and stand in the wings watching the other scene. This scene is about a girl who never leaves her house after a terrible accident where her entire family died in a shooting. There is this other girl though who comes to visit her, providing her the comfort no one else gave her. The scene ends with the two becoming close friends, the agoraphobic girl taking her first steps outside of her house.

This scene reminds me of myself when I was younger. Rhea brought me out of my shell. I was depressed and bullied as a kid, missing my dad and not being able to help my mom. Everything came crashing down around me and on me, then Rhea came. These kids were picking on me because I had Sketchers on and everyone else had Jordan's and Nike's. Instead of saying the usual line of "some people are less fortunate", Rhea actually told them that my sketchers looked way cooler. From that moment on, I knew we would be friends. She helped me step outside of my "box".

I started showing up to walk her to school, then our moms became friends. We started eating together at lunch and started hanging out on weekends, then eventually every day. Our friendship saved me and that is one of the reasons why I love Rhea. She could get away with saying and doing whatever because of her charm. She is simply a people person, and it hurts to love her because she loves all people. I don't know what distinguishes me from the rest of them sometimes.

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After the play is over, all the cast has to go back to the changing rooms to collect our items. To my surprise, Rhea has a huge bouquet of flowers waiting for me with a piece of paper saying "To: Angelo". I could've died right there seeing her smile at me like that. Like I am the most important person in the world.

"Oh my God Damien you were amazing! You make me so proud! Ahh! I love you so much best friend!" Rhea goes on and on about the play but I keep thinking about those three words.

"I love you too Rhea," I say back hoping that she notices the shift in my voice. Instead she throws her arms around me and sways back and forth with me.

"And by the way, I saw the way you were looking at that tech guy who was talking to me," she teases and waggles her eyebrows at me. "I was just figuring out how to sneak all of this into your changing room."

An "oh" escapes from my mouth and my face heats up in embarrassment.

We then go meet my family out in the foyer and they attack me with a bunch of flowers and cards and candy. Rhea's mom stands off to the side watching the scene unfold and I walk over to her to thank her.

"Did you know she was planning this?" I ask and avert my gaze to Rhea.

"Yes every detail," her mom replies and grins, handing me some candy she bought from the concession area. "Siempre going on and on about picking up the flowers and being on time. She spared zero details."

I chuckle and smile to myself, just imagining what she put her parents through. When Rhea puts her mind to helping other people, she goes all out and her attention never diverts. Unfortunately she doesn't give the things she does for herself the same energy. She is amazing and selfless.

I undo the wrapper on the candy bar and tear off a piece along the perforated section before popping it into my mouth. My eyes follow Rhea as she goes over to my other friends and congratulates them. I see Tyrese from the corner of my eye as he walks towards Rhea with some food. Rhea's mom says something to me but I don't quite hear it, only focused on Tyrese's actions.

"Damien," Rhea's mom says my name, most likely the second time.

"Hm, I mean yes," I respond back and look at her then look right back.

She chuckles, realizing why my attention is divided and I look at her trying to fake confusion, cocking my head like a puppy, and flashing a smile.

"I know you like her," Rhea's mom laughs.

"Wha-" I whisper yell back dumbly trying not to let on too much. You never know how much parents talk. "I mean we are friends and I like her as a-"

I sigh and hunch my shoulders not even able to lie.

"You should go for it," Rhea's mom says quietly. "I won't say anything."

She presses her pointer finger to her lips and makes a hush gesture and chuckles lightly while walking away.

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I go back into the changing room only to find Regina hunched over and about to lose her lunch.

"Oh my God Regina what's wrong," I ask concerned and run over to her tensed body on the floor.

I look into her eyes and they are dead. Her green eyes look muddy and distant and her makeup is messed up. She doesn't respond coherently, and she rocks back and forth like she is trying to stay awake. I run outside of the room and call one of the tech guys over to help. They call nine-one-one while I try to keep Regina awake. She starts mumbling and points to a pill bottle previously hidden by her jacket. 

I pick up the bottle and turn it around to reveal the label. She must've taken more than what was prescribed. Fluoxetine... that is an antidepressant. My level of concern goes through the roof as I try to calm down and get her to respond. My older cousin, Lebanon, wants to be a doctor and would go on and on about what to do in emergencies. Trying to remember what he said about a month ago about what to do if someone overdoses, I pace around the room until the light bulb goes off.

I run out of the room and come back with a cup full of water. Not caring about ruining her clothes or her makeup, I splash the water on her face and lift her up off of the floor and pull her to a chair. She blubbers and her neck goes limp, mascara streaks making her look like a bride that got left at the altar.

I keep her awake by talking to her and moving her around like a baby, trying to get her to stand and stretch her arms. After ten minutes, the ambulance comes around back and I explain what happened as best as I could to the EMTs. Then they take her out on a gurney and put her into the ambulance.

 One of the EMTs ran back into the room and told me that I did the right thing by trying to keep her awake and that I should consider a career in the medical field. I simply smiled, knowing that the thanks should really go to Lebanon and his annoying factoids. 

Not wanting to bring attention to the situation, I simply walk out to the foyer and meet up with Rhea to go back to her house for dinner.

"Don't even try to get in the front seat this time," Rhea jokes and speed walks toward the door in order to stay a couple of feet ahead of me.

I could easily take a couple of strides and be in front of her, but I don't mind sitting in the back. She looks so cute and childish. I want to scoop her in my arms and, just, be there...