I'm trapped, Mark has cornered me and there's no way out. He towers above me as I shrink, whimpering to the ground. " There's no way out," he growls, " and there never will be." He keeps getting closer and closer, the closer he gets the bigger he seems. My heart rate is going at a hundred miles per hour and I'm trying to scream but there's a lump in my throat that is blocking any hope of noise coming out of my mouth. Right when Mark reaches out to grab me, right when his fingertips brush my skin...

     I wake up

                                                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    It's a sunny day. Without a cloud in the sky. Everyone is in a good mood, same as the weather it seems. But something is hanging over me, a dark feeling that I can't quite put my finger on.

We're outside this morning. The kids are taking advantage of the nice weather and playing improv games in the grass. Will is among them, laughing, smiling, and hyping them all up. I love how he takes so much effort and pours it into whatever he's doing.

I'm sitting on a rather old picnic table next to Lena and Harper. We're not saying anything, just watching the children in peaceful silence. This is a rare thing for a counselor, and I'm soaking it in.

Mark walks up to our table and sits with his back facing the scene. To my annoyance, he's blocking our view.

" Yo, you're in the way of our view," Harper says with annoyance.

" I am the view," Mark smirks.

Man, if I could smack that smirk clear off your face. I think. This guy is way too confident for my liking.

" So what's up with you guys?" he asks. I just frown at him and let Harper answer. I always do this. Harper knows that if I speak, something not so very pleasant will come out.

" Nothing much, how about you?" Harper asks with a sickly sweet smile.

" Oh you know, living the counselor life,"

This conversation is so fake and cheesy it's not even funny. Harper and Mark go on for a while about random things while Lena and I sit in silence. They're having one of those conversations that don't have any harsh words in it but at the same time their shooting daggers at each other. Especially Harper. Her eyes could cut through stone, much less Mark.

After Harper and Mark have exhausted their conversation Mark trains his eyes on me. " Oh, I almost forgot, Ava needed help with something Skye."

"You're telling me this now?" I ask in anger.

" Well, I sort of forgot about it since I was having such a lovely conversation with your sister."

I glare at him, but sigh and stand up. " What does Ava need?"

Mark stands up as well and we start walking toward the backstage door. " Oh you know, the usual." He says vaguely.

" What's the usual?" I ask perplexed.

By now we're inside backstage left. Mark turns on the only light in the tiny room. It casts a blue glow over his face, causing chills to creep up and down my spine. " Ava never told me to do anything," he says bluntly.

" What?" I glare at him, " then why on earth am I here?"

    " Many reasons."

    " Then what are the reasons." I challenge. I can tell he's trying to get under my skin, maybe even trying to scare me. Whatever the reason, I'm not going to show my fear, even if fear is coursing through every vein in my body.

    " We need to talk about a few things."

    " About what?"

    " Can you stop saying the word what?"

    " What?"

    " Oh forget it." I chuckle inwardly. If you can't beat them, at least annoy them while your at it. " Anyways, I have a few questions for you." He pauses and takes a breath, collecting his thoughts, " I need to warn you about something, wait no, about someone."

For someone who's trying to creep me out, he isn't doing so hot. Oh well, all the better for me. " Keep going."

" Will."

Oh, joy. Psych. Why on God's green earth does he want to talk about Will? He's innocent. Wait, is he? Stop thinking such thoughts and focus. I order myself. " And why do we need to talk about him?"

" He's not who you think he is." Mark leans in closer to me, his breath minty, it burns my nostrils and I grimace.

I scoff and cross my arms over my chest. " I know exactly who he is, you can't say anything you hardly know him."

"That's what you think, I know some things, that I think you'll be interested in hearing."

Raising an eyebrow I say, " Go on."

" First off, he's fake, I wouldn't trust anything he does, those smiles he puts on, I can see straight through him."

Yea, that's because he has anxiety, he has to hide under a smile you jerk. But of course, I don't tell him this.

" Plus, he's a player."

My mind screeches to a halt. What now? Call Will anything, and I might believe you but that that I cant believe.

" Before you say anything let me explain, remember that girl he was dating a couple of weeks ago?" He asks. I nod, and he keeps going. " I overheard a conversation about her, apparently Will is still interested in her, but broke up with her because he thought she could never love him."

My mouth drops. I quickly snap it shut and ask, " How do you know this information?"

" He was telling Lena about it."

I laugh right in his face. " Lena? Don't guys go to their guy friends to talk about their girl problems?"

" If they need some advice, they go to a girl they're close to. And by what I have seen, Will likes his lady friends."

I fume. How dare he? How dare he make such ridiculous accusations? Lady friends my foot. " I don't believe you."

" Ask Lena herself, she'll tell you."

"I still don't get it, Mark, how does this make Will a player?"

" You know why." Mark looms over me, and for the first time, I let some of my fear show.

" Me and Will? Mark, we're literally best friends!" But this comes out weakly. What if, what if his sudden need to be all touchy means something? If I had heard this in any other situation, I would've been elated, but now... it scares me.

Mark knows he has caught me in his trap. The look in his eyes reminds me of something, I get major deja vu as I get backed into a corner. " Will is smart Skye, that whole thing with him having anxiety? That is also an act. He's trying to butter you up, get you to pity him."

" You know about-" he cuts me off.

" I know everything."

Too much of this is making sense. Too much of these horrible, rotten puzzle pieces are fitting together. But there's one more thing. I need to ask Lena if she and Will had that conversation. If all of this is true. if I've been lying to myself, and if my first impression of Will was right.

Mark and I stand there silently. My ego is broken. The strength I showed at the beginning of this talk has completely disappeared. " Leave," I whisper, not knowing what else to say.

" Skye-,"

" LEAVE," I shout, my lips trembling. Don't cry, don't cry.

" Fine, but ask Lena, Skye. Ask her, and you'll see." He leaves.

I slump onto a small chair and put my head in my hands. " Will." I whisper even though he isn't there, " Is it true?" There's only one way to find out. I stand shakily and exit the backstage door, stepping outside into the blinding sunlight. It's just as I left it. Will is still running around in the grass, the youngest kids are chasing after him and laughing. Lena and Harper are still sitting at the picnic table. To the naked eye, everything looks normal, even pleasant. But I know better. I put my head down and walk fast to Lena and Harper.

" What did Ava need?" Lena asks cheerily.

    "Nothing."

" Nothing?" Harper inquires.

I shrug. They both stare at me in confusion.

" Lena?" I say tentatively.

" Yes?" Lena looks concerned.

" Did you and Will ever have a... talk?" I keep my head down, picking at my nail polish.

" Oh yea, he just had a few questions, wasn't important, why?" Lena says.

Crap. I can tell that she's lying about the not-important part. She's an actor, we all are. But actors know actors. We know when the other is bluffing. And Lena is definitely bluffing. I keep my head down and don't say anything.

    " Why Skye?" Lena puts her hand on my shoulder and starts doing what Harper and I call mom rubs.

    " Oh, nothing." I sigh.

    " You feeling alright?" Lena asks.

    " Are you tired Didder?" Harper's eyebrows are furrowed. She knows that something is wrong, but as always, she's covering for me.

    " Yea." And just as I do to Will, I put my head on her shoulder. Too much has happened. Nothing is fully registering in my brain. But I know one thing, my heart is broken.

                                          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Director time is pure hell. Will directs the whole thing without me saying a peep. I mean, he usually directs the whole thing, but it's not like I don't talk at all. Usually, I sit right next to him, handing him scripts and pencils and such. But now, I sit on the other side of the auditorium. I'm glad we don't have to practice in the tiny nursery, the farther away I am from Will, the better.

    He keeps looking over at me, confused. But he keeps up a good face for the kids. To my relief, he's going over the scenes that I'm not in, instead, honing in on the scene with Nat and Nolan. They still have a lot to work through.

    I hate watching him. I keep wondering if everything he does, every move he's making is a lie. Did he make up the whole anxiety thing? I ask myself. Probably. I mean look at him. He could hide anything behind the lie of anxiety. To his credit, that was a smart move.

    When director time is over, Will does his whole routine of standing, stretching, and gathering his things. Then to my horror, he waltzes over to me. " What's up? Not feeling sociable today?" I shrug. That's going to be my signature move from here on out. " Not feeling well?" He sits down beside me and places one of his big hands on my forehead. I want to melt into his touch, forget about all the lies, and go back to how it was before. But I can't.

    " I'm fine." I lean away from him, the warmth of his hand leaving me.

    " No your not."

    " Oh, yea? And how do you know that?" I snap.

    Will doesn't even flinch, " Skye, you picked all your nail polish off, your not fine."

    I look down at my nails. Only a few specks of red are left on them. How does he know me this well? I wonder. " oh." That's all I can say.

    Will observes me for a bit then pulls out his phone, scrolling through Instagram. And just like that, he ignores me. I think.

    I get up and leave him in search of Harper. I wander through the halls aimlessly, at one point I spot Mark staring me down with hawk eyes. But I don't care. Nothing matters anymore. I find Harper in the kitchen, going over lines with Nat. I'm glad she's taking the time to do this, even if she isn't on our team, Nat needs some tarnishing.

    " Harper?" I ask walking in.

    " Didder, don't you just love how horrible Nat is at this?" Harper greets me. Nat fake glares and punches her in the arm, I stand there awkwardly as they have a little fight in front of me.

    " Harper," I repeat.

    " Fine, what?" She pushes off Nat and finally pays attention to me.

    " I need your hoodie."

    " Oh, it's in my bag."

    " Where is your bag?" I ask.

    " In the dressing room, and why are you talking so monotoned?"

    I shrug and leave, heading to the dressing rooms. When I find Harper's hoodie I slip it on and burrow into it, pulling the hood over my head. It's black, like the color of my heart. Man, that's morbid. The things you think when you're sad.

On my way back out I bump into Mark. He looks down at me in my disheveled state. " I see you asked Lena."

" Shut up," I mumble, pushing past him. How dare he make fun of my heartbreak?

The rest of the day I spend hiding inside of myself. I sit in corners, hide behind my long hair, and make as little conversation as possible. I view everything through a blur of tears. My mascara is long gone from the amount of time I spend secretly wiping my eyes.

The world passes by me as if I don't exist. I might as well be a stone on a path that everyone keeps stepping on. Except for Harper. She keeps checking on me, giving me random things like water, snacks, and at one point even her phone. She never lets me even get close to her phone, but she knows I need a distraction.

Finally, at the end of the day, I drag myself out of the building and into Harper's car. I curl up in a ball and pretend I'm asleep. But Harper knows I'm not asleep. After about ten minutes of complete silence, she says something.

" Okay, who broke your heart?"

I burst into tears.

Authors note

   Hehe.

So what did y'all think of that?

                       -heavengrace55