“I can’t believe you are choosing her over practicing for the tournament. You never take anything—” Holden says.
The director yells “cut,” and his shoulders deflate.
“I read the line,” he says, pointing at the script. “What more do you want from me, Dante!?”
He scratches the back of his head.
“Let’s take five to reset.”
Holden heads to his designated chair. Sloane is already there to greet him.
“You did so great, baby. He probably just has a different vision for the scene,” she says, breathless. Her eyes are locked on the stage, no longer on him. She mutters a bunch of words to herself like a mad woman.
The director yells, “Let’s start with the prom proposal scene.”
I can hear Holden mumble under his breath, “Fuck this.” He wiggles more in his chair as Sloane and Graham walk up to the stage.
The lighting slowly dims around both of their characters.
ALLISON(annoyed, rushing the conversation)You didn’t even notice me last week…
BILLY(smiling)Of course I did. You were wearing a yellow sundress last Friday.
They exchange a quick glance, sizing each other up. Suddenly, Graham leans in, but he is not quite ready to kiss her.
BILLY(whispering)Go to prom with me.
ALLISON(pulls closer to Billy)I can’t afford to. Besides, you have the playoffs coming up…
LOGAN(marches into the scene, angry, mocking Billy’s voice)Yeah, bro—you got playoffs coming up.
BILLY
(glances at Logan but keeps gazing back at Sloane)Go home, Logan. Nobody wants you here.
LOGAN(acts cold before storming off)I can’t. I am supposed to let you know that practice starts in thirty.
BILLY
(pulls closer to Allison)Can I kiss you?
ALLISON
(nods, but doesn’t say a word)
ALLISON and BILLY both go in for a passionate kiss.
When the scene cuts, they don’t stop. They fall deeper into the kiss as if they have done this time and time again. The director yells cut once more. Finally, they release their lips off one another when they hear it for the second time.
Sloane wipes the saliva off her face when she realizes. Her gaze catches Holden’s instantly. In the chair, I watch, dreading what happens next.
To think, I just wanted a few seconds more when I saw this weeks ago…
This was a living, breathing memory for him. Knowing Skye and all her tricks, I’m being shown this on purpose.
I’m slipping into Holden’s vortex of memories as the crushing realization of Sloane and Graham hits him all at once. His face is drained of all color.
He doesn’t say a word, only storms off to the back lot where nobody can get to him. Both Sloane and I are racing toward him, except I am racing against time. Hoping this time, I won’t fade back to the present.
