right before the ‘real’ placement would begin.
“Extra, huh?” Blade asked unsympathetically, while Noelle detected a slight hint of pleasure in his voice.
“There must be some mistake,” Noelle began defensively. She didn’t care what Blade thought about her, as long as he believed that she was right.
“The lady in the interview was out to get me. I could see it the minute that I got in. She asked like two questions, and they didn’t even reveal any real character qualities. B-blade, there must be some mis-stake. Extras are ‘nothings’, and the Author told me that I was going to do something great it my life. ‘N-nothings’ just c-can’t do ‘s-something’ because they’re n-n-nothing…”
Her last sentence was drowned out by another handful of tears. Not to mention that not one camper could decipher what she was trying to say in the first place with her face buried into her hands.
If Noelle approached Lacey or even Elm with this argument, she would have been welcomed into a plethora of hugs and encouragements.
But her words didn’t dissolve Blade’s expression into something empathetic at all. He looked satisfied as if he had proven Noelle wrong.
He shrugged his shoulders apathetically and replied, “Well life sucks, and then you die.”
“Gee thanks,” Noelle spat bitterly.
Before Blade could respond, Miss Willows stepped up toward the microphone once more.
“All right, the Unknowns are nearly complete with their placement, but we already have all of Romance results. Now we ask that the mains group together toward the North corner of the rec.. center, Supporting to the South, Villains to the East, and Extras to the West.”
Another flutter of movement buzzed as several people began to wonder which direction meant north. One younger boy held out his forefingers and thumbs in the shape of an ‘L’ and it’s reflection as he sought out the East end of the rec. center.
Noelle didn’t ask for directions. The minute that she spotted Lacey in the corner of the gym, she knew where to go. Lacey had mentioned that she was an Extra the other night. Noelle noticed that a few other Unwanted girls had already begun murmuring their frustrations as the tears streamed down their faces. Noelle shifted her eyes in Lacey’s direction hoping for the same opportunity.
Lacey caught her eyes and offered a sad smile. She outstretched her arms, and Noelle fell into them as she began muttering weak, incoherent defenses.
“I know; I know,” Lacey soothed. “Don’t worry, Noelle. Things could get better from here.”
“How?” Noelle demanded suddenly pulling away, unleashing all of her rage. “How can it ever change? Someone said that this placement is where we’re going to be for the rest of our lives. If the Author told me of some ‘great plan’ of his, why was I put as an Unwanted?”
Lacey opened her mouth and closed it again debating on how to answer. Noelle took this opportunity of awkward silence to continue her rant.
“See? No answer. That’s all he’s been giving me lately. No – no actually it’s been ‘wait’. Wait for what? Wait for him to actually show up? Where was he last night on the dance floor? Where was he during the interview where the lady said that he was imaginary? If someone thought that I wasn’t real, I wouldn’t want them to believe that, why doesn’t he –”
“Noelle, calm down!” Lacey wailed.
Noelle paused as several eyes drilled in her direction. The girls previously sobbing their eyes out gawked at her; one let out an involuntary sniff.
After another pregnant silence, they once more began their conversations, and Lacey dropped her voice very low.
“Sometimes we don’t understand the Author’s intentions completely, and that’s okay. We just need to remember that he has a plan for our story.”
“Because that’s worked out so well for you now,” Noelle added with spite that she had not intended to be so strong, but Lacey didn’t look
“Extra, huh?” Blade asked unsympathetically, while Noelle detected a slight hint of pleasure in his voice.
“There must be some mistake,” Noelle began defensively. She didn’t care what Blade thought about her, as long as he believed that she was right.
“The lady in the interview was out to get me. I could see it the minute that I got in. She asked like two questions, and they didn’t even reveal any real character qualities. B-blade, there must be some mis-stake. Extras are ‘nothings’, and the Author told me that I was going to do something great it my life. ‘N-nothings’ just c-can’t do ‘s-something’ because they’re n-n-nothing…”
Her last sentence was drowned out by another handful of tears. Not to mention that not one camper could decipher what she was trying to say in the first place with her face buried into her hands.
If Noelle approached Lacey or even Elm with this argument, she would have been welcomed into a plethora of hugs and encouragements.
But her words didn’t dissolve Blade’s expression into something empathetic at all. He looked satisfied as if he had proven Noelle wrong.
He shrugged his shoulders apathetically and replied, “Well life sucks, and then you die.”
“Gee thanks,” Noelle spat bitterly.
Before Blade could respond, Miss Willows stepped up toward the microphone once more.
“All right, the Unknowns are nearly complete with their placement, but we already have all of Romance results. Now we ask that the mains group together toward the North corner of the rec.. center, Supporting to the South, Villains to the East, and Extras to the West.”
Another flutter of movement buzzed as several people began to wonder which direction meant north. One younger boy held out his forefingers and thumbs in the shape of an ‘L’ and it’s reflection as he sought out the East end of the rec. center.
Noelle didn’t ask for directions. The minute that she spotted Lacey in the corner of the gym, she knew where to go. Lacey had mentioned that she was an Extra the other night. Noelle noticed that a few other Unwanted girls had already begun murmuring their frustrations as the tears streamed down their faces. Noelle shifted her eyes in Lacey’s direction hoping for the same opportunity.
Lacey caught her eyes and offered a sad smile. She outstretched her arms, and Noelle fell into them as she began muttering weak, incoherent defenses.
“I know; I know,” Lacey soothed. “Don’t worry, Noelle. Things could get better from here.”
“How?” Noelle demanded suddenly pulling away, unleashing all of her rage. “How can it ever change? Someone said that this placement is where we’re going to be for the rest of our lives. If the Author told me of some ‘great plan’ of his, why was I put as an Unwanted?”
Lacey opened her mouth and closed it again debating on how to answer. Noelle took this opportunity of awkward silence to continue her rant.
“See? No answer. That’s all he’s been giving me lately. No – no actually it’s been ‘wait’. Wait for what? Wait for him to actually show up? Where was he last night on the dance floor? Where was he during the interview where the lady said that he was imaginary? If someone thought that I wasn’t real, I wouldn’t want them to believe that, why doesn’t he –”
“Noelle, calm down!” Lacey wailed.
Noelle paused as several eyes drilled in her direction. The girls previously sobbing their eyes out gawked at her; one let out an involuntary sniff.
After another pregnant silence, they once more began their conversations, and Lacey dropped her voice very low.
“Sometimes we don’t understand the Author’s intentions completely, and that’s okay. We just need to remember that he has a plan for our story.”
“Because that’s worked out so well for you now,” Noelle added with spite that she had not intended to be so strong, but Lacey didn’t look
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