The Difference Between Dreams and Reality[CHPT 10]

Summary: This is a story about a girl named Melissa who has never lived her dreams. On the night of her first sophomore performance in a musical she gets locked in a storage room with no idea how to get out. Someone comes in and steals her first kiss. This story is about Melissa’s internal struggle with what she wants to do and with what’s best to do.

A/N: Please feel free to leave reviews and feedback. This story originated as a one shot(being this chapter alone, and yes it was going to be a cruel one shot without a very complete ending, lol) but thankfully due to some really awesome reviewers it has become a 9+ chaptered story! Wooo! So that should just show you the amazing power of reviews!

Enjoy!

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Chapter one: The Difference Between Dreams and Reality


Maybe he was right.

Maybe it had all happened because I had wanted it to; willed it to. It happened the night of my first sophomore performance. I was starring as a widowed woman named Gloria in a play titled “If she were mine” that was written by a student council member who’s name escapes me right now. The play was about a woman who’s husband died from cancer and her unethical relationship with her dead husband’s brother after the funeral.

It was a sappy love story, I’ll admit. But I always felt that as I played Gloria, I became her. Acting has been the only thing I have ever stayed true to, and I was especially nervous about this night for two undeniable reasons. The first being that it was the first time I starred in a play in my tenth grade year. The second reason being that this wasn’t just a play, but a musical!

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“Okay! We are all done rehearsing for tomorrow nights play. Please take your things and exit through the north door before I decide to make you work until midnight,” laughed Mr. James, the drama director. Mr. James always thought he should have made it to Broadway and then eventually Hollywood, but as they say “If you cannot do; teach.” Apparently there are several good reasons for why he didn’t make it that far, the only reason I’d guess to be that he lacked patience, but he’d never tell us his “true” reasons.

I grabbed my bag and swiftly turned to exit the building when I bumped into Kenneth Dale. The one man most hated by the female population due to his cheating tendencies. And sadly, he was also my big brother.

“Watch where you’re going, freak,” Kenneth growled in my ear. I looked down and shoved my way out, despite his attitude. He was a senior and he refused to publicly admit he was related to “Medieval Melissa.”

My nickname had followed me even this far and I wouldn’t be surprised if it followed me half way around the world and eventually to my grave. I had always been teased about my devotion to Shakespeare in years past. After receiving such a nickname, I let go of my public devotion to Shakespeare. Sure, I love Shakespeare, and still secretly do, but it wasn’t worth obsessing over if it meant having no friends.

I reached my old, rusty car and jumped in. As soon as I started the car without checking for all the problems it had first, I regretted it. The piece of shit never worked when I needed it to the most. When I looked up, Brian Fuller was all ready twenty five feet from my door and closing in on me. I swore inside my head as I tried again to start my car.

“Having a little trouble there, are we?” asked Brian as he leaned in through the window of the drivers seat.
“Nope, I’m fine. Just sitting down to cool off for a moment,” I snapped back bitterly.
“I saw you on the stage today. You look really nice in that medieval dress,” Brian replied with an apparent emphasis on the word “medieval.”

“I liked your acting too, Brian. One whole line and you managed to even mess that up. I almost felt sorry for you when I thought of how late you must have stayed up every night trying to memorize it,” I said with confidence and hatred.

A brand new jeep pulled up next to Brian and he said something like “got to go, nice chatting” before he left and all I could see was the dust left behind. I was really glad to be rid of him and with this new relief, I turned the ignition and the car started up.
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While driving toward my house I thought of many things. Part of me felt as if I had wanted to be in that car with Brian Fuller. I’d be rich and beautiful and I’d have a nice car…good friends…partying on school nights. All the things I had always secretly wished for. Another part of me disagreed. I was on the right path. I wasn’t out drinking and wasting my life. I was fighting for my free trip to college and a clear future.

I was fighting to be an actress. Even though my mother wanted me to be a lawyer, I wanted to be an actress. And that meant trying hard to get into the best schools, even if it’s two years away. Two years did seem like an awfully long time, though.

I want a life I chose. Not my mother’s choosing.

Turning into my driveway and I washed away my hopes and prepared myself for the reality.

My dreams would never become anything else but dreams.
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Mom was watching T.V. on the couch. The remote was barely in her grasp as he eyes fell shut and her body lay limp on the cushions. I removed the remote and placed a quilt over her.
“Goodnight,” I whispered as I grabbed my things and headed upstairs to my room.

In my room I turned on the lamp and headed toward my desk. Taking out my journal I thought of all the thoughts I could write down. Only thoughts and dreams…but nothing that actually happened. I wanted to have something to write about that was an experience. The land of dreams is one place I was sick of. I wanted the land of reality, but not the reality I normally had. I wanted something more.

I closed my eyes for a moment, but they didn’t open again until my alarm went off and it was time for another long day.
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When I opened my eyes I was running late and I had to rush to get ready for school. I ran to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Once leaving the shower and fixing my hair with a blow dryer, I tossed on some jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed my backpack, and headed out the door.

School was just another battle I had never won. Walking through the doors to the main entrance I almost tripped over myself getting to my locker, and fumbling around with the combination lock. The bell rang and I knew I’d be late to English.

I felt daring in a way I had never felt before. All of last night came back on me and I decided to do something better than this. I decided to skip.

I tossed my stuff into my locker and ran back out the main entrance past all the classes I wouldn’t be attending today and on my way to a short period of freedom. Mom was going to flip if she found out, but I didn’t care. I’d fix things later. For now, I was going to enjoy my freedom.

And I was enjoying my freedom until I was caught. One thing you should never do is skip school without a plan. Skipping school is something teenagers do, but the point of skipping is to not get caught.
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I re-thought my plan in detention after a long discussion about my education with Mr. Fields, the sophomore counselor. Detention was nothing like I had thought it would be. In movies it was a place for delinquents, but this…this was just a bunch of unmotivated students who didn’t turn in assignments, and foresaw their own futures at Walgreen’s Pharmacy(Buying things to keep them going, not actually working there), or something. I found it way more depressing than kids who smoked and did drugs, believe it or not. It was the future I’d never want…and here I was sitting in a room full of people I could have been.

When we were let out I was more than happy to be the first out the door. I practically ran to the drama room to have my hair and make-up done for tonight’s performance. When I got there, I was slightly scolded but rushed more than anything. We only had an hour until show time and I had missed rehearsal all ready.

As a punishment for being late I was told to go behind the curtains on stage and look for the director’s lost ring. Apparently it was his wedding ring and he can’t go home without it. The dumb old man had misplaced it when he set it down earlier. He always has to keep his hands busy, but playing with his wedding ring was obviously not a good form of entertainment, unless being gutted by is wife was entertainment.

I dashed behind the stage in my long, teal gown. My brown locks fell on my shoulders in small twirls like a doll, and my make-up hid any signs of nervousness. Going behind a dusty old stage was not my ideal form of fun, but I didn’t really have a choice.

I looked under the storage room door to see if it had fallen under it. I decided to turn the knob to see if it was unlocked, because I figured if it was I’d have a look. Turning the knob I was surprised to see it was unlocked.

I pulled the door open and stepped in. The door slammed shut behind me and I was in the dark. The dark is not a place I often like to be, so I quickly scrambled to find a light or the door knob, or something. I found neither.

I sat in the dark for about three minutes thinking of what to do. I’d look like an idiot if I called for help, so I decided to sit there and come up with a plan, or something. A light shone through and I saw that the door had opened. A dark figure came into the storage room. I scooted back thinking of how I wasn’t supposed to be in here. The door shut and the light was gone. In the darkness I could hear footsteps come closer to me. I hadn’t realized how large this storage room truly was and for a moment I felt completely lost.

“Umm… Sir, are you still in here? I’m sorry to bother you,” I began.
A cold finger pressed to my lips to make me shush and I sat like a stone in complete silence for a moment without finishing my sentence.

“Melissa Dale. Lead in the drama entitled “If she were mine.” Sophomore at Jackson High and only 15 years old,” mumbled a low, yet controlling voice I didn’t recognize.

I was shocked. I looked up to where I thought he must have been sitting and I replied “Yes. And who might you be?”

“A dream come true,” said the voice in return with a small laugh.

Before I realized it I was being shoved on a table and this stranger was on top of me. The darkness prevented me from seeing anything but his teal eyes that matched my dress in a perfect shade. That was also the only thing I saw before he kissed me.

Sitting on God knows what being kissed by God knows who in a storage room God knows how big on such a night! I felt like I should have reacted, but I didn’t.

“You wanted this,” said the voice as he kissed me with more passion again. In between kisses we both took large breaths. His tongue on mine felt so strange, and yet so right. Soon I realized I wasn’t fighting him, I was kissing him back. As the sensations rolled over my body I suddenly felt cold.
“I’ll be watching you tonight on the stage,” whispered the stranger as a small wind blew upon my moist lips.
I opened my eyes and realized I was in a storage room by myself and the door was open. The sensation was gone.

I stepped out of the room dazed. Part of me wondered if I had dreamt it all. I decided to carry on. I took my place on stage as the curtains went up and the play began. As I recited my lines, I couldn’t help but smile with the thought that even if I had dreamt it, someone out there was at this play to watch me perform.

With this thought in mind, I gave every line my best shot. The play came to an end and I took my last bow of confidence on stage as the curtains fell back into place and the night came to an end.
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A/N: I’m thinking about writing another chapter. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I think I might be able to take it further. If you’d like me to write more, please leave me a review. I’d love to hear some feedback!