As the Bard would say... (Avinea)

[Christian Lucas]

Talking just wasn't getting them anywhere. Christian lead his student through the halls to the auditorium. "Avinea, I know that the wording and pace of his works feel strange compared to our speech today. But that isn't any reason to give up on reading the works." They reached the doors to the auditorium and Christian tried them.

Finding them locked he pulled out his keys and looked over at the girl he was talking with. "Trust me, they're well worth the read. Just have patience," he said as he unlocked and opened the doors.

[Avinea Jale]

She just didn't understand. Avi supposed that was why she was meeting with him today, but she didn't understand acting, or Shakespeare, and she most certainly didn't want to. Math was her thing, not English. She needed to pass though, so here she was, working to get herself together. "I just don't understand."

Obvious her teacher didn't know who he was talking to. Avi didn't have patience, and she also didn't like that he was calling her by her full name. It was annoying honestly. "That is what I've been trying to tell you, I don't have the virtue of patience. I never have." Giving a grin she looked over at her teacher. She just hoped he would pass her. That was all she was here for really.

[Christian Lucas]

Christian gave a cheerful sigh. This was one of the best parts of his job. Helping someone understand the performing arts that much better. It was not easy for the most part, but he always found a way. He held the door for the student and followed her in, leaving the door unlocked behind him.

"I read your student file when you asked to see me and while we were in my office. You're a bright girl. I'm sure you're going to do fine. Here Avinea, take this book and go up on stage." He handed her one of his scene books. It contained pages of different scenes in different styles, from different plays, and for different groupings of people.

"Page.... One hundred and eighteen. Read Jess' part there first. This is a basic 'falling in love' scene, so just read it how it comes to you. I'll read Jake's part. Start when you're ready, you can be on the stage or off. And don't ask me what this has to do with Shakespeare, we'll get to that." He leaped up onto the stage with his long legs, holding the book open to the page he had mentioned, waiting for her.

[Avinea Jale]

Understanding was something that she struggled with, especially in this class. Avi wasn't the most literate of people, and preferred numbers to letters any day. She didn't want to understand really. Math was simpler, it was a way for her to read and understand the language. Everything had an answer. It was just easier to be a math person. This was why needed help. At least she was smart enough to ask for help when it was needed. It was absolutely needed.

Avi gave a small smile at the man's mention of her file. She did want to see what was in there one day, she would. "Was there something magical in there I didn't know about?" Avi smirked and took the book going up on the stage. She flipped through it skimming the scenes and lines. The words all sort of blended together and it just wasn't worth the effort to try and understand it. She just wanted to pass was that so much to ask?


Avi flipped to the page that Mr. Lucas said and scanned over the part with a frown. She didn't really want to read it and she didn't want to offend the teacher. Sighing she stood a little away from the teacher on stage and started to read. " You know, I can't see you the same." Avi gave a grin as she started to read the lines of the play to the teacher. "I mean, after him, you were there, you were the one to support me. Why?" Avi frowned at the notes not understanding. "I don't understand why you are so nice to me."

[Christian Lucas]

Giving a smile at this attempt Christian raised a hand. "That's not bad, but let's stop it there. First I want you to think of any time you've ever fallen in love. You don't have to tell it to me, but go ahead and put that in your mind. Think about that moment when you realized you loved the person with them in the room. Now put that in your mind and try it."

He stepped away again. As she started again as he instructed he gave her another pause as she began the second sentence. "Wait. You don't need to rush it. Silence is just as important on stage as the words. Don't forget that. Also, discover what you're saying as you say it. Jess doesn't know the words she wants to say. Give her time to think of them. Ok. Go again. This time I'll say my lines and we'll continue."

[Avinea Jale]

Avi did as her teacher instructed, until a scrunched up look came onto her face and fell, n an instant the smiley cheery Avi was gone. Why did he remind her of Lucy? She sighed looking over the lines again. Oh the thought was in her mind now, it was the thought that she was jealous, that she was scared. Love wasn't an easy emotion to describe. It was all just a blur to her anyway. Blushing she slowly said the words again, "You know, I can't see you the same." Repeating the phrase only reiterated the words that she was thinking. She had started the second part when she was told to stop. Looking at her professor she listened to him, taking in what he had to say.

Before she started again Avi took a deep breath, almost to relieve all the stress and tension that this drill was causing her. Listening to his advice Avi shyly looked at the teacher then back at the script. "I mean," Avi paused thinking of the right words, "After him," Stuttering Avi shook her head slightly, and looked away from her teacher, trying to not draw attention to herself. Purposely she looked at her teacher, from the floor and said the next part. "You, were there, and..." Avi sighed feeling frustrated before starting to talk again all in one rush. "You were the one to support me!" Avi's voice rose a bit and then abruptly fell as she slowly looked up at her teacher. "Why?" Tilting her head Avi gave a soft chuckle like she didn't even believe it herself. "I don't understand why you are this nice to me." Avi was blushing and her words were barely above a whisper as she fidgeted with her hands, waiting for him to speak.

Professor, the lip biting is a sign of nervousness, go easy on her.

[Christian Lucas]

"Because... Because it was the right thing to do..." Christian gave a pause as he took on the part of Jake. He focused on the feel of the character as he read the lines, half from the book and half from memory. "You were..." He let a pause fill the sentence despite there being no break in the book. "The one who always had that smile in her eyes." He took a shaky breath and let his face emote being nervous. This wasn't an easy confession for Jake.

"I did it because you deserved it. I did it..." There was another pause. The man performing Jake turned his back, his body language screaming more nerves as he paced slightly for another moment before finally completing the line. "Because I love you."

With that line Christian turned his face and let the expressions of hopefulness reside there, for Jake was both scared that he would be rejected and hopeful that she felt the same. With that he took a hopeful step forward and his hands reaching outward slightly.

[Avinea Jale]

That wasn't an answer. Not to Jess, not an answer that Jake should be giving. Giving a halfhearted laugh Jess looked at jack, reading off the script. "Since when have you wanted to do the right thing?" It almost sounded accusatory, like he was telling a lie. She didn't understand why, but her gaze softened, as he continued to talk. "A smile in my eyes?" Avi shook her head glancing at the floor softly. "More like a mask to my sadness." He didn't understand, wouldn't. She was slowly letting him in, that was the thing, Jess didn't let anyone in. Avi could see it in her lines. Jess was the type to bottle it all up, hide from her problems. She didn't understand why he was so nice, but she was afraid of the answer he might give. "Who said you could..." Avi paused trying to convey the words right, "claw your way in?" Frankly Jess was a bit mad, she was scared, she was vulnerable. It wasn't like her.

Avi felt like she should just close off her ears, hide her expression from him. He was too close, too smart for his own good. Unexpectedly she stared at him, unable to take her eyes off, Jess would have, "No you don't." She wasn't capable of being loved. Never capable of being loved. He had proven that, and though Jake was trying to change it, it had been ingrained in her since she was young. "Stop... Please..." Unable to get her voice above more then a whisper Avi felt helpless as the girl named Jess took over and silent tears began to run down her cheeks, "You can't!" It was all she could do to not let go and break down.

As Jake stepped forward Jess stepped back, biting her lip not daring to look at him as he came closer. She would continue to do so until her back was against the wall, evading that look in his eyes. Jess wasn't ready for this. She couldn't be this. Avi shook her head watching this happen. "I..." Avi's breath hitched as she read the lines not wanting to say them. "I'm not worthy of you..." And there it was, the issues of self worth, the pain the scars that clouded her thighs, Jess had taken over. "I would just be a burden." That was the last thing she had wanted to do. For her love was just an illusion. She couldn't care so much, because she cared too much, she wanted too much, she got hurt so bad, and disappointed. It wasn't going to work. Avi looked at Jake with tears in her eyes before saying the truth. "You deserve better...", She would let that sink in, looking at Jake pitifully. She was too broken for him. Always had been.

[Christian Lucas]

Chris nearly called the scene right there. It was entirely obvious that this scene was hitting the poor girl far too close to home. But he was afraid to let her close back up again if this was helping her express herself. He remained in character but was being very careful. He didn't want to break her entirely, just get her open a crack so she could work herself out the rest of the way. It drew a memory of seeing a a butterfly trying to work its way out of a cocoon. If someone had cut the cocoon open, they could have ended the butterfly's struggle. But it would have been too weak to make it in the world and just died.

"Since I met you. You bring it out of me." Avi had gone a little off script, adding in the line about clawing in and again later with the comment of not being worthy of Jake. "If it is a mask, then what's behind it can only be more beautiful." He stepped closer to her, then crouched down to look her in the eye without looming over her. Jake was sincere in his love. "Stop what? Loving you? I could but then I'd die." He touched his chest gently. His pace had picked up and his face expressed pained sincerity.

Finally he reached a hand out and touched her cheek. "There's no one better to deserve. Please, let me try and show you how true that is. Talk to me, and let you help you." With that he sat down and reached for her hand.



Christian watched this whole encounter from another perspective as well. He could tell this was hitting her close. He focused his words to try and be gentle but have a real impact as well. It was like trying to kill an elephant with a BB gun. Technically, if you did it just right, it'd work. But it wasn't easy, and you had to know EXACTLY what you were doing, and where to aim. At this point Chris felt like he was trying to kill a whale with a rubber band, but he wasn't going to not give it a try if it could help.

[Avinea Jale]

She didn't understand! It wasn't her, it was this... this girl who she had become. She didn't do this, she wasn't vulnerable. It wasn't who she was and it would never be who she was. Avi was supposed to be the strong one. She was only quiet when she was upset, and frankly the quietness scared her, it scared her to be alone with herself. She would never admit that to someone though, she would never see it as the truth, oh no, Avi was in the habit of denying things she didn't like about herself and she was damn good at it. Jess, Jess on the other hand was a wishy-washy, crybaby. She wasn't Jess, but Jess had taken over. It was hard for her to let Jess come out, that was probably why she kept slipping in the script. She refused to admit she was vulnerable. It was too much for her. Jess was too much.

Jess would look at the man before her, her Jake, only hers, and would cringe at the sight,at his words. They fought every instinct she had, he was hellbent on tearing down the mask wasn't he? Jess couldn't stand the thought, letting him in, that would only hurt them both in the end. Hell, Avi knew that from experience. She let someone in and they both ended up hurt. Love was pain, maybe that was why she hid herself from such an indescribable emotion that was riddled with the sweet caress of a devil's touch.

Jess shook her head at his words they weren't making sense. "How can you say that? You are pathetic you know that? One small look, one small touch here and there, and now you say you are entranced by a love which i know doesn't exist? How can you keep telling yourself that love exists when in truth you are only lying to yourself?" Avi gave a small smirk after she read Jess' lines. She had backbone, maybe she wasn't so wishy-washy after all. It was only after Jake bent down that she had to admit it. She had to admit he was delusional, and he was breaking her heart. "If you don't stop I will die..." Why didn't he understand that she couldn't put her burden on anyone else. Avi knew that this burden was too much too bear, it was too much to take on, let alone Jake. Jake the sweet innocent, best friend Jake. She was selfish, she didn't want to ruin it what they had, even if she did love him.

No! She couldn't love him, he was all wrong, love didn't exist! Avi's face shown with all of the conflicting emotions bottled up inside, wanting to come out but refusing to take the proper words, this inner conflict, both Avi's and Jess' was tearing her apart. "even if I do love you, I would never put that burden on you..." Line for line, Avi read from the script, her eyes avoiding Jake, she couldn't face him now, after what she had just said.

As she felt his fingers linger across her skin Avi leaned into the soft touch, gentle tears falling, listening to what Jake had to say. "I can't..." Avi bit her lip looking at the man in front of her. "Don't you see? I'm too broken to be helped!" He had broken Jess just like She had broken Avi, this pain this hurt it was all the same. They were both too broken to even care anymore.

To stop caring would be a godsend, it would... it would allow the girls inside the one body to relax and accept that fact they weren't worth it. "You are too bright, too perfect, too amazing." Avi started to giggle through the tears. "You care so much, so much about me when even I don't care about myself. How do you do that? How do you take me and make me smile when I feel so horrible about myself?" Jess wanted to know but wasn't strong enough to ask, that was where Avi came in, she would help the girl living inside of her, of the words written on that sheet of paper beneath her, it was her job, even if it was killing her. "You know me and that is scary, I can't stop you and I..." Avi's heart was beating a mile a minute as Jess had taken over her mouth and her brain. "You know I love you."

With wide eyes and a gaping mouth Jess slid down on the stage until she was sitting there, in a slump, it had taken all of her energy to say that, and now she couldn't take it back and she was scared and hurt and panicking. "I'm sorry. " Avi knew she couldn't take it back and she was sorry, Jake/Lucy shouldn't have had to deal with it.