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Today was gonna be great. Fuck that assignment you were supposed to be doing this period, you have ex-students from the New York Film Academy coming down to give you a workshop lesson. You were used to these. The guys from the physical theatre company came in a couple lessons ago to help out with this term's assignment.
You're sitting in the comfy theatre chairs that you're sure no other school in the country gets as the two guys hop down from the soundbox to address you all. Hell fucking yes are you ready for this. Vriska leans over and whispers to you, giggling. "Damn these two are cute. I almost wish I got up early enough to make myself fucking presentable this morning." You laugh, because she's ridiculous.
They go on to explain the first game, a game by the name of 'Sausage'. The rules are simple. He asks you a question, and you are to reply with a straight face, "Sausage." Fail this task, and you are out. The questions they come up with are fucking stupid, which is why everyone fails so quickly, despite being a class of near forty (since it's a combined class of grade 11 and 12).
"What is your skirt made out of?"
"Sausage."
"What's your guinea-pig's name?"
"Sausage."
"What are you attracted to?"
"Sausage."
"What's that ring made out of?"
"Sausage."
"What do you enjoy more than anything else?"
"Nope." The well-known class clown (His name is Sollux, and he is not that funny in real life) throws up his arms and stalks off, unable to contain a smile. He didn't even attempt the word. That sets everyone else off except you and Vriska.
You lean over to her. "I played this game in elementary school. Back then it was called 'Grandma's green undies'." She has to laugh at that, and you feel oddly accomplished.
Next is a game that you're not sure the reason for existence is for, and you can't remember the name of it, either. If it even has a name. The rules of this one are also simple. Pair off. Then, decide who's A and who's B. You're by Vriska's side before either of you even have a chance to consider picking another person. Nothing separates the scourge sisters. Vriska takes the title of 'A' without asking your opinion. You don't mind, because it's just a fucking letter and she needs to chill.
Then comes the kicker. The guy from the Academy (You think his name is Jeremy. You will call him Jeremy from now on, even if it's not) smiles. "A is attracted to B. A has a crush on B, wants to be with B. And don't over-act here. If people are laughing, then you're overacting. Make it subtle." You've got this in the fucking bag, you know you do. Vriska doesn't seem so sure of herself. You bat your eyes at her because you're an asshole, and she looks away. You wonder if she's getting into character or something's wrong. You don't have time to ask before that asshole Jeremy shouts "Begin!"
You're acting casual, all spread out and relaxed. Vriska keeps glancing at you, and you think she's copying your little movements. You brush some hair behind your ear. Sure enough, she does the same. You glance at her rather obviously, and she looks away. Fucking dork. You keep your cool and continue to look around the room, seemingly bored as she gets on with the whole 'pretending I'm in love with you' gag.
After a while, Jeremy starts clapping and his accomplice (you'll call him Clark) joins in. Then Clark speaks. "Very nice! Now swap it around! B's are now attracted to A's." You wonder if this would have a different meaning if you were in English class. Probably. The thought of the two block letters going at it worms its way into your head and you snicker. "Begin!" You don't stop smiling. People smile when they're in love, it's natural.
Not that you would know.
You mirror her actions a lot less subtly than she did, and you're biting your lip when you glance at her. It isn't long before Jeremy decides to interrupt your god-awful swooning. "That's a wrap!"
Your teacher up at the soundbox is laughing. When she stops, she speaks to the two boys sitting in the stands. "You've got one more, right?"
"That's right! Everyone up in a circle!"
You can't wait to find out what's next.
You comply with his request, only because you're eager to know what other game he has in store.
Once you're all settled down and standing in a formation that isn't offensive to call a circle, he tells you all to close your eyes. He tell you to imagine a person that you care about, very much. Your mind instantly drifts to Vriska, because she's basically your hatchmate. You feel something against your hand and feel it flinch away again before you had time to register it. You think it was a hand. You ignore it because it's not relevant and you're concentrating, dammit!
Jeremy tells you to imagine what it would be like to have the person there with you, standing in front of you, what it would be like to hug them. You do, and there's some distant ache in your chest that you don't know how to describe when he asks you all how it makes you feel. He doesn't call on anybody in particular, just continues talking. He tell you to hold onto that feeling, and open your eyes.
There are only a few people that look like they aren't about to cry.
You finally understand what is happening here. It's an exercise so you can cry on cue at later times.
Pretty sneaky of them, you decide. But it's all good, you can totally work with this. He tell you to close your eyes again. Clark joins in now, telling you to remember something about that person, to think about how much they mean to you.
Your nose hurts like you're about to start crying, because all your mind can point to is that time she made you go blind in one eye. You ignore all the gruesome details and snap back to reality when Jeremy tells you to open your eyes. You comply, and everything is a little too bright.
He calls on a boy and a girl to come to the centre of the circle. You know the girl, she's a good friend of yours. Her name is Nepeta. The boy, you think his name is Dave. Jeremy tells them to close their eyes, facing each other, tells them to imagine the person again and to think about how that person makes them feel. "I want you to harvest that feeling, and direct it at the other person. Dave, you will go first. Breathe in." He does. "Breathe out." There are a few giggles around the room, but Clark silences them. "Think about all the things you want to say to this person but never got the chance to, or maybe you just can't say it to them. I want you to hold onto that feeling they give you, and direct it all at Nepeta."
Jeremy tells Dave to open his eyes (though nobody can tell, because of those sunglasses he's always wearing. He tells you they're prescription, but nobody really believes that). "Begin," Jeremy says and steps away as Dave starts talking, his breath shaky.
"Hey... Been a while." You think you heard him sniff, but no one is really sure. "Look, I - I miss you, okay? I know I give you shit all the time, but I miss you and I wish you would come home. Please- I don't-" He's definitely sniffing now. "-I don't want to be alone anymore." He's getting too choked up to continue and some of the girls in the class 'aww' in response. You think some of them are crying too.
Jeremy's surprised, to say the least.
"Wow, your class is really into it, huh?" A couple of the girls nod. "I did this exercise at the academy and I was the only one who was actually willing to do it." Clark chuckles a bit and ushers Dave through the line of the circle so he can go compose himself again. "Anyway, Nepeta, I'll stand here." He takes Dave's place from before, standing in the centre of the circle and facing her. "I want you to close your eyes." She does. "Breathe in, breathe out. Now think of that person again, think about how they make you feel." You follow along, because everybody else seems to be doing the same. "Think of all the things you want to say to them, and direct it at me when you're ready."
It takes her a few seconds, but she opens her eyes and you can see that ridiculous smile on her face that only Nepeta is capable of. "You mean a lot to me, you know! More that you give yourself credit for!" She seems strangely unaffected by Dave's outburst. "And I fish we spent more time together, beclaws I'm getting tired of second place!" Cat puns were her thing. Nobody but Jeremy and Clark questioned it, but they let her have her moment. "You're my best friend! You're supposed to be there fur me, and yet-" She hiccuped. You want to go over there and hug her, because you know exactly who she's talking about.
Her best friend (closer than even you) (but then again, you have no rights to that title because Vriska is your best friend), Equius Zahhak. That big brute that she's been friends with since kindergarten. A lot of people wonder why they're not dating. Some people assume they are, what with how much time they used to spend together. Obviously not that much anymore, because she's trying to finish before Jeremy pulls her out of the circle. "And - and I get that you get *hic* catty at times, b-but I-" Her speech is so distorted at this point that the author can't even be bothered writing it. You think she said something about hitting, because Jeremy chooses then to cut her off an pull her away from the circle to calm her down.
Clark takes the lead from there. What a good accomplice. Best distractor. You want to go comfort Nepeta, but Clark calls you all to attention before you even have a viable chance of getting to her. "Okay, I want you all to turn to the person next to you and do the same thing Dave and Nepeta just did. This time you just don't have to do it in front of the class, because I feel like you guys are getting a little worked up here." The class is filled with the low rumble of forty adolescents chuckling.
You turn towards Vriska, cracking a smile. "You ready for this?" She smirks in response, though it seems a little shaky to you.
"Born ready. You can be A this time." She crosses her arms, and you snicker.
"Sure." You hug her. You're terrified, because you don't know what to say. There's three words sitting at the back of your mind where you hope to ignore them.
"Actually, how long is your little emotional speech?" She asks, seemingly a little bit nervous. Or maybe your mind is playing tricks on you. That seems right.
"Pretty short. Why?" You decide you'll just say it. She won't know you're talking about her anyway.
"I was thinking we could say them at the same time, lessen the embarrassment." You actually like that idea a lot. So you nod at her, cracking another smile.
"You're on."
"Close your eyes!" Jeremy calls, apparently finished with Nepeta, who goes to partner with a boy you don't know the name of. You face Vriska and close your eyes, already ahead of him when he tells you to think of a person that means very much to you. It's not hard when you can hear her breathing. He tells you all to imagine them standing in front of you. Check. What it would be like to be in their embrace. Check. What it would feel like to be right there. Funnily enough, that empty feeling in your chest returns.
You really don't know how to describe it, nor why it's there.
He tells you to think about what you'd say to them if you could. Those three words are making their way to the front of your mind now, bypassing any 'what if's with a huge sign that read in big red bold letters, 'FUCK YOU!' You think you need to stop hanging around Karkat so much. He's polluting your think patterns.
Jeremy tells you to hold onto that feeling, and you don't know if you want to because you're sure this feeling can't be healthy, but you do anyway and you feel a singular tear drip down your cheek as you open your eyes.
Everyone's silent for a moment, but then the moment has passed and you all start talking. Vriska nods, indicating that you should start speaking.
Three...
You can see a tear going down her cheek, too.
Two...
You sniff, straightening. You're going to admit this with pride.
One...
"I love you!" You say at the same time.
.
.
.
.
You think that's the moment your heart first broke.