Chapter 21: CHAPTER 20

"When you are totally at peace with yourself, nothing can shake you."

Ashley's POV

Wish me luck! I'm as nervous as a...

It's been one week. One whole week. Today counts exactly one week since the last time we had English and so far the third time we've met for English since the last time. I spent this past week thoroughly going through our next scene, where I'm supposed  Catherine.

Rosie Wood hasn't been to school ever since. For once when I needed her she was nowhere to be found. Sucks!

As I sit, waiting for Ms. Brooke to invade our learning space any moment from now, I take in deep breaths. In! Out!

I hear a snicker from beside me, and I turn to Cam with a glare.

She rolls her eyes, "You're going to do just fine. Stop stressing yourself already, you're all nerves but let's start and see you'll do great,trust me. So... calm down."

"I'll try."

"Besides—ahem— is busy going over his lines, see." she points. I don't need to turn to know who she's talking about so I don't.

"What's your point?" I chuckle.

"My point is...." her eyes flash in acknowledgement, it gleams like she remembered something. "I've got a new crush."

"Really?!!" I squeal.

"Yes! He sings so...." she bounces in her seat as a goofy grin appears on her face "and he's so tall and his beard. Gosh!, it's so long. I wanna run my hands through it."

"Okay, so I'm lost. He's a man?" I say in alarm.

"Shhhh" she places her finger on my lips "they're going to hear you.

I look around to see a few heads turned in my direction. I mouth a sorry as I  smile sheepishly and turn my attention back to Cam "Wow!! I didn't know I was that loud."

"Yeah, you were. But that's not the point." She grins some more, how possible that is.

"Okaaaaay? So what's his name?"

"Dan...."

"Greetings, class." Miss Brooke cuts Cam off. She groans and whispers 'later' to me. 'Okay' I reply back to her.

"Greetings." The class choruses.

"So, we're going to continue from where we left the last time. The following characters: Hindley, Nelly, Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar Linton, Isabella, Frances, should come out."

I turn to look at Cam for the last time.

"You'll do good. Morale!" She mutters to me and I smile weakly before shuffling out of my seat.

----

Five weeks! Catherine had been away from home, Wuthering heights,  and was at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks. Five whole weeks away from the closest thing she could call her friend, Heathcliff.

Well, I am Catherine.

"And, action!"

"Why, Cathy, you are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you: you look like a lady now. Isabella Linton is not to be  compared with her, is she, Frances?" Hindley says to his wife.

"Isabella has not her natural advantages," replies Frances, Hindley's wife "but she must mind and not grow wild again here. Ellen, help Miss Catherine off with her things—stay, dear, you will disarrange your curls— let me untie your hat."

"Is Heathcliff not here?" I ask, a while of noticing that Heathcliff— my dear friend— hadn't come to greet me yet since my arrival.

"Heathcliff, you may come forward," cries Hindley, enjoying Heathcliff's discomfiture. "You may come and wish Miss Catherine welcome, like other servants."

Grayson is Heathcliff, so he walks towards me, that's when my nerves decide to take another rollercoaster ride.

Catching a glimpse of him— hair ruffled to look unkempt as per scene— I gulp nervously. He walks gingerly towards me and when he finally halts in front of me, I flung my arms around him in an embrace, my head to his chest and my arms around his waist.

I promise, I heard a sharp intake of breath. My heart thumps loudly in my chest, I though it was just me but then with my ears pressed to his chest I could hear the  rythmic beating of his heart in sync with mine.

Did I perhaps hug him too tightly? But that's how it's supposed to be. Catherine misses her friend so bad that she can't help but be excited.

And then the next scene! The moment I've been dreading.

As per scene, I pull away slightly from the hug, my arms still around him.  Releasing a shaky breath, I stand on my tippy toes and lift my head up to see him already watching me steadily. I close my eyes and bring my lips closer to his cheeks, I let my lips brush his left cheek, a peck. Turning my face to his other cheek I place another peck to the right cheek. I do this back and forth, eight pecks in all.

I was about to say the next lines but Miss Brooke had to cut me off, saying we should do the scene again. She said I quote, "Put in emotions. In this particular scene you've missed him after not seeing for five weeks. Five good weeks! Is that how to act like you've missed someone? Let the emotions flow. Imagine not seeing your boyfriend for just a week, how are you going to react? Exactly! In this case, imagine not being in contact with your boyfriend for five weeks and you finally see him. I want to see you portray that emotion, let it out, strong."

I look at her irritated that she's making me do this scene again. I've spent my week reciting my lines and dreading this particular scene. I've imagined it over and over in my head and I've wished I wasn't Catherine but here I am doing my best and all she had to say was 're-do it'. It could have been any other scene and I would gladly do it again. But why this particular scene?

Ugh!

So frustrating. I can't believe I would have to peck his cheeks again. Again! That would be sixteen pecks in all. At this point I better start falling in love with him already. I mean, who gives a random person sixteen good pecks.

Six- freaking-teen.

"And action!"

Again, I flung my arms around his waist and my head collide with his chest. I pull away slightly and look up at him, smiling. This time around instead of standing on my tippy toes for the cheek-pecks, I decide to use another way. Miss Brooke says emotions, so I'm going to give her just that.

Unwraping my arms from his waist, I cup his face, one palm on his neck and the other at the side of his head. I hold his face firmly and bring it close to my face, keeping my smile to maintain the excited to see you look. Without wasting time I move my lips to his right cheek and give him a peck,  a somewhat loud smack-dab peck, you could call it a cheek kiss. I turn his face and I do same to his left cheek, a second for each peck.

At the sixth peck getting on to the seventh one, he seemed to be straining his neck, he was fidgeting a tad. So as my lips were on it's way to his right cheek, he turned his head slightly to steady his neck and mistakenly our lips brushed up against each other. In alarm we both pull away, our eyes wide as saucers.

When I realized Miss Brooke wasn't paying much attention to see that error, I quickly fixed my shaken expression with a laugh and said my next lines. "Why, how very black and cross you look! and how—how funny and grim! But that's because I'm used to Edgar and Isabella Linton. Well, Heathcliff, have you forgotten me?" I batt my lashes.

He ignores as supposed to in this scene, immovable.

"Shake hands, Heathcliff," Hindley says "once in a way, that is permitted."

"I shall not," Grayson says defiantly finding his tongue at last "I shall not stand to be laughed at. I shall not bear it!"  And with that he was about to take his leave but my hands seized his.

"I did not mean to laugh at you," I say, all traces of joviality vanishing. "I could not hinder myself: Heathcliff, shake hands at least! What are you sulky for? It was only that you looked odd. If you wash your face and brush your hair, it will be all right; but you are so dirty!" I imitate a concerned gaze as I held his hands in mine.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest at being so intimate with him. What do I do?

Marry him already!

"You needn't have touched me!" He says, looking me dead in the eye and snatching his hands away, "I shall be as dirty as I please: and I like to be dirty, and I will be dirty."

With that he leaves me —Catherine—  worried and wondering how my remarks could have produced such an exhibition of bad temper.

After Heathcliff leaves, Nelly goes out to find him. After a while of searching for him, she finds him finally!

"Make haste, Heathcliff!" Nelly says,"the kitchen is so comfortable; and Joseph is upstairs: make haste, and let me dress you smart before Miss Cathy comes out, and then you can sit together, with the whole hearth to yourselves, and have a long chatter till bedtime."

Heathcliff proceeds with whatever he was doing, never turning his head towards Nelly.

"Come—are you coming?" She continues. "There's little cake for each of you, nearly enough; and you'll need half an hour's donning."

She waits for five minutes, but getting no answer, leaves him.

*******

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