Malory and Kyle must participate in the annual April Fest production as the leading co-stars. If they can cooperate by the end of the production, their long records of uncivilized behaviour towards each other will be forgotten. 
Malory and Kyle attempt to cooperate, grabbing the opportunity to make a positive impact on their own future. In the process, they become entangled in the chaos of the other’s personal life. Malory learns of Kyle’s disturbing reality, and Kyle learns of Malory’s scarring past. Can these two brilliant but messy teens learn to rely on each other in the face of their silent battles?

Between The Lines

 Glaring up at my wooden-patterned ceiling until the fifth ring of the message tone goes off on my phone at 2 in the morning, I groan and grab it from on the bedside table, immediately being blinded by the harshness of the lighting as I revive the device from its sleep. I’m already finding it hard enough to fall sleep –who the hell is texting me at two a.m.? 


Olive: YOU’RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT, ARE YOU? 


Me: NO hell no, I sort of settled the issue during first period yesterday when I dragged Davidson out of your class 


Me: There is no way in hell I’m kissing that 


KittyKaty: Why are you both still up? All I see on my phone are ‘Notifications from Olive and MalPal’ 


KittyKaty: Malory, is this about the play? 


KittyKaty: YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THERE WAS A KISS SCENE BETWEEN YOU AND THAT GUY IN THE PLAY 


Me: There wasn’t supposed to be one at all. THAT’S NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL STORY. But they changed up a good bit of it to put their own twist. 


Me: Besides, when I read the script, I’d read it at like three in the morning. You both know how messed up my sleeping schedule is. 


Me: and you two are always complaining about how your phone blows up every two seconds because of me 


Me: And I was extremely upset and didn’t even want to talk about it 


Me: so I just went straight to the principal’s office with Davidson and addressed the matter instead 


Me: I didn’t want to spoil my mood at work, Kitty 


Me: and Olivia... you were going to see the script anyway 


Me: this is getting more and more depressing every single day 


Olive: so what did Bev say to the two of you... especially considering you both skipped first period to barge into her office 


Me: she said if we cooperate we won’t have to do the kiss 


Me: BUT I DON’T WANT TO COOPERATE WITH HIM. I MEAN JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED AT LUNCH THAT SAME DAY. HE SLAPPED ME WITH HALF OF HIS DISGUSTING SLOPPY BURGER. 


Me: I already have this stupid messed up sleeping schedule, but at least before this crazy hyper-realistic nightmare I could have found a way to fall asleep even for an hour or so. 


Me: I’m going to try to get some rest 


Me: goodnight... or well... morning... to both of you 


Olive: Rest up, Mal. Don’t think too hard about anything. See you later. 


The Understudies [1]