"Before" [6]

(Malory)

“Men,” he says, “Such anger. What use is it to be enraged by such a matter as money? It’s unfathomable – the lack of trust in people when they become acquainted with me. I will repay you the moment I acquire the funds. It won’t be long, I assure you.”

I blink a few times as Kyle goes through the lines.

It’s like he was never bad at acting.

Did he practice?

Or is he just such a genius that he picked it up effortlessly...

Why am I surprised?

“Right,” I say, clearing my throat and sipping some water from my glass. “So then the other guys will say they’re lines ‘Tarry any longer I’ll be sure to kill you,’ ‘I want the money now,’” I run my finger down the lines of the other men to skip them, “Blah Blah Blah, whatever, and then you hear the swish of metal against metal and you move out of the way.”

“Then I say ‘So it’s come to this’,” he says, “then I have to pull out my sword and aim it at... which one of the guys? –it wasn’t specified here...”

“I guess you’re pointing it at them in general as you sort of back away towards the closed door of the bar...” I say, unsure.

He pauses and drops his script into his lap, raising a brow at me. “You guess?”

“Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it?” I ask, defensively.

“Yea,” he says sarcastically, “Aren’t you supposed to know like... everything?”

“Oh, give me a break,” I say, hitting him with my script. “These are things the director works out with us individually. You’d know that if you were at rehearsals more often. Let’s continue.

“So after that, the fight begins in the bar. Valerie –obviously masked- is already intrigued by this guy and sees a drunk man with a blade running right towards him and she jumps down from the roof of the bar and opens the door just in time so that the drunk man runs straight into the door and falls. She pulls her dagger and aims it at Angus’ neck, holding him tightly in place so if he moves she can just literally slit his throat and she goes ‘Don’t come any closer. His final dealings shall be with me,’ and all the other men start laughing because who the hell does this woman think she is? But they’re amused by the thought of a woman ending this man’s life. Valerie pulls him away without moving the dagger from beside his neck until they’re out of sight –they bump into soldiers who have come off duty and they’re assumed to be criminals because they’re the only two people wearing masks –like some idiots, obviously-, so they start running. She gets onto her horse, he gets onto his, and they leave. Then there’s this messed up barn scene.”

When I look up, Kyle is staring at me. Worse yet, Kyle has the audacity to not look away when he realises that I’m aware that he’s staring at me.

“Did you even hear a word I just said?” I ask, bored. “If you don’t get this I’m literally going to end you.”

“I’m listening,” he says. “I am.” He looks down at his script again.

“So like I told you yesterday –we don’t have to practice these... touchy... scenes until Friday. Personally I think I’d be better to just do it then because I’m really not comfortable with doing that,” I say.

He scoffs. “You say that as if I’m comfortable with it.”

“Whatever,” I say, grimacing. I look down at my script before glancing over at his. They’re both messy with notes now. I guess he did some extra script analysis at home. “Your acting has improved,” I say. “Like... a lot. But don’t get big-headed about it. You can still improve.”

“I’m glad,” he tells me, smiling softly.

“Why do you keep doing that?” I ask.

“Doing what?” he wonders, his smile unwavering.

“That,” I say, gesturing to his face, “You look at me and… smile like an idiot. And you stare at me like a creep –just with less of a creepy face.”

“It’s just interesting watching you be a smartass up close,” he says, smirking. “I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it very often since we haven’t been in the same class for three years.”

“Ha ha, Davidson,” I say, sighing and flipping my hair. “Take it in. I can get way more focused.”

You might even think it’s hot.