CHAPTER 9
Mark sat at the lecture hall waiting for his next lecture, on the fixed desk was his long notepad and his phone, he checked his phone, it was 11 o clock.
"In about 10 minutes, Dr Phil should be entering this hall". he said to himself.
"Mark how you doing?". Said Pete, an average dark skinned guy dressed in blue top and black pants, talking to him from his back view.
"I'm good". Said Mark, looking back at him.
"I need your note on Tha103 directing, my note isn't complete, so I need yours".
"Sure, I'll give it to you later".
"Hey mark". Said a lady dressed in a black gown, typing on a laptop.
"Hey Amanda, how are you". He said, turning to his left side.
"I'm good, don't forget our group assignment on make up and costume".
"Oh yes".
"We are meeting at 4 o clock at the recreation center".
"Got it, I won't forget".
The lecture hall was large and rectangular, the floor was pitched with carpet tiles which was high enough for students at the back to view a person standing at the front, the seats and desks were fixed to the ground, as each of them had enough spacing's between them. The front of the lecture hall had a podium, on top of it was a microphone, the side of the podium was placed with a loudspeaker and sound system. Two large display boards were built to the wall, at the side of the board was a projector. The celling was erected in a tiled grid system as each of it's corners was planted with CCTV cameras, fire alarms and sprinkler system were also mounted on the celling, the left and right corner of the hall had a fire extinguisher. The walls were painted in napkin white and each corner of the walls were mounted with air conditioners.
"Good day class". Said an average looking man dressed in black suit, entering the lecture hall, he held some notes and other items on his hands.
"Good day Dr. Phil". Responded a number of students in unison.
Students scurried to their desk and seats hastily bringing out their notes, laptops and different writing items.
"Today we will be dealing with the techniques of acting, this topic is detailed so I'll be showing you footages with the projector". He said, placing his books and other items on the podium.
He stood on the podium and positioned his mouth to the microphone. "The topic is the techniques of acting, we have eight techniques of acting and there are as follows, one Stanislavsky method, two Stella Adler, three Michael Chekhov, four meisner, five uta hagen, six viola spolin, seven lee Strasberg and number eight is the practical aesthetics".
He walked towards the projector and pushed it further to the center, then he positioned it towards the second display board and it began to display different images and words on the screen.
"Number one, the Stanislavsky technique, this was developed by a Russian actor named Konstantin Stanislavsky, he is regarded as the father of modern acting and other methods like Strasberg, Adler and others came out from him". He said pointing the control to the projector and reading from the display board. "Stanislavsky states that an actor uses his emotions, memory, past experiences so that his actions and reactions appear as if they are reality and not of a make believe and also an actor has to train his or her sense and concentration".
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Sunna chu sat on her sofa with her laptop on her thighs, she was writing her article for an assignment, suddenly her phone rang, she picked up her phone from the sofa and looked at the screen, it was her mum.
"Hello mum".
"How are you sweetheart?".
"Im fine, sorry I haven't called you for weeks".
"its fine Sunna".
"How's dad and Jin".
"Him and your brother are doing just fine".
"I just called to check up on you".
"Yeah, was expecting that".
"So how's Portland?".
"Portland is fine, not bad, the people are friendly, there are nice places to visit here".
"How's studies going?".
"studies is going well, I have like three assignment to finish this week, they are all from different courses".
"Hope it's not to stressful"
"No mum, it's not".
"So honey, grandma is sick".
"Oh, What happened, hope it's nothing too serious". She said, sounding upset.
"The doctor said it was just a fever".
"Ok".
"But she's fine, she's on drugs now, she's getting better ".
"Okay mum, I'm happy to hear".
"Then tomorrow is obon festival day of the dead over here in Japan".
"Oh right, I forgot, I've been so busy with all these homework's over here".
"Oh honey, it's okay but Jin and aunt lee wishes you were around for the festival".
"I know right, I know I'm going to miss the dance, the performance, hanging the lanterns, doing food offerings at the temple and other activities".
"I know, anyways your friends are missing you".
"I know they've been missing me, I've been away from home for long, greet them back for me".
"Alright Sunna I will, so let me leave you now, I want to check up on grandma".
"Okay mum, say hello to grandma for me".
"I will, sweetheart".
"Goodbye".
"Bye mum".
The call cut from the other end.
"I need to take a break from all this homework, my back hurts". She said, stretching her back. " I haven't even had my bath since the water stopped running, I wonder what says the time". She said, picking up her phone. "My God, this is 11:45, almost entering afternoon". she said, letting out a sigh. "let me continue with this game". She said, touching her phone screen. "episode two was fun, I had to help this little boy find his mother, I have seventy coins though, I'm moving into episode three now, helping a guy look for scattered pieces of a boat in an circus".
Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a little girl's voice from thin air.
"Hello". Said a female voice.
"Huh, who's there". She said, turning her head around.
"It's me".
"Who". Said Sunna, sounding scared.
"Your friend".
"Okay, this is starting to freak me out, am I losing my mind". She said, standing up.
"No You're not because I'm right here".
"Where are you?".
"I'm In the game".
"I don't understand, how's this even possible".
"It is, just know that I'm always here".
"How can a game even talk".
"I can talk, I love how you are playing me everyday".
"Oh really".
"Yes I do and I love you too".
"Wow, a talking game, you are one of a kind".
"So we can be friends".
"Okay, sounding from a talking game". She said giggling. "At least you are keeping me company".
"I will be your friend, I'll never leave you".
"I hear you friend".
"As long as you'll always play the game Sunna".
"Huh, wait how did you know my name".
"I know your name, my friend".
"Very creepy but strange that you know".
"Play me, Sunna".
"Okay, my friend, I'm already in episode three".
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"And finally that is all about the practical aesthetics, so class that's everything about the techniques of acting, the assignment on the history of acting will be submitted at upper weeks class". Said Dr Phil, shutting down the projector. "So does any one of you have any questions?".
The class was as silent as a graveyard.
"So then it's understood then". Said the man, walking towards the podium. "Till next class". He said, packing his notes and other items from the podium. He left the lecture hall.
There was a bit of relief from the hall as students stood up from their seats in distress, engaging in different activities, while the others were leaving the hall.
"Finally, we are done with this lecture". Said Mark, closing his note. "Let me even continue with this game I downloaded last week, endless play". He said, picking up his phone from his pocket. "Episode one was very interesting, I had to help this girl find her bag, it's cool, I've even linked the game to my social media accounts and all these login and video rewards I've been getting, I have like sixty coins now, not bad though.
"Hello, Mark".
"Huh, who just said that?".
"Its me your friend".
"A friend from where". He said, looking around the hall.
"I'm right here, my friend".
"Right where".
"Look down, right he—".
"Hey Mark, are you good". Said Pete, tapping him on the shoulders.
"I'm good, were you here just now".
"No, I was right there, I just came to take your course note, directing".
"Oh yeah, it's all in one note".
"Yeah sure, you sure you okay, Mark, you look a little lost".
"I'm fine, I thought I heard someone talking to me".
"No Mark, there was no one here".
"Okay".
"You look like you need a little sleep, maybe you should get some rest".
"Sure".
"So I won't take time, by the time the next lecture starts, I'll be done with the note".
"No problem, I'm still here".
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Anthony brown laid on his bed staring vaguely at the celling, wondering what his parents were discussing downstairs, he started having different thoughts.
"My parents are probably going to ground me this time around". He said, turning around relentlessly on the bed.
There was a knock on his door.
"Anthony, we're coming in". Said his parents.
"Okay mum and dad". He said, sounding upset.
"Anthony, the principal called again". Said his Mum.
"And she said you were in trouble with those boys". Said his Dad.
"Dad I didn't do anything, it was Steve, he started it". He said, standing up from the bed.
"Are you sure?". Said his Mum.
"Yes I'm sure, it was in the cafeteria, I was standing in the line, then Steve came, asking me to leave the line, so I said no and the next thing, he pushed me away from the queue and his friends started beating me, that's how the fight started". He said, sounding upset.
"Ok, I believe you because this isn't the first time that boy Steve is doing this". Said his father.
"So those boys are still bullying my son, we might have to change his school". She said, facing his father in distress.
"No Mum, I don't want to leave Riverdale high, please Dad". He said facing the both of them.
"Son, we know how much you love that school but if the bullying gets worse, then we're going to have to pull you out". Said his father.
"And that's final, you going to leave if those boys don't stop because I can't keep on getting calls from your principal, it's really making me sick". She said.
"Honey, I got this, why don't you wait for me downstairs, I'll come and meet you there, it's going to be alright". He said, holding her shoulders.
"Okay, I hear you". She said, leaving the room.
"My son, this thing just keep getting worse, if we get four more calls from your principal, then that's it, accepted".
"Make it five Dad".
"Okay big boy, five more calls and Riverdale high school is over".
"Accepted Dad". He said, hugging his father.
"Now dinners getting ready in 35 minutes, by 8:45 come downstairs". He said, looking at his watch.
"Alright Dad".
Anthony sat back on the bed, stretching his hand over to his phone.
"Let me continue playing this game". He said clicking his phone screen. "I'm almost finishing episode two and at least I have eighty coins to buy tools from the store, then this timers and all this puzzles that I'm going to solve to the next level, but endless play is not bad, it's cool".
Suddenly, he was interrupted by the sound of a soft feminine voice that spoke from thin air.
"Hello".
"Mum, Dad are you here?". He said, looking around the room.
"Its me your friend".
"What friend".
"I'm right here".
"Right where, I can't see anybody".
"I'm in the game".
"What the hell, so the game can talk". He said, looking astonished.
"Yes".
"Oh, this is creepy".
"Well it's not".
"How can a game even talk".
"I can talk, I like you and I will always be your friend".
"Now this is really scaring me out". He said, looking perplexed.
"No don't be".
"But otherwise, I think this is cool".
"You see my friend, don't you love the game".
"Yes I love the game, infact episode two, I had to help this boy find his mother, I'm getting into episode three". He said, smiling.
"Then keep playing, keep playing the game".
"But what are you?, Some sort of genie or an invisible being".
"Don't know, say it that you love the game and you will always play the game".
"Okay genie, I love the game and I will always play the game".