Bridge Between Us-
Chapter 2: Rhythm and Rehersal
~
"Seriously?" Rowan muttered, adjusting the strap of his backpack as he stared at the auditorium stage.
He dropped into the last row of the theater with a loud thump that echoed a little too much for 8:15 in the morning. Tristan sat beside him, stretching out his legs and drumming on his knees like they were bongo drums. Gareth was still chewing on a granola bar he'd pulled from his jacket pocket like it had been in there since '85.
"You're not even playing today," Tristan said. "Why are you mad?"
"I'm mad we had to be here before second period," Rowan muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just to watch."
"Support," Gareth corrected with a smirk. "Principal dipshits words. 'Support the cast. Understand the tone. Connect with the creative process.'"
Rowan tilted his head back and groaned, loud enough to get a shushing from a girl two rows down.
He muttered an apology, then slouched further into the seat like he was hoping it would swallow him whole.
The auditorium smelled like hairspray and nervous teenagers, and it was already filling up. Girls in cardigans and side ponytails chatted in whispery clusters. A few of the drama guys practiced tongue twisters near the back door. Mr. Laurence paced along the edge of the stage, clipboard in hand, wearing a blazer with suede elbow patches that screamed "failed Broadway career."
Rowan had exactly zero interest in musicals. He didn't care about dancing cowboys or girls who sang about dreams in cornfields. What he did care about was that this assignment was cutting into his sleep, band practice, and the small slice of personal dignity he'd managed to keep intact since his bandmates got them all in trouble.
"You had to tag the bleachers?" he grumbled again, elbowing Gareth.
Gareth shrugged. "Art's art, man."
—
⸻
Remi stood near the auditorium doors, watching the growing chaos with quiet calculation.
She wasn't nervous. Not really. She'd been in front of crowds before. Plays, debate finals, drama showcases, emcee at the PTA brunch last spring. She knew how to smile through sweat and keep her voice from shaking. This was different, though.
Oklahoma! was a big deal. Mr. Laurence said the fall musical was his "flagship." People came from outside town to see it.
Remi glanced at her packet, running through lines in her head, when her eyes drifted again toward the back row.
Rowan Rhodes.
Slouched in his seat, legs spread wide, arms crossed over his chest like he had a personal vendetta against theater itself. His jacket was unbuttoned over a faded tee. He looked like he belonged on a loading dock, not in a cushioned theater seat.
She caught him watching the stage, then briefly looking over at her.
Their eyes met.
Again.
And again, she looked away first.
He smirked like it was a game he'd already won.
—
"Alright, alright, alright!" Mr. Laurence clapped his hands with theater kid gusto. "Let's get started!"
The house lights dimmed slightly, and Rowan blinked against the stage lights.
"This morning we'll hear monologues and vocal auditions," Laurence continued. "Callbacks will be posted Thursday. But remember you are always being observed. Even now. Even in the audience."
Rowan muttered, "Creepy," under his breath.
Tristan laughed.
The auditions began.
One by one, girls took the stage. some shaky, some way too loud. A guy named Mark from the chess club read his monologue like a hostage video. A sophomore girl broke into tears mid song. Mr. Laurence gave each of them the same encouraging half nod like they were all just seconds away from Broadway.
Rowan was bored. Not just bored, numb. His attention drifted to the curtain folds, to the duct taped corner of the amp they'd be using for sound cues, to the way the AC hummed louder near the left stage light.
Then her name was called.
"Remi James, you're up."
She took the stage like she owned it but not in a loud way. In a way that was smooth, like her shoes didn't squeak like everyone else's. She stood center stage, just to the left of the mic, and held her shoulders like she'd never doubted they belonged square.
Rowan sat up.
Just a little.
Remi's eyes scanned the front row, Mr. Laurence clipboard ready. A few student assistants. A scattered group of teachers who'd stopped by to watch. And then the back row.
She knew he was watching her. Somehow.
Remi drew in a breath and began.
The monologue came first. From The Importance of Being Earnest, classic Wilde wit, sharp and dry. Her tone shifted with each line. Sarcastic, then sweet, then sharply clipped.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't desperate.
It was good.
Rowan didn't even realize he'd stopped slouching.
When she moved into her vocal piece the entire auditorium seemed to quiet. Her voice wasn't the biggest in the room, but it was clean. Clear. Controlled. She didn't belt like she was trying to prove something. She delivered.
Even Rowan could admit that.
When she finished, the applause was brief but real.
Remi stepped down, expression calm, maybe a little flushed.
As she exited stage left, her gaze flicked once more to the back row.
This time, she didn't look away.
—
Later that morning, after most of the audition hopefuls had filtered out, the auditorium had mostly emptied. The lights had shifted back to default fluorescents, casting a yellow glow across the scuffed stage and cracked linoleum. The band guys remained behind, per their punishment.
Mr. Laurence had assigned them to prop duty, sorting bins in the offstage hallway. Gareth had already wandered off into the costume closet, probably trying on someone's feather boa. Tristan was stacking boxes marked "barn set" like they were drums.
Rowan stood off to the side, leaned against a storage cabinet with his hands stuffed in his jacket. He looked like he was somewhere between falling asleep and walking out.
Remi came around the corner, her sweater tied loosely around her waist, clutching a glass water bottle that probably cost more than anything Rowan owned. She didn't seem surprised to see him.
He glanced up lazily as she passed, then back down like she wasn't worth a second look.
But she paused anyway.
"You didn't clap," she said.
Rowan looked up again, brows raised.
Remi gestured toward the stage with a nod. "During my song. You didn't clap."
He shrugged, straightening slightly. "Didn't realize it was mandatory."
"It's not. Just... etiquette."
"Didn't realize that was mandatory either."
Remi took a slow sip from her bottle, then tilted her head at him, considering. "You always this charming?"
"Only when I'm bored."
"Guess I should feel honored."
He looked at her,"You were good," he said, deadpan. "I just don't clap on command."
Remi didn't smile, but her mouth twitched slightly like she was holding one back. "Noted."
She turned to walk away, but paused after two steps and glanced back over her shoulder. "So what'd you do?"
Rowan blinked. "What?"
"To end up here. Theater purgatory."
He hesitated. "Let's just say... the bleachers at the football field look better with our logo on 'em."
Remi snorted. "Seriously how did I miss that one?"she asked more to herself.
"Principal says it's vandalism. I say it's branding."
"Sounds like you and Mr. Laurence are gonna have a long semester together."
Rowan pushed off the wall with a small smirk. "I'll try not to get in your way, star student."
"I'm not the star yet," she said, walking backwards now, glass water bottle swinging casually in her hand. "You'll know when I am."
Rowan watched her go without another word.
But his lips twitched, just a little, like maybe he wasn't as bored anymore.















