"ONE MORE TIME, GUYS! COME ON! For the sake of theatre and the redemption of our batch," a 15-year-old Noelle cries out to her 10th grader cast in attempts of going through one more run through of what used to be their small classroom skit.

"Oh, come on, Noelle! Another one? We're exhausted!" whines the teenage boy in a priestly outfit. "And hello? Our costumes are SO iffy! You're lucky all you're wearing is that Filipinana, Josephine Bracken."

"It's only been an hour and 30 minutes since we started rehearsing, guys. You don't know tired and iffy if you haven't spent more than 8 hours singing and dancing in an 1800's American dre-"

"Yeah, we get it. You're a theatre kid but we aren't, Nowh!" speaks the most silent member of their cast which just happens to be Jose Rizal himself and he also doubles as Noelle's close guy friend.

"Listen up, Miggy. We literally have two weeks to perfect this and jus in case you haven't noticed, this is far from perfect! This isn't just a classroom skit anymore, Migs! My name is on the line here-"

Miggy stands from the squatting position that he was and screams louder than anyone has ever heard him scream before, "So the truth comes out! This isn't even about the 'redemption of the 10th graders'! This is about you! Well, we really are not willing to exhaust our asses off just for your glory! Selfish bitch!"

Everyone in the theatre was silent as they felt the tension between the two leads. The atmosphere was clouded with so much anger and Noelle's eyes were burning holes through Miggy's face. The two seemed to be in this staring contest and no one was willing to back down. Both were undaunted. Both were stubborn.

"You know what? You want me to be a selfish bitch? Fine! Good luck redeeming yourselves from that stupid vodka scandal ya'll decided to pull because I'm out of here! Find another Josephine Bracken, another director too!" Noelle shouted and started to leave the stage.

She stomped her way to the stage right door but then turned her back and yanked each and every script that was present in the room, "And don't you dare use my script! Not my script, not my blockings, not my ground plan, NOTHING! If you dare do so, I will report you for plagiarizing!"

As Noelle walked out of the theatre's doors, every teen started whispering and stared at Miggy just standing in the middle of the stage realizing the big mistake he just made.

Three days later and pissed did not begin to describe Noelle's state of mind. She was insulted and betrayed and so many other things. All she was trying to do was redeem her class's name but what do their ungrateful selves do? Call her selfish. She thought this was their big break as a class, their one chance to be known for something other than mischief! That's why she worked so hard on the play.

Deep in thought, Noelle didn't even notice her brother calling on her cellphone. She only snapped out of her reverie when her phone rang for the 5th time.

"Hey, Kuya."

"Kikay, you sound down. What's going on?" Amir asks worriedly all the way from New York.

"Well," she breathed, "Remember the play I was gonna stage with my batch mates?"

"Yeah, I do. What about it?"

"I just quit it, Kuya," and she said that, a lonesome tear rolled down her cheek. She was quick to wipe it away not failing to remember that she was in the cafeteria.

"Noelle, why? You poured your heart and soul into that play! What happened?" he queries worriedly.

Noelle made that bratty grunt sound she would make whenever something frustrated her, "Kuya, they don't see that! They think I'm doing this to gain glory for myself and it's so nakakainis that Miggy was the one that said it!"

Amir couldn't help but chortle, "Oh, young love. You're hurt that your little twink of a first love insulted you?"

"Kuya!"

"What? It's true!"

"No, it- Well, yeah but that totally isn't the reason I quitted on those ungrateful butts!"

"Listen, Kikay. If you think quitting the play you worked so hard for is a good idea then who am I to stop you? But you know, I don't think you're selfish, Noelle. Just let off some steam, okay?"

"Yes, Kuya. Bye, study hard. I love you."

"Bye, Kikay. I love you too."

Noelle got up from where she was sitting and started to the main gate where she was planning to wait for her mother to pick her up. She kept her eyes straight as she passed the theatre where she knew her classmates were currently practicing. No more help from this Madrid, she thought to herself. But as she was just about to make it past the threshold of the theatre when the big door opened and hit her right across the face, making her fall flat on her butt.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I am so sorry!" panics the young man known as Miggy the jerk. Well, to Noelle at least. He offered his hand for her to gain assistance in standing up.

She looked up and harshly swatted away his hand and got up all by herself, "Boy, you SHOULD be sorry!"

"I have a feeling that meant more than this accident," he muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Idiot," Noelle whispered and started to walk away. Miggy's instinct was quick and he grabbed her hand as gently as he could, slightly tugging.

"Nowh-"

"Let me go!"

"Hey, look," he did what he always did to her when she was "being his favorite brat" and grabbed her by the face and squished her cheek to face him, "I was wrong-"

"Hell yes, you were!" she snapped.

"Let me finish, Nowh!" he snapped back which sent Noelle silent, "Okay so uhh, it was wrong of me to humiliate you like that. I'm sorry for calling you a selfish bitch when I know you really were just doing it for us. You probably think I'm a jerk now, don't you?"

"And an asshole and a whiny butt and a waste of oxygen."

"Ouch, Nowh! I thought we were friends!" he fakes a heartache.

"I thought so too but hey, who would wanna be friends with a selfish bitch who wants glory for herself, right?" Noelle spat, oozing with venom.

"Noelle, I'm sorry, okay? I was just really tired when I said that. I didn't mean it, Sparrow," Noelle rolled her eyes knowing full well she already forgave him. How could she not when his meaningful little endearment literally hung on her neck, sitting right on top of her collarbone.

"Fine, I forgive you. I'm sorry for going off on you as well," she smirked and stared as Miggy waited for her to return the endearment, "Sparrow."

Miggy almost literally jumped on her, making her heart beat a little faster than usual. She hugged him back and broke away quickly. Noelle instinctively fiddled with the sparrow necklace he gave her a few years back for her birthday.

"So what do you say, Nowh? You wanna come back and be my Josephine Bracken again? Pretty please, miss director slash playwright slash literally every technical member of this small production?"

"Wait a minute, I said I forgave you but I didn't say I'd do the play again," she teased still fiddling with the necklace.

"Come on, Nowh! Please? We're a mess without you! And besides, no one can nail the waltzing-Josephine-and-Jose-falls-in-love-without-dialogue-but-interpreted-as-a-dance scene better than we do," he winks at her.

She looked at him with a straight face, using every acting capability she had in her body to not show any emotion. She took her phone out and dialed her mother's number.

"Ma, I'm gonna stay late today. You can pick me up at 6:30 or 7:00," and she dropped the call.

Performance day came quicker than anyone anticipated and boy, was the cast jittery.

"Hey, guys, company call please," Noelle calls backstage and huddles with her classmates. "No matter what, I'm already so proud of you all. We can do this, alright? This has been our baby for months now. There is no way we can mess it up."

All their hands were dumped into a pile with Miggy's hand right bellow Noelle's.

"Kaya on three," she instructs and at the count of three, a chorus of the very same room echoed the backstage.

Scenes come and go and it's nearly time for Noelle to make her entrance. She stood on the right wing of the stage while she hoped Miggy was in his place on the left. Noelle tapped her hands against her face.

"Just play, just play," she whispers and closes her eyes.

She made her entrance and excellently exchanged her few lines with Miggy before the tech team played the music and they started to execute the infamous waltz scene. They started to waltz, her hand in his, and as they stared into each other's eyes, the audience disappeared and it was just the two of them. Miggy span her and kneeled in front of her as choreographed and as she gasped and was about to twirl one more time, holding his hand, Miggy did something that was not choreographed AT ALL. So spontaneous!

He kissed her.

Noelle almost gasped but stayed in character er and continued on with the play like the professional that she dreamed to be. Professionalism, Noelle, stay in character.

After the play, the cast spoke nothing about that spontaneous kiss. The audience, of course, thought it was part of it but the cast knew otherwise. As they cleaned up the dressing rooms, Noelle gathered up her courage to talk to Miggy about the little stunt he pulled onstage.

She barged into his dressing room and locked the door.

Miggy turned to look at her and smiled, "Good job tonight, Miss Noelle. Mind-blowing performance as always."

She smiled slightly, "You too, Migs."

"Now, when I hear the name Josephine Bracken, all I'll ever remember is you," he chortled as he stuffed his costume into his bag.

"Migs, can we please talk seriously for once?" she started.

"What? You think I'm kidding? Nah, man!"

"Miggy, you know what I'm talking about."

He let out an agitated snicker and faced her, "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Nowh."

"Why did you kiss me out there, Migs? That was not part of the choreography."

"I-I don't know! I was... I'm.. I was just in character, yeah, that's right. I internalized like you told me to and yeah, that's it."

"Don't lie to me, Juancho Miguel," she glared at him, secretly anxious.

There was an eerie silence that lasted a few beats.

"It's because you're my sparrow," he spoke.

"Migs, I don't understand you."

"I-I don't... I'm not sure if it's true but when I was really young, my grandma told me that sparrows symbolize... they mean... people that you cherish."

Noelle smiled, "Well of course you cherish me, I'm your best friend!"

"Are you really friend zoning me right now, Sparrow?" he laughs bitterly.

Noelle realizes her mistake and her eyes widen as she also realizes what Miggy meant. She grabbed his hand and held it tight.

"NO! Oh my gosh, Miggy. No, I'm not putting you in the friendzone, sparrow."

"So..."

"Yeah, I kinda, well not kinda, love you too," she smiles.

Miggy pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Your dad's gonna kill me," he laughed.

"I won't let him, Sparrow. Never."

--------------------------

Yes, Noelle is a thespian if that's not emphasized enough in the past one shots. Also, if you couldn't already tell: I'm a thespian too HAHA! I live and breathe for theatre, my dudes.

Comment, vote and leave a suggestion. Love lots!