chapter one
new romantics !

      WELCOME TO YOUR PERSONAL HELL, southwest of the golden city, side by side your not-so-typical schools in San Francisco, California. In where smarties, skids, preppies, granolas, loners, lovers, the in and the out crowd coexist in the same place.

Leah Bennet hurried through the soon to not be so empty halls, reading for the hundredth time the script in her hands, sighing as she waited for the chaos to unfold, she gazed at the clock on the wall, one, two, three; and there it was. 

The bells rang, doors flew open, the loud conversations echoed around the building, friends and lovers reunited, gossip spilled after hours of waiting.

"Hey, watch it!" Leah quickly reacted before being crushed by a snogging couple, her eyes widened as she watched them throw against the lockers, eating each other's mouths like there was no tomorrow. And she thought love was dying.

Her script was snapped from her hands, "Really, Leah?" Bleu shook her head examining the pages, smirking at her anxious friend. "Just relax, you have this shit memorised for weeks now."

"Well it doesn't matter, I could have developed some kind of short-term Alzheimer's overnight and forgotten all my lines and not get Helena, then I will get depressed since I would just be a fucking tree at the end of the scene who just shakes her hands, my will to live would decrease radically and I will probably jump off the window, so yeah Bleu, I will just relax, thank you."

"God," The girl blinked at Leah, as she pushed the doors of Macbeth hall, "You need help, dear."

Avery's head shot up from their notes, sighing in relief, "Where the hell were you?" She whispered to the girls as they descended the stairs, "I have been here surrendered by idiots for an hour!"

Leah took a deep breath as her eyes scanned the auditorium, the place divided, the same hostile air as two weeks prior, there was no way this could be a good idea. It was rare to see all of them united in the same place without fighting, the principals were sitting on a table in front of the stage, whispering between the two as they glared at their students before they could have the opportunity to start a riot.

"My aunt is going crazy, I don't understand why would she puts as all in this torture." Avery left a scoffed, "I should have listened to my mother when she suggested getting her into an asylum."

"I really don't see how this could turn out to be a benefit for the school's relationships, it will probably end in a massacre," Bleu whispered as the East High students shuffled some laughter as they watched the OPAS students as they practised for the auditions.

"Where's Nate?" The two girls turned to Leah, who had taken the opportunity to steal back her script and start reading it again, too busy and unbothered with the conversation. She couldn't care less right now about the EA students, they were a problem for the future Leah.

Avery deadpanned the brunette, shaking her head "Backstage."

"Thanks." She smiled, her embroidered converse hurried through the room trying to ignore the starings of the students around her but failed miserably, her eyes locked with a glare she knew too well.

Lavina Alcott, the queen bee of East High, the cheerleader captain, the envy of many, with her charming smirk and looks, having everyone around her finger. Her cheerleader uniform still on after the practice, Leah couldn't understand how she could look so good, intact after doing exercise, couldn't be her.

Paloma Cato, her dearest friend, by her side. You see, you would never see them without each other, two peas in a pod. Leah would be lying if she didn't feel intimidated by them, they were so perfect in a way that you only see in a movie, but this was real life and she didn't know how the hell they occurred to be breathing the same air as her.

The brunette swallowed, sending a small smile and wave to the pair, who shared a look before continuing with their conversation. 

'Did you just wave at them?' Leah thought, closing her eyes, she must always find a way to embarrass herself.

The voice of an angel fulfilling the quietness behind the scene, Leah couldn't help but smile softly as the high notes reached her ears. Cosette was truly magnificent, leaving everyone speechless and in awe, no one was safe from her voice, not even the boy by the side wing, his eyes softened as he watched the light illuminating the girl, his football jacket shielding him from his beating heart.

"How is my little star doing?" A pair of arms hugged her from behind, calming the girl completely. 

"Never better."

The boy raised his eyebrows knowing too well she was lying, instead of pressing her knowing he would only worsen her stage, he gave her arm a big squeeze, kissing her forehead. "Want to practise?"

Leah nodded, as she opened her pages, she could hear the auditions going on on the stage, "What character were you auditioning for?"

"Lysander."

"Lysander?" she asked with a little laugh, making Nate gasp pressing his hand to his heart acting deadly offended.

"You really don't think I have the charm to be the infamous Lysander? You are breaking my heart little Leah."

The girl rolled her eyes, as he shook his head. "Act three, Scene II?"

He hummed in agreement, clearing his throat he started reading his lines. The time passed as they practised, names being called, the same lines dropped in the air, the crowd dissolving into the late afternoon of october.

"Nathan Caraway!"

Their heads shoot up hearing Avery's both rumbling through the hall, Nate wink at her as they both whisper to each other "In bocca al lupo."

She watched him go to the stage, their little good luck quote filling her mind, her eyes darted to the wall, where Elyas was leaning on the wall, their arms crossed, his attention on the now separated pair, noticing Leah's gaze, he raised his chin making the girl smile at them.

"Primadonna!"

"Oh hell no," Leah closed her eyes, her smile fading as she heard his steps coming forward, she shook her head as she glared at the boy behind her "I can't deal with you right now Holden, so why don't you just go and annoy someone else."

"Love you too, Bennet." Holden smiled down at the annoyed girl in front of her.

"What do you want?"

"Just talk to you, primadonna," he smirked, loving how she rolled her eyes at his words, "If you give me the privilege of course."

"I forgot how insufferable you were."

"Insufferable but charming."

"Just insufferable," Leah whispered, hoping for her name to be called and end this nightmare. She would curse until her dying days, the day Lorenzo, her brother, decided to befriend the new neighbour making her life of endless torture.

"I guess you are going to Helena," Holden continued ignoring her reply, "Wouldn't you love to have boys pinning over you?"

"Oh shut it," Leah scoff, offended by the insinuation, but yeah, he might have been a bit right. But she put a smile on her face looking up at him, "I hope you auditioned for Pyramus."

"And why is that?" Holden asked his face closer to her, "Is he one of the lucky boys pinning after you?"

"No, he stabs himself." her smile reaching her eyes, the boy's mouth opened to speak but he was cut.

"Leah Bennet!" Save by the bell, she thought, taking a deep breath before leaving the annoying boy behind her.

The girl could hear her heartbeats, louder and louder, plugging her ears. She didn't know why she was so anxious about it. She has always got the part she wanted, after all, she was born to be some character, but this time, it meant something much more, and more people were auditioning for Helena, making the chances lower. She needed to be perfect.

She smiled at the director's table, recognising every single soul, all of them smiling back again. Frances took the microphone, winking at her "Whenever you are ready, Leah."

Her eyes darted to Avery and Bleu, side by side, who were giving her a thumbs up. Leah could feel her anxiety going away as she cleared her throat. Feeling back alive as the spotlight lighted her soul, she was born to be here, to perform. 

⭒

The strings burned his fingers tips, the music building as his fingers moved echoing through the room, too focused on the guitar to notice the girl standing by the door, smiling at him.

Leah watched his movements, there was something hypnotising about Levon when he played the guitar, he literally put his soul into each song he was playing, and this one wasn't the exception. She truly believed notes flew through the boy's veins, feeding and keeping him alive.

"I like this new sound." the brunette confessed as Lev hit the last chord of the song, his head shot up, a small smirk growing on his face as he spotted her.

"Consider yourself a lucky girl, Bennet," Levon smirked, putting the pick between his teeth, leaving the guitar on the rack. "You are the first one to hear this new song, anyways what are you doing here I thought you had cheerleader practice?"

"Do not remind me," Leah cried, leaving her backpack on the floor. "Tomorrow is my first day, and probably my last since I will die trying."

Lev chuckled as he sat next to her, leaning his head against the wall, "I didn't know Cornelia Bennet was a quitter." the boy raised his eyebrows at her, surprised by not getting nudged or receiving that glare of hers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Sure." he whistled, letting her a few seconds before she vented, he was used to it by now.

"The cast list it out today."

"Oh," Lev frowned, confused, "Scared you might not get Helena?"

"Terrified," she whispered, Leah hated feeling like this waiting for the bomb to explode, it have been a week since the auditions and this feeling has been following like a shadow.

Lev hugged the girl with his arm as she rested her head on his shoulder, comforting her with warmth. The boy has become a safe space for her these past years, a brother from another mother ( don't tell Lorenzo or he would probably make a scandal about her little sister not loving him, which was a lie, she loved him truly but sometimes he wouldn't understand )

"Well, if someone else gets it, we can always push her down the stairs and you'll get the part."

At this Leah snorted, shaking her head, "You're mad."

"The best people are," he smirked down, watching as she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly the door opened, catching the attention of the pair, the loudness conquering the silence, the chaos invading the place.

"The list is out!"

Leah's heart fell 'shit', she took a deep breath before going out of the room, followed by the boy.

The pink paper glued on the wall, the crowd making it impossible to see, different emotions filled the hallway, happy and sad tears spilled, friends, hugging each other. Leah excused herself as she pushed herself through the crowd.

"Mate, I got Oberon" A boy with wet hair, tanned skin, with freckles across his face frowned at his friend, "Who the fuck is Oberon?"

There was so much chaos and people surrendered Leah that she felt drowned, swimming to get to the shore, she noticed a hand squeezing hers, as she stood in front of the pink paper, her eyes slowly reading the words, her heartbeat growing faster with each letter.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT DREAMS
( directed by Avery Ashford )

Cast list

Helena . . . . . . . . . . LEAH BENNET
Lysander . . .NATHAN CARRAWAY
Demetrius . . . . HOLDEN EDGLEY
Hermia . . . . . . . . LAVINA ALCOTT
Puck . . . . . .  LEVON WOOLRIDGE
Egeus . . . . . . . . . . . . EVERETT FOX
Oberon . . . . . . . HARUTO FUJIOKA
Titania . . . . . . . . COSETTE GRIMES
Hippolyta . . . . . . . . . PALOMA CATO
Nick Bottom . . . . . .  JACK HARGER
Francis Flute . . . . .  RISHI DHAWAN
Cobwed . . . . . .  CANDELA ARCHER
Peaseblossom . . . LUNA CROMWELL

&&

Stage manager . . . BLEU LENNON
Choreographer . . . . . .  ELYAS LEE
Media manager . . .   PETRA DUNN
Sound Designer . . . HANIYA ARAZI
Lighting Designer . . . . . CELIA HAN

rest will be assigned at the first meeting
( 12th of october at 5pm in Macbeth's Hall )

The words sunk into Leah's brain as a small smile formed on her lips, the feeling invading her body, this was the beginning of something big. 

small note from pheebs ! ✧.*˚࿐
─────🫀 Hi, loves! Well, here it is the first chapter of Midsummer dreams, I really hope you enjoyed it <3 And please put your seatbelt on 'cause this is going to be a long ride!

For the cast; I have tried my best in including everyone, there will be more scenes and appearances that I have already planned so expect more from yours oc's! This is also a reminder for getting your opinions asap, please I have given so much time and there are missing, they are very important and I need them, if I don't receive them, they will appear less in the story since their interactions with other oc's are based on their opinions, so please hand them in as soon as you can, thank you <3