The Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. A learning facility; a source of education. Ruled over by Barry Litun; where the young students came to fill their uneducated minds with knowledge and to meet and make friends. The most interesting of all these was the teen who became my friend. Laura, a student, she attended movement class. They called her the "Amazing Laurini". And she was the star of movement class. The teen who was my friend....is...gone... I first came to movement class one.... semester.... ago.
It was February, 2002; it was the semester of friendship. I knew nothing of the movement class, Patrick, or Laura. The school had been swept up in a Drama Revolution, and I had signed up for movement to be a part of it. Here dwelled the students of the revolution.... Yes, I had come to live a penniless existence. I had come to write about truth, beauty, freedom, an appetite I believed in, and above all things... love... no, wait, this isn't the real Moulin Rouge (damn, that means no Ewan...)... I meant friendship. There was only one problem: I'd never had a friend.
Luckily, right at that moment, a screaming drama student came flying through the door. She was quickly joined by another student dressed as a clown. She introduced herself as Candace and she apologized for Ashley's screaming and fleeing as she had a fear of clowns. They were in the room rehearsing a play. Something very modern called "Spectacular Spectacular". Unfortunately, Ashley suffered from a sickness called "Clownphobia". Just then, other members of the group peered out of the door and addressed the issue that now that Ashley had fled in fear of a clown, that they had no one to read the part of the young poet. Before I knew it, I was upstairs, standing in for the fear-stricken Ashley.
There seemed to be artistic differences over Sarahs lyrics and Kelsey's song. They all began discussing one line. I had an idea and tried to share it, to no avail. Until I sang out, "The hills are alive, with the sound of music." Ashley overheard this and staggered in the room to announce that she loved it. It fit, so I added on: "With songs they have sung for a thousand years." This left them all astounded, especially Candace. But Candace's suggestion that Sarah and I should write the show together was not what Sarah wanted to hear. So she left.
Candace pulled the group aside and convinced them that with me, they could finally write the play they'd always dreamed of. There was the problem of convincing Penner to allow the play to go on. But Candace had a plan. They would introduce me to Laura, and once she had my modern poetry she would be astounded and insist to Penner that I write "Spectacular Spectacular". The only problem was I kept hearing my father's voice in my head saying that I would waste my life with some guy called `Stay' at Lindsay Thurber.
"I can't write the show for Lindsay Thurber," I exclaimed.
"Why not?" asked Candace.
"I I don't even know if I am a true Drama Revolutionary," I stammered.
They all gasped.
"Do you believe in beauty?" asked Candace.
"Yes."
"Freedom?" asked Ashley.
"Yes, of course."
"Truth?" questioned Kelsey.
"Yes."
"Friendship?" They all asked.
"Friendship?" I repeated. "Friendship.. above all things I believe in friendship. Friends are like oxygen. Friends are a many-splendored thing. All you need are friends!!!"
The revolutionaries were overwhelmed with relief. Candace pulled me into the group.
"See, you can't fool us; you're the voice of the students of the revolution!!!"
It was the perfect plan. I was to meet Laura, and I would taste my first glass of... Vanilla Coke. We were off to the Lindsay Thurber, and I was to finally meet.... Laura.
Once inside, Ashley informed me that we had successfully evaded Litun. From the end of the hall I saw someone and Ashley told me that it was her.. the Amazing Laurini. But someone else was to meet Laura that night, the creepiest boy around... Patrick. Ashley informed me that after her class that I was to have a private meeting with Laura, totally alone.
But Candace had told Patrick the same thing, as Patrick was to fund the play. Through accidental conflicting statements, Laura had mistaken me for the person she was to meet that day. I told her that I was looking forward to the private poetry reading that night. As she was leaving, she was pulled aside by a person from Hunting Hills. But Krystina walked by and gently moved Laura along to her locker. I waited patiently within the drama room for Laura to arrive.
We began having a discussion:
"This is a wonderful place for a poetry reading. Don't you think? Poetic enough for you?" began Laura.
I nodded. "Yes."
She approached a table of refreshments.
"Would you like some Pepsi?" she offered.
"I'd rather just um.. get it over and done with," I replied.
Laura was startled. "Oh. Very well."
I found her to be very odd during our encounter, so I tried to begin reciting my poetry.
"The sky is... the bluebirds... I think..."
But Laura's actions were throwing off my concentration. I turned my back to her in an attempt to regain my focus.
"Is everything all right?" implored Laura.
I turned to face her. "I'm a little nervous. Sometimes it takes some, you know, inspiration," I replied.
This seemed to cue some more strange behavior from Laura. "Yes, I need your poetry now!" she shouted, while bouncing off the walls.
"All right... It's a little bit funny," I started.
"What?" demanded Laura.
"This feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide. Is this... is this ok, is this what you want?" I asked.
Realisation struck Laura's face. "Ooooh. Poetry. Yes, yes, this is what I want," she answered, and began laughing, rolling, and jumping around.
I tried to continue. "I, I don't have much money, but, boy, if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live." Laura continued to be weird. "If I was a sculptor, but then again, no. Or a person who makes potions, in a traveling show...."
Both Laura and myself paused as we heard giggling coming from the pile of rugs in the corner of the room. We approached it and found Candace rolling and screaming.
"Yes, yes! Give me more!!!" When she realised that she had been discovered, she stood up and claimed that she was rehearsing for the play, then immediately raced out the door. I cleared my throat and tried to finish as Laura went back to her antics.
"I know it's not much. But it's the best I can do." And Laura's shouting got louder. So I resorted to one other idea...
"My gift is my song
And this one's for you
And you can tell everybody
That this is your song
It may be quite simple but
Now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words...
How wonderful life is
Now Ewan's in the world...
Sat on the desk
As a soon-to-be grad
Well some of these verses, well they,
They got me quite mad
But the teacher's been kind
While I wrote this song
It's for people like you that
Keep it turned on... (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean)
So excuse me for-getting
But these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green, or blue
And the thing is
What I really need
Ewan is the sweetest guy
I've ever seen
And you can tell everybody
That this is your song
It may be quite simple but
Now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words...
How wonderful life is
Now Ewan is in the world..."
"I can't believe it. I'm a friend of a young, talented Duke," smiled Laura.
"Duke?" I puzzled.
"Not that the title's important."
"I'm not a Duke," I laughed.
Laura froze. "You're not a Duke?" she asked.
"I'm a writer," I corrected.
"A writer?" repeated Laura.
"Yes, a writer," I nodded.
Laura stepped back, shocked. "Oh no!"
"Candace..." I began.
"Candace? You're not another one of Candace oh-so-talented, charmingly Draminian, tragically impoverished prot�g�s?!?" she inquired.
I smiled and nodded. "Well, you might say that, yes..." I admitted.
Laura covered her mouth with her hand. "OH NO!!!" she exclaimed. "You have to get out!!"
As I was about to make a hasty retreat, Patrick was waiting outside the door. I tried to hide and only managed to make it behind a table. Candace introduced Patrick to Laura, and then quickly departed. To keep Patrick from discovering my presence in the room, Laura tried dancing, and seducing Patrick so I could attempt to make my escape. She even resorted to using some of my poetry, with some unnoticed guidance by myself. Just as I was about to slip out the door, someone was waiting outside of it and I slammed the door. Thinking quickly, Laura tried to lure Patrick in by seducing him. Having no way out for myself, Laura bid Patrick farewell and then freaked out on me. But Patrick returned for his hat and became suspicious. Laura introduced me as the writer of the play and that we were undergoing an emergency rehearsal. This was backed up by the appearance of Ashley and the others from the movement class. Candace thought that things were going wrong and rushed to the room. In an attempt to get Patrick lured in, Candace tried to take him away to get paperwork produced and have the play invested in. Patrick wanted to know the story, however.
"It's about friendship," I answered.
"Friendship?" sneered Patrick.
"It's about friendship overcoming all obstacles," I continued.
"And it's set in Switzerland!!" exclaimed Candace.
Patrick looked shocked. "Switzerland?!"
"Exotic Switzerland!!" added Ashley.
I panicked and glanced over the room, spotting a picture of a beaver in the corner of the room. "Canada, Canada... it's set in Canada!!! And there's a student. The most interesting student in all the world... But her city is invaded by an evil Prime Minister. Now in order to save her city, she has to seduce the evil Prime Minister. But, on the night of the seduction, she meets a penniless poe.." Once again I looked over the room, spotting a sheep stuffed animal. I ran and grabbed it. "A penniless sheep farmer for the evil Prime Minister and she becomes friends with her and misses the Prime Minister. She wasn' trying to trick her or anything, but she was dressed as an evil Prime Minister because she's... appearing in a play!!!"
Kelsey leaped forward and snatched the sheep out of my hands. "And I will play the penniless sheep farmer. She'll sing like an angel.... but dance like the devil!!!" she proclaimed.
"Yes, well, what happens next?" asked Patrick.
"Well, the penniless sheep farmer and the student have to hide their friendship from the evil Prime Minister..." I added.
Then, Carly spoke out. "The sheep farmer's sheep is magical, as it can only speak the truth."
"And I will play the magical sheep," announced Candace.
Then our whole group gave the pitch to Patrick, who liked it. We finally had an investor. And the drama students had a show. While the celebration party raged through the school, I tried to write. But all I could think about was her (not in a sick way); was she thinking about me?
I slipped into the drama room while she was there, and I accidentally startled her. "Sorry, I didn't mean, I...I wanted to thank you for helping me get the job," I blurted.
"Oh, of course. Yes, Candace was right; you're very talented. It's going to be a wonderful show. Anyway, I'd better go because we both have a big day tomorrow," said Laura. She began to leave.
"Wait, no please wait. Before, when we were, when you thought I was the investor. You said that we were friends. And I just wondered if..."
"If it was just an act?" she finished.
"Yes."
"Of course."
"It just felt real," I said.
"Stephanie, I'm an actor, I'm paid to make people believe what they want to believe."
"Yes.. silly of me. To think that you could be friends with someone like me."
"I can't be friends with anyone," admitted Laura.
"Can't be friends? But a life without friends, that's terrible."
"No, being on the street. That's terrible," stated Laura.
"No," I argued. "Friends are like oxygen."
"What?"
"Friends are a many-splendored thing
Friends lift us up where we belong
All you need are friends
Please don't start that again
All you need are friends
A girl's got to eat
All you need are friends
Or she'll end up on the street
All you need are friends
Friends are just a joke
I was made for being your friend
And you were made for being mine
The only way of being my friend is
Just to keep away from me
Just one night, give me, just one night..
There's no way cause you're so strange
In the name of friends, one night in the name of friends...
You crazy fool, I won't be friends with you
Don't leave me this way
I can't survive without your friendship, oh Laura
Don't leave me this way
You'd think that people would've had enough of silly friend songs
I look around me and I see, it isn't so Heh heh... no
Some people want to fill the world with silly friend songs
Well what's wrong with that, I'd like to know,
Cause here I go again....
Friends lift us up where we belong
Where eagles fly, on the mountain's high
Friends make us act like we are fools
Throw our lives away for one happy day
We could be heroes Just for one day
You, you will be mean
No, I won't
And I, I'll be strange all the time
We should be friends
We can't do that
We should be friends
And that's a fact
Though nothing... will keep us together
We could still try
Just for one day
We could be heroes
Forever and ever
We could be heroes
Forever and ever
We could be heroes
Just because I..... will always be your friend
I.... can't help being your friend
How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world... "
How wonderful life was, now Laura was in the world.
But in Patrick, Candace had gotten much more than she had bargained for. He demanded the deeds to the Lindsay Thurber, and exclusive rights to Laura. Candace agreed to these terms. Yes, the show would go on, but Laura would not attend the registration that night, or the following night. Instead, she spent time with Ashley, Candace and I as we went over the play.
During practise, Candace would struggle with remembering the line, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to have friends and be a friend in return." For ties that you've made, it was almost too easy for the young writer and lead actress to invent perfectly legitimate reasons to avoid him. But that last time, Laura turned down Patrick's proposal for registration to work on the "most important scene" and we were caught by Ashley. She demanded that Laura go to registration with Patrick to prevent him from leaving. How could I know in those last, short days that a force darker than jealousy, stronger than friendship, and eviler than Patrick had begun to take hold of Laura...
Laura never showed at Hunting's registration, and Candace's brilliant lies had once again averted disaster. But no lie, however brilliant, could save Laura.
"Ashley, Laura is registered for Hunting Hills," reported a student.
"My little Victoria is registered. She must not know Candace. The show must go on," demanded Ashley.
All night the penniless sheep farmer had waited, and now, for the first time, she felt the cold stab of jealousy.
"Where were you last night?" I asked Laura.
She smiled slightly. "I told you, I was sick," she replied.
I walked over to her. "You don't have to lie to me," I told her. She rose.
"We have to end it. Everyone knows, Candace knows. Sooner or later, Patrick will find out, too. On opening night, I have to go to Hunting Hills with Patrick. And the jealousy would drive you mad." She walked to the window. I followed her.
"Then I'll write a song. And we'll put it in the show. And no matter how bad things get, or whatever happens, whenever you hear it, or when you sing it, or whistle it, or hum it, then you'll know what it'll mean. It'll mean that we're friends. I won't get jealous."
Laura glared at me. "Things don't work that way, Stephanie. We have to end it."
I refused to give in, so I wrote our secret song...
"Never knew, I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before.
As I wrote the lyrics like this
Everyday I know you more and more
Listen to my heart
Can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change
From winter to spring (not in Canada)
But you'll be my friend
Until the end of time
Come what may
Come what may
I'll be your friend
Until my dying day.
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around Ewan
And there's no mountain too high
No prairie too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I'll be your friend
Until the end of time
Come what may
Come what may
I'll be your friend
Until my dying day..."
But Becky gave Patrick the truth about what was going on between Laura and me and our friendship. So, he wanted the ending to be changed in the manner that the student would choose the Prime Minister over the penniless sheep farmer. When he asked why this wouldn't happen, my anger welled up and I shouted that she didn't like him. Thankfully, Laura tried to right any wrongs. She agreed to go to Hunting Hills, Patrick's evil origin, and spend some time touring the school with him. Backstage, I pulled Laura aside and told her that I didn't want her to go to Hunting Hills. She whispered to me that I had promised that I wouldn't get jealous. I attempted to convince her to stay, and she merely spoke the words "Come What May".
She had gone to Hunting to save us all. And for our part, we could do nothing... but wait. Having the best timing in the world, Becky leaned on me and taunted me:
"Don't worry Shakespeare. You'll get your ending.... once Patrick and Hunting get their end...ing."
Furious, I shoved her off me. Candace approached me.
"Never become friends with a student from Hunting Hills. It always ends BAD!" She walked to the middle of the gym. "We have a dance.... in the prairies of Alberta... it tells the story of a prositute.... and the man, who falls in love...." I cleared my throat and reminded Candace that this wasn't the real Moulin Rouge. She started it again: "It tells the story of a Hunting Hills student, and the teen who becomes her friend. First, there is recognition. Then, friendship. Then suspicion. Jealousy. Anger. Betrayal. When friendship is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there can be no friendship. Jealousy, yes, jealousy, will drive you..... mad...
Laura... you don't have to go to that dumb school
Walk their dirty hallways; you don't care if it is wrong or right
Laura... you don't have to wear their preppy clothes
Laura... you don't have to become a student of that school."
"Their eyes upon your face
Your body within their walls
You graduate from their school
It's more than I can stand
Why does my heart cry?
Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me
And please, believe me when I say,
You're my friend..."
Meanwhile, inside Hunting Hills...
"When this production succeeds, you'll no longer be a Comp student, but a Hunting Hills one. I will make you.... a star," explained Patrick. He displayed a black box containing the registration papers and Laura gasped in shock. "Accept this gift from this Prime Minister to his student," said Patrick, as he presented Laura with a pen.
"And the ending?" she asked.
"Let Stephanie keep her fairy tale ending.."
"Laura...."
"Why does my heart cry?
Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me
And please believe me when I say,
You're my friend...."
At this point I had reached Hunting Hills and Laura saw me looking up at her and Patrick.
"Come what may, you'll be my friend, until my dying day...."
She stopped herself from signing the papers. "No...."
Patrick scowled when he heard this. "No?? Oh, I see, it's our very own penniless sheep farmer..." Patrick backed Laura into the corner of the room. "You made me believe that you'd register..." he snarled, and then tried to force her to sign.
"Laura....."
"Why does my heart cry?
Feelings I can't fight"
"Laura... you don't have to go to that dumb school
Laura... you don't have to wear that uniform
LAURA..."
As Patrick was about to force her to sign, Stuff entered and knocked Patrick unconscious.
Laura came barging into my "special place" (hehehe) at the school. "I couldn't.. I couldn't go through with it. I saw you there and I felt differently and I couldn't pretend. And Patrick.. he saw, he saw, and he... Steff, you're my best friend," cried Laura, as her tears flowed. I grabbed her shoulders.
"It's ok."
"And I couldn't do it. I didn't want to pretend anymore. I didn't want to lie. I don't... and he knows, he knows, he saw." I looked at her. "It's all right. You don't have to pretend anymore. We'll leave. We'll leave tonight," I said.
"Leave? The show..." mumbled Laura. I shook my head.
"I don't care.. I don't care about the show. We're friends and that's all that matters. Stuff, take Laura to her dressing room and get the things she needs. No one must see you. Do you understand?" I ordered.
"I understand," acknowledged Stuff. I turned back to Laura.
"Laura, you go pack and I'll be waiting."
Back at Hunting, Patrick was speaking with Ashley.
"It's the girl. She has bewitched her with words. I want her back, Ashley, find her. Tell her that the show will end my way. And she will come to Hunting Hills when the curtain falls. Or I'll have the girl killed," growled Patrick.
"Killed?" gulped Ashley, in horror. Patrick smiled.
"Killed."
As Laura hastily gathered her things, Ashley entered the room.
"Forgive the intrusion, Victoria," muttered Ashley.
"You're wasting your time, Ashley," said Laura as she continued packing.
"You don't understand. Patrick is going to kill Stephanie. He's insanely jealous. Unless you do his ending and go to Hunting Hills with him tomorrow night. Patrick will have Steff killed."
Laura turned to face Ashley. "He can't scare us."
"He's a powerful person; you know he can do it."
"Steff's my friend; she's my friend, Ashley. We're going away from you, away from Patrick, away from the Comp!" yelled Laura as she opened the door to leave. "Goodbye, Ashley
"You're registered for Hunting Hills, Laura. You're registered," informed Ashley.
Laura hesitated in the doorway. "Another trick."
"No," denied Ashley.
"Stuff?" questioned Laura. He only looked away. She looked down.
"I'm registered."
"Send Stephanie away. Only you can save her," continued Ashley.
Laura shook her head. "She'll fight for me."
"Yes, unless she believes you're not friends."
"What?"
"Make her believe you're not friends," stated Ashley.
"No."
"Use your talent to save her. Hurt her. Hurt her to save her. There's no other way," ordered Ashley.
So Laura set out that morning to make sacrifice.
When she arrived, I knew right away that something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I'm going to Hunting Hills. After I left you, Patrick came to see me and offered me everything. Everything that I've ever dreamed of. He has one condition; I must never see you again. I'm sorry," she explained. She turned to leave.
"What are you talking about?" I demanded.
"You knew who I was."
"What are you saying? What about last night, what we said?" I asked.
"I don't expect you to understand. The difference between you and I is that you can leave anytime you choose. But Hunting Hills is my home," answered Laura.
"No. There must be something else. This can't be real. There's something the matter. Tell me what it is. Tell me what's wrong. Tell me the truth."
"The truth? The truth is, I am the preppy student, and I choose Hunting Hills High School. That's how the story really ends," finished Laura and she left to Hunting.
Jealousy has driven her mad...
I ran to Hunting's doors and screamed Laura's name, desperate to get her back. Instead, two others grabbed me and punched me in the face and left me in the torrential storm. I was found by Candace and brought back to my place of residence.
"Things aren't what they seem," explained Candace.
"Things are exactly the way they seem," I stated.
"You may just see me as some crazy, energetic girl; but I know about art and friendship, but only because I long for it with every fiber of my being," she said. I remained silent. "She's still your friend, I know it."
"Go away, Candace. Leave me alone," I warned. But she remained next to my bed. "Go away," I repeated. She refused to leave. "GO AWAY!!!!!" I roared. Candace left, hurt by my anger.
I wanted to shut out what Candace had said, but she had me filled with doubt, and there was only one way to be sure. I had to know. So I returned to the Lindsay Thurber, one... last..... time.
I managed to successfully enter the school and get backstage. I happened upon a costume for the play that I used. I worked my way to Laura's dressing room and encountered her. Candace overhead Ashley being told of my potential murder and tried to inform me but she became caught up.
"I've come to say goodbye," I said.
"You shouldn't be here, Steff," replied Laura. She brushed past me on her way out. "Just leave."
I thought that if she'd made me believe that we were friends, that I should pay her in some way. Because, I told her, she'd done her job so very well. I fought off some stupid and weak Hunting students before we both ended up on stage, in front of the audience. I looked at Patrick, letting Laura fall to the ground.
"This student is yours now. I've said goodbye," I said. I looked back at Laura. "I owe you nothing and you are nothing to me... thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with friendship," I cried. And I began to walk away. Ashley tried to comfort her while continuing with the show.
But suddenly, Candace remembered her line and shouted out: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to have friends and be a friend in return." Laura realised this and began to sing the secret song.
"Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
As I wrote the lyrics like this
Everyday I know you more and more
Listen to my heart Can you hear it sing?
Come back to me
And forgive everything
Seasons may change
Winter to spring
But you're my friend
Until the end of time"
I paused in the aisle and turned to face the stage. Then I continued the song.
"Come what may
Come what may
Come what may
Come what may
I'll be your friend
Until my dying day
Come what may
Oh, come what may
I'll be your friend
Until my dying day..."
Infuriated by this turn of events, Patrick left as Laura and I had gotten our ending. We sang, and the play ended the way we had originally planned. The curtain fell and we all rejoiced. But suddenly, Laura began to leave out the door.
"Laura? Laura? What's the matter? Oh my god..." I called.
"I'm sorry Steff. I.. I'm registered fully at Hunting Hills. I'm so sorry," said Laura.
"It'll be all right," I assured.
"I'm scared, I'm scared" whispered Laura.
"You're my best friend," I told her.
She smiled slightly. "You've got to go on, Stephanie."
"I can't go on without you though."
"You've got so much to give. Tell our story, Steff."
I shook my head. "No..." I sobbed.
"Promise me. I'll always be with you..."
Then she slipped out the door. Silence remained except for the sound of my own crying as the audience continued to applaud in front.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months; and then, on not-so-very special day, I went to my typewriter, I sat down, and I wrote our story. A story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people. But above all things, a story about friendship. A friendship that will live forever. The end.
