BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH

3 MARCH, WEDNESDAY, MORNING

The time between us reaching the backstage of the assembly hall, to the time it took for the students, VIPs, members of the press, and Winderhill's community to stream into the hall felt like an eternity, and then all too soon, Jules and Ramona were up to stage greeting everyone with their usual easy banter. Okay, focus Sam. Remember what Harvey said - I was performing for the audience... and a brand new flip knife, but mostly for the audience. I was going to make sure they had a good time today - even if it were just for a few laughs, maybe they might leave thinking, "That was fun."

The play was only like 45 minutes long, but it had taken so much preparation and practice to get to this 45 minutes, and it would be all over. Unlike real theater plays like the kind in King's Theater, this show was opening and closing all in one hour, and no matter what happened, that would be it.

"Woah... look at the crowd." EJ peeked out from the corner of the heavy curtains. He wasn't supposed to. Mr Devon had said it was unprofessional to have eyes constantly peeking out at the audience and sternly forbade it, but EJ wasn't the kind who would remember rules like that.

"It's really a full house today." Fluffy smiled as he took a look too, but in Fluffy's case, I think he was purposely breaking the rules. But ignoring the rule-breaking, the actual VIPs, Press, and Community weren't too many. They only took a quarter of the hall, in comfortably spaced chairs. The rest of the school was cramped all the way to the back of the hall, and the teachers and student counselors had to stand along the sides - either to usher our guests in or to prevent their escape. It's hard to tell which because they formed such a tightly knit net around the audience.

"Samantha? Is Samantha here?" Mr D hurried to our wing with Henry and Jasmine behind him.

Of course, I was here. This was my starting position. Fluffy took a half step to close the gap between us, and body shield EJ so the redhead would have time to drop the curtain back in place and turn without Mr D noticing. So now I knew the body shield had many purposes, and it wasn't just used to shield their alpha from prying eyes.

"Come quick. Madam Silvia and Madam Principal would like to meet you before we begin." Mr D said.

Okay... I joined Henry and Jasmine, Fluffy at heel.

"No, Alaric, I don't need you to come." Mr D said.

Fluffy smiled, "But sir, I'm her bodyguard."

But Mr D had already hurried ahead so he didn't hear him.

{But mostly, I'm curious to see two scary women together.} Fluffy added in my head so I had to hear him. I couldn't turn off the mindlink either because I would probably forget to turn it on later, and if I missed my cue because of that, Henry would have a fit and I would be able to kiss my flip knife goodbye.

Flashback to kiss... NO! Not that kind of kiss!

"Nervous?" Henry smirked at my flaring hair.

"No!" I snapped.

"A little." Jasmine admitted, and then she quickly forced a small laugh, "Although I'm only playing a little role..."

"Just imagine the audience naked and it'll be fine." Fluffy advised from my side.

"How would that make anything fine?" I flared again.

Jasmine laughed and Henry actually chuckled.

"Quiet!" Mr D hissed at us. We had left backstage, completely costumed and made up, and were now just behind the side entrance to the hall, "There are cameras behind his door, please be mindful that your behavior represents Winderhill's theater club."

Which, may I point out, none of us belonged to.

Unfortunately, Madam Silvia and Madam Principal were just at this point welcoming Alpha Gunter's arrival. He was his usual old-fashioned gentleman charm, gallantly kissing each lady on their proffered hand and smoothly complimenting them so they laughed in unabashed delight. Be careful ladies, that guy was a cunning old Tyger like the Great Teacher was probably so old, his contemporaries were geographical formations.

Anyway, we were forced to wait our turn to interact with Madam Silvia and Madam Principal because this was how they would naturally be close to their students even if the camera wasn't around. I decided to take the chance to look around at our audience.

Somewhere in the middle of the hall, in the aisle between all the students, another reporter or someone was reporting to a cameraman, mic and all. One of our teachers stood close to watch the reporting unfold. I think she was the one in charge of the library club and school hosts. When the reporter finished whatever she was saying, she made a sweeping motion toward the school audience, the cameraman obligingly panned the camera around. Our students started waving and hooting from their seats. And then the teacher pushed Ramona forward as if she were a random student for the reporter to interview in front of the whole school. This was when I noticed that there was a short line of students at the ready to be pushed forward to field questions on demand. This teacher had come prepared with proper media ammunition.

Our turn! Mr D shooed the three of us forward and Madam Silvia and Madam Principal turned towards us looking very much surprised and pleased by our appearance. I saw Mum and Dad seated just to the right and snuck them a small wave. Mum leaned her head on Dad's shoulder and smiled and waved back to me. Heehee... that was cute, but they better not PDA in my school assembly, or I would seriously chi-ka-boom.

"My dears!" Madam Principal stretched out her arms as if she was going to hug us, but this wasn't the first time we had experienced our Principal's public affection, so Henry and I took it quite calmly. Jasmine, on the other hand, looked rather shocked.

Madam Silvia suddenly remembered how wonderful we were and had to gush to Madam Principal about the talent in her school and the pleasure she had serving the students at Winderhill. Madam Principal was pleased as punch, okay, her exact words were, "Oh, you're too kind!" Anyway, she looked pleased as punch and just had to thank Madam Silvia for making the time to groom her beloved students. Madam Silvia modestly demurred that talent like ours was her honor and privilege to work with. She also pointed out how we had such humble attitudes and it was refreshing to work with such down-to-earth and dedicated actors.

In every way, she sounded like she was praising us and I didn't exactly sense a lie, but I didn't feel praised. I didn't think her description would realistically stick on Mr Bossypants Moneybags Henry who was currently smirking next to me either, but whatever. Maybe they'll just edit out the obviously fake bits later. Anyway, the reporter wanted to ask Jasmine, the student playwright, about her feelings about her first play. Jasmine managed a very breathy, "I'm so excited, like eeek, and hi mum. hi fam. hi everyone. eeeek. I... it... I hope you like it."

And then she ended with a shoulder shrug and silent eek.

Henry took the next question better. He talked about how his parents had been faithful patrons of the arts and had brought him to the theater often as a pup. It was an eye-opening experience to find himself on the other side of the curtain. Wow. If I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken Henry for a well-brought-up gentleman and excellent young alpha. The reporter certainly looked charmed.

And then I panicked because, by simple elimination, I was quite sure I would be next, and there was NO WAY I would have anything smart like Henry to say.

"Alpha Princess! Oh!" The lady reporter took a deep breath the moment she neared, "Wow."

Eh? I blinked. What kind of question was that?

"Oh, sorry." The lady reporter cast a quick apologetic look at the camera and the other people around us, "I didn't expect this."

And then she slapped her hand over her mouth, "She's so cute."

WTH? Was she trying to pick a fight?

"I mean... " The reporter fumbled.

Madam Principal gave her a knowing smile, "Yes, the Alpha Princess has quite a charismatic presence. Even at such a young age, her alpha wolf takes after her father."

Which I quite like the sound of.

"Except she's cute." Henry had to smirk. The guy had a death wish, but it only make the ladies around us laugh at the charming young alpha with a sense of humor. Grrr... I hated Henry's public image.

"I'm just stating the obvious." Henry shrugged at me.

I was just about to flare up and punch that stupid public image out of my good friend's face (Trust me, he'd thank me one day), when suddenly my wolf leaped within me, {Mate! ~ ❤️ }

Flashback to kiss. NO!

Oh no! Hide me!

"Oh, the Young Alpha Lorent! I was beginning to think you might not be able to make it, what with your upcoming Investiture Ceremony, congratulations in advance by the way!" Madam Principal exclaimed warmly.

Now here's another guy with a slappable PR face, but only because it was that beautiful. The female reporter was about to swoon on the sideline now, but Bell seemed well acquainted with swooning women and completely ignored her. Instead, he smiled, in all his Lorent Prince beauty, light grey sharp suit complete with dapper jacket, and arm in blinding white sling, "I thank you, Madam Principal. But today, I'm here only to support my princess' production."

I didn't need your support, Dumbbell! Just go home, already! Wait, why do you have flowers?

By now, he was standing right next to me, smelling like the most delicious thing in the world - which normally, I would subscribe to being chocolate, but suddenly it seemed I had only thought it was chocolate because I had never tasted the right salted caramel. I tried very hard to not make eye contact with Bell. This would be a very bad time to accidentally kiss.

Scratch that. Just kill me. On the bright side, I was too mortified to flashback to anything. The most embarrassing moments always required one to be firmly planted in place to receive its full blast of mortification.

"Why so shy today, Princess?" Bell murmured to me. He proffered the bouquet of white roses towards me, "It's in advance. I didn't expect to see you before the show."

I took it mostly by reflex. Now that his good hand was free, he rested it lightly on the small of my back, and then leaned forward, but only briefly like he usually did, as if just to breathe closer to me for a second. Then the pulled away, brought a lock of my hair to his lips, and kissed that.

I physically turned my head so I wouldn't see his stupid mouth. Because now I knew what that mouth felt like against mine. OMG. Just kill me already! WTH! Why was I acting like such a fool?

And then like how Bell always did, he easily slipped away from me, greeting Henry warming with mutual pats on the arm since his shaking hand was now pretending to be out of order, "Break a leg, Hen."

"What, no flowers?" Henry chuckled, rather pleased.

Stupid bromance between alphas.

Madam Silvia tried to take the opportunity to tell Bell how she remembered him from his high school days.

"As I you, Madam." Bell assured her. The fact that he could not say her name did nothing to dampen her joy at reuniting with a former student.

But Bell was too high up in the hierarchy to hang out with us any further, so he excused himself politely to join my parents and the other alphas in the VIP section of the audience.

"Oh my, did you get all that?" The reporter asked her cameraman. And then because she was a professional, she plastered on a smile, "You're looking very beautiful today, Alpha Princess. I'm told you're playing the female lead, Bulliet. Can you share a few words about your experience working under Madam Silvia's guidance?"

Suddenly, I recognized the lady reporter from LyNCh, she was the one who covered the fight at Gate City Hospital from the second floor - you know, the one that the Morning Light goons and Night Leaf guys got into after the bake sale. Sarah McKnightly, McKitely, McKeighly....or something.

"Hi Sarah." I decided to forgive her for splashing our fight all over the LNC and getting us in trouble. I guess she was just doing her job.

"Oh, you know my name?" Sarah gasped.

I grinned, "I watch the news too."

"Oh." She said as if just realizing I had access to a TV. I was beginning to see why she had to be stuck reporting on things like hospital bake sales and high school plays... I think she was weak to alpha wolves.

"About your question." I told her, "I had fun. And I hope everyone has fun watching it. That's all."

I mean, they couldn't possibly expect me to gush about how wonderful Madam Silvia was right? I'll leave that kind of thing to dear Mr D. Give him more screen time.

"Well, my dears, we better not hold you up. I believe we should start soon." Madam Principal prompted so that Mr D would jump into action and shepherd us backstage again. Fluffy took the flowers from me. Was that a bodyguard's job too? To help me carry flowers?

The curtain hadn't even come up, and I don't really know what exactly I just took part in, but that pretty much sucked out all the thespian within me. My mind was left feeling like a hurricane just swept it clean.