Chapter 5

Yrene's PoV

"Hello Mr. Drew!"

Barry scowled at me calling him Mr Drew: he hated me calling him that but it was fun to push his buttons sometimes. However, he soon got me back for it,

"Hey yourself, Ms. Jones"

"Hey! You know I don't like it when you call me 'Ms.Jones' it's just eww" I shudder dramatically and scrunch up my nose for added measure.

He raises an eyebrow at me in a questioning manner as if to say 'oh really now?' And I stick my tongue out at him making him laugh.

" I've got to say Yrene, that was one amazing performance, I mean fit enough for Broadway."

" Okay Bear, now you're exaggerating" I give him an "oh, please" look, "it wasn't even that good, I mean I'm pretty average at acting and that was just average too."

"Oh really? And who has put that idea into your mind? Hopefully not Ross, because then I'm going to have to scold him next time I see him in class and that is tiring. The man literally has an answer for everything!"

It was true, my brother could be like that sometimes.. scratch that; most of the times.

I guessed that Barry knew the real reason as to why I was feeling this way and just wanted to lighten the mood. But I told him anyways considering that the damper had already been put on,

"It wasn't Ross and you know it."

"Who was it then?"

"No one really." I look everywhere but directly into his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay, "Just the fact that my parents opted to go for a fashion gala rather than see me onstage says it all and that too in all caps, 'YOU ARE NO GOOD AT ANYTHING YRENE JONES'."

"Hey Yr you know that's not true" he tries to coo me but it doesn't work that way and he knows it. Yet he tries his best to make me get rid of my pathetic self pity.

For the record only my brothers and best friends are allowed to call me Nene or Yr, it's Yrene for everyone else, even my parents and if that isn't something to tell you about my relationship with my parents and Barry then I don't know what is.

"They're just really busy people Yr, but they love you, always have and always will. And forget that, look," he gestures to my family and friends, "everyone else is here to support you. Look even I'm here and you know my views on school functions." He makes a horrified face and I am forced to laugh.

"It was a classic Shakespeare, Bear and you helped direct it too, being the English Teacher and all. You had to be here. And if you weren't you know I would've killed you right?"

"I am very well aware of your wrath Faerie Queen" he pretends to bow, in an attempt to reenact a scene from the play.

"You know you're my favourite Bear right?"

"Damn man! I thought that was Winnie the Pooh."

"No you're my Care Bear hence, you're my favourite bear," I say matter of factly.

"And you're my hmmmmmm......" He pretends to think, rubbing his chin when I lifted my arm pretending to be about to smack him but before I could he continued,

"My favourite student and quite honestly the best actress I know" before I can reply with a smart-ass remark to his cheesy comment I see someone walking towards us.

Dear God, bless my soul, it happened to be his brother.

Before he stands by us Barry whispers,

" Not him again! Please no! I don't wanna be associated with this jerk!"

I smack his arm and tell him to not say stuff like this about his baby brother to which he replies,

" baby my as....ssshhh tray?" He smiles awkwardly and artificially as if he just remembered he wasn't supposed to say 'ass' in front of me making me shake my head at his actions.

Young Mr Drew approaches us and to my utter astonishment speaks directly to me rather than his brother,

"Ah Titania," he gives me a full blown smile," oh my bad, Ms Jones," he attempts to correct his purposeful error, " the performance was phenomenal if I'm being honest."

I turned a bright shade of beetroot at him mentioning our previous meeting and consequently my blunder of referring to myself as Titania but am pleased to hear him praise my acting; I mumble an incoherent thank you.

Soon enough his scent of clean male, aftershave and musky cologne begins to intoxicate me once more but before my thoughts can wander into uncharted territory I see something glint on his left hand.

It wouldn't have taken a genius to know what it was; a ring. On his left ring finger. He was engaged. Or married.