Chapter Text
The day Mrs. Wathesbe died was sad for all of us. After watching twelve groups of actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and artists pass through the halls of our highschool and graduate, she had become someone we all looked up to, always sitting front row, all the way on the left, watching, visiting and sitting in on band, art, and choir classes. We all felt the loss of an enthusiastic lady. Lined up, dressed in black, our drama troup acted out her favorite scene from The Tempest at the visitation. Art students drew flower arrangements, the band and choir provided the music for her funeral, everyone missed her. Not only being a loved person, she was our biggest benifactor and we all prepared to downsize and go back to rely on the few supporters that didn't care for our athletics program.
Our directors all were invited to the reading of Mrs. Wathesbe's will, which was an enigma to all of us. We all sat around, seniors deviding up the students and putting them into rehearsal so that no time or ground was lost. The drama troupe ran through the difficult number from the musical, stepping and singing with all they could; Band members who weren't in drama tuned and practiced for the spring concert; and all the other choir students sang; everyone waited anxiously for word from our directors.
Finally, Gwen's phone rang. Drama's director, Mrs. Rondeau was calling with word from the meeting for the arts students.
"Put me on speaker phone and get everyone out here. Mr. Pachebel and Mr. Keys also have something to say. Hurry." Was her opening statement. Oswald led the band students into our gymnasium where Gwen had a break going on for the actors. Finally Beatrice led the choir into the gym. Joe hooked up a mic to the phone and Gwen told her it was okay to speak. "Stay where you are, we have a lot to discuss and a schedule to set up. Mrs. Wathesbe has given the greatest of gifts, a dormitorized theatre. " We all broke into small, shocked conversation. My best friend Reggie looked at me and did his wiggly happy dance, and Alayna joined us in it. Gwen cleared her throat and Mrs. Rondeau continued. "She pre approved the opening of a preforming arts boarding school for the association, the fall after her death. Be ready, we're coming back to talk the rest over with you." We all cheered after the phone was hung up. A whole theatre! A boarding school. Many got on the phone to friends and family who had come to know Mrs. Wathesbe. This was the biggest and best surprise ever!
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A week later we all piled onto a bus to see this theatre, it was only about twenty minutes from the school and very daunting to the eye. The outside was graffitied and seemed to need a good cleaning. Windows need to be cleaned, and a few replaced. Next was inside. There were two theatres, and a large rehearsal room There were two large rooms filled with bunk beds, a big kitchen, a rec room, a few classroom type spaces, storage, a sewing room (jusdging by its contents) and a few other spaces that were pretty general. All needed an update and/or renovating though.
"Alright, there are repairs that need to happen, and we have been alotted from Mrs. Wathesbe's will, our other boosters, and the association. Tuition is the same, and the work put in around here is what's paying for your room and board, starting with the renovation work. Also, there will be auitions to be granted admittance here. They will be held around the same time as Acapella auditions. Be ready." Mrs. Rondeau said, with her commanding presence.
This was gonna be a long summer, time to bug Alex about auditioning with me, especially with his gift with the guitar and timpani. Reggie looked at me, I knew what he was thinking. Something along the lines of "This is gonna be the best, bitch!" Edwin and Alayna looked over too, and it was all becoming real. Right after the musical, we were all bound to audition for the oppertunity of our lives.
"Act well your part." I murmured.