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Fiona carefully opened the door to the theatre room, peaking her head in and checking if the coast was clear.
To her immense relief, the room was empty, meaning that she could finally practice in peace.
She flicked on the lights, and took the time to look around the room as she gingerly stepped onto the stage.
She wasn’t used to seeing it empty like this.
It felt like a weird liminal space.
Usually, Pat would come with her to help play off some dialogue - they got scolded last time for ‘disruption’ when Fiona tried to do her audition practice out in the fields, so they quickly moved over to doing their practice in the theatre room. But he was busy cramming for a quiz tomorrow.
She would’ve had Gwen and Alec, too, but Gwen was doing an 8 hour Minecraft play through and Alec was tied up with Student Council duties.
Alas, she forgot her friends had lives.
So it was just her.
Maybe that was a good thing, she reasoned.
It allowed her to get lost in the play without worrying about someone watching her constantly and scrutinizing her every move.
Fiona paced around the stage for a bit, familiarizing herself with the layout.
Patrick had suggested holding off on the music for now, instead focusing on things like line delivery and body language.
Small things to work on until he was free to help her out again.
Fiona held the script in her hands, studying the piece they were using for the auditions: Alice meeting the Mad Hatter at the tea party.
The scene starts with Alice getting roped into a song, while the rest of it was boisterous banter while the Mad Hatter danced around and gave vague riddles to questions Alice hadn’t even asked.
Gwen commented on how the Mad Hatter was rather annoying, but Fiona found the character to have a rougeish, unpredictable charm that made him entertaining.
Although Pat suggested she try acting without him, he forgot the important detail that she kinda needed someone to read the lines for the Mad Hatter and the March Hare for this scene if they wanted to practice it as authentically as possible.
Fiona sighed, still pacing the stage.
She supposed she just had to give it a shot.
Fiona moved to the left wing, going over the emotions Alice must be feeling to properly immerse herself into the character as she put on the Alice dress she grabbed from the costume rack.
Alice was inexperienced with Wonderland, wanting to find a way back home, a bit naive, annoyed as she’s denied help and answers, and confused above all else.
She mentally prepped herself, before stepping into the light.
Inexperienced, naïve, confused.
Alice was practically made for her to play.
Wonderland unfurled before her.
Towering, nonsense surroundings with the big tree and the delicious tea spread in the center.
Fiona feigned looking around at her surroundings, her steps uncertain and hesitant as she made it to center stage, where she had set up small chairs and a table previously.
“There’s plenty of room!”
Fiona tried for an indignant tone, sitting on the chair at the end with her arms crossed.
She felt really awkward talking to herself - she must look insane - but shook her head, reciting the March Hare’s line under her breath to keep timing.
“I don’t see any wine!”
She looked around the mock party table and made a displeased face.
Fiona repeated this line.
She sounded too soft and meek. Alice is nearly thoroughly fed up - Fiona had to act like it.
“There isn’t any.” The March Hair replied in Fiona’s head.
Fiona scowled.
“Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it.”
“It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited.”
“I didn’t know it was your table,” Fiona insisted “it’s laid out for a great many more than three!”
Fiona paused for a moment, before groaning and slumping in the seat.
“I probably look ridiculous.”
She said aloud, glancing around at the barren stage as Wonderland retreated back into her imagination.
…
“Nah, I think you’re doin’ pretty fine.”
The sound of someone else’s voice had her stumbling to stand up from her chair with a loud shriek.
Sure enough, when she regained her bearings, she saw none other than Sven sitting lazily in the front row.
Sven.
Sven saw her.
Acting by herself like a lunatic.
…
The idea that she desired for the ground to swallow her whole was an understatement.
She might as well pass away.
“Sven?! W-What are you doing here?!”
Fiona managed to say, clearly flustered as she contemplated whether hiding under the table would save her from her mortification.
“Eh. I got bored so I was walkin’ around and saw the door open.”
How had she forgotten to close the door properly?!
“Anywaysss, whatcha workin’ on?”
Fiona didn’t take Sven to be a guy who was interested in theatre, but she indulged him nonetheless.
“Um…I-it’s a musical play…about Alice In Wonderland.”
“Oh, I know that book!”
“Yeah, it’s uh…pretty popular! Lots of people have seen it.”
“What? Nah I’ve never actually watched or read about it. We were supposed to do that for a 6th grade assignment and I threw the book away ‘cause I got bored.”
“Oh! W-Well…um…that’s nice..!”
The conversation trailed off from there, and somehow Fiona felt more embarrassed than when they started.
For whatever reason, despite saying he had no interest in the media, he still kept his attention on Fiona.
“You in the play, Frog Girl?”
Fiona shook her head, a small wavering smile on her face.
“Me? O-Oh not yet. Auditions are in 2 weeks. I wanna try out for Alice!”
Sven seemed interested, and his head tilted slightly.
Fiona wasn’t used to this level of undivided attention from him, and had to grit her teeth to not blurt out something stupid as a panic response.
“Yeah? I’d say you’re pretty good.”
Fiona felt like she was going to vomit up butterflies and rainbows.
“Y-You think so?”
“Why not? You seem pretty confident up there.”
Fiona blinked.
Confident?
She was just playing the character, she supposed it was just…easy for her to get into a role.
“Ahah, t-thanks. It’s a bit awkward talking to myself though..”
“Oh, cool. You have a script?”
Sven said suddenly, standing up and climbing up the stage instead of taking the stairs.
“Uh…y-yeah I have an extra on the table.”
“Great!”
Sven sat down on one of the chairs like he owned it, flipping through the script until he got to the page Fiona was on.
“Oh, the Mad Hatter. I love that guy!”
Fiona looked around like this was a set-up, awkwardly smiling back.
“Uh, I’m sorry, what’s going on?”
“I’m gonna help you practice, Frog Girl!”
Oh!
Oh.
Oh…
Was it too late to run away screaming?
Fiona tried to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat.
In the meantime, Sven had already busied himself with getting up and going through the costume rack, eventually pulling out a top hat triumphantly.
“Aha! Perfect! You can’t be a good Mad Hatter without a good hat!”
Fiona tried to calm herself as Sven plopped back down onto the chair, waiting expectantly for her to start the lines, his top hat looking like it was about to fall off his head at any moment.
Alright.
Now or never.
Fiona sat down, and tried to immerse herself again.
This wasn’t Sven Gwon.
This was the Mad Hatter.
This was all just a play.
“I didn’t know it was your table,”
Fiona said, gesturing around.
“It's laid out for a great many more than three!”
“Your hair wants cutting.”
Sven read from the script, looking at Fiona with a mischievous type of mirth.
“You should learn not to make such personal remarks. It’s very rude.”
Fiona tried to sound upset.
She didn’t quite stick the landing, but they moved on regardless.
Sven made an overdramatic face of surprise, his eyes bulging.
“Why is a raven like a writing desk?”
Fiona tried to stay in character, but she had a hard time trying not to snicker.
Perhaps they really shall have some fun now.
Despite Fiona’s initial reservations, she found herself quickly enraptured with the play again.
It was obvious Sven had no experience, but his exaggerated expressions and his bold but cheeky line readings breathed life into the role of the Mad Hatter.
It became rather fun to banter back and forth with him, and by the time Fiona had to go, they had finished the scene multiple times already.
Fiona grinned, putting the Alice dress back in its proper place.
Ironically, this was the most confident she felt playing Alice.
As she moved to step down from the stage, Sven offered his hand, bowing like a modern day gentleman.
Fiona blushed, but laughed, letting him lead her down the stairs and to the door.
“You know who to ask if you ever need your Mad Hatter again, Frog Girl."
Sven tipped his hat, and did that infuriatingly attractive raised eyebrow with a smug smirk combo that made Fiona swoon and almost fall flat on her face.
“T-Thanks. Uh…see you around!”
Fiona walked on the path, wind blowing in her hair as she clutched her scripts close to her chest.
The words ‘your Mad Hatter’ played in her head over and over again, a giddy feeling running wild in her stomach.