celia and the guys all stood up as knox got back to the school from his venture with chris. "hey, how'd it go? did you read it to her?" charlie asked.

"yeah, your amazing and fantastic poem?" celia teased, smiling up at him.

"yeah."

the group began to get excited. "what'd she say?" pitts leaned in.

knox shrugged. "nothing."

charlie's face fell. "nothing. what do you mean, nothing?"

"nothing." he repeated. "but i did it." he began to walk away, the others all following close behind.

"what did she say?" charlie pressed. "i know she had to say something."

knox just flew down the hallway happily. "seize the day!"

celia laughed as she watched him. she couldn't even think about how she'd gotten herself here. at the beginning of the year, she hadn't known any of these boys. now, she was in love with one, and was more fond of the others than she had been of anyone in her entire life. they were her best friends.

she was interrupted from her thoughts when neil wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to be inconspicuous incase nolan showed up out of nowhere. "today's the day!" she said.

he nodded, but his smile faltered nervously. "yep!" he knew he couldn't keep up the facade, so he then frowned. "i want to be excited, but my father showed up last night. that's why i couldn't make it to dinner. he told me to quit the play."

"what did you tell him?"

"nothing!" neil replied. "what was i supposed to say? i said i'd quit."

"but.. you lied?"

he nodded. "of course i lied! this has been the most fun i've ever had in my life."

celia nodded. "okay, but, do you think he won't find out? it'll be so much worse if you don't tell him. just tell him how much you love acting. i'm sure he can't stop you if he sees how-"

"ceil, he'll just tell me to drop it. just like he always does."

"you don't know that!"

"you sound a lot like your father." he then said. "i asked him what to do, and he said to talk to him."

"so have you?"

he shook his head. "no, no not yet. but, if it makes you guys happy, then i will."

she raised a brow at this, not entirely believing him.

"i promise!"

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

celia was gathering her belongings, the last one in the class other than neil. "did you talk to your father?" she heard her father asking the boy.

"uh, he didn't like it one bit, but at least he's letting me stay in the play. he won't be able to make, make it. he's in chicago. but, uh, i think he's gonna let me stay with acting."

keating wasn't quite convinced. "really? you told him what you told me?"

"yeah. he wasn't happy." he laughed. "but he'll be gone at least four days. i don't think he'll make the show, but i think he'll let me stay with it. 'keep up the school work.'" he picked up his books, walking to celia's desk. she was already looking at him as she stood, also not buying his story. "you ready?"

she nodded, forcing a smile as she said goodbye to her dad, arranging the time for them to head over to henley hall to watch.

"i wasn't going to call you out in there," celia began, "but did you actually say any of that?"

neil looked down at her. "yeah, of course i did." he then cursed, knowing that he couldn't pretend with her. "okay, no. i couldn't!" he defended himself. "it sounds so easy, but i just.. i can't. i can't let him take away everything i care about."

she nodded. "i get it. it's okay, it'll be okay." she wasn't sure if she was comforting him or herself. "hey, i actually.. i have something for you."

he smiled. "what?"

"an opening night gift." she explained. celia led him to her room, where a wrapped gift sat.

neil looked over at her before picking up the present, taking absolutely no time in clawing the wrapping paper off. he smiled as he noticed the canvas, but he almost gasped as he recognized the painting. "is this-?"

"yeah." celia nodded, sitting next to him. "the star painting from the night we were on the roof." she confirmed. "that was the night.. that i think i started falling for you. i thought it was only right that you have it."

he was at a complete loss for words as he gently set the canvas down moving to wrap his arms around her. "i love it so much. i love you. thank you. this means so.. i'm gonna keep it forever." he picked the painting back up to admire it. "thank you." he repeated, leaning down to kiss her.

"i love you, too. you're gonna do amazing tonight."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

after neil had left, celia put on her nicest black off-the-shoulder dress, getting ready to go. once she'd finished her whole ensemble, she knocked on the door to the men's bathroom. "anybody naked in here?"

upon being assured of safety, she walked in, watching as the boys all pampered and groomed themselves.

"beautiful baby." meeks and pitts were saying. "henley hall, here we come."

cameron turned to todd, who was purposefully ruining the pieces of hair that the red-head attempted to comb. "come on, todd. i'm trying to fix this."

todd laughed before looking over to the closed stall, where charlie was hidden. "come on, nuwanda. you're gonna miss neil's entrance."

"yeah, he's the opening." celia agreed. "let's go."

pitts looked to the two. "yeah.. he said something about getting red before we left."

cameron furrowed his brows. "getting red? what does that mean?"

the taller boy shrugged. "i, uh- well, you know charlie."

the stall opened to reveal charlie, holding a small brush and a bottle of red paint.

"so, charlie," cameron began, "what's this 'getting red' bit?"

wordlessly, charlie unbuttoned his shirt to showcase a large, red lightning bolt freshly painted down his chest. celia chuckled. "you're kidding! this is priceless."

todd laughed with her. "w-what is that?" he asked.

"it's an indian warrior symbol for virility. makes me feel potent, like it can drive girls crazy."

celia nodded her head. "oh, for sure. you ready to go then, nuwanda?"

the boy stuck his tongue out at her, buttoning his shirt.

todd smiled. "oh, come on, charlie. the girls are waiting."

the group (minus knox, sidetracked by the guest appearance of chris), all got into a car with keating to make the short ride to henley hall. celia, though she wasn't even the one performing, was nervous, and couldn't stop the anxiously excited shaking of her legs.

"are you okay over there, ceil?" charlie asked with a raised brow.

"i'm so nervous." she replied.

todd looked confused. "why are you nervous?"

"i don't know!" she replied, making the group laugh.

when they got to the hall, the entire audience was packed. the group managed to squeeze into the middle section, nearly taking up a whole row. lights danced around the forest-decorated stage as neil emerged from behind a bush, wearing a crown of twigs and berries, complete with matching hands.

"hey, there he is!" charlie said, standing from his seat. "hey, hey."

celia grabbed his arm, pulling him back into the seat. "it's like none of you have ever been to a play before." she complained, though she knew they likely hadn't.

"shh." her father shushed the two, smiling as he watched.

"thou speak'st aright; i am that merry wanderer of the night." neil said to the other girl on stage, who was dressed similarly to him. celia smiled as she recognized the monologue. "i jest to oberon and make him smile when i a fat and bean-fed horse beguile," he made horse sounds, smiling as the audience laughed, "neighing in likeness of a filly foal: and sometime lurk i in a gossip's bowl, in very likeness of a roasted crab, and when she drinks, against her lips i bob. and on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale. the wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale."

celia smiled as he perfectly nailed the line he frequently forgot. "he's good." she heard charlie whisper into her ear. "he's really good."

"the best." she agreed, smiling proudly.

"sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; then slip i from her bum, down topples she, and 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough; and then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh, and waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear. a merrier hour was never wasted there. but, room, fairy! here comes oberon." neil spoke as puck.

"and here my mistress." the actress replied. "would that he were gone!"

the rest of the play was equally as good, and celia answered all of charlie's questions about the plot. "so, why are they.. in love?" he whispered as he watched hermia and helena roam about the stage.

"neil set a love spell on them." she said simply.

"ohhh."

at the end of the show, the stage was dark. a spotlight then appeared to reveal neil, his back to the audience. he slowly turned. "if we shadows have offended," he looked to the audience, "think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, gentles, do not reprehend: if you pardon, we will mend: and, as i am an honest puck, if we have unearned luck. now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long; else the puck a liar call; so, good night unto you all. give me your hands, if we be friends, and robin shall restore amends."

as the curtains closed, the crowd went wild. charlie was the first to stand, making the rest of the audience join. the other actors then shoved neil to the front to take his own bow, to which he flushed, overwhelmed by the deserved praise.

"yawp!" the boys cheered, making celia laugh.

the curtain closed, and celia grabbed her program and coat, practically shoving charlie to the aisle. "come on, he'll be in the lobby once he gets his costume off." she told him.

she lead the group to the lobby, all smiling as they watched cast members pass, waiting for the one they knew and loved. keating was in the bathroom, but had requested everyone tell neil to wait up before he left.

the boy of the hour then approached, and celia beamed at him, holding her arms out excitedly as he fell into them, pressing his face into her neck. "how was it?" neil asked, breathless.

"you were- you were so incredible!" she praised, hugging him. "you didn't mess up once, it was absolutely flawless. you looked so natural up there." he pulled away slightly so he could look at her face. "i'm so proud of you-" she was cut off as he pressed his lips to hers passionately, making all of the other boys begin to whistle and laugh.

celia laughed as they pulled away, letting the others give neil their own compliments.

"do i get a kiss too, neil?" charlie joked, laughing as the other boy gave him a playful shove.

all of the teasing stopped, however, when everyone noticed neil's father, who stood in the corner. "oh, no." neil mumbled, looking down to celia. "i gotta go talk to him."

he didn't walk back over, though, immediately looking dejected as he followed his father through the crowd.

"neil?" charlie called out as the group followed him outside.

"neil! neil!" todd joined.

"neil." keating said, finally stopping him. "you have the gift. what a performance. you left even me speechless. i was telling celia, you have to stay with-"

mr. perry returned, shoving neil aside. "get in the car." he ordered. "keating, you stay away from my son."

the look on neil's face was what broke celia. he only looked dejected and empty as he climbed into his father's car, unable to even look up at his friends.

"neil!" charlie called back out. "mr. perry, come on."

the teacher only frowned, putting a hand on charlie's shoulder. "don't make it any worse than it is."

it had begun to snow, which would have been beautiful if not for the circumstances.

"is it okay if we walk back? captain?" charlie asked. he began to lead the way, all of the boys following. they then stopped as they realized they were one short. "celia?" they turned back around.

she gave them a thin-lipped smile. "you guys go ahead. i'll see you later."

she and her father could do nothing but watch as the car drove away, and with it, celia's heart.