Sammy’s Point of View

The theater is so familiar, yet not. I have been working in theater with my friends since I was holding my Elsa Microphone from my aunt and screaming song lyrics into it, and someday, I want to be on Broadway. I love the theater. It’s a place where I can get away, sort of like a vacation. An enthusiastic vacation. Right now we are working on the play Annie, and I’m waiting for scene eight, backstage, with my best friend, Mia. While we wait, we are practicing lines. “Oh!Grace!” I say with such drama, I almost fall out of my chair. “Yes, Annie?” She says. “ Can we invite-” I was interrupted by Mia telling me she had to get ready for the next scene. “Oh, alright!” I say, not looking up from my script, checking if my notes for each scene are right. I hear scene eight ending, so I hop out of my chair, flatten my red curls, and skip onto the stage. I smile up at Jamie, but he screams back. The curtains open, and all I can see is the knife piercing through my Jamie’s stomach, and my best friend wielding the weapon from behind. I throw my hands to my mouth, and all that comes out is a muffled scream.                    

2 weeks before

Madison’s point of view

Two weeks ago, I met Mia. From the first conversation we had, I could tell she was jealous of her so-called “BFF,” Sammy. And, based on our mutual hatred for Sammy, I knew she would be the perfect partner in crime… literally. It wasn’t very long before Mia and I were planning our takedown of Queen Sammy. Mia was like an open book when it came to Sammy taking all of the good roles and even the boy, Jamie, that she liked.

 Little does Mia know, how Sammy ruined my life, how we had to move out of my childhood home, to make room for her family to move in. They were the new rich family coming into town, together as ever, while my father was leaving me and my mom, alone.

 Mias’ point of view  

I hate Sammy. She steals everything from me. Jamie, all the parts in my favorite plays, and everything else she has stolen. Maddison is the only one who understands. So we have a plan to embarrass her: Right when she walks out as Annie, we pour water on her head, and later, killing her for all she has done. I’m twisting my pocket knife while talking with Maddison. “She just steals everything from me!” I say, throwing my head back. “Mhm. I know. But Mia?” Maddie asks. “Yeah?” I say, bringing my head to look at her. “We need to get another sucker to agree to our plan.”  I twist the pocket knife faster. That’s how I concentrate. It has been since I was gifted this knife. It was for my ninth birthday. My Dad is a carpenter, so he had extra knives. That was the year I learned to widdle. That was also the year I learned it could do evil. That I could do evil. It was my favorite gift. “Wait… What about Jamie?” I say. “ Yes! He hates Sammy just as much as us!” She says, fist-pumping the air. “I’ll corner him tomorrow after theater club,” I said.  All while I walk home, I try to remember why Sammy broke up with Jamie, but it never came.

I shut my locker and started sprinting to Jamie, calling after him. “Jamie!” I shout when I’m finally close enough for him to hear me. “Yeah, Mia?” He says, turning on his heel. “I have a proposal.”

 Jamie’s Point of View

“Yeah, sure. I’ll do it.” I say. Mia jumps in the air and hugs me. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She cries. “Anytime.”

As I walk home that day, I cannot stop thinking about what Mia had said earlier. Embarrass Sammy on dress rehearsal? What in the world was I thinking? Think of the consequences. I open my front door and collapse on the couch. My parents aren’t home, so I decided to make a grilled cheese. “Grilled cheeses were Sammy’s favorite..” I think out loud. I slap my forehead. Why do I keep thinking about her? I don’t love her anymore. I empty my plate in the garbage, and something cuts me, so I reach to see what it is. A photo of Sammy and I ripped in half. I tape it back together, but my heart is still in two. Then I realized, I never stopped loving her.  But why? Why do I still love her? 

I knew I would never be able to go through with the plan, and thought I could at least change Mia’s mind in the end, but unfortunately… she’s psycho.

2 days before the dress rehearsal

 Sammy’s Point of View

I have no idea why everybody hates me. I’m perfect! I follow the rules, I memorize my lines, and I tell everybody what they need to know. I have a big house and parents who love me. I get everything I ask for! What’s there to hate? Why did I break up with Jamie? I was having a hard day. Give me a break. But I still love him, and I can’t do anything about it. He doesn’t love me! I’m hopeless. Why when I get every single thing, I don’t get him? You know what? I get nothing I want, even when I am kind. Even when I show respect, and never hurt anyone. So why is it when I have friends, that I feel like I’m hated? I don’t know. I’m clueless. 

You know? If something were to happen to Jamie and I hadn’t told him I still loved him? You know, I’ll tell him after the dress rehearsal! And maybe try to become friends with Maddison! Yeah. That’s what I’ll do. For some reason that girl hates me. I have no idea why. 

I’m perfect!

 Final scene

Maddison is sitting on the rafters, holding the tub of water, waiting for the signal to drop it. She swings her legs off the rafters as the water sloshes in its tub. She is smiling as she looks at Ms.Brown, the theater teacher, in the front row. Ms.Brown is the only one in the audience because it’s the dress rehearsal. Maddison is looking around the stage when she sees Jamie and Mia arguing. “Arguing? What could this be about?” She thinks to herself. She steps down from the rafters, every step the arguing gets louder. “I won’t embarrass Sammy. Not even after all she’s done. Now I am going to go on that stage as Annie’s father, and you aren’t doing anything against it,” Jamie barks into Mia’s ear, “I quit this plan.” Maddison and Mia smile at each other and look back at Jamie. “ I will expose the plan. I will expose that you were going to kill her. I will ruin both of you.” Maddison and Mia’s smiles falter. “You wouldn’t dare,” Mia argues. “I think you’d regret it.” Maddison snaps, smiling thinking of what she could do. “I don’t think so,” he replied, walking to his mark on stage. “I will not let this happen,” Mia snarls, running out on stage, clicking her pocket knife, and stabbing Jamie in the back. It happened so fast. Maddison hears a horrific scream and sees Sammy on stage, with makeup running down her face, and then she’s out the auditorium door. The plan has failed, Maddison thinks. She snaps her head toward Mia, and creepily, a smile finds a way to her face. “I bet they didn’t fix the lock on MY bedroom window.” And with that, she winks at Mia and sprints out the dressing room door, laughing,  thinking to herself how Sammy never did run very fast.

As Mia is being handcuffed, she sees Sammy running out the door. “There goes Little Orphan Annie,” she whispers, “running home to her parents.”

Sammy bursts in the front door sobbing hysterically and falls into her parent’s arms. “ He’s dead! Jamie’s dead!” Sammy cries into her parent’s arms. “ Mia did it! She murdered him!” Her parents share concerned looks. “Honey. Go wash that Annie Makeup off, and then come downstairs and we’ll talk. I’ll make some grilled cheeses.” Her mom says warmly and lets go of Sammy gently. Sammy trudges up the stairs, sobbing as she goes, and heads to the bathroom. She looks in the mirror to find herself a mess. She throws water on her face and drys it with a towel. She turns on the shower and walks into the cool water. It sprays on her face, but she cannot feel it. She’s in shock.

She steps out of the water, wraps a towel around her body, and grabs another one for her blonde hair. She gets dressed and keeps the towel wrapped around her head. She walks out of the bathroom and starts to walk to her room. Her hand touches the doorknob of her bedroom door, and she looks up at the sign on her door. She made it 2 years ago. It had said, “Keep out! This is Sammy’s room! Mia is the only one who’s allowed.” Something snapped in her. She grabbed the sign and ripped it in half. Her tears marked the split page, and she slid back against the wall. She looks down at the writing, and it’s smudged. “Why,” she asks herself, sobbing, “Just why?” She closes her eyes. Silent tears slip down her face. All her life she has been best friends with Mia. Why did it have to be her? Not someone else? Sammy still remembers her smile when she would watch movies at her house, have sleepovers, and their secret handshake. That’s all down the drain now. She stands up and opens the door. The door shuts behind her with a click, and she is pushed forcefully onto her bed. She tries to scream but when she opens her eyes, all she can see is Maddison O’Connor, shoving her hand on Sammy’s mouth. Sammy’s eyes fill with tears, but Maddison is smiling. “I never wanted to hurt you!” Sammy cries, but Maddison just shoves her hand on her mouth again. “Oh, but I did.” Maddison laughs.

“ Dress rehearsals over, Sammy, It’s final curtain call.”