Putting the Drama in "Drama Club"

So, High School. Friendships, hardships, romance, you name it. It's where you make your best memories, right? Where you peak in life.

Reality check.

High School is literal hell.

I'm a senior at Erehwon High School. (Not really the name, read Erehwon backwards...) Among the twisted halls full of people just trying to get through life, there's always some type of solace. For me, it's the Drama Club. The lights, stage, and music are intoxicating. Paired with the addictive drug that is applause, it's my only way out of life, pretending to be someone else on stage.

The Erehwon Drama Department is the definition of drama. Not acting, but full on, soap opera worthy, real life drama. I tend to avoid it, but I'll admit, it's fun to watch. I figured I'd write about some of my more entertaining experiences.

First off, we have a girl who would follow one of the guys like a lost puppy. We'll call her Sue. Sue was really into this one guy, who we'll call Joe. Joe was one of those emo types, with kind of a Brendon Urie-esque look about him. He wasn't all that good looking, but Sue thought he was her soulmate, despite the way he acted indifferent about her.

In order to get his attention, she became the poster child for Hot Topic. I'm not kidding. She came into rehearsal one day looking like Gerard Way circa Black Parade. She would snuggle up with him backstage in front of everyone, and honestly? I kind of felt sorry for her. She was giving affection to someone who didn't return it.

Later the next year, I found out that they were "friends with benefits." She wanted his love, he wanted sex and only sex. Sue confessed this to him and Joe kind of brushed her off, breaking off whatever it was they had. From then on, she would give the evil eye to anyone who was relatively close to Joe, including female friends. Joe's since graduated, but she still holds onto the hope that he'll ride in on a white horse and sweep her off her feet.

Next, we have the "star crossed lovers." We'll call them Jane and John. John was pining for Jane for the longest time, and when they finally started dating, they never left the honeymoon stage, which took a toll on the cast of the production.

John and Jane would always be in the dressing rooms instead of waiting in the wings of the stage like everyone else. John was cast as a lead, but instead of being on time for his cues, we'd always wind up getting yelled at by the director for his mistakes.

With this happening for the next few weeks, the director got fed up and called everyone for a "meeting," which, in drama talk, means "You're pissing me off. Sit down so I can yell at you." All eyes were maliciously turned to John and Jane, who remained oblivious that they were part of the problem. They're still dating, so here's hoping they can pay attention this time.

Next, we have Blake. Blake, thankfully, is no longer in drama club. If you look up "diva" in the dictionary, you'll see Blake's face as a definition. Blake thought he was the greatest actor/singer this side of Erehwon. He sang through his nose and his acting was mediocre at best. He had a nasty habit of fighting off any type of criticism that may have hurt his huge ego.

My favorite "Blake moment" is when John called him out on his shit and Blake threw a total bitch fit, ditching practice and leaving the rest of the cast out to dry. Yet again, we had a meeting.

Next, we have Betty, the self proclaimed "super star." Betty would always talk about her time in "community theater," starring in "big roles." As a freshman, she would constantly tell the upperclassmen what to do, despite having an insignificant role herself.

Betty was a stereotypical Regina George type, with the looks and attitude to match. Her attitude was absolutely fake. One moment, she's all mademoiselle sunshine, the next, she was a total dictator. She too is no longer in drama club. Last I heard, she transferred to a school for "gifted performers." The thing is, there aren't any performing arts schools near Erehwon, or even in the state.

Finally, we have me. Yep, the criticizer has some drama too. Don't we all? Erehwon's female version of Holden Caulfield. I joined the drama club as a way to find my place. My freshman year, I was in a relationship with a guy I used to be friends with before we used to date. We broke up for a dumb reason I can't even remember. After the breakup, he joined drama club for some extra credit in one of his classes.

Me being the dumb 14 year old I was, wanted to patch things up. Looking back on it, I still cringe on how awkward things were. He tried to kiss me backstage, and I pushed him away. Once again, it felt too awkward. I haven't spoken to him since then. He transferred to a trade school, and I'm so glad I don't have to see him anymore.

So that's the Erehwon high school drama club. Here's hoping others are better than mine.

Once again, high school is hell. If you're an underclassman reading this, best of luck. If you're a senior like me, we're almost there!