‘Well, you’d better get one quick, OK? We’re giving you funding for this. I need to know you’re serious.’
‘I will.’
‘Put on a good enough production by the end of the year and I’ll consider giving you full funding next year. Does that sound reasonable?’
‘Um. Yes. Yeah.’ Rooney unfolded her arms. ‘Th-thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Sadie reached around her for a plastic bottle and took a deep swig from it – one that made me think that whatever was inside wasn’t water. ‘I don’t think you realise how much work it is putting on a production. It needs to be good, OK? Some of our plays go to the Edinburgh Fringe.’
‘It will be good,’ said Rooney, nodding. ‘I promise.’
‘OK.’ Sadie looked directly at me when she said, deadpan, ‘Welcome to Durham Student Theatre. We sure do love drama.’
‘I don’t understand why you can’t just let me have this one and be in my play,’ Rooney snapped at Pip as we walked back to college. ‘What were you gonna do? Join the Mime Society?’
‘I was going to do the Freshers’ Play like a normal fresher,’ Pip snapped back. ‘They’re doing The Importance of Being Earnest, for God’s sake. A classic.’
‘Shakespeare means a lot to me, OK? It was basically one of the only things that I enjoyed at school –’
‘What, and I’m supposed to drop my interests and hobbies just because you’ve got a sob story? This isn’t the fucking X Factor.’
I walked a few paces behind them as Pip and Rooney bickered, their voices getting gradually louder and louder. People around us on the street started turning to observe the scene as they passed.
Pip wrapped her bomber jacket tightly round her body and ran a hand through her hair. ‘I get that you were, like, a star performer at your school, but, like, so was I, and you don’t get to come here and pretend like you’re better than me just because you like Shakespeare.’
Rooney folded her arms. ‘Well, I think putting on a Shakespeare is a bit more noteworthy than some little comedy play.’
‘Some little comedy play? Apologise to Oscar Wilde right the fuck now!’
Rooney halted, bringing us all to a stop. I was contemplating diving into the nearest café. She stepped slightly towards Pip, then seemed to change her mind, and stepped back again, keeping a safe distance between them.
‘You’re just here to have fun. Well, I’m here to actually do something that means something.’
Pip shook her head. ‘What the fuck are you talking about, dude? This is a theatre society. Not a political party.’
‘Ugh, you’re so annoying.’
‘So are you!’
There was silence for a moment.
‘Please be in my society,’ said Rooney. ‘I need five members.’
Pip looked at her, expression unchanging. ‘Which play are you doing?’
‘I don’t know yet.’
‘Can it be a comedy? I’m not doing this if we’re doing any of the boring-ass history plays.’
‘It’ll be a comedy or a tragedy. No history plays.’
Pip narrowed her eyes.
‘I’ll think about it,’ she said.
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah. But I still don’t like you.’
Rooney smiled broadly. ‘I know.’
Pip headed off towards Castle, leaving Rooney and me alone on the cobbled street by the cathedral.
‘What just happened?’ I asked her.
Rooney let out a long breath. Then she smiled.
‘We’re putting on a play.’
I had somehow asked out one of my best friends, and there was absolutely no way for me to take that back, which meant that I probably needed to follow through and actually go on a date with Jason Farley-Shaw.
He ended up messaging me about it the day after the DST meeting.
Jason Farley-Shaw
Hey so how’s about that movie/food?
I got the message while Rooney and I were in an intro to poetry lecture, and instead of listening to the lecturer drone on about Keats, I spent the hour analysing this message. I didn’t open it, but I could read all of it from my home screen. I didn’t want to open it, because I didn’t want him to know that I’d read it, because if he knew I’d read it, I’d have to reply so he didn’t think I was ignoring him, and for some reason, the idea of continuing this incredibly new and incredibly weird flirtation with Jason was making me want to abandon my degree and become my brother’s plumbing apprentice.