Good Intentions - Noah Sebastian

Chance Encounters

"Look you can't stand that far back. You won't have time to step forward to meet her when she comes down you must be right there waiting."

"Violet are you ready?". I nodded my head not looking at Gabriel who spoke to me.

"Alright. And. 5, 6, 7, 8," My feet had been firmly planted into Jacks shoulders till Gabe finished speaking. I let my knees bend and fell back but first with a quick tuck of my legs.

"Violet, you need to get you knees tucked under quicker, it looks to intentional. Don't think about the movement like gymnastics you're too in your head." I nodded my head as miscellaneous hands set me down and corrected my position.

"lets do it again" Gabe continued as I stepped in front of Jack to reset the position. His hands came to my waist, and I stopped myself from covering his hands with mine like we had seen gymnasts do many times in all the videos we had watched to understand how Jack would hoist me onto his shoulders.

"Violet, no, this isn't gymnastics" I dropped my hands and waited to be counted in. "5, 6, 7, 8, and up" Gabe continued; I squeezed my core as I felt Jack lift and toss me. I bent my knees on impact into his shoulders and began engaging every muscle. Whoever thought of this trick was a real asshole.

"Okay-"Gabe was cut short by the double door at the back of the theater opening letting sunlight flood into the darkened room. The height and shape of the first figure told me it was David the figures following him were unfamiliar. I squinted as my eyes followed the trail of figures following behind David. The double doors slowly closed and caused the rays of light that distorted my vision to vanish as quickly as they came. Everyone on stage turned their attention to David as he approached the stage with a line of strangers as he talked animatedly with his arms to them. I could tell he was explaining the building we were in and the setup of the performance theater and so on.

David stopped and his line of visitors did as well. David turned to the stage and addressed us as a group but probably mostly Gabe. "So what are you guys working on?" David asked with a clap of his hands and a large grim. He was in a good mood. 

"We were just working out the kinks in the drop trick with Violet and Jack" Gabe explained. Disappointment evident in his voice that we hadn't progress further.

"Well let's see it!" David exclaimed. Oh, great, an audience. Most of us dropped our heads. David continued on with gesturing his guests into the front and second row seats as he carried on with whatever he was trying to sell us to them for.

"Violet you ready?" I lifted my hand off my hip to give a thumbs up as lifted my head and took a deep breath in.  "5, 6, " I let the air I held in my lungs slowly in preparation. "7, 8,". And down I went. Hands arms everywhere all at once. It was a basket catch camouflaged by others bodies. My catchers set me on my feet, and one pulled the leg of my shorts down that had ridden up during the movement.

"That was so much better" Gabe confessed. "Can we move on now" he continued. The group shared their agreement with moving forward but David spoke up. "Actually, Gabe can they take a break so I can have a word with you?"  I started walking away, David didn't ask you for what he wanted, he told you what he wanted and he got it; he was the artistic director after all.

I walked off stage and found my pile of belongings I had dropped by the door that led into the hallway. The double doors leading into the hallways of dressing rooms and prop closets stood propped open letting in the yellow fluorescent light that flickered in a concerning regularity. It was the only light in the backstage area other that the light bleed from the stage lights we had been burning under. As I pulled my water bottle from my lips, I saw Gabe nodding his head as he spoke with David. Gabe had been smiling the whole time he spoke with David; much unlike the face he held during rehearsal all morning.