Open When I'm Gone

31. In Case You Don't Live Forever.

"Hello students!" Lana calls over the auditorium, trying in vain to get everyone's attention. "Welcome back from break! I hope you all had a restful holiday, but we only have a week until opening, so this is the final countdown!"

That enacts a wave of cheering from the students all milling about, the prospect of performing like crack to us.

This is my favorite part of theater, the anticipation of the costumes swirling against our skin and the heat of the stage lights burning our faces.

I glance over at Jolie, trying to give her my widest smile, but her eyes just glaze over mine, like I don't even exist.

"What's up with you and Jolie?" Justice asks, Blake always close behind her.

I open my mouth to reply, but every reply I can think of feels like an excuse.

I have nothing but excuses.

So I just shake my head, worrying my lip between my teeth. They must understand though, because neither of them pushes for any more answers.

"Okay," Lana hums once she's gotten most of the students' attention, "Don't think that since you just got back from break that we're gonna take it easy on you. We have a lot of things to get through, but we're gonna first run... let me see here... The ballroom scene into Take a Chance on me, Some Things are Meant to be, Off to Massachusetts, and Weekly Volcano Press."

At the utterance of the last scene a collective groan rises through the auditorium. It's the longest–and most tedious scene– in the whole show, and the most involved, which makes it the bane of all of our existence. I think we all also know that this scene is going to take far longer than anything should.

"Now now students," She hums over the annoyed chatter, "I need all of you who aren't in costume to do so now, and I need Blake, Justice, Jolie, and Simon, as well as our couples to set for the ballroom sequence."

At the end of her words, the whole auditorium is set into motion, students laughing and jostling each other to the dressing rooms at the far side of the room.

I take my time walking up to the stage, instead using the time to take in my costume. It's the first time I've been in it, and I have to say I'm impressed. I'm dressed in moleskin slacks slid over a pair of shin-high boots, a dark leather belt wrapped tightly through the loops of my pants. The shirt they've put me in is a cream white, the ends of the long sleeves ruffled like a pirate. And to top it all off, a dark brown to the point of being almost black vest, buttoned all the way up.

I've always loved getting costumes, it's always felt like the last step to fully becoming your character.

Despite myself, I search the crowd for Jolie, quickly finding her walking to the stage arm and arm with Dakota, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.

My gut twists at the sight of her, so beautiful in her curled hair and pale yellow gown that she wears in the ballroom scene.

She looks every bit the girl I met all those months ago, with bright eyes and a glowing smile that lights up the whole room.

"Simon," Blake interjects into my mental spiral, grabbing my wrist. "Come on, let's go."

He pulls me gently through the quickly thinning crowd, up the ramp and into the wings.

"Alright, let's get started!" Lana shouts from the audience, giving the actors on stage a fair warning before starting the transition music at full blast.

I watch from backstage as the scene begins in full swing, the ballroom dancers' gowns swirling around their partners as they spin around the small stage.