Healing Sophie

28

Sophie watched as Finn finished his comedy performance. He looked so handsome in his suit. Sophie blushed and looked out into the audience. She spotted Sherry and smiled and continued scanning. Where were they? Everyone else's parents were there. She took a shuttered breath.
"Next up, we have Sophie," her principal announced. Finn walked past her and stuck a tongue out at her.
"Good luck."
She stepped onto the stage and the principal handed her the microphone. It was too bright in there. The spotlights were blaring into her eyes. Everyone in the audience was staring at her.
The music began and before a note could emerge from her lips, she threw up. All over the stage.
The auditorium was silent. Then, a cursed fellow classmate stood and said, "Ew!", before laughing. The whole room joined in and Sophie just stood there, paralyzed with fear. She tried once more to find either of her parents and failed. She was alone. Her eyes welled with tears and she bolted off the stage, past Finn, and out the back door into the cold night.
She was utterly alone.

The person looking back at Sophie in the mirror was pale and her eyes were wide. She was deeply struggling to get a breath in or to relax. The outfit she had bought was laying on the bed and she was sat on the floor in nothing but underwear, knees up to her chest, staring at her reflection. She had to be at the auditorium in two hours and she was frozen in place.
A knock sounded at the door and it opened. Finn was all dressed up in a suit. She nearly drooled at the sight.
"You put on a suit."
He sighed. "Yes, I did."
"You hate suits."
"Sophie, why aren't you getting ready?", he asked sternly.
She looked down and played with a strand of her hair. "I can't move."
Finn walked over and picked her small frame up with ease, placing her on the bed. "What can I do to help?"
She muttered, "Infect me with a mild, but temporarily crippling disease so I don't have to go."
He smiled and pulled her in, kissing her head. "I'm fresh out of diseases, but let me see what else I can do."
Finn grabbed her phone and walked out of the room for a moment. He made a quick call and came back in. She gave him a confused look. "Who was that?"
"You'll see." He grabbed her outfit. "Put this on for me, princess."
She sighed and took the fabric from him. He was like a bossy pageant mom. Finn left the room and she put on the romper, pairing it with some fishnets and heels. She wanted to do her makeup and hair, but she wasn't the best at it. An emotionally and physically present mom would have helped greatly, but those were in thin supply for her.
Sophie's bedroom door opened and Jess walked in, stunning as usual. "Did someone order a stylist?"
Sophie's face beamed. "What are you doing here?"
"One of your guys said you were feeling overwhelmed and might need some help." Jess closed the door and gestured towards Sophie's desk. "Sit, my little grasshopper."
Sophie did as she said. For the following hour, Jess routinely told her to sit still and Sophie tried to ignore the bad sensory feeling of fake eyelashes or the occasional burn on her ear from the curling iron.
"Just one more little touch." Jess swiped something sticky on Sophie's lips. "And voila! Go look in the mirror."
Sophie looked in the mirror once more, but she looked more confident and fierce than before. Just as she always felt around Jess. "I-I look pretty," she said in shock. She had never felt like that before.
"You look beautiful," Jess corrected.
Sophie turned to her friend and hugged her. "Thank you."
Jess hugged her back tighter. "Anytime, Sophie." She pulled back and grabbed the items she brought. "I will see you at the show, girly. Knock them dead."
She winked and left, leaving Sophie alone with her reflection.
Show time.

Victor wasn't one to pretend he liked something if he didn't. He often came off rude or blunt for that very reason. Meeting Finn's pained glance, he knew he was the same. The four of them sat in the auditorium seats as one of the performers assaulted a piano and sang off-key. She was raven-haired and had an awful scowl on her face. Did she even want to be there?
"I think my ears are bleeding," Theo muttered. The others nodded in agreement.
The song finally came to an end and they all sighed in relief. Peace, at last.
Jess came on and did a Broadway piece. It wasn't quite Victor's forte, but she sounded great, and anything was better than the one prior.
The audience erupted in applause and the Professor re-entered the stage. "And now, for our final performance of the night, we have Sophie Hart."
Victor whistled with his fingers and the other three cheered and hollered louder than anyone around them. He smiled as he saw their girl come out from the side of the stage. God, she looked gorgeous. When he spared a glance at the guys, he knew they were thinking similar things. Perhaps more devious things, judging by the smirks on Finn and Theo.
Sophie took a seat at the piano bench. She was a picture of elegance and beauty. Victor had heard her practicing for weeks, but still had no idea what to expect.
She glanced out into the audience and when she met their eyes, a bright, beautiful smile lit up her face.
He could feel her energy shift and her confidence grow as she turned back to the piano. The overhead lights dimmed around them and she began playing.
The audience was immediately entranced. She played with deep emotion and when she started singing, Victor's heart felt like it had stopped.

I'm trying to hold my breath
Let it stay this way
Can't let this moment end
You set off a dream in me
Getting louder now
Can you hear it echoing?
Take my hand
Will you share this with me?
'Cause darling, without you

Sophie's words were beautiful and pained. Every word transported Victor to another world.

All the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the night sky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it'll
Never be enough
Never be enough

As Sophie belted, Victor and the other three guys looked at her with immense pride. She had grown so much since moving in with them. He felt like he was truly watching a star.

For me
Never, never
Never, never
Never, for me
For me
Never enough
Never enough
Never enough
For me
For me
For me

For me

Sophie finished the final note and the audience was dead silent for a moment before it roared with cheers and applause. She stood from her bench and bowed, her face beaming with joy. Victor stood, ready to go tackle her in a hug.
Before the four of them could do so, a commotion sounded from the back of the auditorium. Victor glanced back and cursed. Mavis was stumbling about, knocking into people.
He shot up out of his seat and rushed to her. "What the hell are you doing here?"
She slurred her words, "I wanted to see Sophie."
Victor gently grabbed her arm and led her to the lobby. The other three followed and the surrounded her.
"You cannot be here," Finn hissed. "You will not ruin this for her."
Mavis began sobbing. "Please, I need to see her."
The people exiting the theatre were beginning to stare.
Victor went to guide her outside before it escalated, but was stopped.
"Mom?"

Sophie stared in horror at the drunken woman before her. She shook her head. She could not be there.
Her mom looked at her with hollow eyes. "Sophie, my beautiful girl. I'm here to see you sing."
Sophie sneered. "I already sang. And I don't want you here."
Her mom sobbed and tried to touch Sophie's arm, but she shrugged it away. "I'm trying, Sophie."
Sophie's eyes welled with tears. "I already have all the family I need. I finally have people who care about me."
"Sop-"
"I needed you there when I was kid. Not now.  I finally did something I'm proud of that took years to do and you're taking that from me."
"Please, I-"
"Just leave!", Sophie screamed. Her chest ached deeply and her voice was strained. She had never hated anyone before, not even her parents, but as she stared at the empty shell of her mother, she felt immense hate and anger take over her.
Mavis tried to speak again but Sophie just stared at her as if she was nothing. She sighed and finally left.
The entire room was spinning. Sophie tried to stay upright but the exhaustion ultimately won.
"Let's home," she said numbly.
A shrill ringing noise sounded through Sophie's bedroom a few hours later, waking her from her slumber. Her eyes felt like they weighed a million pounds.
She glanced at the unknown number on her phone screen. She frowned and declined it, intent on going back to sleep. She felt numb.
The same number called back and Sophie finally gave in.
"Hello?", she asked.
"Is this Sophie Hart?"
"Yes."

Finn sat on the couch in the middle of Chase and Theo, with Victor on the end of the couch. They all absent-mindedly stared at the TV, not saying a word.
The stairs creaked behind them and they all shot to their feet.
When Finn turned around, he stopped dead in his tracks. Something was wrong.
"Soph?", he asked. "What is it?"
She stared with wide eyes at the carpet. Her body was shaking. Without a word, she collapsed to the floor.
Finn was immediately by her side. He crouched to the ground and held her to his chest. Loud, violent sobs broke from her lips. Finn glanced up at the others, unsure of what to do.
"Bring her over to the couch," Chase said. Finn gently picked Sophie up and moved her.
He placed her on his lap and held her tight. "Princess, what happened?"
Sophie just kept sobbing.