Inside Your Mind

Chapter 7

Instead of going to her usual meeting with Erik on Friday, she went out to get lunch, and then went back to the theatre to practice one last time before the performance tonight. Even though she would be practicing in the second half of her working shift, she didn't want to mess up when the time came when it was on stage. But if she works too hard, she might cramp up.

She looked around the McDonald's and mentally kicked herself. Her thoughts were starting to always shift to Erik, but wouldn't it be wise to not have a relationship with her doctor? Would it just be weird in general?

"May I take your order?" the dude at the register asked.

"Oh, yes." Christine snapped out of her thoughts, and spilled what she would like to the boy.

She was given her receipt and a cup, and she wandered over to the fountain machine mindlessly. She filled it up with her favorite drink and then waited by the condiments for her order.

Ten minutes later, her order was brought up to the counter and called, so she walked over to retrieve it. She sat down at an available table to snack on it a bit, but decided the busy spot wasn't the place to eat. Back to the theatre.

Christine walked for several minutes before reaching the theatre. Inside, the other workers, like the manager and the person in charge of casting people, were still working away on final details, reassuring themselves certain things won't go wrong. She walked to the dressing room for women and sat in her usual spot, pushing the make-up and small props out of the way.

As she started to eat, footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the door and she held her breath.

Meg walked through the door with Jack in the Box food, Christine noting the chocolate milkshake, and they both gasped. They also almost dropped the food that was in their hands.

"What are you doing here?" Meg's voice was almost hostile.

"Eating. McDonald's was too busy and noisy." Christine's gaze followed Meg as she sat down in her usual place too.

"Oh, I know that feeling." She sighed. "I'm just not used to anyone else being here for lunch, since, the family-" Christine chuckled, "-usually leaves, along with you. I take it we're still not part of them?"

She shrugged. "What does it matter? I've got you as a friend."

Meg smiled brightly. Then both girls turned to their food to eat, for they have about an hour left for eating and taking care of other matters.

That hour quickly disappeared before their eyes and before they knew it, they were behind the curtains, waiting for the right moment to appear on stage, in front of a crowd.

Both the girls looked at each other and exchanged a silent conversation, both looking happy and tried to reassure one another before heading onto the stage.

The musical cue came along, and all the dancers went out on the stage. Christine blinked a few times to get used to the bright stage lights, and then danced. She went along, listening and letting the music fill her head, her breath, her bones, her body, and went with it. She flowed along with it, never fighting against it. She spun, she flowed her arms like water, and she kept all the negative thoughts out of her head, staying on task for performing just right.

Then the cue came along for her and a few other dancers to get off the stage for overcrowding issues, and that they were not needed for the performance at that time. Christine took a moment to think, and thought, yes, she had done well so far. She found that there were water bottles waiting off to the side with their names, in Sharpie, on the side. She found hers and drank some quickly, and then waited for the right moment to appear back on stage.