Magic 8

After 8

Once again, I woke up in my bed, but with a screeching headache. As my thoughts began to come together, I remembered what had happened and frantically checked myself for bruises, injuries, needle holes, or just anything in general. However, I found none. In fact, I found that my nails were done? I headed into my bathroom for medicine, which I leave in the first drawer left of the sink. When I turned on the light and looked in the mirror, my hair was cut at ribs length and dyed CARAMEL BROWN.

Panicking, I quickly rummaged through the dorm looking for my phone until I found it under my pillow. As I tapped open the screen onto my home page, I found that I had messages from a 463-328-4370 reading, "Before you freak out, unless I am mistaken and you have been freaking out, I took the liberty to change up a few things for you. Over the course of this play, I will change many things about you. I started with the easiest, your look. Welcome to the age of you with shorter, neater, brown hair to compliment your naturally gorgeous eyes. While you were out cold, we were able to replace your clothes with a new style I like to call "shy but edgy" like a pastel goth kinda thing but for you, less black and pink. You are very welcome for the changes that we agreed upon...sort of. Anyway, enjoy, and I will contact you randomly, so always have your phone!"

I leaned against the wall and scrolled through my contacts list down to Caspian's number. I didn't know what to say or ask to even break the ice and see if he was given similar treatment. All this "new" was freaking me out: new life without my sister, new odd relationship with my godfather, new play, new look, new, new, new. Tapping the call icon, I waited patiently to hear someone who'd been there long before the drama of the past month. "Hey, I just got off work. What's up buttercup?" "You do not know how big a relief the sound of your voice is right now." "You literally saw me yesterday, goofus!" I let out a deep breath as a way to cope with the rushes of anxiety, and after a moment of just breathing to relax, I heard him say, "Hey, whatever the issue is, I won't push, just keep trying to relax. If it would be alright by you, I can bring over ice cream and make dinner at your place? You just sound stressed- and its hardly the second week of the school year!" "Oh, I'm sorry if I made you think that. Today has just been, for lack of suiting words, curiously awful. You don't have to or need to do anything. I'm probably just going to practice the script." "Alright, just don't kill yourself trying." I hung up and tossed my phone to the sofa at the other end of the room. This play is going to be the death of me, and if not the play, then whatever my godfather has planned aside from that is.

Finally I looked through all that had been added to my wardrobe, but all I could think about was how easily part of my physical identity was tossed aside and re-imagined. I didn't mind what was given to me for the most part. Apparently "shy but edgy" equates to lots of strapless tops and pants with patches of netting rather than just holes or designs. I would say its better than what I usually wore (lots of leggings and usually tank top or t-shirt depending on the day), yet I prefer the comfort as I go to theatre practices and classes. Luckily, Ewan didn't throw out any of the clothing I previously owned, so I guess he wasn't that rude, though still quite rude for changing personal things without asking. It didn't take long to put the items away, thankfully. But the sense of self hopelessness was beginning to slowly weigh on me. There was an obnoxious tapping at the door, to which I handled the best I could by opening it slightly. "I know you didn't want me to worry about it, but I come bearing gifts of soft serve from the shop across the street of my work." I let Cas inside, and once he set the bags of snacks down at the counters he turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "I literally saw you yesterday and today you suddenly look like a different person. What happened?" I sat at the edge of my bed and as calmly as I could manage, I told him about my first experience with my godfather since his wife's passing. Caspian took it with rage, but I did leave out the part about the whole play being essentially game of chess where he is a game piece. "So he kidnapped you, forcefully changed your look, invaded your privacy as far as your sizes and all but for what? What is he trying to achieve by this?" "That's what I want to know- deserve to know- but I don't. I just....  I don't know. He was apart of some other life where I was young, free, able, and determined. When he left that life for the most part was over." Cas shook his head disapprovingly while grabbing spoons for the ice cream. Curiously, I asked him, "Do you like my hair brown? Or rather, does my hair look better brown?" He gave me the carton and a spoon and sat beside me with a full mouth. "Honestly, it looks great.... but blonde suits you though." I jokingly punched his shoulder, which was followed by a nervous laugh. "I know that wasn't what you meant, however, I swear that if there is one thing you call me loads, it has got to be "blondie"!" "You have no idea how blonde you are! Remember the time when you invited me down to the beach with a few of your cast mates and while in the middle of playing volley, you stopped and waved at me while completely not expecting the incoming instant headshot. How did you not expect that?" I shrugged my shoulders while giggling. "Honestly, I wasn't thinking anything of it. I saw you sitting by yourself and I was just trying to make you feel included. But remember that time when we went to the arcade on our day trip to Lafayette and on our way out you almost fell in the sewers even though there was caution tape and signs telling you to stay clear?" Cas rolled his eyes and exclaimed, "You wanted me to take a picture of the sunset but you wouldn't wait for me! I didn't want to lose you in those crazy crowds. Some of those people are just nasty and rude!"

I finished the last couple bites of the ice cream before tossing the carton and leaving the spoon in the sink. I felt a lot better having Cas here, though the questions and worries still remain. As Cas put his items away, he also took out his copy of the script. "So I have been reading this thing, and the whole story is really depressing. Belle's mother dies in the first scene and then her heart hardens because her sisters weren't there to help her while their mom was dying. The sisters are too ugly to the men of the town, and so they tell Maurice that if he doesn't choose one of them to marry Belle, that they will kill them all. It would really appear that the only good thing that happens in this whole series of events is Belle being sent to stay with the beast forever. I haven't finished, so I don't know how it all plays out, but I want to believe that the ending is far better than the beginning." As I found my script, I too realized I hadn't finished it. "You know Cas, I've been thinking on this for a little bit, but you've got to tell me: why did you choose to audition?" He flipped through the pages and chuckled. "Well, I had spent the whole day getting ready to go to a job interview, and as I was hitting the road, I got a call from them saying that I didn't need to come because they'd already given me the job. I knew that at the same time I was on the road you'd be at the theatre, so I made a stop. Then some Addy lady, on my way in, told me that if I was auditioning that I needed to go then. So she pushed me into the line of auditions even though I wasn't signed up to do so. Then the director argued with me but finally relented when I told her I had never done the theatre stuff before. When I was called into the room and I saw you, my thoughts were, okay, just keep it professional and maybe the director will think you suck but you are a great person and kindly deny you the part. But when I found out I got the part...I was miffed to say the least. I was just trying to maybe say hi, get a tour, maybe watch you practice, or hang out with your friends. Instead, I am cast as the Beast." I applauded him mockingly to which he responded with a half-bow. "I'd thought that you were originally just trying to prove how bad you are, but then as you were doing the reading, I realized you were actually trying." "Well, if I remember correctly, I had disappointed you a few times before by not going, and suddenly I am the prince in disguise... That's so funny right now! Well, I guess I ought to be going. We both have class tomorrow and theatre practice, right?" I nodded before he got his things together and opened the door. "Keep your chin up, Prudence. You will get through this just fine, I believe in you." With that, he shut the door behind him, and left me to solitude.