love can't be lost

chapter twenty three

Mackenzie POV

Tuesday, September 14th, 9:00 am

it was the day of the show. i was excited, but i honestly didn't know if i was going to preforming or not today. yesterday lauren and i had a little... spat, and she said my understudy, kalani, would take my part for opening night.
i don't know if she meant it or not, but i really hope she didn't, because i wanted to do opening night with johnny on our 5 month anniversary more than anything in the world.
oh yeah, today is me and johnny's 5 month anniversary. possibly the only good part about today. my plan to get him a surprise cake was the only thing that i had for him, so i really hoped that hayden would pull through. it's not that i don't trust hayden, it's just... well, actually yeah. i don't trust him.
but, hayden and i are good friends now, and good friends do nice things for good friends, or you wouldn't be friends at all.
anyway, i made maddie take me to the theater extra early today so i could help with some last minute prep. if lauren sees me helping, she'll probably let me be in the opening show... right?
when we got there, lauren, john, and maisy were already there. i hugged maisy, ignored lauren, and kissed john.
we talked for a while and then other people started coming in, all of them nervous and excited just like me because holy crap this is show day.
when hayden comes in, i immediately excuse myself from our little group of talking and go over to him.
"hey!"
"did you get the cake?" i ask, cutting right to the chase.
he rolls his eyes. "hello to you too. and yeah, i did."
i stare at him, waiting for him to go on, but he leaves it at that. when he doesn't continue, i throw my hands up in the air.
"where's the damn cake, hayden?"
"i knew it! i knew i could make you freak out!" he laughs.
"hayden. where. is. the. cake." i say, losing patience.
"fine! fine, it's in my car. i didn't bring it in because i thought johnny would see it."
"good thinking... let's sneak it in around the back door." i mumble.
hayden looks confused. "there's a back door?"
i roll my eyes and drag him outside. he gets the cake out of his car and we walk around back to the back door.
"there is a back door!" hayden says, amazed. "how come i never knew this?"
"because you're dumb," i giggle.
he frowns, moves the box to one hand, and flips me off.
"so, you gonna talk to lauren today?" i say, opening the door and walking inside.
"i'm going to really try," he says, walking in after me. "i feel like today is my last chance, until school starts. and she'll be avoiding me everywhere there too."
i nod. "she'll talk to you, hay. i can feel it."
he doesn't say anything, but i think i say a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"so, can i see the cake?" i ask, trying to change this awkward subject quickly.
"yeah, of course," hayden says and lifts the box open.
"oh my god! hayden!" i squeal. "it's perfect!"
it's pretty much the best cake i've ever seen. it says "5 MONTHS" in big, bold letters that really stick out, and it's johnny's favorite cake flavor, white raspberry.
hayden sets the cake down. "i'm glad you like it–"
i interrupt him with a huge hug. "thank you thank you thank you!"

time skip to 7:35 pm

"okay! everyone get your costumes on now! show time is in 25 minutes!" lauren yells and i come out of my dressing room fully dressed. i run to the break room, really excited, and get johnny's cake.
on the way to find johnny, i bump into hayden.
"hey hay! i'm about to give john his cake and i'm SO EXCITED!" i yell, bouncing up and down on my toes.
"great," hayden smirks. "i'm off to find lauren. i'm going to talk to her right now, whether she wants me to or not."
i pat his back. "good for you, hay. you two are like the perfect couple. you can win her back!"
he grins. "do you really think so?"
"of course. i know you love her and she loves you, so she will give you a chance."
he nods and starts walking away, but i stop him.
"wait, why did you guys break up in the first place?"
he scratches the back of his neck. "to be honest, i don't really know."
i laugh and give him a hug. "thanks for everything," i say into his shoulder.
we pull away and i head off to find johnny.
first i check the break room, but all i find is nadia, maisy, ashton, ruby, and jacob all talking and drinking cokes.
"hey, have you guys seen john?" i ask from the doorway.
"nope, haven't seen him," maisy replies.
"hey, what's in the box, kenz?" ashton asks, leaning over for a better look. i swear to god, that boy is always hungry.
"nothing for you," i say and roll my eyes.
"i haven't talked to him in a while... how's he doing by the way? he holding up?" ruby asks, setting down her coke.
"yeah! yeah, he's great," i say. "you know, dealing with life and all that jazz."
"yeah. no matter what, life always finds a way to screw you over. you know, sometimes life just kicks you in the balls," jacob says thoughtfully and we giggle.
"i second that all the way! i retweet that," nadia agrees.
"so true," i exclaim. "anyway, i'm off the find him. it's our five month anniversary."
they all say bye and i head off to johnny's dressing room. all the leads in the play get dressing rooms, and let me tell you, that has been SO awesome.
but john's dressing room was empty. i checked the stage, all the halls, backstage, and the seating area and still no johnny.
i was just about to give up and give him the cake after the show, because i heard lauren yelling "10 minutes everyone! the seats are filling up! find your places!"
but then i stumbled across a storage closet that i didn't know the theater had. i doubted johnny would be in there, but i checked everywhere else. maybe he spilled a drink in his dressing room and needed a mop or something to clean it up.
so i opened the door.
and i really wish i hadn't.