Ideas for Stories I've Yet to Complete...

Mannequin

*A/N. Hey guys!

So this story I planned to call 'Mannequin'. Pretty much it's about a girl who lives on the run, always changing her identity out of fear of the ramifications of something that she did in her past...

This is actually one of my favourite of the stories I've started writing (and I even loved it so much I made like a promo video for it - which I also think is absolutely AWESOME! ...however, sadly, can't upload to YouTube or anything because of copyright issues), so I hope you like it as much as I do!

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"And, so, that concludes our performances for this evening. However, don't disappear just yet! In less than fifteen minutes time our judges will have chosen tonight's winners!" The audience roared excitedly, and the commentator raised a hand for silence, as she beamed out at the crowd. "Until then, is there anyone who might like to come up on stage and showcase their own performance for us? ...Anyone? Come on, don't be shy!" There was complete silence in the theatre, and Janie glanced at me.

"Maybe I should get up?" She whispered. "It's been so long since I last performed on stage..." But as she began to raise her hand, someone else shouted.

"I'll do it!" It was a boy. Collectively, the crowd breathed in, unsure whether to feel impressed or in doubt. A teenage boy volunteering to do something as publically as performing solo in front of a crowd of almost one thousand students, parents and teachers at a private girls' school was always risky. They either did something extremely spectacular, and in not anyway offensive, or they made a fool of themselves.

I couldn't see him properly at first, because of the dim lighting, but as he made his way down the stairs, from the back of the theatre, I realised there was something familiar about him...but what? My eyes trailed after the boy as he made his way onto the stage, and then under the spotlight, it clicked. Blonde hair, the bluest eyes I could ever recall seeing, and almost always a smirk on his smug/cheeky face. It was Luis. I gasped slightly, and Janie glanced curiously at me.

"Do you know him?" She whispered, but I couldn't reply. We were in the second row from the stage, and there was a chance (that) he might see me. I wished to God he wouldn't. As inconspicuously as possible, I tried to sink into my seat. But that only made matters worse. My long legs, which I'd always adored until now, bumped harshly into the seat in front of me, rocking its occupant almost face-first off (of) the seat. After catching herself, the woman turned to me quickly, a look of pure resent(ment) plastered upon her square, plump face.

"Insolent girl!" She spat and rather than take the time to feel guilty or say sorry, I glanced hurriedly towards the stage to see if he had noticed me...

And my eyes met Luis's. I felt my throat dry. This wasn't good. His eyes widened into two large circles in disbelief, and he blinked. Once. Twice. Time seemed to stand forever still.The commentator had left the stage to Luis (for his performance), who was holding a microphone to his lips quietly. It squealed as he breathed out a deep, shaky breath, and the audience, who likely had been waiting patiently, covered their ears, moaning. Luis blinked again, remembering where he was.

"Sorry." He spoke into the microphone like a gentleman. His voice was deeper than I remembered. But then the last time I'd seen him, was seven years ago, when we were in sixth grade. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "But I've just caught sight of someone I used to be very close friends with, what feels like a very long, long time ago." He smiled sweetly down at me, and I tried once again sinking aimlessly back into my seat.

"So, you do know him?" Janie raised a brow at me, and I shook my head. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening(!)

"Gracie and I used to be the best actors in our town, didn't we Gracie?" His smile broadened thoughtfully, and Janie nudged me.

"Did he just call you 'Gracie'?" I shook my head again. This couldn't be happening. Why was this happening? I raised my arms over my face willing everything to just disappear. But it didn't. Luis laughed.

"Aww! Always been too modest. Come on Gracie! I won't do this without you! We can do one of our old acts together." He sounded as excited as I would like to be, but I couldn't. The audience was in a frenzy, urging to me join Luis (especially the old folks), and Janie kept asking "Why does he keep calling you 'Gracie'? That's not your name." And I felt the world spinning around me. Peeking through my fingers, I found Luis watching me, a hopeful hand held out, asking me to join him.

"Go on, girl! You'll be great!" Someone yelled.

"Yeah, Maia!" I saw Luis frown at this. To him, 'Maia' wasn't my name, just as 'Gracie' wasn't to Janie.

"Yeah, don't leave the poor boy hanging!" Luis looked down at me with big, pleading eyes, and I found myself captivated, starring into their depths.

Eventually, Janie nudged me again.

"Better get up there." She whispered, and so I willed myself to my feet. And then I willed myself to walk towards the stage... But as I reached the stairs at its base, my feet froze in place. I couldn't do it. I'd worked too hard to get where I was, and I wasn't going to let myself fall back down again.

And so, before I could let my emotions stop me, I turned away from the stage, keeping my eyes downcast at my feet, where they couldn't see Luis, or Janie, or anyone else.

And then I ran.

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People shouted for me to come back as I ran away, but I ignored them. I could hear the pounding of footsteps as someone chased after me – Luis, probably; or perhaps Janie. But my years of experience meant that I was good at running away, and that I was good at hiding. I ducked into a gap between an old set door and a wall, and watched as Janie ran straight past me, and froze when she realised I'd vanished. Nevertheless, she aimlessly looked around the room from her position by the exit doors, and when she still couldn't find me, she loped slowly back into the theatre in disappointment.

I counted to sixty before coming out from between the set door and the wall, and tiptoed quietly towards the theatre entrance doors, straining to hear what was happening inside. But there was only silence.

I couldn't imagine the embarrassment Luis must have felt. It was like proposing to me for marriage in front of thousands of people, only to be rejected. How humiliating. I felt terrible, but it was a thing of the past now.

The fact that Luis has seen me had cost me my name. I could no longer be Maia; the shy girl at St Bell's Girls' School, just as I was no longer Gracie, the drama queen from Quinderley, or Sophie, the ghost-girl from Sunnaby High. Now I had to become someone else, from somewhere else... But who?

Well that was easy.

I would become Janie.