Neighbors

T H I R T Y - T W O

PIPER

This was it. Opening night. Months of rehearsals leading up to tonight. To say I was nervous was a complete understatement. I was terrified, and suddenly all the lines and dance routines that I knew like the back of my hand were wiped right out of my brain. I dreaded getting into costume because I knew that I was that much closer to going onstage.

"Hey," a voice startled me. I whipped around to see Cat and Dri glancing at me in concern.

"You okay?" Dri stared at me, her eyes filled with worry.

I nodded hesitantly, "yeah, I'm fine." My voice betrayed me, coming out unsteady and unsure.

"No you're not, sit down," Cat urged. "You nervous?"

"Petrified," I corrected.

"You have absolutely no reason to be," she reassured me. "You are so talented and you've worked harder than everybody else. Even when you were sick and in the hospital, you still did everything in your power to come back. So go out there and show the audience how strong and amazing you are."

"Cat's right, y'know," another voice spoke up. A male voice. Beckett made his way over to the three of us. Cat and Dri excused themselves to give us a moment alone.

"What's going on?" he softly spoke, gently rubbing up and down my arms with both hands. "What are you worried about?"

"What if I mess up?" I croaked meekly. "What if I ruin the show?"

"But that's not gonna happen," he responded confidently, "so don't even think like that. I've never met anyone more talented in my entire life. And even if you do mess up, I know you'll find a way to fix it without the audience even noticing."

I dropped my gaze from his, only to have him raise my chin with his fingers.

"Hey, no matter what happens out there, I'm proud of you. Bryce and Garrett, my parents, Sadie, and especially your parents, are so proud of you. Paps is proud of you." It was something about his words and reassurance that put my mind at ease. "And know that he'll be right here the entire time," he said lifting my hand and placing it on my heart.

"Thank you," I smiled slightly. "For everything." I wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace. His arms engulfed me and I felt him leave a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

"Alright Ariel, finish getting ready. You've got this," he flashed me a quick wink and a toothy grin before disappearing into the costume shop.

With his words of encouragement in mind, I did my hair and makeup and adjusted my mic.

I carefully inspected every inch of my costume to make sure it was perfect when I was disturbed by my phone dinging on the counter. I picked it up and saw that I had a new text message from Beckett.

beck: no matter what happens out there, you're always my perfect princess. break a leg and i'll SEA you out there ❤️ (sorry i couldn't help myself)

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his ridiculous pun, but his message made my heart melt and my stomach erupt with butterflies. I replied quickly before being called out onstage for a mic check before the show began.