Together

Shine

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a nice Easter if you celebrate. Sorry I was gone for a few nights; I was traveling and did a college visit. I please accept my apology in the form of the panda picture that I took yesterday. I love that panda more than myself okay? Anywayyyy, this one has been anticipated for a while I think, so I hope it lives up to expectations. Enjoy/comment/vote xxx
-ab

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February 9, 2026

Harper

I'm so giddy as I take the tube to Piccadilly Circus in the evening. I can't believe that the day has finally come: it's Katherine's turn to make her West End debut, by my side, in Anastasia.

When I arrive at the theatre, I sign in and notice that Katherine is already here, but none of the other Romanov girls are.

Before going to my dressing room, I stop and knock on the Romanov's dressing room door.

"Who is it?" I hear, through the wood of the door.

"It's Harper," I reply.

"Oh. Come on in."

As I push open the door, I'm able to just catch Kath wiping the tears from her cheeks, and I instantly run over to her, slamming the door behind me. "Lovie, what is it? What's wrong?"

"God, I hate myself," she mutters.

"Kath, what is it? What's upsetting you?"

She takes a deep breath. "I'm just... so scared. My whole life, I've dreamed about nothing but this moment. Now, it's here, and I'm so terrified. What if I mess it up? What if I forget my choreography during my big solo, or fall out of my fouettes? That happened once, when I was a kid and I was doing the Swan Lake variation."

"Kath," I say, grabbing my friend's hand, "shhh. You're going to be amazing, alright? It's so, so normal to be nervous. Before my West End debut, I was an absolute mess. Probably for a week before I made my debut, as the matter of fact. You remember that, right?"

"I guess," she nods.

"It's no different now. I understand why you're so scared, but that means that you care. Even I get nervous before my shows, becuase I want to make sure that I do a good job. I want to make sure that I'm pleasing those people who paid for those tickets."

"Harper, that's exactly what I mean!" she exclaims. "They didn't pay to watch me fall out of my turns."

"Love, you're not going to fall out of your turns. You could practically do those turns in your sleep, alright?"

"No, I couldn't. I don't want to end up not making it through all of the turns, and then have to leap around the stage or something."

"That won't happen."

"It did when I was younger."

"That doesn't mean anything," I insist. "One mistake doesn't define you for your entire life, and something that you messed up as a kid isn't going to change the entire course of your career. Seriously."

Katherine lets out a sigh. "I don't know... I just have this disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't even this scared when I danced Sugar Plum."

"Do you think that it's because you have to sing?"

"I don't know. It might be..."

"Can we do a vocal warm-up together? Would that make you feel any sort of better?"

"It's worth a try."

"Come on over to my dressing room. We still have quite a while before the show starts, and you can get ready quickly, right?"

"Sis," she says, clearly forcing the little smile, "my days at the Royal Ballet Theatre have definitely taught me how to do a full face of stage makeup at lighting speed."

"That's what I thought," I tell her. "Now, come on."

We walk over to my dressing room and I help her to sing through some scales and range extensions. "You sound great," I smile.

Katherine is clearly starting to relax as she starts to focus on her singing.

"But you sound better."

"Okay, I don't really know how else to say this, love, so I'm just going to put it bluntly... I'm the lead, so the singing pressure is really on for me. I'm not quite able to blend into an ensemble in the way that you are."

"Okay, touche," she admits, cracking a small smile. "But I still feel like I should be able to sing better than I do."

"Kath, listen up. I've watched you improve so much in the last few weeks, and I know that you're going to improve so much more, as you hold this role. But right now, you are more than perfect at what your specific track is. You know those harmonies so well. That isn't easy. You've put so much work into this role. Everything that you have. You've practically been living and breathing Olga Romanov. Don't pretend that you don't have the real Olga's life story memorized. That's going to pay off. You are going to go out there tonight, and you are absolutely going to kill it. Everyone is going to be so proud of you. Everyone already is so proud of you. You're going to shine up there, because you're a freaking star. I love you, alright?"

Katherine gives me the first genuine smile which I've seen from her all night. "Thank you, Harper. I love you too."

We share a quick hug before I ask her if she feels warmed up.

"Yep."

"Great. Go get ready for the show, drink some water, and I'll see you out there."

"I'll see you too," she replies. We share a high five, then she leaves my room.

I realize that I have to do my makeup rather quickly, as Jenni is going to come in to do my wig and pincurls in only ten minutes or so.

I make it, just barely, and I'm finishing up with my setting spray as I hear Jenni knock on my door.

"Come on in," I reply.

The door creaks open and Jenni walks in, holding the wig head with my first wig on it.

"You all ready for tonight?"

"I'm so ready," I smile for her.

"How's Kath?"

"Nervous, but she's going to be amazing."

"I know that she is. Hey, I saw Patrick lurking around outside of the theatre. Is he coming to tonight's show?"

"I have no idea," I laugh. "I'd suppose so, as I don't know why else he would be lurking around the theatre."

"Alright," Jenni giggles. "Well, what do you say we get started on our wig?"

"Let's do that," I nod.

Pretty soon, we are all called to our places for the top of the show. I open the door to my room and catch Kath as she's walking to the stage.

"Break a leg. You're going to be amazing."

"Thanks." She takes a deep breath and forces herself to smile. "I'm excited."

"As you should be. Remember: breath support and loosen up a little bit. Don't worry. You're probably the most ridiculously talented person I know. You've got this."

She smiles at me and blows a kiss before running off to her mark for the beginning of the show.

I can't wait.