Their Queen

Chapter 1: This Can't Be Happening

"Alright everyone, good job! We have four more rehearsals scheduled before opening night and if we performs just as we did today then the audience will be on their feet with their applause." Clapping his own hands loudly, our director smiled at everyone on stage from where he sat at his stable in front of the audiences seats. 

"Finally nearing the end! About time." Stretching her arms over her head was my best friend, Alicia. As it was a dress rehearsal, she had donned her Queen of Hearts costume. 

Our small acting troupe was putting on Alice in Wonderland. The audience was going to be filled with students from different schools from Japan. Some sort of cultural exchange thing because a number of students from my school had gone over there for the same thing. I wasn't one of the lucky ones chosen to go but I was just fine with that. I got to stay where I was comfortable and act. My kind of vacation.

"Still got time to physically break a leg, you know." Another friend of mine, Ruth, nudged my side with her elbow and a playful grin. She was my understudy but wasn't as enthusiastic about theater as I was.

"Please jinx me more. I don't feel unlucky enough." I stuck my tongue out in retaliation and moved off the stage to remove my Alice costume. 

"Oh yeah, Marcy, because you're so unlucky." With sarcasm dripping on her every word, Alicia rolled her eyes.

I could deny that I was lucky but there was no point since it was true. I had never been sick in my life, never gotten an injury, not even a paper cut. I got good grades, leads in plays- I attributed that to my hard work and hours spent on rehearsing and learning lines though- and was reasonably popular. I had almost fallen off the stage once but managed to steady myself when I was already falling back. Even gravity was on my side.

We chatted with the rest of the cast as we removed our costumes and stage makeup. Everyone on stage had been acting together for a few years now. There were a few new faces in the stage crew but they all seemed like hard workers so I had no issue in talking with them in the theater.

"Marcy, Nathan's here." Another friend of mine who was paying the Mad Hatter, Joshua, called to me through the closed door of the dressing room.

"Thank you!" I pulled my pale blonde hair back into a ponytail and grabbed my purse and jacket before rushing out the door. I gave a quick farewell to people I passed in the halls of the theater and made my way to the entrance where he was waiting for me.

Tall, handsome, neat brown hair and hazel eyes. My boyfriend of the last two years, Nathan, was a very special part of my life. My parents warned me and prepared me for the relationship by telling me that rarely did the guy dated in high school turn out to be anything more than a teenage relationship that fizzles after graduation but they were wrong about that. He was the guy I was going to marry. There was no other path in my life. 

"Hello, beautiful. How was rehearsal?" Giving me a tender kiss on the forehead, Nathan wrapped his scarf around my neck to help me battle the cold and placed his arm over my shoulders. 

"Perfect! We got through it with no issues and all the lighting and sound cues worked perfectly! I can't wait for Friday."

"I can't wait to see you up on stage. I'll be the one in the front cheering the loudest." With a beaming smile, Nathan gave my shoulders a loving squeeze. I appreciated how warm he was against me.

Even though it was almost summer, I was cold. That was my one thing. No matter where I was, I was always cold. I had extra sweaters in my car and even a blanket. The only gift I ever asked for was more blankets. Even now I was wearing a thick woolen sweater. 

While walking back to my house, Nathan and I discussed our schedules for the next few days. He was going to be doing last minute revisions to his university applications and I had rehearsals. We wouldn't be able to spend much time together for the next little while which is why I enjoyed our small moments together.