In Dead Men's Shoes

Chapter 38

The audience's astounding applause still rang in my ears as I exited the stage. We had a few humble dressing rooms to the side of the stage, and everyone stumbled into their respective rooms, still slightly dizzy from the post-bows high. I lingered outside the throng of students, uneager to face what lay inside, even though I didn't quite know what that was.

Andrew was still standing in the wings once everyone cleared out, his director's hair free of sticky gel and his face free of makeup. Once he saw me standing by myself, he pulled me aside where nobody could see the two of us, and started talking.

"Oh my God, that was crazy," he gushed out. "I was trying not to have a mental breakdown while you guys were bowing. Like... Oh. My. God -" he cut himself off and rubbed his temples, simply to follow it with "Jess. Wow."

Andrew continued, after a moment's breath. "And then you two - well, you know, obviously -"

"Okay, are you gonna speak in coherent sentences, or what?" I said, even though we both knew that I knew what he was implying.

Andrew digressed. "So that was all, well - real, right? Including the part about Isaac being gone?"

"Yeah. She sounded really certain he had left -"

"Because of the spell."

"Yeah. I think so," I said, and drew in a breath. "I was so damn scared, Andrew. Like, you don't even know. I mean, I could have ruined her. In front of a live audience, no less."

"But you didn't. That's why we're here, and not fucking freaking out and calling the cops or whatever. You literally saved her life. I mean, come on. That's incredible."

"I still can't believe this whole day was real," I said slowly. "Any of this, really. Sometimes I still feel like I'm gonna wake up from this crazy nightmare in a cold sweat."

"Hey." Andrew reached for my hand and grasped it kindly. "It's not a nightmare anymore."

I heaved out a sigh. "Yeah. I know."

Andrew broke out into a grin, and I cringed, knowing what was coming. "Plus," he said, "It would suck if this was a dream, 'cause then you wouldn't have gotten to kiss Catalina, right?"

I flushed brilliantly. "I knew you would say something."

"Jess, honestly... it was kind of perfect. I mean, you guys had this really interesting chemistry throughout the whole play. I know we didn't script that, obviously, especially for the original cast, but... it worked. It was like you two were meant to kiss at the end. And, well, you know." He nudged me, a small smile lingering on his face. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," I said. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the thought of my long-time crush's mouth on mine, but I changed the subject. "I don't know if one kiss will magically fix all of my problems, though."

"Maybe not," Andrew said. "but it sure looked like it. At least we know your problems with Isaac are solved."

"Right," I said. "And now the whole audience knows it too."

"It's okay. You guys... covered it up. Sorta. I mean, they'll never know the real story, at least."

"Come on. No seventeen-year old is that good of an actress," I said, giggling.

"Okay, Millie Bobby Brown," Andrew said, and I laughed, until his face turned serious again. "Still. Whatever they thought, I'm sure it wasn't 'she's been possessed for about five months now, and two visits with a medium didn't fix it, and she had her second biggest encounter with the suicidal ghost living inside of her on that stage in front of all of them, until her best friend and crush exorcised her with a dangerous ancient Latin spell."