Little Queens: Six the Musical

Chapter 11

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of Self-Harm Cuts/Scars

(A/N: Takes place on the same day as the previous chapter, just later and they're at the theater.)

Cathy was sitting in front of their dressing room mirror. She just couldn't move. Whenever she tried to get up to join the others, her brain battered her right back down into her chair. The normally comfortable chair felt like it was chaining her there. She was aware that the show was going to be starting in almost fifteen minutes. She knew that she had no actual reason not to be getting up. It's not like she was tired; she had already slept earlier.

So why couldn't she get up?

There was a knock on the dressing room door. Jane and Kat had already left so she was the only one left in the room. Cathy sighed and called out that the door was open. It creaked open. Light from the hallway filled the mostly dark room.

"Hey, cariño. We have to get our mics on. Are you ready to go?"

The survivor shrugged. She made no indication that she planned on moving. Her godmother came over and gently rubbed her shoulder, not wanting to mess up her goddaughter's already done hair.

"Want me to get Anne for you? She didn't have her mic on yet so she can come back here if you'd like her to."

"That...would be kind of nice." Cathy conceded quietly.

"Okay. I'll go get her." Catherine made her way to the door. She turned her head to look over her shoulder once more at the woman slumped in her chair. "Your hair looks very nice today, by the way." And then she was gone.

It does? Cathy sat up slightly, peering at herself in the mirror. She stayed that way until she could hear Anne opening the partially closed door. Anne silently came over by her. Her girlfriend sat on top of the only clear spot of her dressing table.

Anne smiled sweetly at her. "What's up?"

"I can't go out there, Annie. I can't. They're all going to see it. They're going to stare, and they're going to laugh, and they're going to point at it. They can't see it. They can't." The final queen shook her head rapidly. Her breath came in short, mostly panicked bursts. She couldn't do it. She can't.

"Hey...hey. Deep breaths, mon amour. It's okay. There; good job, you're doing great." Anne patiently waited with Cathy until her breathing had returned to a semblance of what it was normally. She gently ran her thumb over the smaller woman's knuckles. "Is this about the one on your wrist, beautiful?"

She nodded mutely, extending her wrist out. She had tried to cover it with makeup earlier but it just wouldn't cover it right. That alone had taken her an agonizing half an hour. Then she had to do her hair, the rest of her makeup, and change into her costume. Cathy was honestly wondering if it was worth all of that work.

"Would you like me to have your alternate go on? It would be okay; she's almost ready herself, I believe. We only have one show to do today."

"I want to go on, but they'll see it."

Anne hummed in understanding. "Hmm, would you like to try and cover it with something if that would make you feel a little more comfortable on stage?"

"I already tried using makeup. It didn't work. It just wouldn't work."

The woman jumped off of the table, causing some of the items on it to move and fall over. She looked at them apologetically but walked over to Kat's area. She opened one of the drawers.

"Annie? What are you doing?" Cathy asked softly.

"Oh, nothing. I just have an idea. Do you trust me?"

"Of course." She replied instantly, a light blush spreading on her cheeks and nose.

Anne walked back over. She held something in her hand that Cathy couldn't see. She sat back down where she had been moments before. Anne took Cathy's hand into her own, her eyes on Cathy's the entire time.

"Don't look, but if it hurts at all, tell me and I'll stop. Is that okay?"

"I...Okay." Cathy nodded while turning her head away from Anne. The other woman in the room took out what she had been hiding. It was a sharpie from when Kat had needed it a few months ago. She quickly got to work on the mini masterpiece she had been planning.

Cathy didn't object during the whole thing, only asking, "Anne? Did you steal Kat's sharpie?" and getting a laugh in response.

It was only a few minutes later when Anne exclaimed that she was done and that Cathy could look. While her almost healed cut/scar was still there, it was no longer visible as it was before. Over it was a drawing of a butterfly completely colored in. Its antennae formed a slightly misshapen heart.

"I hope you like it...? Sorry I only had a black sharpie. I wanted to color it in with more colors but I-" She was cut off by Cathy leaping up and hugging her tightly.

"I love it." She mumbled into Anne's costume.

Anne sighed out in relief. "Oh thank goodness. Do you think you'll be able to perform with it on?"

Cathy nodded softly. Together the two former queens walked towards the stage. The show went flawlessly. The other queens noticed the butterfly on her wrist and smiled reassuringly at her. She was a little nervous to perform but all of that went away by the end. She was proud to be able to stand up there next to five other queens who had been through hell and back.

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"Did you hear what that little girl said, Annie? She said that she liked the butterfly! She liked it!" Cathy exclaimed happily once they finished with stage door and were walking back to their house.

"I did." Anne smiled at her girlfriend. "I'm glad she liked it. Did you?"

"Yes! I love it! What should I name it?"

"I don't know, Cathy. You have to give it a special name."

Over the next few days, the number of butterflies on Cathy's wrist grew; from one to two and then finally to six in very little time. Anne's original one, Avery, was in the middle. A green one (Alex), a pink one (Kinsley), a gold one (Chase), a red one (AJ), and a gray one (Jordan) were all drawn by her fellow queens. Finally, a dark blue one named Mae was closest to her heart.

(A/N: This was shorter and more rushed than I wanted it to be but whatever. The Butterfly Project is actually a real thing too, which I based this chapter off of and the picture at the top explains it! Also, my PMs are always open if anyone ever needs to talk. Catalina focused chapter will be next and then hopefully Kat regressing with the others. Thanks for reading!!)