Curtain Call (13 page)

 

 

“I think you should do it,” Max said a week later.

“No. No,” I replied. “I want to direct, not act in my senior project.”

“Blergh,” Max groaned unintelligibly. “Neither of the other girls was any good. Hannah, that one girl couldn't even remember stage left from stage right. You already know the entire script.”

I opened my binder and studied the cast list. “We could always see if Allison wants to come back.” I winced as I suggested it. No way did I want that girl back, but acting with Josh wasn't going to work either. We weren't actually speaking to one another at the moment.

After our fight, Josh had been true to his word. He was done with our drama. I had wanted to apologize dozens of times every day, but he never answered my calls. A nagging doubt tugged at my consciousness too, and I wondered if he had been out with Allison.

“Josh doesn't want her back,” Max said. “Actually he's the one who suggested you.”

“He did?” I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice.

Max sat down next to me. “He did. I'm not going to get in the middle of your personal stuff, Hannah, but he'd love to act opposite you. From what he tells me the two of you have amazing chemistry onstage.”

I thought back to the first show Josh and I did together in high school. Our chemistry then had been undeniable, but had it stemmed from the tension of our unrequited love for one another? I decided that no, it hadn't. Josh and I had done two other shows together and our chemistry had been fantastic.

My resolve began to crack. “I guess I could do it,” I said slowly, the idea growing on me with each word. “I think I can do it.”

“I know you can do it,” Max replied. “And thanks for agreeing. It saved me from having to blackmail you.”

Laughter bubbled up inside of me. Happiness and excitement lit me from within. Maybe there was still a little love of theater left in me after all. Or…maybe I was excited to do something with Josh, something that had brought us together in the first place. If Josh had suggested me, then he couldn't really be done with me, could he? Hope sparked within me making me giggle a little.

When the other actors arrived, Max sat them all down and announced that I would be taking over the female lead. I noticed a few people exchange what I classified as knowing looks, but Josh caught my eye and nodded his approval. Warmth bloomed in my stomach.

“We also have some special guests coming in tonight to rehearse the end scene. Hannah's grandmother and some of her friends have graciously agreed to perform their burlesque act. We feel that it will lend a nice air of credibility to the show. So plan to stay a little later tonight so we can get the blocking down,” Max said.

As everyone took their places to start the show from the top, Josh appeared at my side. “I'm glad you decided to do this,” he said, his voice soft and intense.

I dared a little look up at him. He met my gaze with one that never seemed to waver. This man had been my rock since I was a dumb kid, and he was still my rock now that I was a dumb adult. No words adequately could express how I felt at that moment.

The show went on with only minor stops and starts for Max to direct me where I needed to be. I already knew the lines since I had written them. As I got into the character, I wondered if all this time I had really been writing for Josh and me. Saying the things my character said felt cathartic.

“I'm sorry,” I recited from the script. “I never meant to lose sight of you when I went after my dreams. I meant to go after my dreams because of you. I know I've made mistakes but I know now that I was wrong. You were never the problem. I made my own choices and I need to stand by them. I've always been able to lean on you, and I hope that you feel like you can lean on me. This relationship should have always been a give and take, and it is your turn to take. I want to give my heart to you. I love you.”

My tears fell freely as I confessed my love for him.

Josh's dark eyes were hooded in the shadows of the stage lights so I couldn't read the emotion in them, but every once in awhile the light caught him just right and I could have sworn they were shiny with unshed tears. He stepped toward me, cupping my face with one hand, and wrapping his other arm around my back. As he drew me toward him, I could feel his heart racing. Was he as nervous as I was?

I never took my eyes from his, and it felt like the rest of the auditorium melted away until it was just the two of us standing in the soft circle of the spotlight. He leaned down, his lips hovering so close to mine that I could feel the warmth of his breath. My mouth felt dry and my ears started to buzz as I wondered if he would actually follow through and kiss me. When his lips met mine my heart stuttered over itself in joy.

I was flying high by the time the doors of the practice space flew open and Grandma trooped in with her friends. Several members of the cast giggled. From somewhere behind me I heard the sharp inhale of Josh's breath. Max's jaw dropped, and he shot me an incredulous glance.

“We have arrived,” Grandma announced. “Be prepared to be dazzled and amazed.”

She led Millie and Ethel to the stage. Each woman wore a sequined leotard with a small skirt made of bedazzled feathers. The faux gemstones made the feathers droop, which gave me an odd feeling of relief. That only lasted for three seconds. Right until the moment Ethel twirled around, and we were treated to the sight of ruffled bloomers under the feathers.

“O…okay,” Max stammered. I had never seen him flustered in the time we had been working together. Not even the night he met Grandma. “Let's see what you ladies have planned for us.”

“Yes, please take a seat, children so we can teach you what real theater looks like,” Grandma said.

The other actors filed off the stage, but I lingered. Grandma saw me hovering. She approached me with a look of pure seriousness. “Sweetheart,” she said, “I know you are a great actress, but this isn't something you are ready for. Yet. Someday I promise to teach you the family business.”

I slunk off the stage and sank into a seat between Josh and Max. “Oh my,” I said. “This is going to be…”

Just then the strains to the seventies version of “Lady Marmalade” reverberated through the small rehearsal space. I swallowed the last of my thoughts and laid a hand over my eyes. Peeking out between my fingers, I could see that Grandma and her friends had begun their intricately choreographed routine with what looked like the shuffle-ball-change of a simple tap number. They each held bright pink feather fans behind their backs as they shuffled along in a little line dance.

“This is what they do every Tuesday at the Sugar Bomb?” Josh asked.

I moaned in reply. Humiliation was nothing new when it came to my grandmother. Over the years I had been subjected to more than my fair share of highly sexualized behavior, and ever since she married Duke things had gone into hyper overdrive. This, however, really took the cake.

“There is no way we can allow this in the show,” I said to Max in a low voice.

Grandma and her ensemble now had the fans in front of them. Ethel or Millie, I wasn't really sure who, tossed a sequined bra into the audience. I sincerely hoped it was a prop. Grandma tossed her bedazzled feather skirt. Now I was pretty sure that these weren't props. Our grading committee would not approve of this no matter how tongue-in-cheek we presented it. And while this act certainly would add an element to our show that no one in the theater department had ever seen, was I really ready for the total embarrassment and possible failure?

Max leaned over and said, “This will be fantastic, don't you think? Although you'll need to ask your grandma to keep her clothes on. They can always use props to get their point across.”

I leaned toward Josh. The warmth of his arm brushed against mine. “She is a trip,” Josh said, his breath warm on my ear.

“This is so embarrassing,” I whispered back.

Josh shook his head. “Nah. She's great. Obviously the performing gene runs in the family. I can't believe I've never seen her perform before.”

“You could always go to the Sugar Bomb on a Tuesday,” I teased.

“Uh…no thanks,” Josh said with a deep chuckle.

I turned my attention back to the stage where Grandma and her ensemble had just finished their routine by flashing their bloomered behinds at us. My humiliation was officially complete. Applause, loud and vigorous, broke out. The sound echoed around the small practice space. I uncovered my eyes in time to see Max jump up. As he strode toward the stage, I noticed that Grandma was standing there clad only in her sequined bra and bloomers.

Ethel or Millie, whoever had tossed her bra, stood near Grandma, hugging her feathered fans to her body. Strangely, though, she didn't look uncomfortable. She just looked like she was waiting for her next stage direction.

“I wish I had that kind of confidence.”

I glanced up at the sound of the voice. A girl named Kelly slid into the seat beside me. She had a minor part in the show. She smoothed her short black hair before she smiled at me again. Her smile seemed tight and false for some reason. Maybe it was the way her mouth stretched across her face or something. Regardless I found myself not wanting to trust her words.

“They were great, weren't they?” Josh asked, leaning into my personal space. He seemed to get the same vibe from her. From the corner of my eye, I saw Josh flash her the smile that always had girls melting.

“Oh, well, yeah. They were fantastic,” Kelly said, her voice faltering slightly as she spoke.

I bit my lip to hide a smile. Josh had always had the ability to deflect a situation, and make people feel more positive. Gratitude didn't begin to describe how I felt from being saved from general girl snarkiness. I could criticize Grandma, but that didn't mean I wanted anyone else too.

Josh squeezed my hand as I moved to get up. I gave him a small smile and mouthed a thank you. He just shrugged, and my pulse picked up. I loved him, and at that moment I felt all the crazy emotions-the newness, the excitement-of falling in love with him again. Things looked a little dizzying as I made my way toward the stage.

“You'll need to keep your clothes on during the performance, though,” Max said as I joined them on stage.

Grandma frowned. “I don't know how I feel about that,” she said. “I worry that if we compromise the integrity of our performance, it will affect the overall quality of your show. We don't want to do that to you.”

I suppressed a laugh. “That's just a risk we'll have to take, Grandma. There will likely be kids in the audience.”

Grandma's frown deepened, causing her face to wrinkle in weird places, like under her lips. “I should hope parents wouldn't bring their children to a show with this sort of subject matter.”

Shoot. Why did she have to be so astute? She might pretend to be crazy, but the lady knew what was what.

“Just keep your clothes on, and we'll all be fine,” I said.

With a sniff, Grandma said, “Well, if you feel it will be the best for the performance then fine. Just note that I do so under great duress.” Then she turned toward Ethel and Millie. “Come along, ladies, we must ready ourselves for our next engagement.”

Grandma swept off the stage followed closely by Millie and Ethel, with one of them still hugging the feathered fan. I sure hoped Grandma let them stop at the bathroom to put some clothes on. Despite it being late March the nights were still cold.

As the door to the rehearsal space clanged shut, laughter bubbled up in my throat. Suddenly I was laughing hysterically. Doubled over, I gasped for breath. My laughter was contagious because soon everyone was laughing. Honestly it felt good to laugh. No matter how humiliated I was, the fact remained that Grandma was funny.

When I finally collapsed on the stage floor, Max gave me a smirk. “Okay everyone,” he said. “Let's call it a night. Thank you for all your hard work.”

People began to gather their things together. For the first time all semester, the noise sounded happy to me, not deafeningly overwhelming. I flopped onto my back on the stage. The rigging of the lights above me looked rickety, and I briefly wondered if they might come crashing down on my head.

“I'd save you,” Josh said, appearing beside me. His head was just inches from mine. My stomach fluttered and my heart drummed. How could he read my mind like that?

I turned my head slightly to look into his eyes. There was so much left unsaid between us. The words had been simmering all semester, and suddenly they wanted to boil over. I had so much I wanted to share with Josh.

“I…” I began.

“Okay, lovebirds,” Max interrupted.

My frustration must have been evident on my face because Max winked at me. He said, “Of course you two can stay if you want to. There are always sets to paint.”

I sat up. “Yes, we'll stay to paint sets.”

“We will?” Josh asked, sitting up too.

“Yup,” I said, glancing over at him.

Max chuckled. “Well, don't forget to lock up when you are done. The paint is in the back.”

“I know,” I said. I put more emphasis on my words than I had meant to because Max and Josh both started laughing again.

“Well, I can tell when I'm not wanted,” Max said. “See you tomorrow.”

Once Max had left, Josh made a show of going backstage and rummaging around in the supply closet. He came back with a drop cloth and some brushes.

“So…” he said.

I crossed the stage to him just as he was setting down the stuff in his hands. I knew this was it, this was my time to apologize for myself, and not as a scripted character. I felt nervous and a little scared that he might still reject me because I had pushed him pretty far. Besides that I was embarrassed by my behavior. No one deserved to be treated like I had treated Josh. Standing in front of him, I swallowed hard. “I'm sorry,” I said.