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A muffled song filled the empty room with a sense of dread. Props were carefully laid out on the table in the corner and costumes were neatly hung on the rack. The sound of character shoes clacking against the floor echoed as Ruth Fleming paced back and forth. She breathed out a shaky breath, attempting to fix her untameable curls as best as she could. Ruth silently went over her lines under her breath. She knew this was it. Finally getting over her stage fright and performing instead of running the lightboard, accidentally missing cues because she would longingly stare at the stage. And then she would blame Trevor for getting his lines wrong. She had dreamt of this for her entire life.
As Ruth’s thoughts lingered and grew in her mind, the sound of a creaking door broke her out of her trance-like state. Peering from behind the door, Stephanie Lauter met Ruth’s eyes. With her confident stride, school-wide popularity, black nails and perfect curls, she entered further into the room. She was everything Ruth wanted to be.
Slumping down on a chair that Ruth was certain was a prop, Stephanie stared at Ruth with an unnamed glint in her eye. Pity. Or perhaps, confidence. The faint rustle of her oversized flannel and the sweet aroma of cinnamon filled the air. “Hey Ruth, you okay?”
A dramatic, exasperated sigh came out of Ruth’s mouth as she slid into the chair next to Steph. “I’m okay. I’m just… nervous.”
Stephanie barked out a laugh, as if Ruth was joking. Her grin faded slowly, being replaced with a look of confusion. “But why? You’re like, so good!”
Ruth’s head flicked up, eyes glittering and a small smile forming. “You think so?” She murmured, nervously fixing her hair.
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?” The thunderous, yet muffled, roar of applause began to come from the theatre.
Stephanie knowingly smiled, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the applause. “Of course, Ruth. I wouldn’t lie to you.” The two shared a smile. Ruth didn’t say it, but she was slightly shocked at this genuine and caring side of Stephanie that is usually hidden behind the facade of a rebellious girl.
“You’re like… super nice to me.”
“You deserve it. I’ll see you out there, yeah?”
Steph grinned. Ruth eagerly nodded. Steph then slinked out of the room, leaving Ruth alone again with her thoughts. Lanky, awkward, horny Ruth just got a pep talk from Hatchetfield micro-celebrity and her best friend’s girlfriend, Stephanie Lauter. Fuck yes.
Clutching the curtain in the wings, Ruth breathed a steady breath. Steph’s words lingered in her mind,
“I wouldn’t lie to you”.
The empty stage, once daunting and something that seemed so out of reach, was now right in front of her. Something she had devoted her entire life to but never actually once committed was now something she was going to be doing for the entire school. Determined, she strode onto the stage with a newfound confidence in herself. The audience was a cacophony of encouragement and belonging. And catching Stephanie’s eye as she took a breath, she began her scene with a new sense of hope.