another man. Boy. Whatever.”
Kirk became Dana’s code word for Matthew, for obvious reasons. Lynn searched through the dimly lit backstage area for sight of him, but only found black clad crewmembers double-checking props and set pieces.
“What if I suck?” Lynn asked. “I mean, my parents are here, Dana. My freaking parents. Actually showed. Tonight. They’ve never come to anything I’ve done before. If I suck, it’s just going to validate every shitty thing they’ve ever said about my career aspirations.”
“First, fuck them for saying anything shitty about you ever. You know I hate them. Second, fuck them for even putting you in this headspace tonight. I totally get you’d want them here, but I wish they would’ve stayed home in their rum baths so you weren’t spazzing. Third, you will not suck. Will. Not. Suck. Say it with me.”
“But what if I do?”
Dana widened her eyes and shook Lynn by the shoulders. “I swear, Viggiani, I’m going to kill you. You are the perfect Juliet. Aidan is weirdly the perfect Romeo. Shit, even Aria is like the perfect old nurse hag. This show is probably the best we’ve done in our two years, and you know how I feel about this goddamn play.”
“Truth.”
“I’m so proud of you and I’m so excited to call you my bestie for the restie, because everyone is going to want to touch you to absorb some of your magic when this is all over.”
Dana kissed her cheek and hugged her again. Lynn hugged her back, just as tightly. “Kill it, Lynn. Kill it so we can go out to dinner and make everyone at Katz’s hate us and then we can all get blitzed and pretend we’re superstars for the night.”
Lynn sighed. “That really does sound perfect.”
“Right?” Dana fiddled with her earpiece. “Okay. I’m being called to the light booth. Break a leg tonight, baby girl!”
“Keep those assholes in the light booth in line tonight!”
Dana waved her off. “Bitch, please. Do you know who you are talking to?”
Lynn grinned widely, finally feeling a bit relaxed, or at least less frantic. She turned to go back into the dressing room and collided with a dark body. “Oh, god. Sorry!”
“Let’s hope you don’t run into everyone on stage, too.” Matthew, that cheeky motherfucker. He pulled her into a dark corner, away from the bustle of backstage, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her. Lynn melted into him, letting his touch ease her nerves. “I just wanted to come wish you luck.”
“You, of all people, should know how terrible that is!”
“Oh yeah?” She could see his eyes twinkle despite the darkness engulfing them. “Watch this. Ready? Macbeth .”
“ Oh my God, Matthew .” Lynn hissed, horrified. “Are you trying to destroy my opening night?”
He kissed her again. “Not at all. You are incredible, Lynn. You don’t need luck or charms or omens. You have some of the biggest acting balls I’ve ever seen. And this whole school is about to get blown away by the sheer force of Madelynn Viggiani.”
“And you’re assuring me this by cursing me eight ways to Sunday?”
“Just twice, technically.” He squeezed her hands and backed out of the corner. “You don’t need any of that. You are everything Bill Shakespeare could ever desire in a Juliet. Remember that. Those superstitions are for actors who can’t hold their weight. That is not you, and it will never be you.”
Lynn’s cheeks hurt from the furious blushing and grinning. “Thank you.”
“Anything for my leading lady.” He put his hands over his heart. “Now, time for the big pep talk.” He stepped over the assorted props leaned against a wall and clapped his hands, pausing to knock on the senior girls’ dressing room as he went. “Cast and crew meeting!”
Lynn slipped into the back of the group of senior girls, careful to look like she didn’t just come out of the dark with their very sexy director. Everyone huddled together and the excitement was so palpable, it
Kirk became Dana’s code word for Matthew, for obvious reasons. Lynn searched through the dimly lit backstage area for sight of him, but only found black clad crewmembers double-checking props and set pieces.
“What if I suck?” Lynn asked. “I mean, my parents are here, Dana. My freaking parents. Actually showed. Tonight. They’ve never come to anything I’ve done before. If I suck, it’s just going to validate every shitty thing they’ve ever said about my career aspirations.”
“First, fuck them for saying anything shitty about you ever. You know I hate them. Second, fuck them for even putting you in this headspace tonight. I totally get you’d want them here, but I wish they would’ve stayed home in their rum baths so you weren’t spazzing. Third, you will not suck. Will. Not. Suck. Say it with me.”
“But what if I do?”
Dana widened her eyes and shook Lynn by the shoulders. “I swear, Viggiani, I’m going to kill you. You are the perfect Juliet. Aidan is weirdly the perfect Romeo. Shit, even Aria is like the perfect old nurse hag. This show is probably the best we’ve done in our two years, and you know how I feel about this goddamn play.”
“Truth.”
“I’m so proud of you and I’m so excited to call you my bestie for the restie, because everyone is going to want to touch you to absorb some of your magic when this is all over.”
Dana kissed her cheek and hugged her again. Lynn hugged her back, just as tightly. “Kill it, Lynn. Kill it so we can go out to dinner and make everyone at Katz’s hate us and then we can all get blitzed and pretend we’re superstars for the night.”
Lynn sighed. “That really does sound perfect.”
“Right?” Dana fiddled with her earpiece. “Okay. I’m being called to the light booth. Break a leg tonight, baby girl!”
“Keep those assholes in the light booth in line tonight!”
Dana waved her off. “Bitch, please. Do you know who you are talking to?”
Lynn grinned widely, finally feeling a bit relaxed, or at least less frantic. She turned to go back into the dressing room and collided with a dark body. “Oh, god. Sorry!”
“Let’s hope you don’t run into everyone on stage, too.” Matthew, that cheeky motherfucker. He pulled her into a dark corner, away from the bustle of backstage, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her. Lynn melted into him, letting his touch ease her nerves. “I just wanted to come wish you luck.”
“You, of all people, should know how terrible that is!”
“Oh yeah?” She could see his eyes twinkle despite the darkness engulfing them. “Watch this. Ready? Macbeth .”
“ Oh my God, Matthew .” Lynn hissed, horrified. “Are you trying to destroy my opening night?”
He kissed her again. “Not at all. You are incredible, Lynn. You don’t need luck or charms or omens. You have some of the biggest acting balls I’ve ever seen. And this whole school is about to get blown away by the sheer force of Madelynn Viggiani.”
“And you’re assuring me this by cursing me eight ways to Sunday?”
“Just twice, technically.” He squeezed her hands and backed out of the corner. “You don’t need any of that. You are everything Bill Shakespeare could ever desire in a Juliet. Remember that. Those superstitions are for actors who can’t hold their weight. That is not you, and it will never be you.”
Lynn’s cheeks hurt from the furious blushing and grinning. “Thank you.”
“Anything for my leading lady.” He put his hands over his heart. “Now, time for the big pep talk.” He stepped over the assorted props leaned against a wall and clapped his hands, pausing to knock on the senior girls’ dressing room as he went. “Cast and crew meeting!”
Lynn slipped into the back of the group of senior girls, careful to look like she didn’t just come out of the dark with their very sexy director. Everyone huddled together and the excitement was so palpable, it
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