Chapter 1
Ellie
T
he ringing in my ears intensifies as the lights seem to grow brighter by the second. Sweat trickles down my back, provoking a small, involuntary shiver to ripple through me. My breathing is erratic, as if I’ve just run a marathon, and my heart is racing. My eyes flutter open, but the bright lights make it impossible for me to see anything in front of me. Someone grabs my hand and yanks it into the air before bowing down, causing my body to replicate the action.
Finally, I can see a sea of people sitting in rows, clapping and whistling. The familiar sights of the theatre dance through my vision, and I’mimmediately pushed back into the present. Looking to my left, I recognize the person that’s holding my hand as he waves out to the crowd. Freddie looks to me with a huge grin, his eyes sparkling with the excitement of a little boy finally receiving the candy he’d been begging his mother for for hours.
Looking back into the crowd, it finally hits me. I’ve just performed on my first big stage in New York City as a lead character. People are clapping and cheering… for me. For my performance. I’ll never get tired of this feeling. The feeling of fulfilment and joy that takes over my body after a great show. It feels impossible that I’m actually here, standing on this stage in front of hundreds of people who came to see me perform. It’s surreal.
I wave, mimicking Freddie’s movements with a massive smile on my face as a tear falls down my cheek. This is why I do what I do. This feeling is worth all the rejection and heartache. My eyes catch on a few familiar faces in the crowd. My best friends, my mother, and my brother sit in the front row, their smiles as wide as mine as they cheer for me, and I feel so full. I have everything I want, everything I need right here in front of me.
When the curtain closes, Freddie pulls me into a bear hug, lifting me off of the ground and spinning me around. Freddie and I have grown quite close these past few months of rehearsal. We played love interests in the show, but unlike his character, Freddie does not like women. Our friendship has become so important to me, and I appreciate the time we’ve spent together. He travelled all the way from Wisconsin to be here, despite not having his parents’approval. I admire his ability to go after what he wants, even if others don’t approve.
Freddie sets me down but keeps his hands on my arms, holding me in place. A piece of his brown hair falls into his face as his blue eyes lock on mine. I don’t think the smile has left his face since the end of the show.
“That was fucking incredible! Holy shit, they loved it! They loved you!” he shouts, and I have to chuckle at his outburst.
“And you! You were amazing. That was the best either of us has ever performed. It was awesome, and the way you executed that quick change? I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it!” I tell him, and I mean every word. We’ve rehearsed a thousand times. Late nights, sometimes past midnight, twelve-hour days, seven days a week. It all came together tonight.
“Elenor, darling, absolutely flawless,” our director, Mr. Lemaire tells me, throwing a long arm around my shoulders. I involuntarily hold my breath as a whiff of his terrible coffee breath permeates in the air. Mr. Lemaire is nice enough, and he’s never done anything sketchy to me personally, but he treats a lot of the male cast members a bit harsher than the women.
“Fredrick, your performance fell flat. I could have used more from you.”
Case in point. Freddie rolls his eyes. He performed just fine and we all know it, but no one dares to argue with the great Sacha Lemaire.
“It’s just Ellie, and I think his performance was wonderful,” I say, standing up for my castmate. Unlike many here, I am not afraid of Mr. Lemaire.He may be a world-famous stage director, but he is not above any laws, nor is he superhuman. He could potentially blacklist me from performing in New York ever again, but I don’t think he would. I’m his best performer and he knows it.
I’ve been performing in small shows here and there ever since I graduated college a few years ago, and it’s been amazing to be able to work in the area I received my degree in. However, it doesn’t exactly pay the bills. My family may be wealthy, but I do my best not to mooch off of them too much.
“This is why you’re the actor and not the director,” Lemaire says condescendingly as he bops my nose. “Anywho, I must be going. I have reservations. Ta ta, mes petites marionettes.”
Freddie and I watch as Mr. Lemaire exits the stage, and once he’s gone, the air in the room seems to grow a bit lighter.
“Incoming,” Freddie says under his breath, his eyes looking over my shoulder in the direction Mr. Lemaire exited. Before I can ask what he means, I’m being lifted into the air, flailing like an idiot.
“Put me down, you sasquatch! You’re crushing my ribs!”
“Who you calling sasquatch, pipsqueak?” my brothers familiar voice asks. Once I’m safely on the ground, I turn to face my group of supporters.
“You did great out up there, Ellie Belly,” Holland teases. Having a twin is some people’s dream, and it’s pretty cool sometimes. Having someone who shares a lot of the same feelings, emotions, and thoughts as you can be fun, except when you have to share a birthday, a cake, a gift. That’s when having atwin sucks ass. I got lucky I guess, since Holland is a guy, we didn’t have to share many toys, so that’s pretty nice.
“Thanks, and don’t call me that,” I demand. He’s had that stupid nickname for me since we were like three. I have no idea why, but I think it’s because it rhymes.
“Seriously, my bestie is practically famous! Look at you, performing in New York and shit. This is awesome, El!” Lainey squeals while giving me the biggest hug, as if we didn’t see each other last night.
“Can I get your autograph?” Gwen chimes in, fanning herself with her playbill.
Gwen and Lainey are two of my very best friends. I’ve known Lainey since we were like, eight. Gwen came into the picture our freshman year of college at Ellington University, and the three of us have been inseparable ever since. We’re even more inseparable now that Lainey decided to date my brother, which would be weird if we hadn’t all seen it coming. They’ve bickered and fought since they were kids, and I always knew there would be something between them. I’m honestly surprised it took them this long to finally do something about it.
“Ellie, honey. You did an amazing job. I always love seeing you perform, baby. You’re incredibly talented,” my mother says with a smile, bringing me in for a tight hug. I squeeze her back, loving the way she feels in my arms. I love my mother. She’s always been there for me, and she’s always been one of my biggest supporters. She wasn’t exactly thrilled when I told her I wanted to go to college for theatre, but she still supported my decision. She’s been to everyperformance I’ve ever had, including the dumb musicals I was in between the ages of five and seventeen.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you could make it.”
Mom smiles, running her hand over my hair and down my cheek with a small smile.
“I wouldn’t have missed your New York debut.”
