Our Autumn Fire

Nine

    Cassidy stared at herself in the lighted mirror with heart pounding. Her hands were shaking and she could not stop her restless leg while she tried to finish putting on her makeup. Around her a few other girls were chatting in low voices and changing into costumes for their performances. Some were stretching and some were going over their routines for last minute preparation.

    One by one they disappeared out of the dressing rooms and into the backstage area, leaving Cassidy alone still fidgeting with her mascara. Her nerves had not really manifested for the performance she was getting ready for until an hour before she showed up at the studio theater where she would perform one of the most important dances of her entertainment career.

    She had had the occasional butterfly in her stomach the past few weeks, but the pressure she felt right now was on another level. She felt like she was sweating an ocean and kept wiping her dry forehead. She checked her reflection in the mirror once every half second and took long breaks from all of it by closing her eyes and imagining falling and breaking her leg or being dropped mid-performance. She took it a step further and imagined how disappointed her mother would be that the one dance she had decided to dedicate to her had ended in failure. She imagined the dance company scout spreading word of her as a complete hack and dooming her from ever being able to pursue anything even remotely close to dance as a career.

    Just as she was about to begin her routine of coming up with even more dire consequences of the most minute missteps of today’s performance, Hayley and Alicia poked their heads into the empty dressing room.

    Hayley rushed up to her and gave her a tight hug from behind. “Oh my god, you look gorgeous! You’re gonna kill it!”

    Cassidy smiled, but her eyes revealed that it was a pathetic attempt at simple courtesy. Alicia came in close as well and leaned down to put her arm around Cassidy’s shoulder. She kissed her friend on the cheek and calmly said, “You’re the best one at this show. Don’t worry. I’m sure your mom would be proud of you no matter what.”

    Hayley slapped Alicia’s arm. “Idiot! Don’t bring up her mom! You’re just gonna make her nervous!”

    “Ouch! Quit it!”

    “You deserve it!” Hayley said, half serious.

    “No I don’t!” Alicia retorted.

    Cassidy stood up and turned around to face them with a beaming smile. “Okay you two, stop it. I don’t need my besties fighting over something so silly.”

    Hayley smiled back at her, “Don’t worry. Ali-cat knows I’m only half kidding.”

    Alicia raised an eyebrow at her and folded her arms. “Only half?”

    Cassidy giggled, and the other two joined in as they shared a lighthearted laugh.

    “Well you need to get ready, and you better hurry up because they’re about to start soon!” Alicia hugged her again and pushed her towards the rack that had her costume on it.

    “Yeah, and your dad was outside looking for you before the show started,” Hayley added before pulling Alicia back outside. “We’ll see you after, babe!”

    Cassidy smiled with half her mouth and quickly put on the white and blue dress that would be her first costume of the evening. She finished up her makeup and quickly went outside to meet her father.

    “Hey, princess.” He hugged her tight with both his long arms holding her close. “How are you? It feels like ages since I’ve seen you.” He kissed Cassidy on her forehead twice.