Born to Perform

Chapter 15

It’s the performance of West Side Story tonight. I am freaking out. We’ve been rehearsing for two months and I feel so unprepared. Even though I know all the songs, I’m worried about singing and dancing at the same time - I’m not a natural dancer like Sienna is. And what if I forget my lines? And then there’s the scene with Sam for ‘Somewhere’… 

As I walk towards the auditorium, my hands shake and I feel a little lightheaded at the thought of having to perform tonight. My nerves melt a little when I see Cassie, Sienna and Sam sitting at the edge of the stage waving at me to come over. At least I’ll get to spend lots of time with three of my favourite people. 

“Hey, Melody! Isn’t this so exciting!” Sienna squeals as I sit beside them. 

“I can’t wait to put on my costume!” Cassie joins in with the squealing and fanning herself. 

“Aren’t you guys a bit nervous, though?” I ask them, pulling my dance shoes on. They all give me doubtful looks.

“About what?” Cassie laughs, “You’re like the best person in the play! No offense guys…” she quickly corrects herself but everyone is nodding in agreement. 

“Yeah, you’re the best Maria imaginable,” Sam adds, making me blush with embarrassment. Sienna raises her eyebrows and nudges Cassie but I give them an exasperated look and focus on tying my shoes so I don’t do anything stupid. 

Mrs Escott glides into the room, making her typical dramatic entrance and is today wearing an interesting combination of clingy black leggings, a tiger-print kaftan, hot pink boots and a beret. I have to stop myself from laughing out loud. She claps her hands twice to gain everyone’s attention. 

“Tonight is our performance of West Side Story!” she announces. Everyone cheers and smiles. I seem to be the only one feeling anxious. “I would like you all to change into your costumes and then I would like to rehearse some of the chorus scenes. I would like a full effort from every one of you tonight. Remember that you only get one night to perform your best!” And with that she sweeps to the back of the auditorium and sits majestically, like a queen presiding over her court. 

We all scramble away to the dressing rooms to prepare for the performance. There are two main dressing rooms - one for the girls and one for the guys - but there are four smaller rooms, one for Tony, one for Anita, one for Bernardo and one for Maria. 

“Ooh, you get your own dressing room! That’s so cool!” Cassie bounces up and down when she sees the sign on the door reading ‘Maria - Melody Pointer’.

“You better get used to it. You’ll have your own dressing room when you’re on Broadway!” Sienna teases in a sing-song voice. I laugh modestly and hug them before they go to get changed with the chorus girls. I let myself into my room - it’s quite small but cosy with a dressing table and mirror lined with blinking lights. In one corner is a chair with my costume for the first act draped over it. I wear a white dress with a red sash around the waist to cover up the blood stains from that awful rehearsal. I just hope that Elisha won’t try to sabotage the performance as well but, given that Sam and I managed to foil her last plans, I wouldn’t put anything past her. 

I quickly change into my dress, pull my hair back the way Sienna told me to and apply some light makeup. I glance at the clock on the wall and realise that there is still another fifteen minutes before the audience arrive. I walk back towards the chorus girls’ dressing room to look for Cassie and Sienna but the room is overflowing with girls desperately trying to elbow their way to the mirrors and the fumes of perfume and hairspray choke me so I turn back. 

Before I get back to my dressing room, though, I catch sight of the door reading ‘Tony - Sam Palmer’. I pause for a moment, wondering whether to go in or not. Would he be pleased to see me? I decide to be spontaneous, brushing aside all my doubts, and I raise my hand to the door and knock three times. There is a pause that seems to last a lifetime before the door slowly opens. My heart thuds in my chest as I worry that he does not want to see me but his face breaks into a smile.