The Magician's Assistant

[15] An Unsuccessful Rehearsal

          “Rachel, chin up. You need to radiate confidence. You are the sun!” Ruth instructed me, pointing her figure up to the ceiling. I stood shakily in my ten-thousand inch tall heels and negative ten-thousand inch dress, quivering like a leaf.

          “What does that make me? Chopped liver? This is my show, my performance, my stage! I’m the sun!” William crossed his arms over his chest grumpily.

          “Yeah, son of a bitch,” Johnny snorted. He reclined in the lounge, looking entirely at ease.

          I shot him Johnny glare that could shrivel puppies. Though I had to suppress a laugh at his statement. William just sulked even more.

          Johnny slapped a hand over his mouth, mumbling a quiet, “Oops.”

          My glare relented, and my eyes focused on Ruth in front of me. “William, stop pouting. She’s just as important as you are!”

          You tell him, Ruth!

          William grumbled in response, obviously not enjoying that I was in the spotlight. Believe me; I’d rather him be center stage, if anyone. He had incredible stage presence and I definitely didn’t. Not that I’d ever tell him that.

          “Let me see that million-watt smile!” Ruth snapped her fingers, trying to regain my attention one-hundred percent.

          She did wonders on my self-assurance.

          I grinned cheekily, causing her to roll her eyes. “O.K., so this next performance is going to be extremely fast paced, you two,” Ruth’s eyes narrowed down toward me and then shifted to William. “You’re going to be sweating bullets. That I can tell you.”

          “Would that be different than any other performance?” William raised an eyebrow challengingly.

          “Actually, yes. Because you’re both going to be moving around the stage rapidly. Thanks to Rachel, we have that seasonal performance idea. What’s the next holiday? Does anyone have a guess? Hmm?”

          “Halloween,” William announced in a bored tone.

          “Wilbur’s so smart,” Johnny commented from the darkness he was bathed in.

          “I’m going to kill that kid,” William promised Ruth.

          “We need him for the show, William. No killing is allowed,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

          Johnny stepped out from the darkness, making seeing him an easier undertaking. He stuck his tongue out childishly at William, wiggling his fingers by his ears.

          “See? See what I have to put up with?” William exhaled and threw his hands out towards Johnny. “Imbecile.”

          “Enough, you two!” I threw both of my hands up into the air. “As amusing as this is, I don’t want to have an awful performance. We should start rehearsing,” I reasoned.

          “Thank you, Rachel. Always the sensible one,” Ruth smiled appreciatively at me.

          “And always the suck up,” William added, grinning like a cat from across the room.

          “Shut your trap,” I wrinkled my nose at him as I said this.

          William stuck his tongue out at me.