TLC the Musical

Last Friday Night

Cress stood in front of Scarlet's front door, practically shaking in her boots. It was wrecking her nerves how much she knew she had to tell the truth to her friends. For the passed decade, she'd been lying about who she really was. Now, she could hardly keep the real her contained.

If they don't like you the way you really are, they're not good enough to be your friends, Thorne had told her. Sue, she'd been blushing furiously most of the time, and could hardly move. But Thorne had shown her that it was okay to open up and let people in. He'd also shown her a new side of him. One that was sweet and kind, and maybe even a little protective.

Mustering up all of the courage she currently had, Cress pressed her finger to the button next to the door. The doorbell rang and Cress tried to calm herself down. She had to be strong.

You are an actress, she told herself. But now, you're kind and generous to all of your fans.

"You can do this," she whispered to herself.

Footsteps came from the other side of the door and the knob began to turn. The door was pulled in, and a girl with a red, high ponytail was on the other side.

"Cress!" Scarlet smiled. "Hey ... are you okay?"

"Um .. yeah. I-I'm fine. Just a little cold," she lied, in a very hushed voice.

Scarlet looked at her questionably, but shrugged it off and let her in. Cress walked in, very, very hesitantly.

Just be yourself, Thorne had told her. You're perfect the way you are.

Not once in her life did Cress believe that she was even half way to being perfect. She thought that her facade personality was the closest she'd ever get. Then, Thorne just had to figure out she was nothing more than an act.

And he'd gone as far as to tell her to be herself to her friends. To stop hiding behind her mask.

No matter who she was with or where she was, she always felt like the Phantom of the Opera. Always hiding behind the mask, going unseen. Never really living life except to come out for the music. Mainly, she felt the extreme need to hide behind a mask. To stay away from any who would criticize her or harm her. That underneath her disguise, she was a horrific monster that was hated and unloved.

After all, that was how her adoptive mother used to treat her.

So many people reminded her of that woman when she first started going to school. Especially Sybil. She was always cruel to her, just like her adoptive mother. But the biggest connection was that Sybil once locked her in a closet, like her mother used to her when Cress was being "annoying".

Even though it was the beginning of October, and the air was mildly warm and the farm house was even warmer, Cress felt like she was freezing into an ice sculpture.

"Are you sure you're doing okay?" Scarlet asked again. At times, Scarlet could read emotions, supposedly. Cress never thought this was true, but now that Cress was actually trying to be herself, Scarlet might prove to be a formidable foe in Cress keeping to herself.

Scarlet placed her hand on her shoulder, and gently turned Cress to face her. "Did something happen between you and Thorne during practice?"

Wow. That is scary accurate.

"N-no. Not .. not really," Cress replied, unsure of how to deliver the fact that she'd been hiding who she really was for the past ten years.

Her friend frowned at her, and Cress actually felt .. intimidated by her. She was sure she appeared the way she felt when she was around Ze'ev Kesley. Pale, small, transparent, and scared for her life.