Living Like Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Forty - Her Regret

Chapter 40 - Her Regret

The show had begun and the sounds of the first opening number could be heard from all of backstage. The blur of people, costumes and props made it very easy for me to feel myself slipping into daze. Marie fixed my hair while silently shooting me looks of aggravation for ruining her masterpiece but I was too busy craning my neck, looking for Chloe to even care. She had completely disappeared from my sight and the nerves that I had banished earlier had returned with a vengeance. I felt physically sick. 

This was the perfect time for Chloe to extract her revenge, not only was I alone up there, but she had an entire audience who would be witness to her own personal show. If I was an evil, vengeful maniac on the lose, that is probably the place that I would start.  Therefore, when the stage hands began to push me forward towards the stage entrance, I felt my head spin involuntarily and the palms of my hands felt as if I had dipped them in water. Spinning around, I found one friendly face in the chaos of my panic. 

"Ryan! You've got to help me. I-" The words were interrupted when he gave me an encouraging smile and nudged me towards the stage where the previous scene was about to wrap up. 

"You're on! Quick. You'll be great!" His voice sounded reassuring and excited to any other persons ears but to mine, they might as well have been the bells ringing to signal my doom. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to stop the frustrated tears from flowing, my emotions suddenly making me feel ready to collapse. As cast members pushed past me, giving me blatant looks of confusion at my hesitation, I felt my torso begin to shake. The stage went black as the setting was being changed to the forest scene while the narrator told the audience of how our sleeping beauty grew up in a forest with the magical fairies. 

I tried to control myself by taking deep swallowing breaths. In the back of my mind, the image of falling to the floor in a sleep attack plagued me. Stress was a trigger and it was all I felt at the moment. Raising a shaking hand, I pushed aside the curtain just enough to peak at the audience. My eyes immediately found Scott, sitting with Tessa and Chase, chattering excitedly. As if he felt my gaze, his head turned and our eyes met. Slowly his lips pulled into the charming smile I loved and like that, I felt the scorching heat that had suddenly crippled all of my senses begin to fade. I gave him a returning upturning of the lips before letting the curtain fall back into place.

I can do this. 

I repeated this mantra as someone behind barked out orders for me to get onto the stage one final time. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped onto the hard wooden floor past the curtain and to my place. I could hear my harsh breaths rasping in the silence of the room while I bent down to begin picking flowers into the straw basket in my hand. Then the lights slowly shone on the scene, presenting me clearly to the audience. I schooled my features into a serene expression despite the fact that my body was trembling and my mind buzzed with panic of having a sleep attack. 

The audience shushed as Mikey made his way onto the stage, the thump of his boots alerting me to his arrival. I formed my mouth into a pretty 'O' shape before turning to face him, placing a hand over my heart in alarm. 

"Who are you?" I began, letting the shakiness I really felt lace into the words. He alluded my question, instead asking why I was in the forest picking flowers. 

The scene continued and slowly I felt myself begin to relax. Despite my subtle glances to sides of the stage, Chloe did not make a her move. Perhaps she decided exposing me here, in front of the entire school was a step too far? Maybe she even realised that I had never done anything to hurt her intentionally. I continued to convince myself of these things until I pushed her out of my mind completely. I was going to give the best performance possible and before she got the chance, I would tell people about my condition. It seemed less catastrophic if I delivered the news myself. Then Chloe would have no power of me at all.