Troubled One (Wilde #2)

Chapter 30 | Final Chapter

Chapter 30

       Today was the first performance of the play and I was really excited. Acting during rehearsals was one thing. Actually performing in front of people was what I loved. I just loved the process of being backstage when it wasn't my turn, watching everyone act. Watching the set changes. Watching the audience respond. I loved all of it.

       It was also the performance where my dad and grandparents were going to watch. I honestly was a bit worried that my dad actually wouldn't show up. It happened before when he completely left us, missing Laughlin's graduation, his wedding, my and Nick's first day of school.

       If he didn't show up to the play, I was going to feel devastated.

       "Is he here yet?" I asked Nick, who was peering through the curtains to see the audience.

       "No, not yet," Nick said. "I see Laughlin, Elliot, Elizabeth, Aaron, Grandma, Grandpa, and....Is that Ginny?"

       "Who cares if Ginny is in the audience?" I asked.

       "I do," Nick said. "She gets to see the sets that I made. No, I don't see Dad yet."

       I sighed and Kamille rubbed my back. "He'll show, don't worry," she said.

       "I don't know," I said. "He missed a lot of events for us. If he doesn't show...."

       "He will," Kamille said. "Stop worrying about it, okay?"

       "Okay," I said. "But your hand is a bit lower than it should be."

       Kamille's response was to move her hand even lower. "This better?"

       "I don't understand you at times," I said with a sigh before looking back at Nick. "Is he here now?"

       Nick peered through the curtains now. "I don't see him....Wait. Nope, he's here with....Mom? Mom's here too."

       "What?" I asked, moving to the curtains and looking out myself. There she was, sitting beside Dad. They weren't the only people I saw, though. "Hey, Kami, I see your dad here."

       "What, really?" she asked.

       "Yeah, really," I said. "He's sitting in the front row."

       Miss Conte told us to get in our places because the play was about to start soon, so we did. She then walked to the other side of the curtain where the audience could see her. She thanked the audience for coming and talked about the play for a bit before she gave the cue for us to begin.

       I was in the very first scene as a little kid, then while Alice was falling down the rabbit hole. Then I wasn't going to be on for a while, so Kamille and I hung out backstage. She tried kissing me like the horny person she was, but I wouldn't let her.

       She then got mad at me and vowed she wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the night. She even got off my lap and walked to the other side of the room, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at me with a frown.

       I just shrugged and pretended that I didn't care. Kamille would just crack anyway.

       When the stage manage told everyone that was part of the unbirthday party scene to get ready, I went to the side of the stage where I would enter. Kamille went there as well and right before we went on, Kamille pinched my butt. I glared at her before walking onto the stage.

       I loved being the Mad Hatter. It was a lot different than my role as Jacob in the other play, but that was all part of the fun of acting. It would be extremely boring acting the same type of character every single time, especially one that was too close to being like me.