Behind The Curtain

Chapter 14 - A matter of time

After everyone else had arrived it was nothing but final rehearsals, technical set-up and panicking (which mainly applied to Mr Rennagan and Izy, who was literally making a crisis out of everything). Once Nathan arrived we spent the rest of the day in the meeting room running through lines and practising the kissing scene at the end (we wanted to make sure it was flawless) and I wasn't complaining.

It was lunch now and we all took a break, it was nice to relax a little (from the kissing), so I went to find Izy, Nathan took a walk, to clear his head.

"Quick, Elliot! You have to help me find it!" Izy said, a little too loudly, she may as well have shouted it. She sounded way too panicky about whatever it was she had lost. 

"Find what?"

She was looking under all the seats in the audience and I was sure she'd lost it, but I wasn't talking about "My lucky pin cushion!" her lucky pin cushion.

"You mean that one?" I asked pointing to her belt.

"Oh yeah, I put it there so I wouldn't lose it" she said, as if it didn't even matter anymore and her little panic attack was completely over.

We went over to sit in the front row. It was nice looking at our finished set, all props ready to go. The room was empty other than us. Everyone was taking that well reserved break.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked, rearranging her pins on their cushion.

"No, I'm telling him after, I just want this performance to go well, I don't want to ruin it"

"Yeah I get it" she said softly "as long as you do, I don't want him turning up on Monday like 'Where is she?'" she laughed and I actually considered it for a second. But I couldn't do that to him.

As everyone else came back into the theatre me and Izy just sat there and watched the manic begin again as props were rearranged, lines were rehearsed and Mr Rennagan's hair continued to fall out. He was almost as bad as Izy when it came to stress and pressure.

Our principle came into the room again and went up towards Mr Rennagan. I was worried their little argument might start up again but they acted as if they were no more than employee and employer, which I guess is why none of us knew of this before, they were good. I started to question whether or not I imagined it all this morning.

I decided not to eavesdrop this time. But when Mr Rennagan came up to me and Izy with a sure desperate look on his face I was intrigued.

"Elliot, have you seen Nathan?" he asked, as if the answer was the most important thing in the world.

With my puzzled face I looked around realising that I didn't even notice him not come back. I shook my head and he explained.

"He's gone missing" our principal began "Security tapes show him leaving the grounds at-"

"No" I said. There was no way he'd miss this. "He just went to clear his head, maybe a drive would help. He'll be back!" I tried not to shout, but it was too difficult to stay calm.

Could he do this? Why would he? How- How could he? That abandoned feeling was back and it hurt more than ever. Was this how he would feel when I left for Japan with my parents? This is what I was leaving him with. This pain that didn't even feel real but I just couldn't get rid of it. I had to find him. The show must go on!

"Izy, can I borrow your car?" I was unaware I was crying until now. I was glad everyone else was so involved in what they were doing or else I would have caused a scene. I was more annoyed at myself for not having seen this coming.

"Sure" she was serious now, something I wasn't as used to as I should be. I took her keys from her hand and ran "I'm parked by the gate!" she shouted, just as I got to the theatre exit.

My mind was so blurred and now so were my eyes from crying. I couldn't see or think. Why hadn't I ran into something yet? I slowed as I reached the car park and whipped my eyes, looking for Izy's red convertible.

Once I got in there was nothing stopping me I drove as fast as I could, trying really hard to remember the way, the familiar trees and bridge that I was barely aware of the first time round. I followed instinct and knew it was the only way.

With the top down my hair was blowing out of my face so at least that wasn't in my way. It was far and I was aware there was only a couple of hours until the play was due to start. I glanced at my watch. Half two. Play starts at five. Two and a half hours. To get there and back. With Nathan.

My thoughts felt like they were out of breath when I was actually sitting still. I tried to calm my breathing as I came up to that familiar road. I looked ahead, trying to see as far as I could. The suspense killing me.

All of a sudden, all the worrying meant nothing as I saw Nathan sat in that same spot, on that same cliff. I skidded the car to a stop, next to his bike and took a moment to catch my breath. I knew this was probably going to be the most difficult task. I couldn't mess it up. I needed him back. The group needed him back. The last thing I wanted from him, before I left was for this performance to be perfect. I wasn't prepared to let him screw it up.

I went over to him and took a seat beside him. The view wasn't as beautiful during the day.