REALLY ✓

25: The Curtain Call

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      TAYA's POV:

"Where the hell is he?" Hallee was literally screaming.

"None of us can reach him," Gabe replied.

It was performance day and it was chaos. Judah didn't show up for the call time and we waited and waited, and he never came. We tried calling him, we looked everywhere for him, but none of us could find him.

"He's not picking up my calls either," I said as I threw my stupid phone on the dressing room table.

"Guys, we're fifteen minutes away. What should we do? Should we cancel—"

"We can't cancel the freaking show, Patrice!" Hallee yelled at our stage manager.

And at the height of all the stress and tension, suddenly the backstage door swung open and Judah emerged! He was limping a little, his clothes were ragged, and his face was all torn up. It was as if he just came out of a car crash.

"Judah!" The whole room shouted in unison and everyone went over to crowd him.

"What happened?" I demanded, following the row of people before me.

"It's nothing," he said and looked away.

His face was covered in clear fresh wounds. Had he been fighting?

"It's not nothing," I stated.

"We'll talk after the show," he said simply and I sighed.

As much as I wanted more information, he was right. We didn't have time for that right now. Judah was being pulled around into different directions as the make up team came at him with powder and brushes and the costume team came at him with his armor and helmet.

"Everyone on your spot! Get ready! We are live in just two minutes!" Mrs. Zee shouted over us all and the knot in my stomach tightened.

"I feel so nervous, I think I'm gonna hurl," I said as I clung onto the hem of my gown.

"Don't even think of doing anything as much as sneeze! Your make up is legit on point right now and we've spent an entire night stitching your dress into perfection!" Hallee threatened.

"Calm your tits, you're gonna do great," she said to me, although it was like she was telling herself that as well.

Hallee gave me a quick supportive hug before walking off to the side of the stage. I took a moment to steal a glance at the audiences through the tall curtains and I saw my mom sitting in the front row with Kai next to her. I watched as people piled in and filled almost all of the empty seats in the auditorium, and somewhere in the back I spotted Blake as well.

Whatever you do Taya, just don't puke your guts out!

I closed the curtains and turned around, trying my hardest to calm my nerves. I looked up to see Judah and our eyes met. He was trying to get to the other side of the stage when our paths crossed.

I noticed how the make up team did a great job covering up his bruises with a ton of concealer and that he was wearing his knight costume, like the one Leonardo DiCaprio wore in the movie. Despite everything, he looked drop-dead gorgeous. I shot him a smile and expected him to smile back, but he just looked at me for the longest time, and he looked away.

What was that all about? Well, maybe he was just feeling nervous like me.

I made my way over to the middle of the stage. There was a fake human body being placed there and I, as Rose the vampire girl, was supposed to be sucking the life out of that body as the curtain rise.