When You Least Expect It

Part 17

Friday Night - Rollins Studio - The Corsettes performance

The noise and chaos backstage at the Rollins Studio Theater was enough to make Y/N want to find a corner to curl up and hide in. Dancers, musicians, singers, wardrobe, stage hands, and sound techs moved around in a frenzied hurry, doing everything they could to put on the final touches before the show's eight o'clock start.

Throughout the whole day, she had been running around to three different parks where the festival kicked off with two children's concerts, and an amazing performance by the dual talents of Austin Children's Choir and Voices of Angels, a children's choir from Los Angeles. All three events were a rousing success, and everyone who attended seemed to enjoy not only the music, but the wide variety of food trucks that arrived from L.A. along with its resident choir.

After a late lunch of a classic chili cheese dog provided by "Pink's" food truck from West Hollywood, Y/N took a moment to look around the park marveling in what they had pulled off. Families spread out on picnic blankets, eating and watching their children dance to the lively music. Couples walking hand in hand, stopping to meet friends, or even make new ones. Mostly, it was watching the streams of people with big, grinning faces, setting out to enjoy a beautiful day. It filled her with a great sense of peace, accomplishment and pride, both in herself and her amazing group of friends.

Once she arrived at the Rollins Theater and stood in the hallway of dressing rooms watching a completely different scene unfold, the serenity she experienced earlier in the day was replaced by a feeling of dread and nausea. She wasn't sure if it was anxiety over having to perform soon, or if her gut was trying to remind her of the warning she received a couple days earlier. Either way, it was making her queasy and causing her to sweat.

Y/N knew that it had been Dee sending the empty threat. She didn't believe for a second that Dee would be able to show up and cause any damage, but that annoying itch at the back of her mind just kept saying, Don't forget, somehow Dee and Nathan are connected. A loud crashing sound from somewhere backstage snapped her out of her rabbit hole of thinking and back to the present.

"There you are!" Bri's voice rang out over the commotion, and Y/N felt a bit of relief knowing her best friend was nearby. "Been waiting on you, lady. Time to get into costume and makeup!"

"Already?" Y/N stifled a yawn and suddenly felt the need to sit down. "Time for coffee, or maybe some tea with honey?"

"Always time for tea, my dear," Bri winked and flashed her devilish dimples. "C'mon, I have a dressing room reserved just for us. Made sure it was stocked with all the necessities."

Y/N slipped her arm around Bri's shoulder as they turned to walk down the corridor. "Honestly Bri, where would I be without you?"

"Who knows, and thank God you never have to find out."

Inside the dressing room, Y/N sat on the small sofa, gratefully sipping a steaming foam cup of tea and watching Briana perfect her makeup.

"You still got the nerves going about tonight?" Bri asked without looking away from her application of mascara.

Y/N shrugged, and sighed. "Yes and no. I'm excited, but also, a little worried about hitting some of those notes in that 'Poison' rendition."

"Honey, you aren't alone there." Bri capped the mascara and dropped it to the counter before turning around to face her friend. "But... between me and Mama, we won't let you fail. And, we did rehearse it a few ways. If your voice isn't feeling one hundred percent, I got you."

Y/N smiled thankfully. "I appreciate that. One other thing that's got me a little... concerned," she paused for a moment and wrinkled her nose, "I love the guy, but that dance with Ricky during 'Nasty Girl', Bri, I don't know if I can pull it off without laughing. Ricky just makes these weird faces when he's trying to be serious..."