The buzz behind the stage was electric. Hands patted my back while others continually congratulated me on my performance in the first part. If I wasn't so filled with adrenaline and focused on the the crowds of people returning to their seats for the rest of the show, I would have been able to thank them and offer some of my own instead of just grinning crazily at them.
Piper moved along the crowd, telling people how great they did while simultaneously informing them on how to improve on their singing and acting. She finally made it to me, standing by the side of the stage and flicking the curtain back into place to speak to her.
"Morgan, you're doing fantastic. I couldn't ask you to do anything better. Although you could work on your breathing during songs, you sound a little breathless." She commented, giving me a pat on the shoulder before moving onto Mikey who was grinning flirtatiously to a pretty girl trying to fix his costume. I stood watching, grinning as Piper stormed over to him, physically removed the girl from the equation and then began tell Mikey what she thought of the performance. I shook my head and returned to peering out of the curtain. The show was about to start again and when I saw Scott's seat near the front row, it was empty. I was allowed only a second to ponder his absence before the lights flickered and the booming voice overhead announced that the second half of the show was about to begin.
My outfit had already been changed for the next scene and I knew my lines in my sleep. The panic that had gripped me earlier had untangled itself from me and I felt ready for the next performance. When people began ushering me onto the stage to take my position I didn't hang back, I practically skipped onto the hard, black platform with small fake flowers adorning the corners in a flurry of lilac and blue. I climbed on top, careful not to disrupt the decorations and lay flat on my back, hands folded on my stomach and eyes closed with a serene look on my face. I heard the shuffle of the curtains opening and the rustle of the audiences returning their attention to the stage. The thump thump that echoed through the room was Mikey stepping into the spotlight, beginning to deliver his lines.
His velvety voice was interrupted by the noise of something stepping onto the stage. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. There wasn't supposed to be anyone on stage during this scene other than Mikey and I. I felt a pang of sympathy for the person who had entered the scene at the wrong moment, both for the humiliation they would feel and Piper's wrath that would certainly be thrown upon them afterwards.
But I still didn't hear the strange footsteps retreating hastily. It sounded as if someone was dragging something behind them. The noise seemed to be continuing until they were centre stage. Mikey fumbled in his lines, obviously as confused as I was about unexplained intruder. I ached to open my eyes to see who it was but I didn't want to break character. What if Piper had planned this and we were supposed to go along with it?
Oh what the hell!
I peeked open one of my eyes only for both of them to snap open as Chloe appeared, positioning herself right in front of me with a grin that scarily resembled a snarl on her face. Before I could demand what the hell she was doing, she spoke.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," She began, turning to address the audience who were torn between looking at the stage and looking to the person beside them hoping they could explain what was happening. Hell, I'd like someone to explain to me why this maniac was ruining what we have practised weeks for. "I'd like you to talk a look at our stunning sleeping beauty." I raised my head from the feather soft pillow and into her eyes that watched me as if she was the lion about to rip her antelope prey to shreds. "Then I'd like you to ask yourself, what is so special about her?." Her voice carried throughout the space, the evident venom capturing everyone's attention. The dragging sound I had heard earlier I realised was her foot, that still appearing in a cast.
I raised myself up from the bed and turned to her, feeling my face begin to burn red with embarrassment and uncertainty of what was about to occur.
"What are you doing Chloe?" I hissed, hoping to salvage this disastrous situation. If it was possible, her grin grew even wider as she turned to the audience again. I saw Mikey stare between us, his mouth open with hesitation as if he was wondering if he should just drag her off stage himself since no one in the wings seemed to be doing anything.
"I'm letting everyone know what a fake you are!" The venom in her words felt as poisonous as it sounded. This wasn't the Chloe I knew when I first came to California. This one was quite simply deranged.
"Morgan Peters likes to think she is just so perfect! Well I'd like to let everyone know that she isn't. She's nothing but a freak!" Her shouting began to verge onto hysterical and thankfully that was the moment someone decided to take action. Suddenly Ryan was there on the stage with his mouth tightened into a grim line, wrapping his arms around Chloe's torso and trying to drag her away. As she fought his strength, which looked quite exhausting with the injury to her leg, her eyes locked with mine. I suddenly knew what she was going to say. Chloe was going to tell them about my condition. Not just everyone on stage, but the entire audience. An act of humiliation this huge once and for all clarified how much this girl detested me.
Ryan and another stage hand began pulling her towards the stage exit while the audience began to titter and an undercurrent of whispers played alongside the drama. I left the bed and began to walk towards them, hoping to help in some way when Chloe suddenly began screaming.
"She has narcolepsy! That freak has narcolepsy! She can't control when she sleeps and she's been lying to us all this time. Don't trust her! I did and she took everything from me! Everything!"
There was a gasp from the crowd as people began to focus their attention on me. Time slowed as I looked out into their faces, my heart making slow thumps to remind me that I was alive and this really was happening to me. None of them looked as if they wanted to ridicule me as I once thought they would. Most of them looked confused, probably never hearing about narcolepsy before and the few who did know what it was looked sympathetic. Others showed sympathy for Chloe, a girl who had clearly lost her mind. Then there were those who were watching me as if I was suffering from a life threatening disease and was about to drop dead any second.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and rushed into the opposite direction of where Chloe was being dragged. But I was too upset to notice the thick black wire that hadn't been carefully stuck to the floor with tape earlier and lay dangerously across my path. My foot hooked under it and my body surged forwards. I landed on my stomach, my hands the only think stopping me from falling flat on my face. A burst of laughter came from Chloe.
"Look! She fell asleep! Can't you see that's she doesn't belong here? She belongs in a padded room!" Her voice trailed off as she was carried away.
I pushed myself up to my feet, feeling my eyes sting with the bitter feeling of humiliation. The crowd was thankfully silent, some concerned parents were even leaving their seats to make their backstage to investigate the commotion. I couldn't stop the tears from trailing their way down my cheeks as I left the stage and passed through the onlookers who were watching the entire scene unfold from side stage. They're shocked faces blurred into an image of confusion. They didn't know what to say to me and I couldn't blame them. Some were brave enough to ask me if I was okay, my only reply was a nod of my head while my smile trembled. Finally I saw a familiar face.
Piper looked thunderous. Her red hair blew behind her like a crowd of fire. She locked eyes on me and for a moment I thought she was angry that I had ruined her show. I opened my mouth to tell her how sorry I was when she reached her hands around my neck and pulled me down in her tight hug. Her height meant I had to bend down a little to meet her. Suddenly she pulled away and talked so fast I was afraid she was going to lose her breath and faint.
"I'm going to kill her. No, I'll torture her first. Then I'll kill her. I've watched all of the movies. I know how to do it. Oh she will wish she was never born! How dare she do that to you." At this point she made a strangled noise and threw her fist into the nearest wall in anger. "I'm going to kill her." She repeated sounded so resolute that I began to think she was serious.
I wondered for a moment why I wasn't as angry as Piper seemed to be. After all, it was me who had been found out in front of an entire crowd of people. But strangely I couldn't feel anything. I felt numb. Maybe the anger and self-pity would kick in later on when I didn't just want to crawl into my bed and sleep for a month. Maybe I could sleep until my parents came home and I could return to Colorado and pretend this entire disaster didn't happen. After a second I realised how could I possibly forget the people I had met here. Just as the thought passed my mind, one of those people appeared.
Scott looked like he wanted to bash a few heads together. But when his eyes found mine as he rounded the corner to where Piper and I stood, his features softened and his gaze turned tender. He reached me within a few strides and wrapped his strong arms around me, placing his mouth on my temple in a soft kiss. "Are you okay?" The warmth in his green eyes searched mine, as if he could spot any damage that had been done inside. I attempted to nod my head but I felt a sudden rush of emotion and then the tears were spilling over my face again.
"It's not how I wanted to tell them." I whispered, a part of me hating myself for showing how much it hurt to stand on that stage and have someone throw my condition back into my face, something I couldn't control and then call me a freak. It hurt more than I could express and I knew that in turn, it hurt my friends.
"I know." He murmured, pulling me even closer to him. "I'm so sorry Morgan." His voice sounded so full of anguish that it caused me to raise my head to look at him. It wasn't his fault. He shouldn't feel guilty.
"It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you." I managed to say with the wobble in my voice. I was afraid to think of how hideous I looked right now with my puffy face from crying. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and focused on more important things rather than my own vanity.
"Justine was the one who told Tori." He replied, looking at me with bleak misery. My eyebrows furrowed as I processed the information. How could Justine have found out about my narcolepsy? Did Scott tell her? As if he was reading the puzzled look on my face he continued. "She heard us talking at the night of Abby's ballet rehearsal. Tori was blackmailing her for information about you and my sister told her everything." He spat out the last sentence as if he was too angry to rely it slower.
I didn't know if it was the display of humiliation I went through earlier or the information Scott gave me now, but I suddenly felt sick. I placed a hand to my stomach and looked away from him, taking deep breaths. How dare Tori blackmail Justine? I knew that I didn't blame Justine for her behaviour. I just wished she had warned me before tonight that my enemies knew my secret. It would have been nice to have a little warning.
The sickness soon died down and was replaced by a fury of anger that I struggled to keep in check. I never wanted Tori or Chloe to hate me. I may have acted in ways that they didn't like but I wasn't about to change for them. I didn't deserve this level of hatred and I wasn't going to stand for it anymore.
I gave Scott one last hug and kiss on the cheek before I breezed past him.
"Where are you going?" He called after me. I felt my stride beginning to feel more powerful as I recalled all of the things Tori and Chloe did to me, fuelling my anger to the point where I felt my body trembling with anticipation.
Tori's rejection of me from the very first day I arrived.
Chloe's treatment of Tessa.
Getting a swift kick to the face by Tori.
Being pushed to the sidewalk like a heap of trash
Chloe stepping out onto that stage and labelling me a freak in front of everyone.
The answer came to me as I stormed to the exit of the auditorium, swinging the doors open with a yank as I turned back to him.
"I think Chloe's said quite enough. It's my turn to speak." I replied evenly, feeling a wicked grin spread across my face despite of the fury that was building up inside me. "Want to come?" I asked. Scott raised an eyebrow at my change in behaviour before the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk that was all the answer I needed. Despite this, his verbal confirmation only spurred me on.
"Oh hell yes."
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Finding Chloe proved to be very easy, due to the fact that she could only travel so fast with her leg in a cast. Bursting through the door that led to an empty hallway, I spotted her hobbling towards an elevator, right beside the set of stairs that led to the cafeteria below. Seeing her brought on a fresh wave of fury as I strode forward, momentarily forgetting Scott was behind me and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her fast towards me.
"You bitch." The words hissed past my lips as I brought my fist forward and collided it against her cheek. I wasn't an expert on punching, however Chase had taught me the basics such as keeping your thumb outside of your fist, which proved helpful when I heard the crack of bone against bone. A unattractive grunt came from Chloe as she raised a hand to her cheek and glared at me through hate filled eyes.
"I'm the bitch? You're the one who ruined me! You deserved so much more." On the last word she fumbled with her crutches to gave me a shove with her right hand. Watching her struggle made me almost pity her, but it only lasted a second.
"Whatever I did to you Chloe, it was not bad enough for you to humiliate me in front of everybody. I have never intentionally wanted to hurt you. Everything that happened to you? That was because of your own actions. You lost Chase because you were so desperate that you didn't realise he liked Tessa. You lost Tessa because you weren't good enough as her friend to realise that she like Chase back." I took a large burst of air into my lungs, preparing to continue my rant when she interrupted.
"You took my part in the pl-" She began.
"Because you broke your leg!" I nearly screamed, feeling as if I was about to explode after months of frustration building up inside. Then I felt an arm rest on my waist as Scott slowly pulled me back against his chest. I felt myself already beginning to relax as I focused on my breathing.
There was a moment of silence as Chloe and I glared at each other, the tension between us slowly growing and growing. Finally Scott's deep, solemn voice cut the silence.
"Chloe, I suggest you go home. Nobody wants you here at the moment." He seemed calm but one look into his frosty green eyes and anybody could read the warning in them, even Chloe because she gave me one last seething glance before turning back to the elevator.
Her exit was paused when a thump sound filled the hallway as if someone had kicked a door and Piper came thundering right past us and grabbed Chloe by her shirt. In any other situation it would have been funny with Piper having to extend her arms fully in order to grab Chloe and yank her down to her level, but right now, everyone was knocked silent.,
"Not only have you ruined my play but you decided to attempt to humiliate my friend. Congratulations Chloe, the only person you exposed as a freak is yourself. Do you even realised how pathetic you looked up there? Do you?" Piper's eyes were wide with anger with her lips pulled back into an almost snarl. I couldn't help but be impressed by the force of the anger from such a little thing.
That was when Chloe did the unexpected.
She cried.
At first it was small tears trickling down her cheeks and a wet nose, but suddenly her shoulders began to shake and she hunched over the railing lining the stairs. Silence descended the room as everyone took a moment to process the turn of events. I felt somewhat empty, with the brunt of my anger still not addressed. Yet it seemed wrong to scream like I wanted to in Chloe's face when she looked so weak.
"Chloe." I began, not quite knowing what else to say. She continued to cry as Piper shuffled on her feet before finally exhaling loudly and taking a step back.
"Chloe you have no right to cry. You brought this on yourself." Piper said, slowly turning away and coming to my side. Scott remained quiet as we watched the girl in front of us sniffle and wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'm just so angry."
Words failed me as I struggled to find something to say back to that.
Despite my anger at what she had done, the hurt I had felt on that stage and the embarrassment I had felt, I saw Chloe for what she was. A broken little girl. It angered me that I should feel sorry for her but I couldn't stop what I felt any more than to breathe.
I stepped out of Scott's embrace and into the lonely island that was Chloe. She looked at me as I approached, silent tears continuing to flow and collecting onto her jaw. I quietly lifted the sleeve of my dress and dabbed at her eyes, taking away the wetness that glistened in the florescent light of the hallway. Chloe remained silent, her wide eyes were on me with a wary watchfulness.
"Go home Chloe." I said, suddenly feeling very tired of the entire situation. Chloe was silent for two beats before nodding her head. With considerable effort she stood to full height with her crutches and turned to the elevator opposite where they stood beside the stairs.
The tiredness that plagued me must have also affected Chloe because her arms shook with the effort to take the first step and then suddenly the foot that was not in a cast gave away and pure instinct made her grasp her crutch to the side to stop her fall, which only succeeded in propelling her in the other direction. Towards the stairs.
I watched the calamity happen for a moment before understanding that I was the closest to her and therefore it was me who needed to help her. With a startled cry I started forward, grabbing Chloe by the arm as her weight fell victim to gravity. Her torso threatened to go first and she let go of one crutch to grab hold of the stair railing with her left hand, fortunately jerking her to a halt. Unfortunately, her right hand, still grasping the other crutch swung around to an already unbalanced me, promptly tripping me of my feet.
I distinctly remember the horrified gasp from Chloe as she in turn tried to grab me, unsuccessfully, and uncharacteristic scream from Piper. Even more distinct was the chilling shout from Scott as somewhere he tried to catch me. Yet I continued to fall.
The thing I don't remember was the sickening crack that sounded as my temple collided with the first flight of stairs I tumbled down, quickly followed by the second. I couldn't remember, because by that time I was already welcomed with open arms to an old friend.
I was asleep.