In the carriage on the way to the theater, I glanced over at Abraham Lincoln who sat across from Johnathan and I. He was distantly glancing out the carriage window, his expression calm and solemn as usual.
I scrunched my eyebrows in sympathy for the man.
Heck, he had to run the United States, which was just torn in two. For four years, two sides of what used to be a whole nation ferociously fought against each other. Families against families. Friends against friends.
Evan versus me.
I sadly glanced at my friend who now touched hands with his wife. For almost every day, he was sent dozens of death threats from Northerners and Southerners alike. Every day of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln had the idea of death looming over him like a hazy bunch of storm clouds, ready to strike with the lightning of death over a President who bravely led our nation through four years of war.
Johnathan turned his head in my direction and wrapped a strong arm around my broad shoulders.
"What's got your mind all tangled up?" Johnathan said to me softly, making sure that Lincoln couldn't hear him.
I sighed and faced Johnathan, my expression dull. "I'm just worried about the President. He looks overwhelmed about going to the theater."
"Poor guy," Johnathan added. "Just leave him be with his thoughts, I don't want him to have a panic attack before he gets to the theater."
I nodded in defeat, knowing that Johnathan was most likely true about what he said. By leaving Lincoln be, I wouldn't be able to have him bring up his traumatic dreams that reminded him of his inevitable demise.
I leaned my head onto Johnathan's shoulder as we rode the rest of the way to the theater that Lincoln desperately wanted to go to. I slowly drifted off into a comfortable sleep in Johnathan's arms.
***
Ford's Theatre. The large building loomed over our small carriage, and a small wooden sign identified the building. I glanced outside as the President, Johnathan, and Major Rathbone exited the carriage.
Lincoln held out a gentle hand and kindly escorted his wife out of the carriage, her long pink dress complimenting her pale white skin. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail with a dozen ringlets of brown hair cascading down her shoulders.
I rolled my eyes. Women always try to copy my curly ringlets, but they look even more hideous than their original style of hair. I chuckled to myself at my snarky remark.
After Major Rathbone gladly helped his fiancé out of the carriage, her pale blue dress also complimenting her pale skin tone.
Why do people with pale skin look so good in every color? I asked myself when I glanced down at my tan hand.
"Hey, pretty lady" Johnathan muttered to me. "Ready to watch the play?"
"I'm ready as I'll ever be," I replied as I touched the pearl-handled gun that was hidden in my skirt.
Johnathan took my hand in his and rubbed his thumb along the sleeve of my dress on my wrist and then smiled to me.
I smiled politely in return and let Johnathan assist me down the stairs, which really helped me because my peg leg usually made me try harder to keep my balance when I walked.
Once my foot and peg finally safely touched the ground, Johnathan let go of my hand and instead wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"Thanks for helping me down the stairs," I thanked Johnathan.
Before he could reply, I interrupted him with a chuckle. "Even though I didn't really need the help."
Johnathan rolled his eyes and smiled. "Well excuse me, then. I was just trying to be decent human being."
***
Lincoln calmly led his guests into the theater, and once Johnathan and I entered the building, I lost my breath in its beauty.
A gorgeous stage sat in the back of the room, and red curtains decorated the back of the stage. Dozens of rows of seats were neatly peppered around the theater, all of them facing the stage.
Up above the many rows of chairs, special boxes were practically hanging above the stage, red velvet-cushioned seats were placed in each box, serving as a luxury to the guests who viewed the play in there.
Our little group, led by Lincoln, actually arrived late, to the theater and the actors in the play Our American Cousin were deep into their characters and read their lines, not noticing us at first.
Once the actors finally noticed that the President himself had arrived at the theater, they immediately stopped their performance and waved him hello.
The theater's band noticed, too, and they stopped playing the song for the play and instead began to play the song "Hail to the Chief". The song sparked the attention of the vast amount of people in the audience, and they stood up in their chairs and turned toward the President.
The audience immediately began to clap and cheer as our group made our way down one of the theater's aisles, paying their respects to Lincoln, who led the United States through four grueling years of war.
We all smiled and waved back to the adoring audience.
"Hey!" I heard someone say in the front row.
I let go from Johnathan and turned my head toward the mysterious voice that called to me. I saw a girl with short fawn hair waving in my direction, her pale yellow sleeve sliding down her arm.
The man who was sitting next to her hissed, "Don't bother the President and his guests!"
I stopped and shook my head toward the man. "No, no. She can talk to me if she wants to."
The girl nodded and grinned at me. "Evangeline, I heard how you were fighting in the Union army as a man," her voice was quiet so no one else would hear. "Thanks for doing that, you inspired me to fight in the army."
"Aww!" I replied, at a loss for words. "No problem! I'm glad to have been an inspiration to you." I smiled in her direction. "What's your name?"
"I'm Kennedy," the girl responded to me a bit too quickly. She then pointed to the man sitting at her right. "And my friend right here is Jack."
I waved to Jack and began to slowly walk away to catch up with the rest of the group. "Nice to meet you two; I have to go now, bye!"
I rushed toward Johnathan and Lincoln and linked my arm in Johnathan's once more, the audience still giving us a standing ovation.
"What was that for?" Johnathan whispered in my ear as Lincoln and his wife led our group up the staircase to the Presidential box.
I shook my head. "Nothing, Johnathan. Some girl and her friend said that they were inspired by me, and I couldn't just ignore them."
***
I immediately glanced upward when I heard a clack in front of me. Abraham Lincoln turned the knob on the door that separated the Presidential box from the rest of the theater.
"Finally," Lincoln sighed when he entered the Presidential box. "We're finally here."
I didn't respond to my friend. Instead, I took in the large amounts of beauty that the room offered to me the moment I entered. On the railing was draped an American flag with a picture of George Washington sitting on top, and the room's walls were decorated with a deep red color with golden accents.
Inside the room sat two red velvet couches for the two couples and two velvet chairs for the President and his wife, but the President had a luxurious rocking chair while his wife's chair was an ordinary cushioned chair.
Johnathan quietly led me to the couch closest to Lincoln, and I was able to catch a glimpse of Abraham. A happy smile was strapped to his face when he finally realized that he was watching one of his favorite plays with four of his friends and the love of his life.
Before I officially became settled into my seat, I felt an odd sensation in my ears. I scratched at my earlobe, confused about what was making it feel weird.
Johnathan glanced toward me, a confused expression also covering his face. "What's wrong, baby?"
I sighed and kept scratching at my ear. "I think it's my earrings they're probably bothering my earlobes or something." I wasn't familiar with jewelry since I haven't necessarily been a girl in four years.
"Jus' take 'em out or something," he whispered back to me while he happily watched the actors recite their lines.
I nodded even though Johnathan couldn't really see it and took my earrings out of my ears. I clasped them in my hand and sighed in relief, the irritation in my ears finally going away.
"Thanks, Johnathan," I smiled, finally able to watch the play in comfort.