Page 20 of Wicked Knight
Before the curtains close, I look for him one last time, but he’s nowhere to be found.
God,damn it.And damn him. And me too. This guy seriously knows how to drive me fucking insane, and I’m allowing him to.
How the hell is it okay to leave me hanging for three months, then I see himherefor a few measly seconds, and that’s it?
What the hell kind of game are you playing with me, Dmitri?
Shit.I have to try to pull it together and push him out of my mind. If only for tonight. I can’t afford to fuck up.
It was bad enough when I first saw him and froze up, but at least I managed to style it out. I don’t want the final show to be a mess because of me. People will notice straightaway if I’m off my game because I’m one of the main stars.
Many in the audience, like my mom and my friends, have come to see the show more than once. Then there are others who waited to see it for the first time tonight.
I have to be great for all of them. And I have to be great for myself, too.
The next scene begins. At first, it’s a struggle to stop thinking about Dmitri, but I do it.
My strength returns as I look at my mother’s proud smiling face. Throughout this nightmare with Dad, she’s tried to be neutral—which I’ve hated because I know she doesn’t agree with him. But there are times like tonight when she’s given me the strength I’ve desperately needed.
Mom was a ballerina, too, but she never got to take it further because of an injury. Her family also didn’t encourage her interests. So even if she didn’t suffer the injury, she wouldn’t have been allowed to pursue her dreams. Sometimes, I watch her when she’s watching me dance, and I know she’s living that dream through me.
The night rolls on, and I keep going, focusing on enjoying the performance even though I’m also searching for Dmitri in the crowd.
Soon, the show is over, and I’m on the stage for the final bow with the rest of my cast.
The curtains close one last time, ending the show and the euphoric time spent in this world. The dream is over for now. Time to get back to reality.
But at least I have this experience to hold on to so I can dream of the future when I join the main cast here.
I’m just not looking forward to the journey.
We all congratulate each other and head backstage to change and get ready to sign our autographs for our fans.
As I make my way back to my dressing room, I’m stopped in the hallway by Mellissa Hargrove, the casting director. I owe her all my gratitude. She selected me for the show and picked me to be the prima ballerina. That was a cherry she tossed on my cake months ago when she saw me perform at Raventhorn’s annual production.
With a radiant smile, she throws her arms around me and gives me a massive hug.
“Oh, Mackenzie, my girl, you were absolutely sensational.” She continues to hold my shoulders when we pull apart.
“Thank you so much. It’s been wonderful to be part of this production.”
“No, no thankyou. You are exactly what we were looking for, and you nailed the part. I was already impressed with you, but tonight’s performance blew me away.”
“I’m so thrilled to hear that.” I grin back at her, clasping my hands in delight.
“It’s the truth. I have good news to share.”
Hope fills my heart. I could do with all the good news in the world right now. “What is it?”
“We want you back for next summer’s production, and then we’d like you to start working with the main cast.”
The blood drains from my body, and my mouth drops open. I wasn’t supposed to do anything with the main cast until after graduation. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” She laughs with a hearty nod of her dark bob. “I’ve spoken with the course coordinator at Raventhorn, and we think we’ll be able to make it work without interfering with your studies.”
My hands fly up to my cheeks, and I stare back at her in shock. “I can’t believe this.”
“Well, it’s happening. Instead of doing the practical work at Raventhorn, you’ll be doing it here with us. We’ll probably get you in for a month or two ahead of the show to start rehearsals, and you can work toward the winter shows until after graduation. How does that sound?”