Theatre is once in a lifetime… every time.
It was like the stars aligned, because suddenly so many more things about my life became obvious. Things that had eluded me until now were laid plain in my mind. Everything made sense, and I couldn’t wait to see Garrick. Backstage was in an uproar when we left the stage after our final bows. Friends and family lined the halls between the stage door and the dressing rooms. Eric was there, smiling at us, proud of the show he’d put together. I hugged him first, so grateful that he gave me this chance, and that he didn’t dump me that first week when I was doing terrible.
“Best work I’ve ever seen you do, Bliss. You should be proud.”
I was, God, I was. My face felt split open by my smile.
Garrick was behind him, and even though it was risky, I hugged him too. He didn’t hold me long, just long enough to whisper, “Brilliant,” in my ear.
Then I lost myself in the crowd.
I was slick with sweat, and my dress felt as heavy as another person hanging on me, but I relished the hugs and congratulations that poured over me.
And when I was back in the dressing room…
I danced.
We all danced. Kelsey flipped on her iPod, and we celebrated as we peeled off the layers of our costumes. Our dressing room was filled with flowers, which helped to mask the sweat. When our things were put away, real clothes donned, and our stage makeup removed and real makeup re-applied, we moved the party elsewhere. We were heading to SideBar, the only bar close to campus that allowed people under twenty-one, a must when the whole cast was going.
I was surprised to find Cade waiting outside the dressing room when we exited. He stepped up beside me. “Hey, can I give you a ride to SideBar?”
That was surprising, but certainly welcome.
I told him, “That would be great, but I was planning on leaving early. I’m pretty tired.”
“Oh,” he nodded. “Well, do you mind if I ride with you, and I’ll just find another ride home after?”
“Sure, that’s fine with me.”
We walked to my car in silence, and I jangled my keys to fill the space with noise. I started the car, and immediately turned down the radio. “So, what’s up, Cade?”
He fidgeted with his seatbelt. Nervous. He didn’t answer my question, but instead asked, “How are things with Garrick?”
Frowning, I pulled out of the parking lot, watching him from the corner of my eye. “Why?”
“I’m sorry. Is that weird? I didn’t mean for it to be weird, I was just trying to be friendly.”He looked so uncomfortable. How had we been reduced to this?
I said, “It’s not weird, Cade. I’m sorry. I’m just… a little cautious is all. Things are great, actually.”
He nodded, “Good. That’s good.”
After spending so much time with Garrick, I’d forgotten what it was like to deal with guys who didn’t just say what they were thinking.
“Just tell me what you want to talk about, Cade. Whatever it is, it’s fine.”
He took a deep breath. He was still nervous, but he was no longer fidgeting. “I have a question, but I’m pretty sure it’s prying, and I just don’t want to cross any lines.”
“Cade, I know things have been difficult. But I still consider you one of my best friends. I want you to be one of my best friends again. Ask me anything.”
“Are you guys staying together after we graduate?”
My gut reaction was, “Yes.” Even though we hadn’t really talked about it, not in so many words. We’d implied it, sure, with the whole ‘one month’ thing, but we hadn’t really had that conversation for real.
“Are you staying here? Or moving to Philly? Or somewhere else?”
I pulled into the parking lot, using searching for a space as an excuse to collect my thoughts. That was definitely not a conversation we’d had, no matter how much I had thought about it.
“Why do you ask?”
He ruffled his hair, and I resisted the urge to say, ‘Just spit it out already!’
“Well… I applied to a grad school a few months ago before… well… before everything. And I hadn’t really thought I would go, but I got in, and now I’m thinking I might actually like it.”
“Really? That’s great, Cade!”
“It’s Temple, in Philly.”
“Oh.” That was the school where Garrick had studied.
“And I just wasn’t sure if the two of you were going to be in Philly, and if you thought it would be weird for me to be there, too. And if it’s not, I thought maybe we could still… you know, hang out. If that’s cool with Garrick.”
An image started to form in my mind of what that life might be like. It was a pretty great thought.
“I don’t know if we’ll be in Philly or not. But if we are… no, it won’t be weird. And yes, we’ll hang out. And Garrick can be cool or not cool with it; he doesn’t decide what I do. I meant what I said, Cade. I really do want us to be friends again.”
He smiled, relaxed in his seat, finally. “Me too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven