Picturing Perfect (21 page)

I held the books tight to my chest. He always knew the way into my heart. Always.

"Who are they from?" Violet asked.

"Jason."

"Ooooh, I like him," Lucy said.

"I do, too." I smiled at her, before locking eyes with Mrs. Kelly. "So much."

The big performance was finally upon us. Jason surprised me two weeks ago by convincing a local high school to allow us to use their auditorium for the show. Sunnyside usually performed in the gymnasium with chairs set up for audience members. But, this year, the clients would be on a stage and they couldn't have been more excited about it.

Bryce wasn't sleeping. He was too excited about his solo for "Thriller." Nick taught him how to moonwalk and he'd been doing it in his work area for weeks. Nick tried to get serious and reminded Bryce that there was work to be done in Area C, but just like the rest of us, he saw how much joy the show was bringing him. Bryce and his mother were waiting for us when Jason and I pulled into the parking lot of the school. He was already wearing his red and black pleather jacket and sparkling white glove.

Bryce's mother wore an exhausted smile. "He had to be the first one here," she said as we approached them on the sidewalk in front of the building.

Pulling the earbuds out of his ears, I tilted my head towards Bryce, who gave me a devilish grin. "Are you ready, Freddy?"

"You know it!" he said, moonwalking to the front door of the building.

Jason chuckled as he unlocked the door to the school. In just two short hours, we were hoping to fill the entire auditorium with family members and friends who were important to the clients.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Auden shouted from her convertible as she pulled into the nearest parking space. She looked happy and excited, which meant a lot to me. I hadn't seen too much happiness from my best friend during the past months. Despite the fact that everything was ridiculously uncertain in my life, I was genuinely happy. Happier than I'd ever been. It was odd.

Whereas Auden, who had next to no responsibilities outside of her career, seemed lost. As happy as she was that I'd come to appreciate my pregnancy, and that her brother and I were moving toward being a couple, she wasn't content. In fact, she was as unsettled as I'd ever seen her. I wanted so much for her to just be happy. But, whenever I brought it up, she grew defensive and said she felt guilty complaining because of everything I had on my plate. And no amount of reassurance from me seemed to change her mind. Maybe once the baby was born, she'd finally open up to me.

Auden quickly removed two large paper bags filled with costumes from her trunk, slammed it shut and jogged to us. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and a pat to my belly. She nodded, "sup" to her brother and I had to roll my eyes. She hadn't quite figured out how to handle Jason and me. She said she was thrilled for us. And I believed her since she was the most straightforward person in my life. Auden had always, and would always, tell it like it is. She didn't hold back when it came to revealing her opinions. She just hadn't quite figured out how to act around us. Considering we'd yet to even kiss, I was still trying to figure it out myself. But, when we were together, things fell into place. It was soothing and comforting, with a hint of butterflies and delicious stomach flipping. What more could I ask for?

We made our way to the enormous auditorium. There were over 300 seats for our audience and I hoped we would fill most of them. Jason took my hand in his and helped me up the rickety back stairs that led backstage. We'd had two dress rehearsals this week, so most of our props and costumes were already there. After climbing the stairs, I had to sit down. My lungs felt squished by the baby boy who was getting bigger every day. These days, when he moved, I could feel him stretching out as he pushed against me. It was a fascinating feeling and different than the flutters of my second trimester.

"You okay?" Auden asked, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"The stairs are rough for her," Jason said, giving me a supportive wink.

"Ugh, I am never getting pregnant. It's like you've been invaded by a parasite…or an alien."

"Watch it," Jason warned and I couldn't help but laugh at his protective nature.

"It's fine. Sometimes that
is
how it feels."

When my heart rate returned to normal and my breathing slowed, I started organizing costumes by each musical number. Jason placed my index cards on the podium down stage. We would be taking turns introducing the songs as the other helped the clients prepare for each number. We practiced it this week, and although it was exhausting for me, it was the best way to do it. I couldn't just stand near a podium all evening. I had to be backstage, helping everyone get ready, to calm their nerves and fix their hair. Remind them of the lyrics and reassure them that they could do this. Luckily, most of my clients felt they were born to perform. They weren't nearly as nervous as I was. I had so many butterflies in my stomach, I felt like I might be sick. I wanted to do this right.

Little by little, clients arrived for the show. Violet strolled in with a feather boa around her neck. She waved to the invisible audience as she sauntered down the center aisle. Jason chuckled, jogged down to her and bowed before offering her his arm. God, he made my heart melt.

On the total opposite side of the spectrum, Lucy walked in, her head down, staring at the floor as she walked. She was terrified and I knew it. I'd been talking to her for weeks, trying desperately to reassure her of her dancing abilities, but she was an introvert and wasn't as comfortable as Violet and Bryce when it came to situations like this. Her parents wanted her to be involved in the performance, so in many ways, she was doing this under protest. But, I was determined to change her mind. When the night was over, I hoped to see a genuine smile on Lucy's adorable face.

"I love Lucy," I called out to her. Her eyes darted in the other direction, but she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from turning up in response. "I need your help with something, darlin'. Come on up."

Her pace increased slightly, a hint of a spring to her step as she made her way to the staging area. I had a job waiting for her that I knew she would enjoy. It would keep her focused and less apt to worry as time continued to press forward. She began separating the pom-poms for the "Mickey" cheerleading song. She paired them together for each of the performers, looking to me for reassurance. I nodded and smiled widely for her. She grinned before going back to her work.

Sam arrived and was eager to start the performance. He was another natural performer, and although he'd been irritated with me for some time regarding the theme of the show, I was finally forgiven. He was beyond pleased to utilize his T-Birds leather jacket for the show. Sam and a few of the other guys would be lip-synching "Living on a Prayer," each of them decked out in leather and mullet wigs. He arrived wearing his extremely bushy wig and was ready to roll. He was also wearing acid washed jeans and high top sneakers. In a word? Awesome.

Five minutes before introducing the first act, Jason called everyone in for a group huddle. The clients filed together in a large circle backstage. We took each other's hands and stood in silence. Jason looked at me, awaiting my instructions. I nodded and began.

"I'm so proud of all of you," I began. Riley cut me off.

"But, we haven't done anything yet," she said with a huff. Riley was extremely literal. Jason squeezed her hand gently and gestured for her to go back to listening. He was such a natural with my clients. It was truly incredible.

"But, you will. And in one hour, you will all be stars. Your friends and family are so excited to watch you tonight. And I know you will all make them proud. Remember, if you make a mistake, if you flub a line, that's okay. Just keep going. And most importantly, have fun. Jason, Auden, and I are all here if you need help with your costumes and props."

Sighs of relief filled the stage, followed by silly giggles. Taking two big, deep breaths, I placed my arm in the center. The clients followed my lead, most of them placing their arms in as well.

"On three…" Jason said.

One

Two

Three

"Go Sunnyside!" everyone yelled.

"Okay, places for the first song. Go!" I said in a very coach-like manner. The clients scattered to their places and I was filled with so much pride it hurt. All of a sudden, I remembered that it was my turn to be nervous. I had to step out on stage, stand behind the podium and face a crowd of hundreds.

"You've got this," Jason said from across the stage. I was starting to think he could read my mind. His green eyes were shining underneath the bright stage lights. His smile was subtle and comforting. We each took a deep breath. He waved before turning his attention back to the clients. They were already made up to look like zombies for the big opening "Thriller" number. They looked fantastic.

"Follow my lead," Bryce said over and over again. Jason patted him on the back as he helped the clients find their places.

I stepped out onto the stage and, even though the lights were blaring, I could see that we had packed the house. Not only was every seat filled, but we had standing room only in the back of the auditorium. It was truly a sight to behold. I took one more giant breath as I felt Marty kicking inside me.

"Here we go, buddy," I whispered, picking up the index cards written carefully in Jason's masculine handwriting. My fingers were shaking, but I did my best to focus on Bryce and the rest of the zombies who were ready to dance the night away.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us tonight. My name is Hadley Foster and I'm the Activities Coordinator for Sunnyside Association. We've been working so hard on this performance, and it is with great pleasure that we share it with you now. Our first song is one that everyone remembers from the 1980s. Eighties music began and ended with Michael Jackson. And it seemed fitting that we should begin the show with his biggest hit of all time. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the show."

The crowd erupted in applause as the heavy red curtain opened, revealing our first performance. The familiar gong of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" began as I joined everyone backstage. Standing next to Jason, I watched as Bryce and the eight other zombies danced and sang to the creepy, but upbeat song. Children were dancing in the aisles. And the audience stood up to clap before the song reached its end. If this was any indication of how the show was going to be received, my confidence just received the biggest boost possible.

"They're loving it," Jason said, stroking my arm gently. He wiped a tear from my cheek…one that I didn't even realize was there. "You did good," he said with a decisive nod.

"Thanks…couldn't have done it without you, though."

He shrugged, brushing it off, but deep down we both knew that he had been an integral part of this show. The look of pride in his eyes was obvious as he watched the number he choreographed.

"He's nailing it," Jason said, watching Bryce move his body back and forth, just like the original video. The other clients weren't nearly as into it as he was, but that was okay. This was his moment and he was making the most of it.

We heard Vincent Price's voice pour through the speakers, our cue to prepare for the next number. Jason walked to the podium as I gathered up the pom-poms for "Mickey." I closed the curtain just as Mr. Price's evil laugh came to a close. Bryce jumped up and down as he ran to me.

"Did you see me? Did you see me? I was AWESOME!"

"You were absolutely awesome! Congratulations, buddy. Okay, go grab a bottle of water and take a break. You have four songs before you're on stage again. I have to get the girls ready for this one," I said, guiding him towards the rest area.

As soon as the cheerleaders were in position and ready to sing all about how fine Mickey was, I heard Jason wrapping up the intro. Giving the girls a nod, I pressed play on the sound system and opened the curtain.

The night continued in this way and before I knew it, we were finishing the show with "Love Shack" by the B-52s. All of the clients had decided to participate in the closing number, so the stage was packed. My grin was stretching across my face as I watched them, confident in themselves and having the time of their lives as they danced and sang, wearing bright colored wigs, confetti, feather boas, leather jackets and everything else you could imagine from the 80s. I stared at them in awe, knowing we had pulled it off and that they enjoyed themselves doing it.