"Darcy, go! You're supposed to be on stage already."
I whipped my head around to look at the source of the voice. Standing behind me was Reid, decked out in stage makeup and the attire of his character. His face was really soft when he looked at me- he could be an angel, I thought, with his ski slope nose and eyes that danced even in the dark light of backstage. My observances were interrupted, however, when I saw something else besides his angelic quality- annoyance. This is when I comprehended what he said, and realized that the lights would be coming on in a few seconds, and I still wasn’t in my place. I hoped the dim lighting would cloak my blushing cheeks as I scurried on stage just in time for the scene to start.
I felt kind of uncomfortable in my short skirt and one-inch heels. See, my school had selected a musical rendition of some teen movie that had come out around 2004 or something, and my character could be best described as a dumb, slutty hairdresser. I was a set piece right now- standing in the background and pretending to do a girl’s hair as she sat in front of me. The audience laughed at a couple of jokes that I didn’t really think we’re that funny. All I could think about was that our big moment was coming soon- the song led by me and the other two hairdressers.
And then someone said some stupid line, and we were off. Those two girls and I were front and center in our short skirts and shoes that were absolutely ridiculous. We were sexy and powerful, and some jaws dropped in the audience at our spunk and energy. I didn’t care, though. We were loud and overt and real, and it was the best thing I had felt in a long time.
Reid came on near the end of the song, and the focus wasn’t on us anymore. Instead, everyone was watching him as our importance gradually faded. He was absolutely captivating to everyone both on and off the stage. He was funny and believable- which is very hard to pull off at the same time. The audience laughed at all of his jokes and shut-up when he was serious. They were putty in his hands and it was absolutely amazing. And even though everyone in there saw how exceptional he was, I couldn’t help but think that the way I felt was somehow special to me, and that everything he did made only my cheeks heat up. The rest of me, also known as the sane part of myself, knew that this wasn’t true, and that he had a vast array of girls he could choose from at any given moment. Right then, though, I decided to let that little part of me take over and let my senses be overcome with admiration.
The show was over in a flash. It went just as smoothly as the two nights before. Even though it wasn’t aesthetically different and none of the lines were varied, the energy was different on closing night. It was bittersweet, because we were all happy when we looked at what we had accomplished, but all very sad knowing that it was over.
My bow was with the other hairdressers. When I looked up from my dip, I saw all the lights staring down at us. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought that we were just getting a closer look at the stars. It certainly felt more like that than as if I was looking at some boring light bulbs installed in a high school auditorium.
Then, it was time for our final bow- you know, the one where we all stand in one big line, hold hands, and bow together. I was holding hands with Ramona Clark and Lara Song, and after it was all over- really over- I looked around the crowd of happy, smiling people and saw Reid. We locked eyes for a moment, and he was absolutely beautiful as the stage lights danced off of the soft blue of his irises. And in the honesty and openness of those few seconds, I knew that it didn’t matter that this was over, because I would always have this moment, even if it was just a memory. I would always have Reid’s magnificent smile and dancing eyes locked in my mind until the day I died.
I could sit here and wine about how I didn’t say anything, how I didn’t run over in the heat of the moment and profess my feelings or whatever, but I know that those sorts of things are stupid and frivolous. Things that were not said will always stay unsaid, and things I didn’t do will always stay undone. I need to appreciate my moment with Reid that was in the midst of laughter and screams, because the value of some moments are immeasurable.