Off to Neverland

Off to Neverland (34)

I don’t think I need to explain why I wasn’t looking forward to the play. Not only was I going to have to kiss my best friend even more, but I was just going to have to pretty much stand in the background the entire time. It wasn’t exactly something I was looking forward to.

So when opening night came, I didn’t really know how I felt. I was ready to get everything over with, but I didn’t want it to happen. I had wasted months on this stupid play when I hadn’t even done anything in it. And I still had the entire thing memorized…

I told Henry and Terra to come, just because they wouldn’t shut up about seeing my kiss scene with Simon. My father and Claudia were in the audience as well, but Claudia was really only there to see her daughter and to laugh at my puny, pathetic part.

The only thing that was good about this whole thing ending was that Chloe was finally going stop wearing that monstrous costume.

“I’m going to burn that costume when this whole thing is over,” I growled at Chloe after the spout of her costume hit me in the face for about the fourth time. “It’s probably the most annoying thing on this entire planet.”

She wagged her spout in my face. “You know you love it.”

I hit it as hard as I could, but it didn’t break. “It’s horrible.”

“Five minutes until the curtains open! It’s almost seven o’clock, so hurry!” Candace announced as everyone ran around backstage like chickens with their heads cut off to make sure everything was ready. “It’s opening night, people! Make sure it’s perfect!”

There was no way that it could have been perfect with Courtney and Cassidy, but I said nothing about it. There was no point in fighting with anyone when the curtains were going to open in only five minutes.

“Hurry up!” Candace now snapped, and I really felt like just leaving. No one probably would have noticed anyway, besides Jack. “We have to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect!”

But Courtney didn’t move. She kept her hand on her throat, standing there with her eyebrows furrowed as she swallowed. This caused me to stop to stare at her, not knowing if she was going to pass out or choke to death.

“Courtney, what’s wrong?” Candice asked urgently, grabbing onto her daughter’s shoulders and almost shaking her. “Are you alright?”

“Mom… I…” Courtney swallowed, and I couldn’t help but notice that her voice was raspy. It was even worse than usual… and that was kind of hard to believe, considering it was Courtney and all. “Mom… I think I lost my voice!”

My eyes widened in complete and total shock. Courtney lost her voice? How was that even possible when we were supposed to be starting the play in only five minutes? If she lost her voice, then…

“What do you mean?” Candace squawked, and everyone around us now stopped to listen. Courtney’s hands were around her throat, and I just stood there and listened to whatever was going to happen next, because I had absolutely no idea what could have happened next. “How could you possible lose your voice at a time like this?”

“Mom… It’s not like I meant… meant…” Courtney continued, but then stopped when she heard her voice get rougher and raspier with every word she said. All I could do was stare, along with everyone else.

“Well, what are we supposed to do?” Candace shouted, and I hoped that everyone in the audience couldn’t hear us over the music playing. “Everyone’s already outside and waiting for the show to start! They’ve paid for their tickets and everything! Now we’re going to have to cancel the show because we don’t have a Belle!”