t of tely clear a of clouds. e o arrive an ty bad all day about talked to Jamie t before. S nice to me, and I kne Id been a jerk. I saed to go up to apologize to Id said, but s of slip back into t the chance.
S time I finally arrived, and I sao Miss Garber and , off to one side, over by tains.
Everyone ion, srangely let put on ume yet-so o give t angelic appearance-and sill er s sce my trepidation at react, I o them.
quot;; I said. quot;hello, Reverend . . . Miss Garber.”
Jamie turned to me.
quot;; sly. I could tell s t before, too, because s smile at me like salk to cook a feeps off to t of ance.
I glanced around tage nervously.
quot;Im sorry about t nig; I began. quot;I kno your feelings, and I o hem.”
S me, as if wondering wo believe me.
quot;Did you mean t; she finally asked.
quot;I in a bad mood, ts all. I get sort of imes.quot; I knew I really answered ion.
quot;I see,quot; s as s before, turned toy seats in t sad look in her eyes.
quot;Look,quot; I said, reac;I promise to make it up to you.quot; Dont ask me just seemed like t to do at t moment.
For t time t nigo smile.
quot;t; surning to face me.
quot;Jamie?”
Jamie turned. quot;Yes, Miss Garber?”
quot;I t ready for you.quot; Miss Garber ioning h her hand.
quot;Ive got to go,quot; so me.
quot;I know.”
quot;Break a leg?quot; I said. iso be bad luck. ts o quot;break a leg.”
I let go of ;e both will. I promise.”
After t, ready, and our separate icated, considering t it ed in Beaufort, e dressing rooms t made us feel as if ual actors, as opposed to students.
My costume, the dressing room.
Earlier in ts taken so t tered, and I ting dressed whe door unannounced.
Eddie ill in tting on e bums costume, and error in least once a out of t as ume on t t on table in front of the mirror.
quot;So,quot; Eric said ;o do?”
I looked at ; do you mean?quot; I asked.
quot;About tupid. You gonna flub up your lines or something?”
I s;No.”
quot;You gonna knock t; Everyone kne the props.
quot;I planned on it,quot; I ansoically.
quot;You mean youre going to do traight up?”
I nodded. t even occurred to me.
me for a long time, as if he were seeing someone hed never seen before.
quot;I guess youre finally gro; last. Coming from Eric, I sure ended as a compliment.
Eit.
In tom ton is amazed mas unate.
t of toms mout;Youre beautiful,quot; and I o say t ttom of my . tal moment in tire play, and it sets tone for everyt er I still nailed t.
Sure, I said t t come off too convincingly, seeing as I probably said t Jamie, ion of . It it. I kept trying to imagine someone else as t I could get it just rig rying to concentrate on, it kept getting lost in the shuffle.
Jamie ill in ains finally opened. I didnt see t fe include tom ton and ionser.
No too nervous on stage, being t Id re it s you rig actually ely packed, and as Miss Garber ed, to set up tra ros all the back.
Normally t four s t least anoty people sitting doion, people anding against the walls, packed like sardines.
As soon as I stepped on stage, everyone ely quiet. ticed, ype, t play bingo and drink Bloody Marys at Sunday bruncting o be standing in front of ted for me to say something.
So I did t I could to put it out of my mind as I did t feer, by t of small, and t as acular or anytains for act t time everyone pitc all costs.
I still seen Jamie-I guess s from moving props because ume on one of t I didnt ime to t o do. t tain storefronts and looking in er s for Cmas. My back urned from I ively draage. I t it before, but no absolutely ill. Just to tage, I sao turn around, and .
For t time since Id knoo a tigead it ter in caugage ligal against e dress tailored exactly for ely amazing to be look like tly to kno a lot, just enougo bring out tness of ures. Sly, as if s close to , just like t called for o do.
Sly like an angel.
I knotle, and I just stood t seemed like a long time, so silence, until I suddenly remembered t I o deliver. I took a deep breat it out.
quot;Youre beautiful,quot; I finally said to orium, from t to my friends in t I actually meant it.
Id nailed t line for t time.