Ivy called, in stage-manager mode. There were dark shadows under her eyes from worrying about Lucky. ‘Doors are now open and the audience are taking their seats.’
Charlotte stomped past with Sophia chasing after her. ‘I will
not
wear another pillow!’
Garrick didn’t even look up.
‘Just give me a minute,’ Olivia said to Jackson and headed over to Garrick. She stood in front of him and said, ‘I hope I don’t regret asking, but what’s wrong?’
‘I can’t find my itching powder,’ he said, still staring at the floor. ‘Without it, I can’t do this.’
‘What do you mean by “this”?’ Olivia asked, worry creeping in.
‘This!’ He threw his many arms out wide, indicating the whole production. ‘Be Romezog.’
Olivia’s heart dropped into her knee-high goldboots. If Garrick wouldn’t take the stage, then there was no show!
‘Don’t say that,’ Olivia said. ‘The show must go on!’
‘I can’t,’ he whined at her. ‘The only reason I got the part was because of the itching. Now I won’t get my kiss.’ Garrick looked like a wreck. ‘And I had all this extra stuff planned at the end, too.’
Olivia didn’t know what to make of the extra stuff, but she knew she didn’t want him to call off the performance.
You can’t do
Romeo and Juliet
without Romeo … or Romezog
, she thought.
‘You don’t need the powder,’ Olivia said. ‘Just act it. Remember what it felt like and pretend.’
Garrick looked confused. ‘Pretend to itch?’
Olivia suppresed the urge to beat him with hisgoggly eyes. ‘Yes, pretend. You are supposed to be acting, after all.’
‘Maybe …’ Garrick stood up.
Jackson came over. ‘Break a leg,’ he said to Garrick, flashing a grin at Olivia.
‘Enough with the jealousy, man,’ Garrick said.
‘No, no,’ Jackson replied. ‘That’s how they say “good luck” in the theatre.’
‘Oh, well, uh, thanks, but I can’t go on.’ Garrick shuffled his feet.
‘Are you kidding?’ Jackson said. ‘You are the most convincing alien octopus that has ever graced the stage.’
‘Absolutely!’ Olivia added, hoping she sounded like she meant it.
Garrick looked suspicious.
‘I’m serious,’ Jackson said. ‘You own that role. Be confident, man. Be strong!’ Garrick started to nod along. ‘You are Romezog, andyou will have your Julietron!’
‘You’re right, Jay Jay,’ Garrick said, punching Jackson on the arm. ‘I will have her, won’t I?’ He winked at Olivia and made a clicking noise. ‘See
you
on stage, baby.’ Garrick stood up from the bed and sauntered off.
Olivia hit Jackson gently. ‘Did you have to use me as bait?’
‘Hey,’ Jackson said, leaning in so close that she could see the flecks in his blue eyes. ‘A kiss with you would get anyone to do anything.’
Olivia shivered and clutched one of the posters of the bed behind her. She had tried so many ways to corner him and kiss him this past week, but something had always gotten in the way.
Is he saying that he wants to kiss me?
Olivia hoped so. She had just minutes to kiss him before Garrick got there first.
‘I would happily get stabbed with a retractablesword for you,’ Jackson grinned, referring to his death in the play.
Olivia smiled back.
‘You are an amazing Juliet and a wonderful actress,’ he said quietly, stepping even closer.
The noise of swords clashing backstage, Charlotte complaining, props being moved around – they all faded away as Jackson took her face in his hands. Was it finally going to happen?
‘And an awesome girlfriend,’ he whispered.
She closed her eyes and felt his breath on her face. Her heart was pounding.
‘Fifteen minutes!’ shouted Ivy, making Olivia jump.
Jackson took a step away from her.
No!
Olivia thought.
Come back! So close!
Then Garrick sauntered over and pressed something into her hand. Baffled, Olivia sawa wrapped-up mint. ‘It’s for later,’ he mock-whispered.
Olivia wanted to scream, but all she could do
Charlotte stomped past with Sophia chasing after her. ‘I will
not
wear another pillow!’
Garrick didn’t even look up.
‘Just give me a minute,’ Olivia said to Jackson and headed over to Garrick. She stood in front of him and said, ‘I hope I don’t regret asking, but what’s wrong?’
‘I can’t find my itching powder,’ he said, still staring at the floor. ‘Without it, I can’t do this.’
‘What do you mean by “this”?’ Olivia asked, worry creeping in.
‘This!’ He threw his many arms out wide, indicating the whole production. ‘Be Romezog.’
Olivia’s heart dropped into her knee-high goldboots. If Garrick wouldn’t take the stage, then there was no show!
‘Don’t say that,’ Olivia said. ‘The show must go on!’
‘I can’t,’ he whined at her. ‘The only reason I got the part was because of the itching. Now I won’t get my kiss.’ Garrick looked like a wreck. ‘And I had all this extra stuff planned at the end, too.’
Olivia didn’t know what to make of the extra stuff, but she knew she didn’t want him to call off the performance.
You can’t do
Romeo and Juliet
without Romeo … or Romezog
, she thought.
‘You don’t need the powder,’ Olivia said. ‘Just act it. Remember what it felt like and pretend.’
Garrick looked confused. ‘Pretend to itch?’
Olivia suppresed the urge to beat him with hisgoggly eyes. ‘Yes, pretend. You are supposed to be acting, after all.’
‘Maybe …’ Garrick stood up.
Jackson came over. ‘Break a leg,’ he said to Garrick, flashing a grin at Olivia.
‘Enough with the jealousy, man,’ Garrick said.
‘No, no,’ Jackson replied. ‘That’s how they say “good luck” in the theatre.’
‘Oh, well, uh, thanks, but I can’t go on.’ Garrick shuffled his feet.
‘Are you kidding?’ Jackson said. ‘You are the most convincing alien octopus that has ever graced the stage.’
‘Absolutely!’ Olivia added, hoping she sounded like she meant it.
Garrick looked suspicious.
‘I’m serious,’ Jackson said. ‘You own that role. Be confident, man. Be strong!’ Garrick started to nod along. ‘You are Romezog, andyou will have your Julietron!’
‘You’re right, Jay Jay,’ Garrick said, punching Jackson on the arm. ‘I will have her, won’t I?’ He winked at Olivia and made a clicking noise. ‘See
you
on stage, baby.’ Garrick stood up from the bed and sauntered off.
Olivia hit Jackson gently. ‘Did you have to use me as bait?’
‘Hey,’ Jackson said, leaning in so close that she could see the flecks in his blue eyes. ‘A kiss with you would get anyone to do anything.’
Olivia shivered and clutched one of the posters of the bed behind her. She had tried so many ways to corner him and kiss him this past week, but something had always gotten in the way.
Is he saying that he wants to kiss me?
Olivia hoped so. She had just minutes to kiss him before Garrick got there first.
‘I would happily get stabbed with a retractablesword for you,’ Jackson grinned, referring to his death in the play.
Olivia smiled back.
‘You are an amazing Juliet and a wonderful actress,’ he said quietly, stepping even closer.
The noise of swords clashing backstage, Charlotte complaining, props being moved around – they all faded away as Jackson took her face in his hands. Was it finally going to happen?
‘And an awesome girlfriend,’ he whispered.
She closed her eyes and felt his breath on her face. Her heart was pounding.
‘Fifteen minutes!’ shouted Ivy, making Olivia jump.
Jackson took a step away from her.
No!
Olivia thought.
Come back! So close!
Then Garrick sauntered over and pressed something into her hand. Baffled, Olivia sawa wrapped-up mint. ‘It’s for later,’ he mock-whispered.
Olivia wanted to scream, but all she could do
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