Climb | ✔

Chapter 23 | Premiere

Ever since the night in the park with Murdoch, Winter had spent her working hours walking--or climbing, if we're staying on theme--on eggshells.

Outside of working hours, Winter didn't even hazard stepping foot in Sharpton Rocks. Luckily enough for her, the busyness of school and the fact that the premiere of Cinderella had finally arrived meant she was consistently occupied to the point that she could justify some days off.

On the very night of the premiere, she and Daisy took their seats along with the other set artists in the front row. Together, they would finally witness the product of their months of effort. The charm of the story of Cinderella never before felt so magical to them when they heard the aws and coos of the audience when the projector came on.

Due to the budget constraints they had when they were first assigned to design the set, some creative liberties on the typical cardboard high school play set were taken. The wooden construct made by the shop department was true to the magnitude of the budget spent on it.

The wooden platform overlooked the audience from about halfway up the stage's full height, flanked on both sides by staircases which lead down to stage proper. It was a design which the art students had come up with after hearing about the initial set plans, and it doubled as the perfect set piece for both Cinderella's home and the castle.

By painting the wood pure white, the color of the staircase could easily be changed by using different colored stage lights, allowing the mood and scene to be changed at the drop of a coin. And when the black masking curtains at centerstage were drawn close, they served as a perfect canvas for the animations Daisy and Winter put together.

When projected onto the black mass of the curtains, the animated fairy dust and dancing silhouettes offered an extra dose of whimsy to an already enchanting musical experience. It was only to the production's benefit that the talented Miss Evie Preston was spearheading the vocal battle. Her sweet voice inspired awe in all of its listeners, and it was clear by her pristine performance that she valued her position as the musical's lead. She'd spent near 100 hours perfecting her lines, blocking, dances, and voice for her first shot at the spotlight. By the end of the 2-hour show, she'd certainly secured herself a second chance in her senior year.

The musical was a hit. As the curtains closed, the set crew made their way to the dressing room for curtain call. After the cast took their bows, the set crew was motioned onto the stage. Daisy and Winter walked forward, hand in hand, reveling in the applause of the audience who considered their work a job well done.

Just as it had before, Winter found her gaze drawn to a single pair of dark brown eyes amongst the hundreds of others. They held there for a moment too long before Rick's hand drew her attention away, waving happily over the crowd. Winter smiled politely as she strode upstage, bowing in unison with the group.

Evie, who was MCing the curtain call, interrupted as the group of art students turned to make their exit.

"And we'd like to call Winter Moore and Daisy Wu up for a second bow to recognize them for their hard work as the lead designers and animators for the set."

The called out pair shared a surprised look, only ushered back onto the stage by their insistent peers. They shyly approached the spotlight for their second bow, their hearts thrumming from the unexpected stardom as the audience clapped and cheered even louder. Through the clamor, Gina and Louis could squarely be heard whooping and vocally declaring ownership over the two girls as best friends. A fair portion of the crowd laughed.

Once the teachers and full-cast took the final call, the audience members erupted into a standing ovation, signaling the end of a most successful premiere night. As everyone filed out of the theatre, Gina, Louis, Joe, and Luke climbed over the stage to greet the girls and offer congratulations.