My Professor's Secret

47 |

forty-seven

"Ten minutes until showtime, people! I need everyone to take their places. It's a big crowd out there tonight so let's make them proud," address Professor Thornton as he paces back and forth behind the curtain.

I'd taken a moment before Professor decided to give us an elaborate speech to peek behind the curtains and get a look at the crowd and as he said, the theater was jammed packed with people. Throughout my brief minute of scanning, I hadn't spotted my brother—though Taylor made it her mission to be seated front and center snuggled into Leonardo's side.

There was no doubt that her being there was refreshing, but aside from that, my conscience ate at me. I knew that I couldn't hold off the conversation I needed to have with Wyatt, no less than her. The thought alone caused somersaults to erupt in my belly because I wasn't ready to lose two relationships in one evening. Once I pulled myself from the curtain, I noticed Wyatt had made his way over to me. His face was neutral, apart from the clear nerves, but other than that, he didn't look distressed or like he was ready to expose some huge suspected secret around campus. That was a plus.

"You've got this, baby, and once we're all done, we can take care of the elephant in the room." He turns his attention in Trevor's direction and although it's a split second, my eyes lock with Trevor's before he noticed Wyatt by my side and aimlessly roamed to members of the cast as he continued with his speech that sounded of nothing more than disordered background noise. Wyatt plants a delicate kiss on my lips and then he takes his starting position.

"Alright, people. This is the moment we've spent preparing for. Don't forget that there will be important people in the crowd so now is the time to put on your best act," Professor announces to us. He pulls his headset from around his neck onto his ear and pulls the curtains back just enough to slip out onto the stage.

There's a brief moment of silence amongst us as Trevor recites the prologue to the crowd and just before he finishes the last line, everyone begins wishing each other good luck, and then the curtains open for act one. The only good thing about the horrible predicament I'd been in was that at least it would make the scenes more emotional, considering I did have something I wish I could desperately keep a secret or else I'd be ridiculed by my peers as well. Perhaps this unconventional mishap would benefit me in front of the agents in the crowd.

Wyatt, Philip, and a few others stand perched on an overhead platform, gleaming down at me as I make my way across the stage, clutching my fake baby, Pearl in my arms. Following close behind me is a small crowd of people speaking obscenities behind my back about my alleged abominable sin. I step onto a wooden podium and look toward the balcony at the people meant to punish Hester for her crimes. The scene is brief and concludes once the scarlet letter A has been placed onto my dress. Nothing we hadn't rehearsed about a million times before, although this time, it felt definite—not something re-enacted for the enjoyment of others.

I recall my very first attempt at this exact scene when Wyatt and I had first practiced it. I wasn't as emotional as I'd been tonight. Tonight, this scene felt uncomfortably tangible.

"I will not name that man!"

It's a madhouse behind the curtains as everyone races around to set up the next scene before the curtains were due to be opened again. Trevor made it clear that with as many people as we had on set, It should take no longer than five minutes to have the next set completed, which we were all able to abide by with time to spare. Our next few scenes progress blissfully and while we perused through our sets, I managed to get a peak of the crowd again and noticed my brother finally decided to show face, along with a few unexpected guests. Lorelei and Trinity sit beside him.