21
Willow
Halloween night used to be about trick-a-treating or getting tipsy at a friend’s fancy-dress party, not fish costumes and open-air stages in the middle of Silver Wish Farm.
Willow had taken more deep breaths than a free diver, and still her head felt light and her tummy sick, swaying with the motion of the ocean that didn’t exist on dry land. With clammy hands and a thumping heart, she approached a flustered Lance to see if she was well enough to perform.
‘It’s perfectly natural, Willow,’ were his only words on the matter before he shot off with a raised hand towards the lighting man.
Lavender breezed past, ready for the opening scene. She wasn’t at all in the tizz Willow was, which was annoying. Surely someone would be freaking out as much as her.
‘Do you want me to help you relax?’ asked Kip, flashing a grin that only made her stomach feel worse.
‘No, thanks. Shouldn’t you be somewhere?’
Kip showed his palms. ‘Just trying to be helpful.’ He left the tent, heading over to the side of the stage, where Willow needed to be soon to join in a scene with some others.
She flopped to a chair, wishing the knots in her stomach would bugger off. The thought of running off to the portable loo outside and perhaps not coming out sprung to mind, but she knew she couldn’t do that, partly because no one had bothered to put an air freshener in there.
A hand came out of nowhere and swirled soothingly around her back, and without one word or look, she knew it was Cody.
‘Hey, Wills, you okay?’
She glanced up as he squatted to face her, resting his arms on her knees. ‘I feel a bit sick.’
‘It’s called stage fright. Quite common, even famous people get it. Ones that have been performing for years. So don’t beat yourself up about it.’
‘Have I got a temperature?’
He gently placed a hand over her forehead. ‘Nope.’
Willow started to fan herself with her hand. ‘Maybe I’m having a hot flush.’
‘You’re twenty-one.’
‘It can happen.’
Cody took her flapping hand in his. ‘Let’s take some deep breaths. You’ll be fine in a minute.’
‘I admire your optimism.’
He smiled and inhaled deeply.
Willow copied, trying to focus on his eyes. For some reason they seemed to help soothe her nerves.
Cody leaned over to grab a bottle of water from a nearby cool-box and told her to take some sips.
She wasn’t about to gulp anyway. The last thing she needed was a full bladder on stage. ‘Sully, I don’t think I can do this.’
‘You can, Wills. Trust me, you’ll be fine once you’re up there. Our first scene is with the others, and all we have to do is brush past each other. Just keep your eyes on me, okay.’
She nodded, standing when their names were called.
A canvas tunnel outside made a trail from the tent to the back of the stage, illuminated by spotlights on the panelled ground.
Willow took some more deep breaths as she walked away from Cody to join her character’s family.
Just look at him. Only him. You can do this .
‘Full house out there tonight,’ whispered Lavender.
Oh, crumbs!
Willow desperately wanted to become invisible, like that would help the show. Why couldn’t she be all floaty and carefree like Lavender or, at the very least, self-assured like Kip?
Cody was over the other side of the stage, and Willow could see him faffing about with his hair in a large mirror propped against a beam. For someone who wasn’t bothered about being part of the play, he sure was making a fuss of himself.
Although Lavender had already looked, everyone was under strict instructions not to peek behind the curtain at the audience. It was so tempting for Willow to have a nosey at who was outside, as she was sure her whole family was there, along with half the island.
‘Ooh, I’m so excited,’ said Lavender, silently clapping her hands. ‘This is always my favourite part.’
Willow couldn’t relate. She assumed her own favourite part would be the end.
Oh, how the flipping heck am I going to—
Before she had time to overthink some more and do a moonlight flit at seven p.m., she found herself squished in a huddle entering stage left.
Do not look at the audience. Do not look. Where’s Cody? Ooh, there he is .
She locked eyes with him, pretty sure no one would notice the fact they weren’t supposed to have spotted each other yet. He offered the smallest of smiles, but she understood.
Kip and Lavender were the main attraction, starting off the story of forbidden love and families at war under the sea.
As the crowd parted and Willow had to walk to the front before exiting, she took a silent breath and bumped into Cody as planned. They exchanged the look that told the audience a spark had just ignited between them, then they went their separate ways, meeting up backstage.
Willow slapped her chest, blowing out pure relief. ‘Blimmin’ heck, I can’t believe I did it.’
Cody smiled. ‘Do you feel better now?’
‘Yep. Much, thanks. I swear, Sully, if you weren’t there, I would have cracked.’
‘You would have been fine.’
Willow shook her head. ‘No, you calm me. Always have. I wish I had that power.’
His eyes softened as they smiled her way. ‘You do. With me, anyway.’
A cast member rushed by, taking Cody by the arm, telling him to get a wriggle on.
Willow waved him off, then turned back to her side of the stage. A few more scenes, then she would be kissing him again, and with her light head, rollercoaster emotions, and weak bladder, she wasn’t quite sure how it would go.
I can’t think about it. I won’t get through my scenes. Oh, great, I feel sick again .
She found a seat and waited for her turn on the stage, each time finding more and more confidence and not needing Cody to focus on. In fact, it was benefitting her not to look at him, not that she had much choice, seeing how their characters were growing closer as the story evolved.
The buzz backstage was electric, filled with hustle and bustle, costume changes, and last-minute line checks. There wasn’t much time for anything else. People needed to know their places, and the schedule held no wiggle room at all.
The audience laughed in all the right places and clapped after a couple of scenes that Kip and Lavender really pulled off. Willow could see he was a good actor, but she didn’t need to see him on stage to know that. He’d pulled the wool well and truly over her eyes with all the lines he’d hit her with.
Oh, how stupid she felt making herself so vulnerable to predators. Well, never again. Whoever that man in the drawing was, he could get stuffed. The only time she ever felt anything remotely real was with Cody. Did it really matter if he and the picture weren’t a match?
Cody was over the way, fussing with his mop of blond hair again, and Willow realised Mystic Maureen’s description matched Cody. He was artistic and kind, and all the rest. She really had to get that stupid drawing out of her head. It had brought her nothing but grief in the form of Kip Kirkland and now the play.
It’s my fault we ended up here, and poor Cody only supported me because that’s what we do for each other. At least he’s enjoying this, so that’s one thing, but I’ll be glad when it’s over and this lot have gone… wherever .
The lights changed on the stage. It was time for the kiss. How had the show flown by so quickly? She was sure she had more time to stress.
They met in the middle, said their lines, then stepped closer to show their love to the audience, and Willow was sure she would faint. It was all too much, the tension, the lack of air, Cody’s piercing eyes looking so flipping serious. Why couldn’t he give her a quick peck and sod off like last time? He was creating a charged atmosphere, or was that her? She couldn’t be sure anymore. Had the lights faded? Had they missed their cue?
Cody’s hand slid to the side of her face, then slowly he dipped his head and lightly placed his lips upon hers.
All nerves slipped away, replaced by the sweetest song and the softest light, and Willow positioned her arms around his back, moving into his chest.
It wasn’t her imagination, Cody was pressing harder on her mouth, and she was pushing herself into his body. His other hand covered the side of her face the audience could see, which Lance would not approve of, but Willow cared little for the director or the watching eyes. All that existed was Cody.
His tongue slipped into her mouth, causing her legs to turn to jelly and her butterflies to swoon.
She held on to him tightly, willing him to never stop, and he didn’t, even after the curtain closed and they were supposed to exit stage right.
The audience clapped, and someone nudged them out of their embrace.
Lance was livid, waving them towards him whilst the stagehands quickly set up the next scene. ‘Pack that in,’ he whispered through clenched teeth. ‘But bloody brilliant.’ He gave them the thumbs-up, then shoved them away.
Cody tugged Willow into his chest as she went to head backstage. ‘Hey—’
Lavender pulled Willow away. ‘Hurry, we’re back on now.’
Willow turned one way but looked back at Cody as she joined her fake family for her next scene. She’d never felt so rushed or dazed. Was that theatre life or Cody best-kiss-ever Sullivan?
Finally it was time to take a bow, smile and wave at her real family, and say goodbye to acting once and for all.
Willow was over the moon, and not just because she’d made it through the whole show without throwing up. It had been fun, and an experience she would never forget. She’d made some new friends and hoped they would find the success they were searching for.
The afterparty Heath and Rhett had set up for the theatre company was filled with happiness and laughter, and so many people wanted to talk to Willow, she had no time to be alone with Cody, wherever he was. She hadn’t seen him in a while but wasn’t too worried. He always liked a bit of alone time after noise, and there certainly was a lot of noise.
There was nothing but praise and cheer for Lance’s rather bizarre story, which pleased him no end, even gaining him a pat on the back by Florence, who promised to write an article with a good review in the local paper.
The music pumped, the drinks flowed, and the excited atmosphere had the party going well into the night, but as with everything, it came to an end, and everyone dwindled away, leaving the field to be tidied in the morning.
Willow was shattered, and she was sure it was from the comedown of her adrenaline, because she usually had more get up and go in her. She smiled on the way back home, feeling mighty proud of herself and a little light on her feet, thanks to Cody’s kiss.
A dull light peeped out from the treehouse as she passed by, and straight away she knew that was where Cody had retreated to. He loved that place just as much as her, and it always helped calm him when needed.
Is he feeling weird about us now? Does he want to be alone?
Dithering at the bottom of the ladder, Willow chewed her fingernail, unsure of her next move. If only real life had a script.
It was late, and the odds were Cody had fallen asleep anyway, so she crept up the ladder to take a peek.
He was playing a game on his laptop but stopped as soon as he saw her. ‘Hey, all done out there?’
She entered fully and squished to his side. ‘Yep,’ she said softly. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah, just needed a timeout.’
She understood. It was his way. ‘You can carry on playing. I’ll sit and watch.’
He closed the laptop and moved it away. ‘I don’t want to play games, Wills. I want to talk to you about us.’
She knew what he meant. It was written all over his face. ‘What do you want to say?’ she asked softly, locking eyes with his serious gaze.
He didn’t reply with words, placing one hand to her cheek instead.