Kitten

“Change of plans,” Eric said, pacing before the entire cast. “We need a new Lucy. Someone who can have all the lines memorized by tonight.”

“That’s insane!” Craig exclaimed, gaping at the director. “Tonight?”

Eric nodded grimly. “Our little Kitty has lost her purr,” he said bitingly, throwing Ryan a furious glare.

“We can switch parts,” Lizzie said and the look she exchanged with Ryan said that they had already talked it through. “I don’t have that many lines, so we can just give them to one of the other vampire brides. Ryan already began teaching me his lines. Besides, I’m good at memorizing things under stress.”

Eric gave her a disbelieving look but nodded his head. “Fine,” he said. “Cast dismissed.”

The actors and actresses scattered, some heading to the dressing rooms, others to the lobby, and some to the stage. Lizzie and Ryan stayed seated where they were and Eric stood in front of them, leering menacingly down at them.

“You better have all your lines down by tonight,” the director said. “Or else someone’s gonna pay.”

“Who?” Lizzie asked boldly. “Who’s gonna pay if I don’t? The audience? The cast? The show? What can you do about it?”

Eric smiled and it wasn’t a nice smile. “I can go down to that diner, Murphy’s, and I can wring the neck of that pretty, little waiter of yours,” he says to Ryan. “Your Brendon.”

Ryan paled and his twisted in pain. Why him? he wrote, holding the paper up for Eric to read.

“Because he took your voice away from you, Kitty,” he said softly, tracing one finger along Ryan’s jaw-line and down his neck. “It’s all his fault.”

“How do you know about that?” Lizzie demanded, stepping protectively in front of Ryan.

“You should be more careful where you leave your little pieces of paper.”

Ryan’s breath was coming in short, shaking gasps by the time Eric left and his eyes were stretched wide with fear. Lizzie could recognize the symptoms of an oncoming panic attack. “Breathe, Ryan,” she told him, rubbing his back. “Breathe.”

What’s your first line of the show? Ryan wrote messily and Lizzie knew that she had to have her lines memorized in time for the show, for her sake, for Ryan’s sake, and for the sake of a boy she had never met before.

Lizzie sat with Ryan, rubbing his shoulders and reciting her lines for him until he had calmed down, when Louis walked into the room.

“Whoa!” he said, stopping suddenly. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Louis,” Lizzie began in her most wheedling tone. “Do a favor for your favorite cousin, would you?”

“I don’t know about favorite,” Louis muttered joking. “But sure.”

Lizzie’s eyes were steely and her voice was firm as she said: “Keep an eye on Eric for us, will you?”

“Sure, why?”

“Because he’s getting a little bit too cocky for his own good,” she said. “Ryan, can I tell him?”

Ryan nodded, trusting Louis because Lizzie did.

“Eric threatened to hurt the person that Ryan loves if the show doesn’t go off perfectly,” Lizzie explained quickly. “Plus he’s sorta forcing Ryan to have sex with him after shows.”

“Then we must be very careful,” Louis said, completely unfazed by what Lizzie just told him. “Ryan, I want you to stick with at least one other cast member at all times, preferably either Lizzie or I. Also, make sure that this person that you love is aware of the situation.”

Ryan gulped and nodded.