Life Coach

"People! People! We've been at this for hours! How can you not get it right? We have a week to get this perfect! Do it again!!" Billy, the Director yelled to his tired cast.

He was right. It is tech week and things were still getting messed up; moves were messed up, costumes weren't ready, sets needed painting, microphones were on the fritz. Everything that could go wrong, was and if we didn't fix them soon, god only knows how the show will turn out.

"Kara, I'm going insane. Please go figure out what is going on in the closet." Connie pleaded as she rubbed her temples. I nodded and headed towards the costume closet. This room was one of my favorites to be in. All the different colors from the fabric from various shows. I had spent the end of last summer reorganizing it, labeling specific costumes with their shows and putting them in a timeline. The recycled outfits varied between style and use. It took me one week to clean it out, and set up a system. Then two more weeks to mend tears and rips. Everyone in the crew called me 'The Doctor' because there wasn't anything I couldn't fix.

"Oh good Kara, you're here. We need help." Jenny, a new costume mistress, said. "Maria's outfits are still waiting to be finished. Tony's pants ripped during a dance number. We're missing 10 pairs of socks. And Anita's wing is messed up." She explained in one big breath.

"Okay, okay, it's alright. Jenny, go and stitch up Tony's pants. Theresa search for those socks. Ask the actors if they've seen them. Donna, style Anita's wing. Make sure it's curled and sprayed. I'll take care of Maria's dresses." I ordered my costume minions. They all nodded and rushed off to their assigned job. I picked up Maria's six dresses and brought them to the sewing station. I dressed the dress-forms in each outfit, writing down the notes for each dress. This is how I worked; I examined the task and took notes of what needed to be done, crossing off the task when finished. It was easy for me and others to understand.

As I went to stitch up Maria's dance dress, my phone rang, "Hello?"

"So you are so busy you can't even call your best friend?" I smiled.

"I'm sorry Pat but things have been hectic. The show is in a week and things still aren't done. And don't yell at me for not calling. I haven't heard from you in weeks!"

"Yeah I know. I've been training and doing promo stuff. What show are you doing again? I keep forgetting."

"West Side Story Pat. I see that you pay attention to my life."

"I pay attention to your life, I'm just not a artsy fartsy kinda guy."

"Pat, they made it into a movie!" I laughed.

"They did? Well maybe I'll check it out so I have something to call you about."

"Or you could just come to the show. I'm sure you can find time in your busy schedule to see your best friend."

"Well I don't know Kara. There's so much of me to go around."

"Never stopped you before." I mumbled.

"I'll look into it. Jon's been buggin' me about going to Winnipeg. He even wants you to come. That I don't understand." He said, grumbling the last part.

"God, forbid someone wanted to spend time with me. Jon's my friend you know."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well I gotta go. I'm heading out with some friends."

"Please be careful. You don't need to get drunk and sexed up." I reminded him, just like I did every other time.

"Yes mother. I'll talk to you later." After saying our good byes I put my phone down, letting out a sigh.

Pat and I hadn't really had time to call each other since the time in Buffalo. But we would occasionally text but that was late at night when he was out and about partying. I was able to teach him not to call at 2am but he still text me. True they were usually the same drunk texts but a majority of them were of him whining about not having a drink or taking a girl home.

But there were moments in our texting when Jon would be brought up and he would immediately change the subject or just end the conversation completely. The topics consisted of how Jon wanted us to visit him and how he'd say that he missed me.

In all honesty...I missed Jon too. Jon never stopped talking to me since that weekend. He'd call or text when he could and every time I felt a smile on my face. I wanted to visit him but work kept us apart. I would think about how much fun I had in Buffalo with him. And then I'd think about how Patrick looked whenever he saw Jon and I together. I still never figured out what was up his butt. I never brought it up though. I didn't see it important.

"Finally! I was waiting for someone to finish my dresses." A familiar annoying voice rang out in front of me. "You would think because I'm the lead that those dresses would be finished by now." The dark haired girl complained as she leaned against the sewing table. I glanced up at her, my face giving her zero sympathy.

"Just remember that I'm a size 4 and if it's bigger than it should be I will be very upset."

"Annabelle, I know your size. You've reminded me every day, for every show. Your dresses will be ready by tomorrow."

"Good. I'm tired of waiting for them." Annabelle said as she left the closet.

I despise that girl. If she wasn't such a good singer, I'd make sure she be banished. Annabelle Masters was a rising star(in her own mind). She grew up with theatre parents, taking dance, acting, and singing lessons her whole life and it showed. She could pay any part but the problem was...she knew that. She had every leading role you could imagine; Belle, Cinderella, Annie from 'Annie Get Your Gun' and 'Annie', Maria from 'The Sound of Music', Ti Moune from 'Once on This Island'....the list is endless. And not only was she talented, she was beautiful. Her dark raven hair could be styled in any form for any part. Her face was flawless (considering how much make up actors wear). She could attract any man, young and old. It's just so sad that such amazing talent and beauty was wasted on a personality like that. She needed a good slapping but when your daddy is the producer you can do whatever you want.

"How you holding up Doc? I saw the Wicked Witch leave."

"Ugh, Dom." I said to the leading man of the show and of many women's fantasies.

Dominic French was a god among men. He contained everything that women dream of; the looks, the personality, the talent, and he's 100% straight. The only downer....he's in a relationship. I had met Dominic my first day working with this theatre company. He was the first person to introduce himself and show me around. Ever since we've been friends. He knew everything about me and I could trust him with my life. There was a time when we had been interested in each other. When I first arrived I was in a relationship, Dominic liked me. Then when that ended, he had a girlfriend. But we never let any of that get in between our friendship.

Dominic's naturally blonde curly hair was gelled back for his character as Tony. He was dressed in his costume, excluding the ripped pair of pants that were being worked on. Dom sat on the corner of table, sipping a water bottle after a hard dance routine. "Jenny's fixing your pants. Now you just need to stop ripping them." I said to him.

"I don't do it on purpose."

"We'll have to resize you for the next show. You're butt might be getting big." I joked.

"I might not be here next summer." He told me. My head snapped up, "What? No! You have to be here next summer! That's not fair! You promised we'd grow old on this stage....together!"

"I know I did, I'm keeping my promise, it's just...there's auditions for a travel show company and I really want to do it. It would be good for my career."

"Dom, that's awesome! I guess I could let you go for that,, but it's only because I love you."

"You should do it with me." he said nudging my shoulder.

"What, like audition?"

"Yeah, you could do it. You're just as good as some of these people. With a little training from yours truly you could be a star. I don't know why you choose to sit behind the scenes. I'd go insane."

"No Dom, I can't do that. I've never been on stage before and besides, backstage is my home."

"Fine then, but you could do an internship with the crew. Come on Kara. It's an adventure. You know you want too."

"I'll think about it."

"Good, you better do it soon. Spots fill up fast." he said giving me his final word before heading back to rehearsal.

A travel show? God, that's what I've always wanted. I'm doing the job I love and traveling all over the country to do it. How could I not look into that? I'd be a fool to not try. Besides, what's keeping me from doing it?