Demon (18 page)

“Oh, grow up, would you! High school sweethearts don’t ever last in the real world. And you’re way too good for that little snit.” Livy started toward the stage for her next scene, looking disgusted, but at the last second, she turned back. She reached out a hand with perfectly manicured black nails and stroked Justyn’s cheek. “If you ever want a
real
woman, one who would never even consider kicking you out of her bed, give me a call.”

Justyn watched Livy just a little too intently as she glided onto the stage, beautiful and regal in her lace corset and skirt. He followed shortly afterward, and Rebecca had to wonder if he wasn’t considering her proposition. He did seem more intent on her as they waltzed through the wickedly funny pie-making scene. Rebecca had pushed him away so many times over the last few days, how could she blame him for being tempted by such a beguiling seductress? Even the cold and callous Sweeney Todd had sought a warm body in his bed, which he found in Mrs. Lovatt.

Rebecca watched them together on stage, and it certainly seemed as though something were growing between the actors as well as the characters they portrayed. Before long, the scenes changed again, and Livy and Justyn were sitting in Mrs. Lovatt’s cozy foyer. She was singing to him about her plans to visit the seashore. As her instrumental backup, she had the cheerful piano keys and the sound of the flute creating a high-pitched screech meant to stimulate a seagull’s squawk. Though Sweeney Todd was supposed to sit with only indifference on his face, as Livy’s hands explored Justyn’s stiff body, as her breath tickled the bare skin of his neck, there was definitely something more than indifference flickering in his eyes.

“Someday I’d love to go away to the shore.

Walk the boardwalk and stroll with you, mi amour.

At night I would struggle beside you in bed.

Perhaps one day we could even wed.

Just imagine us two in marital bliss.

Come now, Mr.T, give your mistress a kiss.”

Livy leaned in and prepared to kiss Justyn as the lyrics implied. Normally, she just brushed him on the cheek. She took everyone by surprise, especially Justyn, when she pressed her full lips against his. It wasn’t just a peck either. It was a
real
kiss. A demanding and passionate embrace. Her arms entwined around him, and her hands ran through his dark hair. Justyn squirmed a little in her grasp, but she only pulled him closer. After a while, he really didn’t even try to push her away anymore. He gave in. Maybe he even enjoyed it. At least that’s how it seemed from the vantage point where Rebecca was hiding behind the stage. She wiped away the tears as she watched the scene unfold. She realized she might be losing him forever, and wondered if she deserved any less.

That night, Justyn desperately tried to talk to her about what happened with Livy. He swore up and down he hadn’t wanted her to kiss him. He claimed he tried to push her away, but she made it impossible to do so without hurting her. Rebecca didn’t really doubt him. She wasn’t even sure if she was angry or not. She just knew she wasn’t ready to talk about it. When she got home, she told him she wasn’t feeling well and spent the rest of the night quietly sobbing in the darkness of their bedroom. A few times Justyn cracked open the door and peeked in. Each time, she feigned sleep and he would click the door shut again with a heavy sigh.

The next day, her eyes were sore and swollen and her head was pounding, but she still made sure to sneak out to her first class before Justyn stirred. She noticed his long legs dangling off the small loveseat at an odd angle, and she felt a distinct pang of guilt, but she still slipped quietly from the apartment without saying a word. She didn’t have to face him again until rehearsal, and even then she lingered outside the building until a few seconds before practice officially began so he wouldn’t have time to catch her. She knew she was being awful to him. But she was just so overwhelmed with fear, with pain, and even insecurity. She didn’t know how to make him understand the feelings she couldn’t explain to herself. She couldn’t help but think maybe Livy was right. Maybe Justyn
would
be better off without Rebecca. It was obvious Livy had no qualms about communication
or
intimacy.

Rebecca was overcome with so many conflicting emotions it was no surprise her acting was off. Her voice cracked each time she tried to get the words past the lump in her throat. Professor Carter must have still felt sorry for her, because he didn’t say anything, but his eyes narrowed more than once. There were even a few times she swore she saw him flinch. When he got up to go on a coffee break, she had to wonder if he was just looking for an excuse to get away before he decided to strangle her.

The director instructed them to continue in his absence. Despite her anxiety, Rebecca tried to struggle through the performance. She soon found herself in the ballroom scene. It was the only part of the play where she would get to wear something other than rags once dress rehearsals began. For now, they were still practicing in their street clothes. The act was a cunningly staged flashback scene. Mrs. Lovatt reveals to Sweeney Todd her version of what happened to Lucy after his arrest. The lights dim on them as Livy weaves the tale in her stunning soprano, and on the opposite end of the stage, Rebecca, Chad, and Scott act out her words, almost like a silent film. It was a challenging scene because she couldn’t depend on the voice that was her calling card. Instead, she had to rely purely on her facial expressions and body language to express her confusion, and later her terror, as Judge Turpin and Beadle lure the virtuous Lucy into a trap—a trap that would lead to the corruption of her innocence and eventually the loss of her sanity.

“After her dear husband was sent away,

poor Lucy wouldn’t come out to work or play.

The judge still longed to make her his own.

So Beadle lured her to the judge’s fine home.

The poor thing followed thinking help had come.

Really, the poor dear should have turned and run.

What the poor thing found was a horror indeed.

And no one would help the lost lady in need.”

Rebecca listened as Livy sang, trying to have her motions match the turmoil her character felt as she was brought deeper into the judge’s world, led by the greasy hand of Scott, who was more than convincing as the dastardly sidekick of the corrupt judge. The look on Scott’s face as she followed him into the swirl of dancers could only be described as evil. It made Rebecca feel nervous and insecure. Even as she pretended to sip champagne from an invisible glass that Scott handed to her, she felt her heart start to hammer.

The faces of the chorus members started to blend and swirl as they waltzed around her. It made her feel dizzy as well as emotional. The fact that it was the very same song Livy had sung to Justyn when she was telling him how weak and pathetic she was, only made the sequence seem that much worse. Her head was spinning by the time she finally fell back upon the Victorian-style couch which was one of many authentic props they had already obtained. She blinked a few times to try to clear her head. When Rebecca looked up again, Chad and Scott were looming over her, leering. She shielded her face as they reached out to grab her, while the rest of the cast stopped to watch them with undisguised glee. She was certain those viewing the scene from the sidelines probably considered it her best performance to date as the mild confusion on her face exploded into real fear.

Chad and Scott were only doing what the script called for as their hands jabbed and nudged her. It was a scene they had performed together dozens of times already. Yet Rebecca’s fragile mind suddenly imagined a completely different scene. She was no longer on the stage, surrounded by people and enveloped in the notes of the orchestra to guide her movements. She was alone in the woods with that horrible face hidden behind the mask. He was sneering down at her, only multiplied by two. When the guys reached out to grab her, she couldn’t stop herself from batting their hands away.

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed.

Like the rest of the cast, Chad and Scott looked stunned when she backed in the corner of the sofa like a caged animal. It took a few minutes for the orchestra to realize the performance had come to a screeching halt, but one-by-one, the instruments wound down. For a few terrible minutes, the theater was plunged into complete silence. Every person on the stage was either gawking at her or trying a little too hard
not
to stare at her. They were probably wondering if she had finally lost her mind. She was wondering right along with them. At that moment, she certainly didn’t feel very sane.

Somewhere in the midst of the real-life drama, Megan had appeared beside her. She was hugging her and patting her back in what was meant to be a comforting, friendly embrace, but Rebecca didn’t want her comfort. Justyn was there too, of course, kneeling beside her, afraid to speak or touch her lest he set her off again, yet still unable to stay away. All she really wanted was for them both to go away and leave her alone. As the horrible panic that had gripped her settled into a more manageable but still heart-numbing fear, Rebecca realized she had just made a complete fool of herself. She wished the stage would open up and swallow her whole or something would happen to make everyone stop staring at her. It was finally Chad’s sarcastic voice that cut through the heavy silence.

“Looks like Jerseylicious is having a nervous breakdown,” he scoffed.

Beside him, Scott started snickering. The two of them exchanged high fives. A few other nervous chuckles rose from the crowd, but Justyn definitely wasn’t laughing. Since Rebecca was rejecting the comfort he offered, Justyn rose to his feet and took a few steps in Chad’s direction. For a moment, Rebecca saw that familiar glint in his eye. The one that had made her think it was possible
he
could have been her real-life phantom. Even though she knew it was meant as an act of chivalry, it still startled her when Justyn lifted his hands and shoved Chad hard. He stumbled backward into Scott, who only barely managed to keep his friend from crashing to the stage floor.

“Back off, Chad.” Justyn’s eerily calm voice didn’t seem to match his heated stare. “Just back the hell off.”

“Who’s going to make me?” Chad asked, not about to lose face to a freshman. “You?”

Scott sneered and cracked his knuckles. “I’d like to see him try.”

Justyn didn’t need any more encouragement. With an almost animal-like fury, he lunged at Chad and lifted his hand to strike. Before his fist could make contact, the full two hundred and twenty pounds of Scott’s bulk slammed into him, knocking Justyn to the ground. Chad and Scott loomed over Justyn, prepared to combine their forces, while Rebecca could only stare in wide-eyed horror as the fight progressed. Megan squeezed her a little tighter and looked toward Quinn for reinforcement.

“Quinn, do something!” she shouted.

Megan wasn’t the only one shouting. Around them, voices were rising, some cheering on the fight, while others looked like they wanted to break it up but were unsure, worried they would get caught in the crossfire. Despite the two-to-one odds, Justyn was holding his own. He had somehow kicked Scott to the side, and before he or Chad had the chance to pounce again, Quinn and Frankie jumped into the fray, standing on either side of Justyn. Adding them to the equation was like hitting a pause button. Scott and Chad no longer felt secure in a victory when they were outnumbered, and though Justyn looked ready to dive back at them both single-handedly, Quinn was holding him back.

“Listen, man, you have to calm down,” Quinn told him. “Let it go.”

Justyn only turned his rage onto his friend. “Who asked
you
to get involved?”

Rebecca was actually starting to worry that Justyn was going to strike out at Quinn next. At the same time, Chad and Scott seemed to be contemplating a counterattack. Rebecca was sure they were all going to kill each other when Livy finally strolled into the center of the skirmish, raising both her lace-covered arms in a cease-and-desist fashion. Her presence brought the whole conflict to a screeching halt. None of the guys were willing to hit her by mistake, a fact she had obviously been counting on.

“Listen, fellows,” she said casually, “this nonsense has to stop
right now
. No one is going to ruin
my
show. So, you had best save the testosterone wars until after the final curtain call.”

“I agree with the sentiment, Miss Clairoux, but don’t you mean
my
show?”

Professor Carter had returned with his coffee in hand, and the last thing he had expected was to find the orchestra hushed and his actors a step away from an out-and-out brawl. Had he been using a paper cup instead of an insulated, metal mug, it probably would have been crushed by his white-knuckled grip. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets as he looked from Rebecca’s tear-streaked face to the obvious standoff between the primary members of the male cast.

“Excuse me for being for so naïve,” he continued, his voice curt. “Here I was under the impression that I was directing a group of seasoned professionals. Instead, it seems the school has handed me a room full of children in need of constant supervision. There is a reason I had no children, people. And I do not get paid nearly enough to babysit.” He looked them over, each in turn. “You are all lucky this show is my first priority. Otherwise, I’d have the lot of you expelled. Mr. Patko, you do realize violence on campus is strictly prohibited? Scholarships have been revoked for less.”