Hello, hello, hello, attractive readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter/prologue. I've spent a lot of time on it and I love it, so I hope you do, too! Unfortunately, I doubt all my chapters will be this long. I just love a good introduction. But enough talk. Read away!
Auditions for the Performing Arts Centre's summer musical, Anything Goes, are now underway. 3:15-6pm. All are welcome.
No matter how many times she read and reread the sign taped on the doors of the auditorium, Savannah felt anything but welcome. A constant stream of people made its way through the opposite door; teens and adults who were excitedly chattering about which part they would get or who would make the cut pushed past her while she remained to the side. Savannah grabbed the sleeve of her blue sweatshirt and began to play with its worn cuff. The sweatshirt's color was comforting to her; a soft, grayish blue not unlike the sky outside, whose clouds hung heavily and threatened rain the next day. Its fabric was soft and warm, giving her a well-needed sense of security.
Savannah felt out of place. She was not the public speaking (let alone singing) type of person. She took solace in her books, the internet, and food, not show tunes and Shakespeare. Her tanned hands left her sleeve to run through her dark brown hair. She wasn't here for the thrill of a show. She came solely to fulfill a promise made to a friend. The brunette pondered on the conversation that had led her here. The words "anti-social" and "pathetic" were thrown at her quite frequently, but when her best friend pointed out that she needed to "come out of her shell already" and "participate in life for once," she knew she was right. So, auditioning for a musical seemed like the right way to go about changing herself.
-At the time.
Savannah found herself standing outside ten, twenty, thirty minutes after the auditions had started. Her feet refused to budge. She struggled with the prospect of being in front of twenty to sixty total strangers. She took a deep breath to calm her shaking form.
Okay, on the count of 3, you're going in there. 1... 2... 3...
-Oh look, a distraction.
She bent down to tie her shoe, knowing the laces were secure but still untying, single, double, and triple knotting them. She side-shuffled on one knee to let a group of people in through the second door, which she was blocking, avoiding eye contact. She then stood up, her hand grasping the door handle until her knuckles turned white.
Alright. Now you're going to go in there, audition, then get the heck out of Dodge. You can do this, Oswald. 3... 2... 1...
-But first I need a drink of water.
She kicked herself mentally for her cowardice as she walked over to the water fountains. She wasn't cut out for this. She had never even presented a project or a drawing in elementary school, always calling in sick the day of And now she expected herself to put her lack of talent on display in front of at least sixty people? To hell with her promise.
This is ridiculous. I'm going home.
Savannah turned to walk towards the exit, nearly tasting her freedom as she approached the white metal doors, when suddenly-
"Savannah! Savannah Oswald!"
Savannah cringed. So close...
A pretty brunette ran up to greet her. She had the same olive skin tone and dark hair color as Savannah, but instead of long, wavy hair, had a short pixie cut, and confidence radiated off her gorgeous form. Savannah radiated nothing but fear.
"H-h-h-h-hey Amb-ber," she managed to stammer out. And there it was, the main reason she hated being in public: she had a horrible stuttering problem. She could handle most words when she was alone or with friends, but it grew worse when she was nervous. She could trip over any syllable when she was on edge.
"Hello, girlie. Care to explain why you're going that way?"
Savannah looked behind her through the glass. So much freedom lay beyond those two metal frames...
She looked back at Amber, whose arms were crossed as she awaited her answer. She stuck her chin out and responded, "I'm n-n-not going."
Amber smiled, not in understanding, but in a way that made Savannah feel inferior and powerless. Savannah knew her friend was preparing to get her way.
"Honey, please. Let's go." Amber clamped a perfectly manicured hand around Savannah's arm and began to pull her to the auditorium.
"A-A-Amber, p-please, I-I don't want t-to go. I-I-I t-thought ab-b-b-bout it and I-I-I'm n-not-"
"Don't be silly, Savannah, you'll be fine." Amber continued to pull her friend along until they reached the stage.
"Ms. Brown, Ms. Oswald, I hope you realize that we do not tolerate excessive tardiness in the theatre business. Punctuality is key," the director, a short, older woman with thick-framed glasses, scolded from her seat.
"Yes ma'am, won't happen again," Amber said as she pushed her companion up the stairs. Savannah was pushed to the pianist, then given a thumbs up from her captor as she settled into the audience.
"Yes, and what will you be singing for us today?" The director asked as she pulled out an evaluation sheet.
"I-I-I-"
"Oh, who let the dweeb in?" Oh no.
"Nobody told me the B-B-B-Broken R-R-Record was allowed to audition!" Laughs and jeers came from the audience. Savannah recognized the three girls in the front row as the bullies from school. If she had known they would be here, she wouldn't have thought twice about saying "no". Gripping her sleeve once more, she whispered the title of her song to the boy behind the piano, who nodded and gave her a brief look of pity when she turned away.
Savannah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe if she just sang, she wouldn't feel so afraid.
"T-T-Times h-h-h-have c-c-c-c-changed, and w-w-w-we've oft-ten rewound t-the c-clock..." This was a disaster. Savannah continued to stammer and trip over every syllable, making her peers laugh harder. The pianist tried to slow his music down for her, but even then, she still sounded horrible.
I wish I was invisible, she thought to herself. I wish I wasn't here, I wish I had never made that promise, I wish nobody could see me-
Somebody screamed.
Savannah's eyes flew open. What had happened? More and more screams rose from the house, everyone looking at her with fear.
"W-w-w-what?" She looked down. Was there a spider on her chest or something?
No. Her chest was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the rest of her body from the neck down.
Savannah had turned herself invisible.
No! Not here! Not now! I didn't mean it!
So she ran. Savannah Oswald, a floating head stammering out swears, ran from the auditorium. This was a disaster. Nobody was supposed to know about her power. This had never just... happened before. Normally she was in control of her invisibility. She had never turned unless someone wasn't looking at her.
Savannah ran and ran, her legs powered by fear. She didn't know if it had been mere minutes or hours since she had started, all she knew was that she had to get away. She kept running until the sky was dark and rain began to fall. She looked around and realized she was completely lost.
So she cried. She pulled her blue hood over her head and began to walk down the street, the exhaustion finally taking its toll on her tired limbs. She walked until she reached an alleyway. Not the safest of places to camp out, but it would have to do until the morning. Savannah curled up in a corner, chest heaving and face stick with rain, sweat, and tears, and closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't go back. Not after that incident. Even if she had to live in this alley for the rest of her life, she could never go back.
At least I know nobody will miss me.