In the weeks that followed, Maggie prepared for the play with many rehearsals. She recited her lines to Henry and Jasper and practiced her songs everywhere she went until finally it was time for her first show. Feeling oddly exposed in Christine Daae's costume, she peeped out through the curtains, instantly regretting it. The theater was filled, a huge audience eagerly anticipating the musical. She felt a wave of nausea slide through her.

"Hey." Maggie jumped as a hand touched her arm and almost fell backwards in surprise. Jasper caught her. "Skittish much?"

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she said, gasping for breath. "What are you doing back here?"

"Helping Josh with tech crew," he said, jerking his thumb towards Mr. Greenwood, who was adjusting the curtain ropes. Maggie smiled wryly.

"Good," she said. "If you're working back here you won't be watching my hideous attempt at acting."

"I'm only helping out before the show," he said, grinning deviously. "I would never miss watching you forget your lines." She slapped him jokingly.

"I won't forget," she corrected him sternly. "I may- will- deliver them horribly, but I won't forget."

"Stop stressing," he said, exchanging his devilish smirk for a kind smile. "You'll be great." She tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in her chest.

"I'm shaking," she realized, trying to steady herself against him. "Jasper, I'm shaking. I can't go out there like this, I look ridiculous!" He took her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes.

"Just stay calm," he said. "Let go of everything else. Tonight you're Christine." She opened her mouth, standing frozen while she waited for her terrified heartbeats to settle.

"Thanks," she sighed after a moment. He immediately removed his hands. Maggie was collected, ready to walk out on stage.

"I'll be mouthing your lines from the audience," he promised.

"I know my lines," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Then I'll be mouthing messed-up versions of them and trying to trip you up," he said. She laughed and watched, clinging to the curtain, as he walked away.

Jasper hurried down the aisle, hopping over feet and mumbling apologies and Excuse me's. He finally reached Henry and collapsed into the seat beside him. "Hey," he whispered. Someone sitting behind them shushed him. The school orchestra began to play, and dancers spilled out onto the stage. It seemed like an eternity of tedious choreography before he finally saw Maggie.

"Does she look nervous?" said Jasper, turning to his cousin. He knew her too well, knew how she was feeling, so he couldn't make any kind of impartial judgment on her performance. Not that he'd ever use that judgment, and especially not with her. He'd already decided that no matter what she did, he would congratulate her and assure her that she was amazing.

"She seems fine," said Henry. "Was she worried?" That note of nearly naïve concern slipped into his voice, as if he couldn't imagine anything bad happening to one of his friends.

"She was freaking out a little earlier," he explained. Maggie was about to sing, so they stopped talking to listen. Jasper watched, transfixed, as her usually quiet and soft voice filled the auditorium. Her hair was done up in elaborate curls, and her dress flowed around her like melting ice. She looked like a snowflake queen, though he knew that in actuality she was probably sweating under the bright lights.

"She looks pretty," commented Henry.

"Yeah," said Jasper, not tearing his gaze away from the stage, "pretty."

Jasper and Henry were the first ones to meet her backstage after the play was over. She was walking to the girls' dressing room, darting around other amateur actors and actresses to avoid running into their hugging families. Jasper called her name, and she turned around. "Guys!" she choked, swerving towards them.

"Maggie, you were great!" said Jasper. She flew towards him and wrapped her arms around him. "Okay, so we're hugging," he muttered awkwardly. She backed away, wiping her eyes, and took a bouquet from Henry.

"You're a perfect Christine," said Henry. She smiled.

"Thanks," she said, fingering a rose petal. "Oh my God…"

"Are you okay?" asked Jasper worriedly, extending a hand in case she fell.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said. "That was… that was…"

"It was," agreed Jasper. She laughed.

"So was I really good?" She looked up expectantly at her two best friends.

"Fantastic," said Henry. "You stole the show."

"Yeah, and I was planning on saying this anyway," said Jasper, "but now I'm not lying. You were awesome."

"Thanks," she said. "Okay, I need to get dressed. Meet me outside?"

"No, we're abandoning you," joked Jasper. She rolled her eyes and rushed into the dressing room. However, a minute later, she walked out still in her costume, carrying a second bouquet. She handed it to Jasper.

"You'll appreciate this," she said, shaking her head before reentering the dressing room. Confused, Jasper pulled off the card and held it up so he and Henry could read it.

A brilliant performance, Margaret.

-Smithson Specter

A/N: So, does anybody else watch "How I Met Your Mother"? Italia Ricci (Maggie) was on the show in a very un-Maggie role. I just watched it and could not keep from laughing. The episode is "The Front Porch".