Stardom

In prior decades, the word "success" became a foreign concept. Every play suffered from a series of disasters such as technical mishaps, malfunctioning props, and live murder. The audience filled with glowing figments applauded the chaos, guffawed at the flubbed lines, and chucked popcorn and liquor at Becky, leaving her a sticky, drenched mess at the end of a particularly catastrophic performance.

But that was the past. It had been weeks since the little boy who called himself a Psychonaut defeated the Phantom and allowed Bonita to shine. Now that Jasper had been reduced to the size of a squealing mouse, Becky directed perfect play after perfect play. Comedies and tragedies went off without a hitch every single night without a single second of improv.

It was also pleasant hearing Bonita laugh again instead of her constant blubbering. Bonita's deep, throaty cackling, followed by her sucking in deep gasps of air was much more preferable compared to the taped sobbing she played for hours on end when the Phantom had stripped her of her confidence. How she would slap her knee and shake her head, full lips stretched in a wide smile as they reminisced over the accidents in her dressing room, it reassured Becky that the good times were here to stay.

"Oh, geez, I can't believe we didn't figure out it was Jasper years ago," Bonita choked out, wiping a tear from her eye. Her shoulders shook underneath her thick shawl. "It was way too quiet when that actress was crushed by a light."

"In my defense, I was too busy trying to keep my suicidal thoughts at bay," Becky replied, crossing her legs in the chair across from Bonita. She breathed in the fresh scent of red and white rose bouquets sitting on Bonita's desk. They filled the entire table and spilled onto the couch. They covered her assortment of eyeliners and lipstick, which Becky noted as an improvement compared to the once sloppily arranged mess of make-up and smudged tissues.

"But he was so quiet, Becky!" Bonita jeered, running her fingers through her hair. "Every single time I showed up, he heckled me." She accentuated each word with a soft punch to her knee. "But the moment the Phantom starts wreaking havoc, the guy's lips are zipped until the deed's done."

Becky hummed and cocked her head. "Well, that was a pretty obvious sign."

Bonita broke into another laughing fit. It almost seemed foolish for them to not have realized the truth years ago, but with the state of Gloria's mind, the truth was obscured behind rapid lighting changes and mania. It was out of their control. They had no choice but to act out their roles while Jasper swelled, emboldened by Gloria's sorrow, fueling her mood swings with disastrous plays contorting her past to enhance her negative self-image.

But Gloria received the help she needed, and all was well. She found comfort in her fellow inmates and was provided professional help to treat her disorders. Jasper would never grow that large again, and although they could still hear his whispers, they would never afflict Gloria to such a dangerously deprecating degree again.

Becky savored their victory and indulged in the happiness of Gloria's growth. They acquired new plays everyday based on Gloria's freedom. A life outside of the asylum, basking in her glowing return to Broadway, they were given more material than ever before, and it was almost difficult to maintain their showtimes with such an influx of scripts.

Still, every show was a hit, and Bonita shined brighter than ever before. She truly was Gloria's inner sunshine, the spirit of her youth. She embodied every blissful feeling Gloria felt from past, present, and future, and her warmth encompassed everyone privileged enough to watch her perform.

Becky loved to see her. Even if Bonita sometimes burned her retinas, she never closed her eyes. Like the audience, she basked in her glow. Her light soothed her skin, warming her entire body, but when Bonita reached over and caressed her cheek, Becky realized her shine had never left her.

"You didn't lose that fire, huh?" Becky asked, pressing her hand over Bonita's.

She ran her thumb across Becky's cheekbone. "It's always been here. It just needed a little kindling to start up again," she said, snaking her fingers through Becky's hair.

Becky's lip curled in good humor. "And I guess that was in the form of a random child solving all our problems."

Bonita's chuckle quickened Becky's heartbeat. She lowered her voice, speaking as if they were conspiring. "Hey, I'll take a bunch of rascally grade school kids solving everything if it means you and I can have moments like this all the time."

"Too bad the dogs will never live up to Gloria's leading man," Becky said, and the honeyed laugh straight from the pit of Bonita's belly was orchestral music to her ears.