Starting Over
Batty and Barmy
'Phyl, calm down.' Satine said to the girl as she paced back and forth on the study floor. 'I can't.' Phyl sat down next to Satine.' How come you're so calm?' 'It's no big deal.' 'Yes it is.' She sighed and stood up again. 'This is my first big show. People from all over are going to come and see it.' A month earlier both Satine and Phyl had auditioned for a new musical called 'Liberty'. The two were delighted to hear that Satine had received the part of the lead actress and Phyl was to play her best friend. The first day of rehearsals had come upon them and Phyl was extremely nervous. 'You should be proud of yourself. Not many people get such a big role in their first show. My first part was a cow.' 'Oh my...' Phyl looked horrified. 'When was this?' 'School nativity.' Satine giggled. 'I was six.' 'Oh.' Phyl sounded relieved. She laughed as well, imagining Satine crawling around on all fours, mooing like a cow. She laughed loudly. 'What?' Satine asked, bemused. Through her giggles she managed to get it out. Soon both girls were in hysterics. They collapsed onto the floor. Phyl began crawling around and mooing. Satine watched for a few moments before joining in. 'Moooooo!' They shrieked together. Satine's sides were hurting from laughing so much. She flopped onto her stomach. Phyl soon joined her. 'Girls!' Gerald's voice thundered from the breakfast room next door. 'Come here!' They stood up and brushed themselves down. Giggling, they walked calmly into the next room. Everyone was still finishing breakfast. Satine and Phyl stood in the doorway, still giggling. They stopped when Gerald glared at them. Kathleen, sensing her husbands anger, decided to talk to them. 'Ladies, my husband called you in here to ask what you were doing. 'Your daughter was acting like a cow.' Satine said with a straight face. 'Ow!' She said as Phyl slapped her on the arm. 'So were you!' She hissed. Gerald coughed and looked as if he was about to really tell them off when the doorbell rang. 'Would love to stay, sir, but that's our ride.' Satine said, thankful for the interruption. She hurried over to Christian and gave him a kiss before taking Phyl by the hand and rushing out of the door.
The hall was bustling as Satine and Phyl arrived. They gazed around in wonder. Even Satine was impressed with the lavish decoration. A stout man made his way up to them. His name was Colin and he was the director. 'Finally! My two star ladies are here. We can begin.' He announced and made his way onto the stage, followed by the bewildered women. Standing in the middle were two men. Both were tall, one had short brown hair and the other floppy blond hair. Colin made his way over to them. They stopped talking and smiled. 'Satine, Phyl these are the two leading men.' 'Thomas.' The blond haired one held his hand out. 'Barry.' He grinned cheekily. 'Hello, Phyl. Batty.' 'Thomas is playing Hubert and Barry is playing Christian.' Satine coughed slightly. 'Is something the matter?' 'My husband is called Christian.' She explained. 'Well, in that case his name is Michael.' He turned to Barry and Thomas. 'Satine is playing Grace and Phyl is Imogen. So why don't you all get aquainted.' He hurried away, finding someone else to talk to. 'Satine, that's a pretty name.' Thomas said turning to Satine. 'Thanks. It's French. Tell me, which one's Hubert?' 'Hubert is the one you are in love with when you're older. Michael is your true love.' 'Yea, Batty, you're desperately in love with me.' 'What's with the Batty nickname?' 'Well, I was trying to think of a good one for you and it was the only one I could think of.' 'And how does it involve me exactly?' 'Your hair's red, like blood and vampires drink blood and bats are associated with bats. Also you seem quite batty. 'Gee, thanks.' Satine said sarcastically.
At six o'clock the driver dropped Satine and Phyl off at the front door. They let themselves in. Standing in the hallway was Christian, he had been looking out the window awaiting their return. As Satine walked in he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply. 'Hello!' Phyl called out. 'Sister still in the room.' Christian reluctantly pulled himself away from Satine's face. 'Sorry.' He put his face next to hers, his lips close to her ear. 'I missed you so much.' 'I'm not complaining.' She whispered, her breath tickling his ear. The doorbell rang and the two lovers dropped out of their embrace. Phyl opened the door. Standing there was Barry, a bunch of flowers in his hand. 'Hello, Phyl, is....' He trailed off when he saw Satine. 'Hello, Satine.' 'What no Batty?' She said coldly. 'Yea, about that. It was stupid. I guess I was just nervous around you. I came round to apologise and well...' He thrust the flowers out to her. She took them. 'Ah, thank you but you didn't need to apologise.' 'Yes I did.' 'No, I mean. I forgave you before. It's quite grown on me now.' 'You mean I apologised for nothing?' He asked, shocked. Satine grinned at him. 'Yep! Besides, I came up with my own nickname for you.' 'What?' 'Barmy.' 'Thanks!' He said indignantly but he was laughing. Christian looked from Satine to the man he didn't know. 'Hello? Batty and Barmy?' He said loudly. They turned to him. 'Explain.' 'Oh, sorry, darling. Christian, this is Barry, my co-star. Barry, this is my husband, Christian.' The two men shook hands. Christian released his tight grip on Satine ever so slightly. 'What's with the Batty, Barmy thing?' 'Batty is his nickname for me and mine for him is Barmy.' 'Rrright.' He said, thoroughly confused. 'Just ignore them.' Phyl said. 'Would you like to stay for a drink, Barmy...Barry?' She quickly corrected herself. 'Sure.'
'So, tell me, Barry.' Christian settled himself next to Satine on the couch, his hand carressing her knee. 'Who are you in the play?' 'I play Michael.' 'Who's Michael?' 'Sweetie, it's probably best if we explain the storyline.' Satine said patting his leg. 'I play a girl called Grace. It starts when she is about 15. She runs away from home with her boyfriend, Michael but then she runs away from him as well. It skips foward about 7 years and she is engaged to a man called Hubert. He's a bad man who has been out with a lot of women. Imogen, played by the lovely Phyl, is my best friend who tries to persuade me to leave him. Then Michael turns up again and she realises that it is him she really loves. However, she can't just leave Hubert because he's..well he's horrible.' 'So what happens in the end?' 'I die.' Satine answered frankly. 'You see Hubert finds out and tries to shoot Michael but can't.' 'So he shoots you instead?' 'No, I die from consumption....Is anyone else having the feeling of deja vu?'
'Phyl, calm down.' Satine said to the girl as she paced back and forth on the study floor. 'I can't.' Phyl sat down next to Satine.' How come you're so calm?' 'It's no big deal.' 'Yes it is.' She sighed and stood up again. 'This is my first big show. People from all over are going to come and see it.' A month earlier both Satine and Phyl had auditioned for a new musical called 'Liberty'. The two were delighted to hear that Satine had received the part of the lead actress and Phyl was to play her best friend. The first day of rehearsals had come upon them and Phyl was extremely nervous. 'You should be proud of yourself. Not many people get such a big role in their first show. My first part was a cow.' 'Oh my...' Phyl looked horrified. 'When was this?' 'School nativity.' Satine giggled. 'I was six.' 'Oh.' Phyl sounded relieved. She laughed as well, imagining Satine crawling around on all fours, mooing like a cow. She laughed loudly. 'What?' Satine asked, bemused. Through her giggles she managed to get it out. Soon both girls were in hysterics. They collapsed onto the floor. Phyl began crawling around and mooing. Satine watched for a few moments before joining in. 'Moooooo!' They shrieked together. Satine's sides were hurting from laughing so much. She flopped onto her stomach. Phyl soon joined her. 'Girls!' Gerald's voice thundered from the breakfast room next door. 'Come here!' They stood up and brushed themselves down. Giggling, they walked calmly into the next room. Everyone was still finishing breakfast. Satine and Phyl stood in the doorway, still giggling. They stopped when Gerald glared at them. Kathleen, sensing her husbands anger, decided to talk to them. 'Ladies, my husband called you in here to ask what you were doing. 'Your daughter was acting like a cow.' Satine said with a straight face. 'Ow!' She said as Phyl slapped her on the arm. 'So were you!' She hissed. Gerald coughed and looked as if he was about to really tell them off when the doorbell rang. 'Would love to stay, sir, but that's our ride.' Satine said, thankful for the interruption. She hurried over to Christian and gave him a kiss before taking Phyl by the hand and rushing out of the door.
The hall was bustling as Satine and Phyl arrived. They gazed around in wonder. Even Satine was impressed with the lavish decoration. A stout man made his way up to them. His name was Colin and he was the director. 'Finally! My two star ladies are here. We can begin.' He announced and made his way onto the stage, followed by the bewildered women. Standing in the middle were two men. Both were tall, one had short brown hair and the other floppy blond hair. Colin made his way over to them. They stopped talking and smiled. 'Satine, Phyl these are the two leading men.' 'Thomas.' The blond haired one held his hand out. 'Barry.' He grinned cheekily. 'Hello, Phyl. Batty.' 'Thomas is playing Hubert and Barry is playing Christian.' Satine coughed slightly. 'Is something the matter?' 'My husband is called Christian.' She explained. 'Well, in that case his name is Michael.' He turned to Barry and Thomas. 'Satine is playing Grace and Phyl is Imogen. So why don't you all get aquainted.' He hurried away, finding someone else to talk to. 'Satine, that's a pretty name.' Thomas said turning to Satine. 'Thanks. It's French. Tell me, which one's Hubert?' 'Hubert is the one you are in love with when you're older. Michael is your true love.' 'Yea, Batty, you're desperately in love with me.' 'What's with the Batty nickname?' 'Well, I was trying to think of a good one for you and it was the only one I could think of.' 'And how does it involve me exactly?' 'Your hair's red, like blood and vampires drink blood and bats are associated with bats. Also you seem quite batty. 'Gee, thanks.' Satine said sarcastically.
At six o'clock the driver dropped Satine and Phyl off at the front door. They let themselves in. Standing in the hallway was Christian, he had been looking out the window awaiting their return. As Satine walked in he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply. 'Hello!' Phyl called out. 'Sister still in the room.' Christian reluctantly pulled himself away from Satine's face. 'Sorry.' He put his face next to hers, his lips close to her ear. 'I missed you so much.' 'I'm not complaining.' She whispered, her breath tickling his ear. The doorbell rang and the two lovers dropped out of their embrace. Phyl opened the door. Standing there was Barry, a bunch of flowers in his hand. 'Hello, Phyl, is....' He trailed off when he saw Satine. 'Hello, Satine.' 'What no Batty?' She said coldly. 'Yea, about that. It was stupid. I guess I was just nervous around you. I came round to apologise and well...' He thrust the flowers out to her. She took them. 'Ah, thank you but you didn't need to apologise.' 'Yes I did.' 'No, I mean. I forgave you before. It's quite grown on me now.' 'You mean I apologised for nothing?' He asked, shocked. Satine grinned at him. 'Yep! Besides, I came up with my own nickname for you.' 'What?' 'Barmy.' 'Thanks!' He said indignantly but he was laughing. Christian looked from Satine to the man he didn't know. 'Hello? Batty and Barmy?' He said loudly. They turned to him. 'Explain.' 'Oh, sorry, darling. Christian, this is Barry, my co-star. Barry, this is my husband, Christian.' The two men shook hands. Christian released his tight grip on Satine ever so slightly. 'What's with the Batty, Barmy thing?' 'Batty is his nickname for me and mine for him is Barmy.' 'Rrright.' He said, thoroughly confused. 'Just ignore them.' Phyl said. 'Would you like to stay for a drink, Barmy...Barry?' She quickly corrected herself. 'Sure.'
'So, tell me, Barry.' Christian settled himself next to Satine on the couch, his hand carressing her knee. 'Who are you in the play?' 'I play Michael.' 'Who's Michael?' 'Sweetie, it's probably best if we explain the storyline.' Satine said patting his leg. 'I play a girl called Grace. It starts when she is about 15. She runs away from home with her boyfriend, Michael but then she runs away from him as well. It skips foward about 7 years and she is engaged to a man called Hubert. He's a bad man who has been out with a lot of women. Imogen, played by the lovely Phyl, is my best friend who tries to persuade me to leave him. Then Michael turns up again and she realises that it is him she really loves. However, she can't just leave Hubert because he's..well he's horrible.' 'So what happens in the end?' 'I die.' Satine answered frankly. 'You see Hubert finds out and tries to shoot Michael but can't.' 'So he shoots you instead?' 'No, I die from consumption....Is anyone else having the feeling of deja vu?'
