AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I tried to focus during the song, but I found myself glancing at Nadia as she moved across the stage. She flowed through her dance, which was clearly an improvement over our pre-rehearsal practice. She finally noticed, and began making faces at me whenever her back was turned such that Atkins couldn’t see her from the front row. A cross-eyed look with her tongue out, then the next time a ghastly expression like a dead body. Soon I was staring straight ahead and trying not to giggle. She was going to get me in trouble.
Then came the part where Tatiana had to walk in a straight line toward the front of the stage. Again, she veered off sloppily, forcing the backup dancers—including Nadia—to adjust their own routes to avoid running into her.
Typical Tatiana, I thought to myself.
CRACK.
There was a snapping noise in the catwalks above. One of the trusses swayed, and there was a blur as an object fell through the air. A spotlight the size of a keg—and just as heavy—smashed into the stage right next to Tatiana. The bulb shattered on impact, sending glass and metal in all directions across the stage.
The music kept playing, but everyone stopped and stared at the light. We were all shocked, as if we couldn’t believe what had just happened. One by one we came out of our stupor as the reality sank in.
“Holy fuck.”
“Dude…”
“A light just fell! How did that fall?”
The light was so heavy that it had caved-in part of the stage; at least a quarter of the light was through the wood and into the substructure.
Throughout it all, Tatiana remained right next to the crashed light without moving. She just stared at it the way someone would look at a spare tire sitting in a living room. This doesn’t belong here.
And then she realized.
“Oh!” she shouted, stepping back and almost tripping over a piece of debris. She paused, still staring at the light. “Ohh!”
And then, in typical diva fashion, she fainted.
Braden was there in an instant, catching her as she fell backwards like a trust fall. Two other dancers rushed to her side and began fanning her.
Andy came sprinting down the aisle. His eyes were wide behind his glasses and his jaw was open.
“I… uh… the…”
“Andy!” Atkins screamed at him. “What the fuck?”
“I started the new lighting set like you asked…”
Ryan came sprinting from backstage. When he saw the light, he stopped and scratched his red hair. “Oh shit.”
Atkins rounded on him. “So you’re the one responsible for this?”
Ryan looked up, and then shook his head. “That’s not one of the lights we touched. The others were replaced.”
“Clearly this one should have been, too!”
“My hair…” Tatiana said as she came to. Braden had lowered her to the ground, but now she was trying to sit up and touch her head. “My hair! Did it ruin my hair?”
Bitch, it almost ruined your skull.
I shared a look with Nadia as Atkins began shouting at Ryan and Andy.
16
Nadia
I shared a look with Dorian across the stage. Tatiana’s wails and Director Atkins’ shouting filled the theater.
The light was huge. I had no idea how much it weighed, but one thing was certain: it was enough to crush a human like a beer can.
