“The letter was post marked last month. It took this long to come across the ocean! Do you think I’m going to get in trouble for replying so late?”
“Nah.” I shrugged, throwing aside the covers and getting up. “If you do, will you allow me to put in a good word for you?”
“YES!” She giggled with excitement. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it!”
“I knew you’d get in,” I said, as I padded to the bathroom to get my toothbrush. “You’re just about the most talented and beautiful person I know. We don’t have anyone who looks like you.”
Sarah was exotic, the product of exotic mixed parents in their own right marrying each other to produce stunning children. She kept her hair dark and short, with spikes everywhere, and multiple piercings in her face. But underneath all that dark eye makeup and heavy mascara, she was a knock out. So far, it had worked well for her in her hometown. She had booked several acting gigs that required specialty looks. But coming to Leopard Academy would change everything for her career.
“Are you packing and booking a plane right this second?” I asked, turning on the tap. “Because I cannot wait to see you.”
She laughed. “I’m way ahead of you. I found the letter under a pile of junk mail last night and already logged onto Flight Centre to book. I wanted to call you right away, but I remembered today is your closing night. How does it feel to have a full theater show under your belt?”
“Weird,” I said, putting the phone on the counter and turning it to speakerphone. “Like it can’t be real.”
“Have you met your replacement yet?” Sarah asked, shouting over the noise of the tap.
“Yep. Not that it’s hard to replace a 2 line role, but you know.” I splashed water on my face and ran my toothbrush under the tap for a moment before applying toothpaste. “I’m kind of glad for it to be over, though.”
“Awww, you miss your boyfriend,” she teased me.
“I’m not going to deny that. But it’s also gotten… boring. The same show, day in and day out, the same lines. I want bigger and better things.”
“It’ll come. You’re a super star,” she exclaimed. “Look, I got to go. I’ve been up all night tearing my closet apart. I’ll call you when everything is in place, ok?”
“Sure! Congrats,” I said, and we exchanged our goodbyes.
I finished brushing my teeth and washing up, and then pulled my hair into a bun. My hair style on stage was an extensive up do and so the hair stylists demanded I wash it only every third day. As soon as my mouth was free of toothpaste, I picked up my phone again and hit the number 1, speed dialing Liam in his office. It was Friday, and Friday mornings he spent doing paperwork, so I knew he was there.
He picked up on the third ring.
“You hear some good news just now?” he asked, and I could hear his smile through the phone line.
“How did you know?” I protested, deflated that he guessed before I could tell him.
“I saw her name change to accepted on our list about an hour ago. I was waiting for you to call.”
“Liam,” I said, as I went back into the bedroom to change. “You didn’t just take her… because of me, did you? She was so set on getting in on her own.”
“I know,” he replied. I could hear papers shuffling. “And to answer your question, no. The audition video she sent in was her doing Waiting for Godot in 5 minutes—by herself. All the parts. How was I supposed to say no to that?”
I laughed.
“That’s Sarah for you. So, how’s your day going?”
“Mmm, it’d be better if you were here. Today is orientation day for any new students, so we’re about to get flooded. What are you doing?”
“Changing. I’m naked right now,” I said it in jest, to tease him, but he groaned all the same.
“Amy, don’t do that to me now. I have to go out and make a speech in front of 100 students.”
“It’s not really my fault you can’t control yourself.” I grinned, slipping on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. One of the nice things about being on stage was that my appearance was not my responsibility. For once, it was somebody else’s job to care about my hair, my makeup, stuff my bra or powder my chest bones.#p#分页标题#e#
I was skinny, and I didn’t particularly like it. It came with the territory of carrying the HIV virus, which had not developed into AIDS yet. But it meant I hovered somewhere between skeletal and thin, the right light making my ribs show through my chest. Liam, however, had always worshipped my body and never indicated any sort of displeasure. Still, when I could, I made sure my clothing was baggy to hide it.