Like a Star, page 15
When the final fifteen students were announced to participate in the play, the Elite was created. Actually, they had always been “the elite”, since they were born into families with strong connections to the entertainment world. But at least they were also talented. Not the most talented of all, but they did have talent. And it was Summer’s first time meeting them.
She spent her first musical theater class in their shadow. Musical theater was the only class where the Voice, Body and Soul divisions came together. It was a powerful atmosphere, surrounded by all kinds of artists. It was Summer’s first time among them all, and she was in love with the creative atmosphere. The class wasn’t that hard. The teacher was late, so The Elite were in charge and the assignment was simple. One of them would go to the center and sing a song from a movie, then anybody who knew the song would step in. Dancers, singers, actors, they were all allowed to step in and continue the scene.
Carol and Suray participated in many of the scenes, especially the ones that belonged to Broadway shows. The class was a very good show on its own. Summer knew most of the songs thanks to Mr. Brown and his golden-age movie collection, but she hadn’t gathered the courage to jump in. She was enjoying the creativity in the air. But she hadn’t come all this way to be a mere spectator. She needed to step inside that magic circle where new life was being created. She needed to leave herself behind, and everything that made her Summer, in order to become someone entirely different. Oh, thrilling anticipation was running crazy through her veins. She couldn’t wait anymore. It looked so fun. This is what she had been longing for.
And then she heard it… Feline, the musical—the introduction to the song “I Remember.” She wasn’t the only one getting ready to jump in. All the aspiring actresses knew that song. They had dreamed of Shonny Faith performing it at the Royal Theater. They had seen the videos, the live performance the Moon did on The Tonight Show after her big Broadway success. Clarissa was specifically waiting for that song, her feet were moving to the circle when she suddenly stopped.
There was another girl in the circle.
Some new girl she had never seen before dared to steal her spotlight. How dare she? “I Remember” was hers to sing. But the posture of that mysterious girl was magnetic. The catlike way she jumped in was enough to stop all the other girls. She leaped to the circle with the grace of a feline who knew how to land perfectly. And when that girl opened her mouth to sing, the whole class shivered.
* * *
Joe Starlex was in a very bad mood, again.
He hadn’t slept at all. He was fine with that, for he spent all night chatting with his sweet protégée, and it was surprisingly fun. So, when he finally fell asleep, he did so with a smile. A smile that quickly disappeared twenty-five minutes later when Tom stormed into his room.
“Joe! Arriba! Frank called for an important meeting, get up!” yelled his manager. The news had hit him hard as well. Lionel had called him at 6:00 a.m. And poor Lionel had received the call from the Devil himself at 5:30 a.m.
After all these years together, Tom knew how to wake up Joe. Being in his mansion was playing to his advantage because he could rely on Tinker Bell. But she was sleeping as well and didn’t wake up. So, Tom had to resort to water. It always worked. But Joe hated to be woken up with drops of cold water. So, the outcome was a quiet, long-faced Joe.
He was sitting in the back of the car, looking aimlessly out the window. Oh, Joe could be such a child when he wanted. Thankfully for Tom, Lionel was in the meeting with Frank. Joe always went back to his cool persona when Lionel or one of his childhood friends were nearby.
“Didn’t sleep either?” asked Joe.
“Finished the paperwork for all the agreements with the other studios by five, got the call at five thirty,” complained Lionel with a grin. Joe grinned back at him. Now, that was pure bromance.
“I won. You out-slept me by five minutes.” They both smiled conspiratorially as they got out of the car. Yeah, bromance was in the air.
“Knowing you, you were probably locked up in your theater getting used to the skin of Private Bryan O’Connell,” added Lionel, full of confidence. But curiously, Joe didn’t agree. On the contrary, he acted weirdly. The expression on his face was not something Lionel was used to seeing. And believe me, they’d known each other for a long time.
“Yeah, I should do that…” Joe replied awkwardly and then went to his seat in Frank’s office, waiting for questions he wasn’t ready to answer.
Frank was late, of course. Ten minutes late and on purpose. But when he finally showed up, he did bring chocolate and churros. He knew churros could always sweeten Joe’s bad mornings. Tom was thankful for that. Frank was a very peculiar and eccentric man, but he never did anything in vain. Every action he made, even the craziest and stupidest ones, had a fruitful purpose for his advantage.
“I want you to meet the students who are going to perform with you in the play this July.” Frank went straight to the point. He usually did that. He liked to make his prey feel safe, and then when they least expected, he shot to kill.
But Joe was used to that.
He understood perfectly how the manipulative mind of the Devil of Starland worked. He decided he wouldn’t fight over the play with him anymore. The Actors Guild’s Anniversary was his responsibility as the Sun and he was doing the welcome speech with the Moon again this year. Last year he wasn’t on Shonny Faith’s good side, but this year was different.
“Okay,” replied the Sun. And both Tom and Lionel looked at him in disbelief. But Frank smiled. He was proud of his boy and he could see right through him.
“Good, we leave in ten minutes. We are going to the Constellations School of Technical and Performing Arts,” said Frank with a silly, double-edged smile.
Both Lionel and Joe felt a je ne sais quoi at the mention of the school. They hid it well, because they swore nobody noticed, and suddenly they weren’t tired at all and it didn’t matter that they hadn’t slept. On the contrary, they were full of energy and couldn’t wait to go to school.
Joe’s visit was a top-secret mission. Only the Principal, Mr. Adler, and some of the teachers knew. It was very, very Frank-like. Antonio Rossi and Jonas from the movement class were there with Madame Marie and Gerard, the Musical Theater teacher who was running late for his own class. Only the director of the play, the great J.K. Wales, was missing. But rumors said he was the first one to arrive. Frank decided to continue without him, for he was sure the director was already wandering around, doing his job.
Apart from Tony, it was Joe’s first time meeting all those teachers. He wondered if they had already met his protégée. He would never ask. Joe was a gentleman who listened rather than talked, it was part of his cool persona. He did notice, though, that they were all very familiar with Frank. Tony reminded him that Frank personally chose every teacher in the school. And from time to time, he joined them in the teachers’ hangouts. He was the owner of the school, after all. And to Frank, the nourishment of new stars was not something to take lightly.
“The Elite should be in my class now, I tasked Clarissa with the routine,” said Gerard.
“Are we going inside the class, sir?” asked Lionel, a little worried. He had already studied every possible outcome of the students knowing the Sun was here.
“No, they will freak out if they see Joe,” added Frank. “We’ll see them from outside. They will never know we are here.” He smiled. “I want Joe to meet the Elite, but it is not yet the time for the Elite to meet the Sun.”
Sometimes Frank could give the imposing aura of a formidable leader. Today was one of those times. The teachers followed him. Madame Marie, the oldest among them and the one who Frank respected the most, complimented his decisions, but confessed she was a little disappointed with his last choice. Joe understood she was talking about Summer. He was a big fan of hers. She had never taught him, but she was a legendary opera singer and when he was still a boy falling in love with the performing arts, he had gone with Frank several times to hear her sing in the most beautiful theaters.
“I’m afraid I must agree,” said Jonas, also referring to Summer. Joe was feeling a little weird inside. He knew he couldn’t say anything, but he felt an incredible urge to speak for her.
“And here we are,” said Gerard.
It was Joe’s first time seeing a class. This one was Musical Theater and the students had made a circle. One stepped into the circle and began a famous scene from a play or a movie, then someone who knew the scene jumped into the circle and continued the scene or grabbed the last quote and changed it into a new scene.
It looked fun. Joe’s feet wanted to jump in. He knew all the scenes they were performing. But his eyes were fixed on Summer. He recognized her immediately, even though he hadn’t seen her since the audition. She was there, with bright, dreamy eyes, so eager to jump in but too shy to dare. Come on, thought Joe. Jump in… Dare.
He wasn’t the only one looking at Summer. Lionel saw her first. Just yesterday he had showed her around the school. He didn’t expect to see her so soon, but he was happy about it. The storyteller looked like she would jump into the circle at any moment. And he couldn’t wait to see her.
Tom didn’t know Summer’s face, so he was looking at all the young artists inside the circle. They were indeed talented, he understood why Frank was so proud of this particular lot. Nobody knew this, but from time to time, the Devil of Starland came to spy on them like this. He liked to see their growth.
The rest of the teachers were also looking at the students in the circle, most of them were the Elite after all. But there was also Suray in there, and Tony didn’t lose time in pointing out his best student to Joe.
“Yes, she seems like an amazing dancer,” said the Sun to the choreographer. Inwardly, he was thinking that she was Summer’s new friend.
They were all talking about the Elite when Jax went inside the circle and opened the act for Feline and the song “I Remember”. Madame Marie was expecting Clarissa to perform the song as they had been working on it in class. But the girl who leaped first was the least expected. Jonas recognized her first. As the Movement teacher, he specialized in postures, walks, and positions. And that was a hell of a catlike leap. There was an old glamorous cat inside the circle all of a sudden, and with such a presence it had paralyzed the whole classroom.
“Wings!” yelled Jonas! “I see wings!” Frank grinned devilishly.
Joe smiled.
Lionel grew excited.
The teachers watched, just as speechless as the class. Tony wasn’t that surprised because he was there in the audition, but even he had to admit that Summer had conquered the space. In such a short time, she had become even better. Maybe it was the atmosphere that had naturally affected her, but the moment her feet touched the circle, it belonged to her.
For Tony, it was fun to watch Clarissa frozen to her spot. When Summer sang, even Madame Marie had to step back. It was Gerard’s first time seeing Summer, but yesterday Layla, the ballet teacher, had told him how disappointed she was with Frank’s choice. He couldn’t understand why. Her movements were so pure and accurate that it wasn’t human anymore, it was feline. And her voice… What a voice! Like an old meowing that used to be glorious but somehow it still enchanted you. What technique was that?
“They are indeed wings…” whispered Gerard.
Gerard couldn’t tear his gaze from Summer, but with great effort he turned to see Madame Marie. She was dead serious. Poker face, no emotions at all. Jonas was so close to the window; Lionel feared the whole class would notice them. But that was impossible—the whole class was under that girl’s spell.
Tom was quite impressed. He didn’t know who that girl in the middle of the circle was, but he knew the overwhelming talent required to shadow every other artist on the stage. He had seen it in Joe since he was a child actor. That girl was a natural too, and the Sun couldn’t move his eyes away from her.
Frank looked at her with glassy eyes. He was so moved he could cry. It was instinctive acting. Last time, at his audition, Summer had unintentionally copied Shonny Faith’s performance, but this time it was an original one. This was Summer’s own version of the character. And Joe noticed it as well. He was so proud he forgot his cool persona. How long had it been since he simply smiled like this?
When Summer finished the scene, there was silence in the class. Nobody dared to jump next to her.
On the other side of the door, Lionel was clapping. He was so moved, just like a real spectator. Nobody blamed him. Tom was moved as well. Jonas couldn’t stop saying, “Wings!” Gerard was as enthusiastic as Jonas. Of course, all the teachers at Constellations had the ability to see talent, and they all had this particular vision of measuring talent by the size of a pair of wings. They had all been scouted by Frank himself for that exact reason.
“Well, have you lost faith in my eyes or what?” said Frank with a total smug face.
Gerard and Jonas kept on saying, “Wings! Wings!” but Madame Marie was awfully quiet. Frank noticed and, of course, he got the nerve to ask.
“What were you saying about my choice, ma chère Marie?” He poked her. But she knew how to remain dignified.
“She is not a singer, your girl,” she pointed out. And even though Tom or Lionel didn’t understand what she meant, Joe grinned devilishly like Frank.
“You are right, Madame,” said the Sun to everyone’s surprise. “She is no singer. She is an actress,” he declared. Madame Marie agreed with him and they shared a look of deep understanding and respect.
“If I were you, Gerard,” added Madame Marie, “I would go to class right now. That girl will bring a storm that will either wreck your stage… or raise it beyond anything you could ever hope for.”
Gerard nodded. He looked at Frank, who gave him a sign to go. Gerard entered his class as if he hadn’t seen anything. His presence was the perfect excuse for the class to recompose. But he couldn’t ignore Summer. Even if her wings were gone now, he couldn’t wait to see them again. He wondered if that girl knew the meaning of Stage Storm.
Most probably not.
On the other side of the door, Frank was teasing Joe.
“Look what a happy sponsor you are…” He elbowed him. “I told you it was a good idea. You have to stop doubting me, Joe.”
Joe was trying to regain his cool persona and this time Lionel noticed the faint blush on his face. For the next fifteen minutes, they all watched Gerard’s classroom. Madame Marie and Tony pointed out the fifteen Elite students who would participate in the Actors’ Guild Anniversary play. But nothing as interesting as Summer’s Feline performance happened again.
“You have found a very scary actress this time, Frank,” said Madame Marie. “A girl with a thousand masks.”
“A girl with a thousand masks indeed,” said the Devil of Starland with a smile. “I’m leaving her in your care, Madame Marie. I don’t know for how long the school will be able to hold such raw talent, but for as long as it can, I’m counting on you,” he said with confidence and authority. “I’m counting on you too, Jonas. Tony, tell Gerard as well. The greater the talent, the more vulnerable the vessel.”
The three teachers nodded. They were charmed by Frank’s leadership and for a moment they could see the future their president envisioned. Joe looked at him with renewed admiration as well.
By the time Joe left the school, he had only one thing in mind.
He couldn’t wait to tell Summer he had seen her today.
ACT 19
Summer’s heart was on the verge of exploding. The adrenaline, the experience… the thrill of being inside the circle. She had never felt something remotely close to the joy that recently took over her entire being. But when the scene faded and the character left her and she was her plain self again, she saw the faces of the other artists and she felt strange. Not ashamed, just weird—a brand-new feeling for her.
The eyes of all these talented people staring, judging, trying to intimidate her was not what she was expecting. The place that had just recently brought her immeasurable joy was now turning ice cold. But it was the bright smile of Suray and the shining eyes of Carol Marie that saved her. She regained her composure. What a wonderful thing to have friends.
The Musical Theater teacher, Gerard, entered the room at that very moment. His presence broke the circle and the students moved to different positions. It was the first time Summer had seen Gerard. Like most teachers, he ignored her. But sitting in the middle of Suray and Carol Marie gave her confidence. She didn’t relinquish the thrill of the circle—no, she would never forget how it felt to let go of herself. To lose yourself completely in another’s life. She couldn’t wait to do it again.
The rest of the day went fast after that class. Rumors of Summer’s performance were the talk of the day. In the days that followed, it was more than clear that what had happened in that circle wasn’t a matter of pure luck. No, she was the real deal. The new outsider became the biggest threat to the Elite. And when someone as sly as Clarissa encountered danger, there were only two things left to do: add her to your list of minions or get rid of what made her special. For an actor, that was her body.
By the end of the week, Suray began noticing Summer was being targeted. Small, silly accidents were happening wherever she went. Summer, on the other hand, was enjoying school for the first time. Sure, she still sucked at ballet and diaphragmatic breathing, but she was following Neverland’s advice. And that was probably the reason behind her smile. Through him, someone who believed in her, she had a taste of the feeling of doing what you are supposed to be doing, of being where you are meant to be, to finally be part of something. To Belong. And she belongs to the stage, that was the call she was answering.
