Chapter 11

I awoke with my pillow wet from perspiration. The sun was just coming up, so I got out of bed and splashed some water on my face. I felt better when I had dried my face and gone downstairs.

I sat alone in the kitchen, drank a glass of OJ, and decided to read from the book that I had picked up yesterday at the library. I looked at my new library card as I removed it from where it was marking my place. It was no wonder that no one had uncovered my true identity. The face in the photo bore only a slight resemblance to the one that I had been so used to seeing in the mirror each morning. The lighter hair coloring, made even lighter by the bright flash on the ID camera, and the makeup, earrings, and feminine hairstyle, virtually guaranteed that no one would recognize me as being Cary. I read until my usual wakeup time, then put the book away and started to cook breakfast. I made a pot of tea as the bacon was cooking.

When the bacon had cooked, I was still alone in the kitchen. Rather than eating alone, I sat down to read again and I poured myself a cup of tea. Strangely, the tea didn’t taste bitter this morning. I decided that it must be because I had drunk some OJ first. The tart taste of the orange juice must make other things seem sweeter. When the rest of the household began to arrive, I put my book away and began cooking eggs and toast to requests. When everyone was served, I cooked my own and joined them at the table. We talked about what had to be done today. Mom said that we had neglected things around the house since July 4^th. Today we would clean the house and do all of the laundry.

So after breakfast, we got dressed and set to work. Mom allowed me to wear a pair of Carol’s jeans for the first time since my accident. It was wonderful not having to wear a tight skirt all day. I even got to wear a pair of flats instead of my usual heels. We removed all of the bed linens and took them to the laundry room. While they were washing, we cleaned and vacuumed each of the bedrooms, and the upstairs bathrooms. Then we all went downstairs and cleaned the living room, den, bathroom, dining room, and lastly the kitchen. The kitchen was by far the most used room in the house. We even ate our meals there, and hardly ever used the dining room. We worked hard and scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom. The refrigerator was completely emptied, cleaned, and refilled, after discarding anything bad or borderline. The stovetop, oven, and vent hood were all scrubbed free of dirt and grime. Then the cabinets were cleaned. The ones used to store food were emptied, cleaned, and refilled. We cleaned every inch of the rest of the room also. The walls were wiped down, the table was cleaned and polished, and even the telephone was scrubbed clean. I got a small stepladder and cleaned the light that hung over the table, and wiped the large florescent which provided most of the illumination in the room. Lastly, we washed, stripped, and re-waxed the floor. Mom had even removed and laundered the curtains over the sink, and from the back door, as we had worked.

When we were done, the kitchen sparkled like the ones used for advertisements on television. We had finished the kitchen, and our cleaning, just after lunchtime. Mom joked that it was a new record, because it would usually take her and Carol all day to do just the kitchen, but four women working together seem to do much more than double the work of two.

We ate lunch before finishing the day’s chores. All that remained to be done was folding the laundry, and putting it away. When we were done, I went upstairs to take a bath. Carol helped me to remove my corset, and I luxuriated in the tub until the water chilled. After I left the tub, patted myself dry and powdered, I began to dress. I would have loved to put the jeans on again, but I knew that Mom would object. She had said that I could only wear dresses and skirts while I was Crystal. Carol came in before taking her own bath, and helped me into my corset. While Carol bathed, I sat and read my book. When she had finished, we did our nails together, and gave each other a pedicure. After our nails had dried, we played with our hair. Carol tried several variations on me, including braids and a bun. She left it in a pony tail when she was done.

At 5 o’clock, Mom yelled up that there was a phone call for Carol. She hurried downstairs and I went back to my bedroom. A minute later she came back and asked me if I would like to double with Pete and her tonight, meaning that I would be with Sean. I told her that I had made plans to go out with Debbie later. She returned to the telephone to talk with Pete.

She came into my room when she came back upstairs. My room had changed dramatically over the past two weeks. The change had been gradual, with Mom doing something almost every day. It now was decidedly feminine in look. My desk had been turned into a makeup table almost since my accident, and was by now covered with cosmetics. Mom had removed my macho movie posters and put up posters of Hollywood’s current, teen, male stars. The bed was covered with a pink bedspread with a lace edging. The room had originally been painted a light pastel blue. Last Sunday, during my two performances at the theatre, Mom and Aunt Jessica had painted it a soft shade of pink. There was virtually nothing left which said that this was anything other than the bedroom of a teenaged girl. When Mom had learned that I would have to remain as Crystal for another two weeks, she had packed up the rest of my old clothes to make more room in the dresser and closet for female clothes. It was fortunate that Carol had enough things so that she could share them with me.

Carol said, "Pete was disappointed, but he’ll get over it. We’re going to a movie at the cine-plex. I wish that you hadn’t already made plans. Where are you going?"

"I don’t know. Debbie just asked me if I would like to go out with her tonight. We didn’t make any special plans."

"Mom told me that dinner is almost ready. Hungry?"

"You bet. Let’s go."

Mom had made a potato, ham, and cheese casserole. It was delicious, as were all of her dishes. After dinner, Carol and I hurried to clean up so that we could finish getting ready to go out.

When Debbie arrived, I was ready to go. She complimented my outfit when I got into the car, and told me how hot I looked. I was surprised to see that she was wearing faded jeans, a tank top, and hiking boots. I surmised that we weren’t going anywhere fancy. Debbie drove to the parking lot of Paradisio Park, and we walked around the park’s pathways for about an hour. When it started to grow dark, we walked back to the car and Debbie drove us to her Gram’s old house. We played some music, drank a little peppermint schnapps, and ending up kissing on the couch.

At 11:30, Debbie drove me home. I waved from the doorway as she pulled away. Carol had just come in, so she helped me with my corset.

She said, "Heather, Sheri, and I are going shopping tomorrow. Want to come, sis?"

"Sure, What time?"

"They’re coming over at about 10."

"Great. How was your date with Pete?"

"He’s a great guy. I like him a lot. I wish that he wasn’t so tight with Sean though. He was distracted all night because Sean wasn’t there. Sean told him that he didn’t want to ask anyone else out since I would be there, and he would feel funny dating somebody else in front of your sister."

"Maybe it’s good for them to be separated once in a while."

"Maybe, but Pete wants us to double next Thursday. He figures that by asking a week in advance, you may be free. They know that you can’t make it on weekends because of the play."

I didn’t want to disappoint her again, so I said, "OK, sis. Next Thursday we’ll double with Pete and Sean."

She leaned over and we hugged. Then we said goodnight, and she returned to her bedroom. I finished getting ready for bed, and lay down. I guess that I was more tired than I thought because I was asleep in minutes.

I awoke with the rising sun. After splashing some water on my face, I went downstairs and started breakfast. I was in a mood for waffles, so I got out the waffle maker, and prepared the waffle mix. Because no one else was down yet, I sat down with a glass of OJ and my book.

When Mom came down, I poured some waffles as she made a pot of tea. Aunt Jessica came in before the first batch was ready. When the first waffles were a light brown, I dished them up and brought them to the table. I poured a second batch and sat down at the table. Mom gave me one of the antibiotic capsules to take before I ate. Carol came in as we were eating. There was one waffle left on the serving plate, so she sat down to eat. I got up as soon as I estimated the next batch was ready, dished them up, and returned to the table after turning off the machine.

After we had eaten, we had a cup of tea. Since I had just been eating maple syrup, I knew that the tea would be bitter, but it took two extra spoons of sugar before I could enjoy it. We sat and talked for about an hour, then Carol and I quickly cleaned up and went upstairs to bathe and get ready. Heather and Sheri would be here at 10. I went first, as usual. As soon as I knocked on Carol’s door to let her know that I was done, she opened it and stepped naked into the bathroom. She started her bath running as I went into my bedroom and began to get dressed. Carol followed me in and helped me with the corset. She tightened me for the first time before returning to get into her bath. Lately, we had gotten out of the habit of closing our connecting doors, and appearing naked or semi-naked in other’s presence was normal.

When Carol had finished her bath, she came in and tightened me for the second time before going into her room to dress. Despite the fact that I had been wearing a corset for almost three weeks, I still had trouble breathing when she had tightened me down for the second time. When I had become accustomed to the corset, I started to dress. Carol returned to help me put on my skirt and shoes. Not being able to bend really makes it difficult to dress yourself.

When we were dressed, we sat and put on our makeup. Carol fixed my hair and I put in the earrings that she had bought for me. They were my favorites and I wore them a lot. When I was done, I did her hair for her. We finished well before Heather and Sheri showed up.

Before we left, Mom gave us each $20.00 to spend. We grabbed our purses and went out to join Heather and Sheri when we heard the car’s horn. Heather put on her lipstick, using the rear view mirror, as she drove us to the Mall. Carol and Sheri didn’t even appear to notice but I practically had to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. A number of drivers gave us dirty looks as she wove from side to side in the lane, occasionally crossing into the path of other cars. I felt better when she finished and put her lipstick away. But then she took her brush out and began to work on her hair. As we approached the Mall, she completed her grooming, and concentrated on finding a parking spot as we entered the lot.

Once inside the Mall, my nerves calmed down again. We spent several hours trying on clothes and shoes in a number of stores. Both Heather and Sheri had charge cards and made a number of purchases. Both of their parents had given them a substantial budget for back to school clothes. But I had a great time shopping, even if I wasn’t buying anything myself.

At 2 o’clock, we went to the food court and snacked on some pizza, before returning a short time later to our shopping. Carol found a blouse that she simply had to have, but she didn’t have quite enough money for it, so I gave her the rest of what she needed. My only purchase of the day was a pair of earrings that caught my eye in one of the small boutiques. The purchase required the rest of my meager funds, but we continued to shop until dinnertime anyway. We helped Heather and Sheri carry their purchases back to the car, and Heather took us home. Sheri asked if we wanted to go out for ice cream later and we told her that we would be ready at 9 o’clock. Heather drove away as we walked into the house. My feet were killing me. I had been standing and walking in heels all day. Carol helped me to remove my shoes as soon as we had gone upstairs. I put on my fuzzy slippers after she had rubbed my feet, and we went down to see about dinner.

Mom and Aunt Jessica were sitting in the kitchen. A chicken was cooking in the oven and would be ready shortly. Carol and I sat down as well.

Mom said, "How did you two girls enjoy your day at the Mall?"

Carol, "Great, Mom. I found a great new blouse. I didn’t have enough money, but Crystal gave me what I needed to get it."

"That was generous, Crystal. Did you have enough left to get anything for yourself?"

"Yes, I found a pair of earrings that I like. And I still have enough for ice cream later."

"Are you going out again?"

"Heather and Sheri are coming back at 9 o’clock. We’re going for ice cream. That’s all."

"I’ll give you both a little more money before you go. I’m glad that you’re spending time together. Sisters should be close. Like your Aunt and I are."

We both thanked Mom for her offer of more money. The timer went off signaling that the chicken was almost ready. We got up and cooked some frozen corn, and nuked some potatoes. We sat down again when the meal was on the table. Talk around the table turned to the play again. I had mentioned that I had a rehearsal tomorrow night.

Carol said, "A rehearsal? Why? You already know the role. You’ve put on the play 4 times already."

"We haven’t done the play for four days. The rehearsal is necessary for us to get our timing back, and go over our lines to make sure that we haven’t forgotten any of them."

"Oh, I see", she said.

Conversation turned to a discussion of the play’s popularity. The newspaper had printed, in today’s paper, a follow-up article about how the play was sold out for all 12 performances. It was the first time that that had ever happened with any Community Theatre play. The paper reveled in the fact that our community was supporting the local arts and entertainment scene. I knew that all of the free publicity was responsible. The two-page spread in Sunday’s paper is what sold out the performances. Today’s article had included a picture of Rick kissing me, and a close-up picture of me alone. Quotes from the original review were used for captions.

At about 9:15, Heather and Sheri came to the house. We went to an ice cream shop downtown that was a major teen hangout in summer. As we sat in the booth, dozens of kids that I recognized from school came into the shop. Not one showed any indication of recognizing me as Cary, but almost all recognized me as Crystal from the newspaper article about the play. A number of fellow students, who previously wouldn’t have given me the time of day, asked for my autograph. Kids surrounded our booth during our entire time in the ice cream shop. When we were ready to leave, we went to the counter to pay for our ice cream. The manager said that our ice cream was on the house, and in the same breath asked me to autograph my picture from the paper. I asked his name and he told me that it was Tony, so I wrote, ‘To my good friend Tony, Love Crystal’. He beamed when I handed it back to him. He said that he was going to put it into a frame and mount it on the wall.

When we walked outside, Heather said, "Wow. Like that was so incredible. Crystal, you have to be the most popular girl in town."

"It’s only because of the article that was in the paper today. In a few days everyone will have forgotten about it."

"Maybe. But maybe not. You’re the closest thing to a movie star that we have in this town. I think that you’ll be ducking autograph hounds until you go back home."

I thought about what Heather had said as we walked to her car. I felt sure that she was wrong. Everyone would forget about me as soon as the publicity stopped. With the play sold out for the remaining performances, there would be no need for the theatre to advertise. It reasoned that there would not be any more publicity about the play.

It was after 11 when we got home, so Heather and Sheri continued on without stopping in after they had dropped us off. Carol and I went upstairs and changed into our sleepwear. Then we sat in her bedroom and talked until we both felt ready to go to sleep.

The next day, I lounged around the house until late afternoon. I spent most of the day on the patio with my book, reading until I had completed it. Then I helped Mom and Aunt Jessica prepare dinner. They had spent the day shopping at a local clothing outlet store that was having a big, weeklong, liquidation sale. A friend of Mom’s, that worked at the store, had notified her that it would start today, and I knew that it would be mobbed with bargain hunters. I just hadn’t felt like fighting crowds all day. But Mom had said that it was surprisingly quiet at the store. One of the sales clerks told her that there had been a mistake and the full-page ad hadn’t run yet. It would appear in tomorrow morning’s paper, and then the craziness would start. So Mom, Aunt Jessica, and Carol had enjoyed a day of incredible bargain hunting in relative peace.

After supper, Debbie picked me up and we went to the theatre for the rehearsal. It was a dress rehearsal but we would not wear makeup. Things proceeded well, with only a couple of minor slip-ups in the first act. Mr. Tucker wasn’t entirely happy with a couple of scenes in the second act so we went over them a number of times. He made a few small position changes, and we rehearsed the scenes until everyone hit their marks to his satisfaction. After that, the rest of the rehearsal went smoothly. Once actors had completed their scenes, they were free to leave, so by the time that we had finished, most of the company had already left. I changed back into my street clothes, and helped Barbara finish organizing the wardrobe room.

Debbie had offered me a ride home, so I around looked for her but couldn’t find her. Thinking that she may have gone out to her car to wait, I said goodnight to Barbara, grabbed my purse and left the theatre.

As I exited the stage door and began to walk down the darkened alley, a figure stepped out of the shadows and said, "I told you that I’d see you again, bitch. I saw your picture in the paper last weekend and I knew that I'd find you here." He stepped in front of me and blocked my path.

It was Joey Barton, the creep that had given me a hard time at the bus stop a couple of weeks ago.

He said, "You and I have a little unfinished business."

I decided to act tough rather than how I really felt. I knew that I couldn’t outrun him. My tight skirt and 4 inch heels would prevent me from outrunning a toddler.

I said, "Get lost, Joey Barton. I’m not afraid of you. If you hurt me, Officer Dailey will get his signed complaint and he’ll have your ass in a jail cell by morning."

"Hurt you? I don’t want to hurt you, baby. I just want to show you what a real man is like. I’m not one of those pussies that you hang out with in the theatre."

"I’m not interested in learning any more about you than I already know. Now get out of my way."

"That’s no way to act towards a man that’s trying to be friendly. You and I could have a real good time tonight. I have a bottle of bourbon in my car. How about a little drink?"

"I don’t drink."

"I know where I can get some ‘grass’, or even a little ‘blow’ if you like that."

"I don’t do drugs either."

As we had been talking, he had been steadily advancing towards me, and I had been backing up. I suddenly backed into the wall of the theatre. He put his arms out and rested his palms against the wall, effectively trapping me, without touching me.

"What do you do? A girl that dresses like you do, isn’t a nun."

"I read books, alone. You should try it. Why don’t you try it right now? Alone."

"Yeah, right. I’m going to go read a book when I have a beautiful woman in my arms."

"I’m not in your arms."

"Sorry. You should have complained earlier."

He wrapped his arms around me while I struggled to push him away. Suddenly, he grunted loudly and left me go. He collapsed to his knees and twisted around. Debbie was standing there holding a 4-foot long 2x4 board. She had hit him in the back near his waist. He rolled onto his side, moaning and trying to reach his back.

She said, "Okay Barton, do you want some more?"

"No, no more", he grunted through clenched teeth.

"Tell my friend that you are sorry for attacking her."

"I didn’t attack her", he said in a whining voice.

"Tell her, or Mr. Board is going to kiss your face." She moved towards him menacingly.

"No, please. I’m sorry that I attacked you."

"Okay, Barton, now listen closely. If you ever come near my friend or me again, we'll file an attempted rape charge against you. I’m a witness to your attempt. Got that?"

"Yes", he mumbled softly.

Debbie grabbed my hand and led me down the alley to the car. She tossed the board where she had found it. We got into the car and drove away. Joey Barton was still lying on the ground.

I said, "Should we call an ambulance for him?"

"No. He’ll be okay in a few minutes. I didn’t hit him that hard. He was moving his legs, so his back isn’t broken. And I hit him above his kidneys. But he’ll be sore for a couple of days, and he’ll probably have a heck of a bruise. I don’t think that he’ll ever bother you again. He’s just a bully. He runs away from any real fights."

"Thank you for helping me, Debbie."

She smiled at me and said, "Nobody messes with my girlfriend when I’m around."

When we got to my house, Debbie leaned over and kissed me. This time I didn’t stop her when she put her tongue into my mouth. I kissed her back for a few minutes before gently pushing her away. She knew that I was concerned about the neighbors and didn’t resist. I thanked her for the ride and walked to my door. She waited until I had opened the door, then waved and drove away.

The next day we started our second weekend of performances. I decided to go to the library in the morning. The bus driver was Fred, and I greeted him with a smile. He welcomed me onboard his bus like he was the captain of a ship. He asked my destination, and then told me to sit back and enjoy the trip. He stopped right in front of the library again for me. I thanked him, wished him a great day, and disembarked from his ‘ship’. I didn’t hear the ‘whoosh’ of the doors closing until I entered the doorway of the library.

I stopped at the counter and returned my book before embarking on my search for another. Theresa greeted me by name, and logged my book back in. Sylvia and Elizabeth smiled and waved from where they were working. I smiled and waved back. I spent about an hour perusing the shelves and selecting about six books before finally settling on one to take out. This time I had no difficulty because I used my new library card. Theresa told me that she had tickets to our Sunday matinee performance. I told her that I hoped that she would enjoy the play, and left with my new book. As I had last time, I sat in the park and read until afternoon. Then I went to the diner and had a cup of soup. Afterwards, I returned to the park to read. At 4 o’clock, I walked the five blocks to the theatre and sat with Barbara and Marge. I had stopped at a market and picked up a couple of apples on my walk. I cut them into slices and we snacked on them as we talked. At 5 o’clock it was time to go to work, so we finished the apples and began to prepare for the play.

Other cast members were starting to arrive as Marge applied my wig. When the wig was in place, I went to wardrobe to get my first costume. When I was dressed, I went to the back stage area to get out of the way of other cast members trying to get ready. I sat on the settee backstage and talked with other cast members until it was time to return to makeup. Because theatre makeup is so messy, I preferred to wait as long as possible before putting it on. A half-hour before curtain, Marge had me looking like a 19-year-old, and I was ready to go on. I used the remainder of the time to get into character.

I had a mild case of stomach butterflies, but that subsided within minutes of my first appearance onstage. From then on, concentration on my performance forced all other thoughts from my mind. At the end of the play, we answered six curtain calls. We could have done more, but we had all decided that that was enough.

An hour later, we had removed our makeup, and changed into our street clothes. As Debbie and I left the theatre, we were greeted by a number of teenaged girls and boys at the stage exit. They all had pictures of the cast and me. I learned that the pictures were being sold in the lobby of the theatre. We autographed the pictures as quickly as they were being pushed at us. As we stood there signing autographs, a photographer was taking pictures of the activity. When we had signed all of the pictures, we were allowed to get through the crowd and we proceeded to Debbie’s car. We laughed all the way to my house about the crazy scene outside the theatre. It’s amazing how a little publicity can generate that kind of crowd.

Mom and Aunt Jessica were still up when I entered the house. I sat down in the living room, and watched the talk show that they were engrossed in. When it was over, we talked about the play. I told them about the autograph hunters, and that photos of the cast and me were being sold in the lobby of the theatre.

Mom said, "Crystal, everybody is raving about your performances. It seems that you may have found the area where your true talents lie. You enjoy working at the theatre don’t you?"

"I’ve loved every bit of it. I was scared when I was asked to go on as Miss Prudy, but now I’m having the time of my life. I don’t regret a minute of what’s happened to me. I’m a little surprised by all of the commotion though."

"Do you think that you would like to pursue a career in acting? You’re getting to the age now when you’ll have to start thinking about your future life and career goals."

"At this point, I cannot think of anything else that I would rather do. I wonder if I could make a living at it though. I’ve heard how hard it is to break into show business. This isn’t New York or Hollywood. The opportunities are rather limited here."

"If you work hard and learn your craft, you can find opportunities. If you’re as talented as we think that you are, and as the local theatergoers think that you are, then you will find a way. You still have two years of high school to finish, before attending a good college where you can study drama. That’s six years of opportunities to impress people with your acting skills before you will even be looking for a job. You never know what will happen. Just be ready to grab the opportunities that come along."

"Okay, Mom. I’m a little tired. I’m going up to bed now. Goodnight."

They both wished me a goodnight and I climbed the stairs to my bedroom. Carol came home just as I had started to undress. She helped me with my corset, and we sat and talked for awhile after we had both finished getting ready for bed. She had been out with Heather and Sheri. I told her about the autograph hunters at the stage door entrance.

She said, "I’m telling you Crys, you’re becoming more famous every day. At least once a day someone asks me if we’re related. I love telling them that you’re my little sister. I wish that I had your talent for acting. I would love to be in your shoes."

"I wish that I could say the same. I am in your shoes, and my feet have hurt everyday since I started to wear them. I sure miss my sneakers."

Carol giggled. "Oh Crys, you’re so funny. I never really noticed it before you became my sister. I guess that we spent too much time fighting and arguing before. The past three weeks have been wonderful."

"For me too, sis, even though I complain about the corset, and the heels. My entire life has changed around. I’m popular, where before I was tolerated. It’s nice to be noticed, and to have people want your autograph. It makes you feel so special. Everybody should have this feeling at least once in his or her life. I know that when the play is over, I will sink back into obscurity with the rest of humanity, but for a short time, I feel like I’m on top of the world."

"Well, you still have over a week before the show is over. And I don’t think that you’re going to sink back into obscurity so quickly. People will be talking about your performances for months."

"I suppose. But once the play is over, the main interest should die off quickly. My only consolation is that I have a leading role to my credit. I know that if there is a part open in future productions for which I am suited, I will be near the top of the list for placement."

"I’m sure that you’re right. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t pick a play suited to you so that they could use you again. That columnist practically said that you make the play successful."

We talked for a little while longer, and then Carol went to bed. I lay back thinking about what she had said. Would Mr. Tucker actually pick a play that I could have a major role in? And would that role be for a girl, or a boy. I fell asleep thinking of plays with young characters in the leading role.

 

(continued in Chapter 12)

 

 

 

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