| Center Stage Claire Atkins was never the type of person with a story to tell. In the small southern town she was from it was better for people to live quiet respectable lives to than to live in whirlwind of scandal. However, she always longed for something more. That�s how she got involved with the Traveling Players, a touring show featuring the country�s best and brightest theatrical performers. She wasn�t a performer. She was originally sent there as punishment. To make an irrelevant long story short she got a little too wild at a party. Her mother who happened to be the mayor sent her out of town so she could spend the summer campaigning for reelection and doing damage control. Claire had no family still alive besides her parents. She was sent to stay with Eva Alexander a close friend of her mother�s from high school with a son Jayson who performed with the Traveling Players. Claire was supposed to travel with them across the country and help out backstage. Little did she know but it was to be a summer to remember. There she would people with longer stories to tell and vibrant personalities. Claire was about to get up close and personal with show business. Prologue: Claire stumbled into the kitchen at 8:30 in the morning with sleepy eyes. It was summer vacation but her mother had woken her up saying they had to talk. Claire knew it was about the party two days ago. It had taken her nearly that long to sleep off her hangover. The events of that evening which were still a bit hazy to Claire had made front page news. Her mother was the mayor and was now receiving phone calls out the wazu about her so-called �wild child.� Since her mother was running for re-election this was not good. Understatement. In her mother�s mind this fell into the category of Very Bad Things like smoking, drugs, pre-marital sex, Michael Jackson and Teletubbies. Claire entered the kitchen and said �I�m up� as if it wasn�t completely obvious. And heads will roll, Claire finished to herself sitting down at the table. Mrs. Atkins hung up the phone and glared at her husband who had entered the wide world of the sports page in the local paper. �Roger,� she said crisply glaring at him. No response came form Mr. Atkins who was completely obscured from view by the paper. �Roger!� Mrs. Atkins said loudly yanking the paper away.� �What the- Honey, what�d you do that for?� Mr. Atkins said rubbing his bald spot. �Roger,� Mrs. Atkins said again. �We are talking to your daughter right now.� �Why? Oh yeah right. Honey, I hope you understand-� �I�m talking!� Mrs. Atkins snapped. She turned and glared at Claire. �Young lady do you have any idea of the consequences of your actions?� Claire smirked. �I never guessed I�d make front page news. I feel like Paris Hilton just poorer.� �We can fix that,� Mrs. Atkins said coldly. This was not the reaction Claire had been expecting. She had expected screaming. The change scared her. �I just got off the phone with my friend Eva. She can�t wait to see you in New York. Your plane ticket is being mailed.� Mrs. Atkins sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee. �You�re sending me to New York?� Claire asked incredulously. Mrs. Atkins looked up. �Well it won�t do to have you gallivanting around town while I try to do damage control here. As long as you work hard backstage at the Traveling Players and stay out of newspaper headlines you can do whatever you want. Just understand this not a present. It�s a punishment. You are expected to work and work hard. I would have taken more drastic measures but I don�t have the time or energy. You got off lucky this time.� Claire tried to mask her enthusiasm as she walked back upstairs. She waited until she was lying face down on a pillow before she screamed. Chapter 1 Claire stood just inside the doorway of Lincoln Center with a feeling of awe overwhelming her. The Traveling Players were here for five days to practice for opening night of the summer tour. She was told to meet Eva here but no person in the lobby matched the picture her mother had given her. Claire closely examined the picture and scanned the faces walking by. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her. �You must be Claire!� A voice rang out from behind her. It belonged to a short sprightly woman with a huge smile that matched the picture perfectly. �My goodness, you look exactly like your father!� Eva said grinning broadly. �Well come on now lets head backstage. I�m afraid everyone�s going to be a bit crazy today because we�re so close to opening night but I�ll try to make it was easy as possible for you. We�re going to need your help. I�ll find Josh once we get backstage and he�ll probably have plenty for you to do. Poor dear, Max works him like a dog. Speaking of Max, that�s Max Bridewell the owner of the company. Best to stay out of his way today cause he�s in a mood. Come to think of it he�s always in a mood. That�s reminds about Michelle. She�s easy to spot tall, gorgeous and the star of the show and boy does she know it. Best stay out of her way as well. The girl behaves as if she were the queen of England. Don�t worry you�ll love it here.� Eva gave a Claire a comforting pat on the back. They were backstage now and as Eva predicted everyone was running around in a panicked frenzy. Eva pointed out her son Jayson a broad-shouldered blonde with his mother�s green eyes. He was talking or more like arguing with his girlfriend and dance partner Andrea a waif-like brunette who was trying to get Jayson to stop fidgeting so she could fix his tie. Michelle was in a corner wearing three-inch heels and smoking a cigarette complaining about the room service at the hotels to two girls in stage makeup. The owner, Max was yelling at a tall boy with a sharp angular face and a mop of thick dark hair who was holding a broom and blushing more out of anger than shame. �That�s Josh,� Eva said quietly. �He may not seem like the nicest person at first but the boy�s had it rough. His father used to own this company but he died three years ago. The company passed to his good friend Max. James Adamson made Max promise him on his deathbed to take care of Josh like a son and not to sell the company. Well Max didn�t sell the company that�s for sure. Josh used to be a performer and a mighty good one now he�s just the hired help. Max is very cruel and no one can figure out why. No one seems to want to stop it either. It�s sad though. Josh kind of like a male version of Cinderella.� Claire watched him closely as he furiously rebuked Max�s previous statement. In a flurry of movement Max slapped Josh across the face making a loud cracking sound. Josh stepped back clutching his face but made so sound. Max turned and stalked across the room. �Someone get me coffee!� he yelled waving his arms in the air and brushing past Eva and Claire. Josh moved to get it glaring at Max�s retreating back and still cradling his face. His gaze fell on Claire for a second and she smiled hoping to make him feel better. To her surprise Josh scowled at her and ducked his head to pour the coffee. �This is going to be a long summer,� Claire said to no one in particular. Chapter 2 Nearly two seconds after he exited Max stormed back in looking no less furious than before. This time as he strode by Eva grabbed his arm to make him stop. �You remember me telling you about my friend�s daughter, Claire?� Eva said with a fake friendly smile on her face. Max glanced down at Claire briefly. �Yes, yes what is she doing here?� Max snapped irritably. �I�m supposed to look after her for the next two months,� Eva said. �Yes, well let me let you in on a little theory of mine. Any one allowed backstage works for me. Either they go on stage to sell tickets or work backstage so the others can perform and sell tickets. If she doesn�t perform than she works. Okay?� Max said his gaze flittering around the room. Josh cautiously approached holding a cup of coffee. �Here�s your coffee,� Josh said thrusting it at Max and eying Claire as if she were some kind of attack dog ready to bite. �Very good, very good,� Max said distractedly. �Mrs. Alexander you will come with me for wardrobe consulting Josh you find this girl something meaningful to do.� Page 2 |