"Ten minutes ago I saw you. I looked up when you walked *COUGH* in the door…..I can't sing." Michael Leon managed to say through a strangled voice. For the past half hour of rehearsal, him and Christine were singing the ballroom scene of "Cinderella". His normal loud and strong singing voice was now straggly and weak.
"Michael, are you loosing your voice?" Mr. Stans asked nervously.
"I don't- know. The doctor told me that if my throat kept this up, I may need my tonsils out. I don't know if I can do the performance." Michael replied in a whisper.
"This is just great! Two weeks before the performance and Michael gets sick!" Said Marylyn Smith. She was known to be the annoying one.
"Shut up Marylyn!" Meg stopped practicing the waltz with her partner and said.
"Oh, so little Meggy is gonna speak up? Oh I'm soo scared."
"That's enough! Michael, you are going to go see a doctor about that voice. Meanwhile, where's Rick, the understudy?" Mr. Stans said.
"Rick quit." A young boy called out.
"What? When? Where was I? How come nobody informed me this?"
"Please, Mr. Stans. He said there was no point in him being in the play if he was just going to be the prince under certain circumstances." Sandy, one of the dancers, said.
"This is just perfect." As if God had answered everyone's prays, a young, handsome boy wearing blue jeans and a white tee-shirt walked into the theater.
"Hi, my name is Josh. I was wondering if this is where the auditions are?" He asked.
"Auditions for Cinderella?" Mr.Stans asked him.
"Yes, this is where someone told me to audition for it."
"I'm sorry young man, auditions were months ago."
"Mr.Stans! Maybe he could audition for the prince!" Sara, a fifteen year old cheerful girl suggested happily.
"Sara, its two weeks before opening night!"
"Not to be rude sir, but you don't have a prince yet?" Josh asked politely.
"No, see, our prince Michael has to get his tonsils out now, our understudy quit which seems to be ages ago and I was not told! So now, we need a prince. Would you like to sing for us?" Mr.Stans gave up.
"If you wouldn't mind."
"Do you have music?" Josh flashed some papers with music notes on it. "Give it to Miss Creek at the piano." The music began to fill the room and Josh began his song. His voice was beautiful.
"But not as great as Erik's" Christine found herself thinking. “Wow, Josh is really cute.”
"Would you be able to learn the apart in two weeks?" Mr.Stans said when Josh finished.
"Sure! I got the part?"
"Yes! Wow, your really great you know. Now, back to rehearsal. Someone give him the music!" Mr.Stans said.
"Hi, I'm Josh. I'm guessing your playing Cinderella." He said.
"Yes I am. My name is Christine." She said shyly.
"Well, maybe you could help me out with this music then? What song should we start with?"
"How about “Ten Minutes ago”? That's where we left off. Oh, and you'll have to learn the dance too. It's not too complicated. Want me to show you?" She offered."
"Thanks." The two worked on the song and dance until everyone was gone. By time they were done, they were very exhausted. But Josh had already memorized the words and pretty much knew the dance steps.
"Hey, Christine want me to take you out to dinner? My treat. For helping me with the music, ya know." He smiled, showing a mouthful of sparkling white teeth.
"Well, I was supposed to meet someone tonight…." She thought of how crushed Erik would feel if she gave up music lessons with him.
"Come on, I won't keep you out late. Please? I have my car. There's a nice Italian restaurant we could go to. Just for dinner and dessert. Please?" He pleaded.
"Well, okay. But let me go to my room first to um freshen up."
"Sure, I'll wait here."
Christine smiled at him and walked down the hall to her room. She was surprised to find a small box with a gold bow on it on her dressing table.
"What's this?" She picked it up and lifted the small lid of the box. Inside, beneath the tissue paper, there was a gold ring with a single diamond in it. There was no note, but she didn't need one to know who the ring was from.
"Erik." She said quietly. Now she felt very guilty about going out with Josh. But she already promised to Josh she would go.
"I'll just leave Erik a note, telling him I'm going out to dinner with some friends. And that I'll come see him a little later." She wrote the note and put it on the dressing table, hoping he would find it.
She felt terrible because she had finally gotten him to speak to her again after their last visit, when he yelled. He was sorry about that. He said he couldn't help his anger and that he was forever angry at himself for yelling at her. Christine left the room and walked back to where Josh was waiting for her.
"Ready?"
"Yea, I'm ready." As they walked out the theaters door, Christine could swear she heard someone softly crying.
