Imagine If

It was June when I met Pepper. Her red hair shone in its crimson glory as she waltzed into the first lecture half an hour late. The tick tock clock in the classroom seemed to be more tickty and my summer allergies were acting up a bit too early. “ Ms.Darlington you are half an hour late for my class explain yourself.” Mr. Johnson said quiet calmly.He wore a solid blue neck tie and red shirt.

On the second week of the semester Justin came into play. He was wheel bound since he had broken his legs in a piano accident when he was three. Nevertheless he pursued his musical genius effortlessly. I met him on the corridor reading a page of script of my play Lost Daughters of Tomorrow. “Do you like it ?” I asked, but he sent me a genuine smile that only spoke the words of lacking. “ Not really my thing .” He smiled warily. In that moment I could have sworn that if he wasn’t wheel bounded I would have let him have it. Then came Pepper. Her stance carried the grace of a ballerina though her red hair turned down the offer. “ Justin there you are!” she eyed me so hard I could feel her gaze piercing my skin.She smelt like a new book but Justin smelt like an old one. There was something strange about the duo at first glance but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Lunch that day was silent. I sat with the group of theatre arts students trying to discuss the play but it felt as if I was the only one in the room. Pepper and Justin on table by themselves happily giggling about something Pepper said. For the first time in many many many years I was afraid of something that seemed to be non existent.My stomach churned all the ways around but I had no idea what was going on.

In the evening I walked home from school alone. Rain clouds beaconed the once blue sky. Soon a large drop landed on my forehead hard as I looked up at the sky. Splash! I began to sprint down the last few blocks to home in before it got heavier.Then I saw them. This was all the proof I needed.

I approached my house with extreme caution. What were they doing here? I couldn’t believe my eyes. The rain in my mouth began to taste sweet. Pepper eyed me closely as I got nearer. Her blue eyes made pact with book bag. Justin hadn’t noticed me for one second . I paced up my white porch stairs. The two then smiled at me. “ Hello Julia. I came to enter a piece for your script.” Justin said abruptly. He was creepy. Full blown creepazoid. His dark brown hair dangled down his shoulders and he wore a thick framed glasses. Nerdy but classy. I didn’t know how to feel. The play this week was important. Beyond important to me. I took the little assistance he and his maid offered. We sat on the living room sofa until mum and dad came home. He had spoken about incorporating masquerade ball theme into the development of the play but I thought it was a bit too old fashioned. He spoke of opera singers and ribbon dancers.The ideas to a life of its own and ran away into the existence of another world.

“ Julie new friends?” Mom quizzed as we ate dinner. I shook my head and explained the whole scenario.Pepper had been extremely silent after explaining that Justin was her brother. She had only offered the thought of dancers.The two still gave me a peculiar feeling. I forked a meatball and stuffed it in my mouth. My mind buzzed the entire night and I just couldn’t find sleep. I kept seeming them everywhere. In my bathroom, in my books, in my mirror. Paranoid, I lay watching the atmosphere outside. It rained all night. The moon shone brilliant and my nostrils filled with the aroma of perfume for some reason. That night I dreamt about a ball with a man and a woman dancing in the moonlight in a secret room. Then their was a troupe of dancers parading down the stairs as if it was a circus act. They were more acrobats than dancers. A huge glittery chandelier dangled in the middle of the ball room and all the people were wearing costumes.

The next day at school it rained non stop. I sat in the theatre art performing room sharing Justin’s ideas the play. Lisa Hendrickson, a tiny blonde girl with green glasses thought it was simply preposterous.She thought it was too crazy and it lacked scientific credibility. It was then that I noticed how much imagination teenage lacked. We literally only saw things for what they were not what they could be. Being the captain I did what I thought was right. I allowed Lisa to express her opinions and continue the play as it was since we only had three days to complete it. This lunch I decided to sit alone. The ideas really were amazing.It was a spontaneous spin to get the audience thinking but no one saw it that way. Actually most of the drama club was against it. I watched Justin in his wheel chair rolling his way to the table I had seen him and sister. He looked so at peace with the world, but he wasn’t like any of us at this school. Being wheel chair bound must’ve made him feel inferior. The girls shunned him and his sister. No wonder they were so close.

Next thing on the agenda was music class. I managed to make it there half an hour early and found Mr.Johnson in the room cleaning his white board. “ Hey Julie you’re here early. Everything alright?” He asked watching me enter the classroom. “ Yup.” I replied. My mind was sunken deep into my heart and I only felt a deep sorrow. Mr.Johnson came directly to the front of me and stopped down. “Listen to me carefully. Close your eyes and run far away and when you come back you will save the play.” He said as if it was a magical chant. With that he walked out of the classroom and left me alone. I had no idea what he meant but soon I was going to find out.

After Mr.Johnson had left the dynamic duo came into the classroom. I payed them no attention.They made me look like a fool in front of my entire drama team. Justin was at the piano playing a few notes that sounded so familiar. Pepper sat reading a book. The tune he played was almost enchanting. It reminded me of my dream and that place. Then the lights went out. Electricity was gone. I could see nothing but I felt so much pressure in the room. Pepper held my hand and led me to where Justin was. I was hoping that we were staying together to get out of the room and into the hallways where it should have been brighter. When we got to Justin he held my hand tightly. Their hands were warm though the atmosphere was frosty.For some reason the music continued playing and it seemed to be getting louder and louder. “ Close your eyes and run away when you come back you’d save the play !” The two began chanting. I felt so sleepy. My eyes were wearing down. I was falling into a deep sleep.

“ Wake up sleepy!” a voice echoed. I woke up to the sound of horses. I was laying in a large pink bed. There was no logical explanation for this. A tall woman dressed as a maid stared directly at me as if I was expected to do something. Then she said, “The royals will be expecting you soon so hurry up love before you get thrown out.” Confuse? Yes. Afraid ? Yes. Leaving ? Absolutely Not! I hurried up and paced around the room looking for a bathroom. The maid who I learned to be Mrs. Dorothy assisted me in the clothes picking.

Royals. I didn’t expect anything less. Pepper and Justin. We sat on dining table eating. “ So what type of foolery is this? Witch craft?” I barked at them. Amused, they ignored me and continue eating. No one spoke. We just ate in complete silence. The China ware was ancient. The were deep antiques like what my mom used to collect of her visits to China. After eating I say staring at the magical creatures at the front of me. “ How about I take you to the theatre tonight while Pepper takes care of some business?” Justin smiled lovingly. He WALKED over to me and brushed my hair with his hands. Creepazoid. It didn’t really sound like I had a choice and my parents would be worried sick where I was. Maybe I was dead. I concurred that I was dead.

The theatre was huge and filled with mystical creatures. It reeked of pastries and my ears were filled with the enchanting tune that Justin had been playing. We sat at the top of everyone. The view was amazing. I could have seen all the chairs in the theatre and all the people were below me. When the show started dancers came parading in like the ones in my dream. A woman sang a song about a lost soul in captivity of a human flesh. The costumes we colorful and full of life.“ Care to dance M’lady?” He looked deeply to into my eyes. We danced and danced into the night. Then I realised. I was the woman from my dream. “ You are the woman in the song also,” he went on “ More beautiful than rubies but you must not forget who you are again. Let not your heart be troubled by the man of science, but seek solace in love instead .” He then pushed me away and ordered that I closed my eyes and saved the play. I did as he said. I was going back from whence I came.

When I got back I was home as if I had just woken up. It was morning. I bolted down the stairs to see my parents. They eyed me with disbelief which I thought had come from my absenteeism. “ You’re up early darling !” Dad said enthusiastically while sipping his cup of coffee. I went on to tell them about my friends but they believed that I had dreamt it all. That day at school I went straight to Mr.Johnson because no teacher seemed to remember Pepper and Justin. Everyone said such students didn’t exist. “ Pepper ? Justin? Doesn’t ring a bell. But I’d tell you something the active mind is the mastery of the art of theatre, M’Lady,” he winked and left me speechless. I knew what I had to do. Save the play.

On the night of the play it was smashing. The audience turn out was huge.

I just wished Pepper and Justin were here to see it. Mr. Johnson hadn’t shown up to the play strangely. That night before I went to bed there was a knock on my window. They came back! “ Good Job Julie! When you need us we’ll always be here!” shouted Pepper as she levitated getting further and further from the house. “ Always M’Lady!” said Justin saying his good byes.