Tonight

Tonight.

Ava stared at herself in the mirror of her vanity in her bedroom. Her heart fluttered and her fingers tapped nervously against the polished wood.

Tonight, was the night.

She glanced down at the script that sat on the vanity in front of her, then back up at her reflection.

'Relax,' she told herself. 'You'll be fine. You've spent months rehearsing, the choreography is instinct, and your lines are memorized. You'll do fine.' And yet, she couldn't stop worrying.

Maybe it was because she'd dreamed of this night for so long, and she was terrified of screwing up. Maybe it was something else. She sighed, sudden tiredness washing over her, and sat down in the soft cushioned chair in front of the mirror. She buried her face in her hands.

She'd dreamt of this for years. She'd always loved being on stage, under the spotlights and surrounded by applause. From the first time she'd stared in a show, well, she was hooked. That... rush of adrenaline mixed with the exhilaration of the crowd cheering after a particularly fabulous dance number. She'd immediately knew this was the life for her.

She'd spent years working towards this. She'd attended classes, camps, and conferences. She'd performed in plays, musicals, and at events. She'd even done camera and backstage work a few times, as well as a handful of voice acting gigs. But she hadn't yet met her goal.

Until today. Today, her dreams would be accomplished.

Ava snapped out of her trance, tearing her eyes away from the mirror. She looked to the clock on the wall. Upon seeing the time, she jumped out of her chair. She rushed out of the bedroom, shrugging her jacket over her shoulders. But as she grabbed the door handle, about to leave the small apartment she resided in, she hesitated. She frowned slightly, looking over her shoulder towards the bedroom. She thought for a moment, then sighed. She walked back to the vanity and gently picked up her script.

'Just in case,' she told herself. 'You won't even need it, you've got this.' She placed the script safely in a side bag she'd slung over her shoulder a few moments before. She rushed out the door and out onto the city street, anxiously searching for her friend's familiar tan truck. She frowned at the cloudy skies, praying it wouldn't rain. She smiled in relief when her ride pulled up two and a half minutes later.

"Today's the big day, huh?" Her friend, Jones, asked as she hopped into his truck and swung the door shut. He was a generally friendly-looking man, with a wide smile and bright eyes. The two had met at a show three years prior and had quickly become best friends. They had both auditioned for this production. While Jones hadn't been cast, he'd been eager- as always- to help Ava, whether that be running lines or driving her to and from rehearsals when necessary. Ava appreciated him and he was easily her most valued friend.

"Yeah," she answered. After a moment of pause, she added, "I'm so incredibly nervous." Jones chuckled lightly and placed a hand on her arm, giving her a reassuring pat.

"You'll do great. You always do." Ava smiled and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She stared out the window at the world passing by as they drove down the street.

The first time she had performed, it was for a school play in the third grade. She had never been on stage before- at least, not by her own accord- and she honestly didn't see the appeal. Standing in front of fifty people, playing make-believe, and likely making a total fool of yourself? No thank you. But several of her closest friends were auditioning so she thought 'why not?' She wasn't exactly looking forward to the show, not with how awkward each rehearsal had felt, but she didn't quit. She was too stubborn.

Then... then came performance night. And by the end of the show, she felt better than she had in a long, long time. Instead of absolutely despising it like she has assumed she would, she felt alive. She knew, knew this would be her life. Even years later, when the novelty of adults telling her she should look into a 'real job' she would never give it up. This was what she wanted, and she was going to work to get it, even if it took years.

"Break a leg, Ava! I'll be at the 7:30 show, okay?" At the sound of Jones' voice, she realized they had parked just outside the huge theater. She stared up at the blinking lights that outlined the ticket booth and for the first time ever, she realized just how intimidating the building really was. She forced herself to take a deep breath before turning to her friend.

"Okay. See you later, then!" She climbed out of the truck and walked into the building. The lobby was quiet, but she could hear the bustling movement and excited voices coming from the backstage area. When she walked into the room there was a small burst of applause. Her fellow cast members smiled at her warmly.

"There's our star!" cheered Tina, whom Ava had grown close to during the months of constant rehearsals that had led up to this night. Tina handed her a thermos of tea, something they'd both mentioned drinking before performances like this to avoid losing their voice. Ava smiled gratefully and gave her friend a hug.

"Thanks, Tina, but you know I'm no more important to the rest of this show than the rest of you." This was true, as it was insanely difficult to put on a show with any characters missing, but she was secretly extremely happy to have scored a lead character in a production like this.

"Oh, take the compliment for god's sake!" A voice called out from somewhere within the small crowd, earning a cascade of lighthearted laughs. The whole cast had become close friends, just as the casts of all the shows in the past. This one of her favorite things about acting- the people she got to meet, the friends she got to make.

As the group moved around, making final preparations, checking the sound and light systems, getting into costumes and makeup, reviewing lines and dances, Ava's mind began to wander again.

She had met Jones in a show like this. It hadn't been nearly as big a production, as it had been early in high school, but to her, it was just as important. Maybe even more important. It was her first musical, and she'd been assigned a relatively big part. Jones had been working the sound system for that show. Their first interaction was Ava, curious, and always eager to learn, asked about the soundboard. Jones rarely got questions like this, and usually only interacted with the directors and managers, the actors never having the time nor interest to learn about the tech side of the stage, so he jumped at the opportunity to make a friend. Ava had caught on quick, and they'd even run the backstage systems together for a few shows when neither had been cast as an actor.

"Ten minutes' 'til doors open!" Ava heard her director shout from somewhere near the entryway to the theater auditorium. She hummed softly and bit her nail anxiously as she flipped through her script one more time. A few minutes later, the lights behind the stage darkened. She sighed and placed down her script. That nervous fluttering feeling was back, resting deep in the pit of her stomach. She began to pace, walking back and forth in the dark with those light, practiced footsteps she'd perfected over years of being told to be quiet backstage. She jumped at a slight touch on her shoulder.

"Worried?" Tina asked, appearing behind Ava seemingly out of nowhere. Ava let out a soft, breathy laugh and nodded. Tina patted Ava's shoulder comfortingly. "Anxiety is a good thing, remember. You're less likely to screw up if you're too scared to get cocky."

"Brilliant words from a brilliant woman!" Ava responded, causing both women to chuckle quietly. Tina was about to say something when their director made his way up to them.

"Doors are open. We start in fifteen minutes, so start making your way to your places, girls." Ava and Tina smiled at him and nodded. Before they parted ways, Tina gave Ava's hand a comforting squeeze and a wide smile.

"Break a leg!" Ava wished Tina good luck as well before walking slowly to her beginning place. Despite being told countless times that if she could see the audience, they could see her (which wasn't an inherently true fact but a pretty good thing to live by in theater) she couldn't resist peeking through the curtain at the audience. She sucked in a sharp breath. There were a good six hundred people out there, with more still funneling into their seats. She dropped her hand back to her side, letting the thick curtain fall back into its position.

"Big crowd, huh?" A voice came from behind her, causing her to jump a little. She turned around to see Peter, her costar. He was tall, lean, and by most people's opinions, very handsome. Ava, having worked with him for the past few months, knew he was a generally nice person most of the time, but he could get prickly when he was stressed. Thankfully, if he was anxious about the performance, he didn't let it show. She was worried enough without having to deal with a rude costar. She nodded.

"Yeah. Six, seven hundred people? With more coming, I'd guess." With the amount of advertising that had been done for this, the theater was bound to be packed. She was pretty sure they had sold out of tickets in under two weeks. They would perform four times- twice tonight, twice tomorrow, and once the next day. Each show had been completely booked.

"More people to see our beautiful faces, am I right?" He winked at her. Ava groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes. She brushed him off and leaned against the wall near the left entrance to the stage. She watched the lights over the audience dim until they were off, then listened to her director speak. It was the typical spiel of 'I'm so proud' and 'Wonderful experience' and other things to make the audience eager to watch. Then the stage lights dimmed, and he walked backstage, giving her a reassuring smile.

When the stage lit up again, the spotlight was on Ava.