No Drama Queen Here.

Stampede, or it felt like it could be. Caro had made it on time to Railway Central, but there was thick grey smoke lingering in the air. People were trying to turn back to reach the top exits, the commuter trains were all cancelled, ramped up in rows. No one was getting anywhere near their home suburbs that night in any hurry.

"Stop panicking!" Caro tried to tell herself, as she could feel the familiar gasping for breath of her mostly forgotten anxiety disorder. Finally, she arrived at the exit, and started wondering how to get home. The neon news above proclaimed there was a grass fire near one of the railway junctions. All the trains were cancelled while the Fire Brigades and emergency services battled the blaze. Throngs of bewildered travellers were being stoic, heading to the bars. Determined to reach her home, Caro heard suddenly a tallish man grabbing a very rare taxi, saying loudly, "7 Jackson Drive, Blackville. Thanks!"

This opportunity seemed too good to be true, so Caro seized the day with her can-do attitude, and slid in after the stranger. She waved her gold credit card, breathless, "Blackville's my town. Don't mind me. I'll sort half the fare!" She smiled her hopefully cutest smile. The guy she thought was a stranger did a nice old double take, and said, "Drama queen. I'd know you anywhere, star of Blackville Secondary! Do you remember me, Marius, the jock strap!"

Caro laughed at this, in between catching her breath. "What are you doing these days?" she asked, slightly amazed at this convenient coincidence, "I heard about you and Nadine split up, hope it's okay."

Marius told her that he was now an aspiring barrister, hoping to make his name as a criminal defender. His marriage was cactus, Nadine had met someone else, and did not want to wait for all those promises of 'soon', or the tomorrows that they had been saving for so hard. His ex-wife was discovering herself.

"I hear you're doing very well at the Central Stock Exchange." he commented to Caro, who was peering at him, as the taxi slowly inched through the city gridlock of its usual traffic jams. Horns blared here in the city, dusty dusk was setting in, as Caro recalled how she had never liked Marius that much. He and Nadine had caused many an envious emotion in their high school classes, always the perfect couple. Marius had often been quick with the sarcastic remarks after the high school concerts and musical stage shows. Caro had been tipped to be most likely to head to the Royal Dramatic College. Somehow her flair for Maths and Economics had also made her top financial advisor in the Stock Exchange. She was now 30 years old, so Marius was about her age. Yes, the jungle drums of the old networks of Blackville were still rumbling.

Caro leaned back in the taxi, as the freeway entrance loomed ahead. "Commuing sucks," she said, as her breath was back to normal. That had always been his nickname for her, 'Drama Queen'. It had been hard as a teenager to turn the other cheek. Now she was supposed to be more mature about life and the overall world. It was basically too expensive to live anywhere closer to the city than her hometown Blackville. She was trying not to be a drama queen.

Caro racked her brainds to think of anything worth discussing with such a golden lad of all things sport and high achievement. "I'll be glad to get home," she said, "Guess you shall be too. We all need to focus on more of a work/life balance. That's the drawback of aiming high, no time to enjoy the little pleasures. How about you?"

Marius seemed to consider for a moment ,then nodded. "Yeah, but we can overthink things. You want to grab some dinner, maybe a takeaway when we get to Blackville? I'll buy, be good to get to know you finally." He smiled, he was still a handsome dude. Caro had been looking forward to taking off her pencil slim skirt and her high heels, as well as her bra, to commune with her pot plants, and gaze mindlessly at an old favourite romantic DVD. She guessed Marius would not appreciate her choice of very unsexy flannelette pyjamas, and her old fluffy slippers.

Marius and Caro did reach Blackville, their journey took only two hours. The taxi driver kept his thoughts to himself about old high school classmates, suddenly and potentially hooking up. The passengers both swiped their credit cards. It had been expensive, but did lead up to a night of Thai takeaway, and some kisses, with fun fumbling. Caro left his pad bright and early the next morning, deciding that sleepovers were quite delightful really. She showered and changed to her next sleek skirt and jacket, all professional. Reflecting as she sat in her commuter train, she was grateful the transit system had regained normalcy. She told herself she did not want to be a drama queen, or put a ring on anyone male.

Soon, as their courting days turned into months together, Caro kept telling herself her fling with Marius was doing something good to her wrinkles and occasional grey hair. "Must be all those orgasms," Caro was smiling to herself one lazy Saturday morning. Marius was in the shower, so she answered the insistent phone. Horrors! It was Nadine, chatting, "Hi Caro, I've heard that Marius finally got it on with you. Tell him my path is taking me to India, with my latest man. Are you pregnant yet?"

Caro laughed that off, as she tried to be polite, then this phone chat ended. No, she wasn't pregnant. No, couldn't be! This was not in her life plan for work/life balance. She rapidly checked some relevant dates, and did some heavy breathing and decision making. She could manage as a single mother if Marius did not want to discuss parenting. She would not be a drama queen.

After the urgent pregnancy test, she avoided any more chardonnay, and was somehow thrilled that Marius whirled her round, delighted. Nadine was history, Caro and the baby were his future. Caro and Marius were quite well off, now they could enjoy all their tomorrows, if slightly more mature. Caro did not wish to return to her career. She did join a local dramatic society for performing stage musicals. Marius either took their son along too, or he stayed home, so the boys could do manly stuff. They had a comfy pad, so Marius took a step back from his city career, and became a suburban solicitor, with a home office.

Caro did wind up being a gofer and the treasurer of the society of all the local future drama queens. As their babies matured, Caro found being a drama coach in her old home town for a few bucks per hour was quite satisfying. Three children later, Caro and Marius are still in love. They have both found that elusive work/life balance for him and Caro. She was never again to be known as the Drama Queen. Happy fun times.