Facade by Kim Carmichael

out a piece of white paper.
    Christine, I have tried multiple times to get in touch with you. My gut tells me you’re fine and just avoiding me. I won’t bother you again. Ramon.
    She pressed her lips together. Yes, she could have contacted them, even left a note with Helen. That’s what Erik wanted her to do, assumed she had done. Now, after the days and the notes passing, how could she tell him she quit? He already knew. At this point, it was just easier to avoid them. The Stage of Stars was huge and the chances of them both making it on the show was miniscule. Yes, she knew she might not make it either, but with Erik she knew she had a better chance.
    However, her stomach still twisted. She should have done the right thing, but it was too late now. Hopefully he would stay true to his word and not bother her again. There was nothing she could do except ride it out.
    Her whole life had been about riding it out and, for a moment, she put her hand over her eyes and tried to think.
    When her father died, she thought she would ride out the time until she was eighteen and then she could make a name for herself. Her aunt seemed more than thrilled to let her walk out the door, and she started out renting a room, intending to ride it out until she could get an apartment on her own. Time went on, her aunt and any other tie to her bloodline died off, and she had no job. Suddenly, she found herself without even a room and was going to ride it out until she got on her feet.
    What the hell? That had been six years ago, and she was out of time to wait for the next ride. She needed to take control of her life, not wait for it to happen to her from the Stage of Stars to Ramon or especially Erik. If she spent as much time making things happen rather than riding it out and praying for it to get better, she would have a life now. Maybe she would have had a home, a relationship, a real job, something to show for spending nearly two and a half decades on a the planet.
    Then again, she might never have met Erik. Was it possible everything else was simply a placeholder until she stumbled into his theatre? How else would she have met him if it wasn’t for everything else that happened to her? It had to be the final stop.
    She crumpled up all the papers, quickly scanned her junk mail and tossed the whole lot in the trash.
    “Did you want to do some work today?” Helen patted her shoulder.
    Rather than ride this out, she could start this minute. “I have to get back…home.” She smiled at the word. “I found someone.”
    A huge smile graced Helen’s face. “I had a feeling. The blush on your cheeks says everything.”
    “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve always done for me.” She leaned in and hugged the woman again.
    “You make sure you visit.” Helen gave her a kiss on each cheek.
    “I will.” Before leaving, she grabbed a change of address card, gave Helen a kiss, and dashed out.
    Goal number one, she needed to talk to Erik. Goal number two, she needed to practice for the upcoming auditions. With her plan in place, she rushed over to a local farmer’s market. For the first time in forever, she walked through the stands with the potential to actually buy something more than an apple, and she picked up some fresh eggplant and tomatoes hoping to make some eggplant parmesan for her and Erik later.
    By the time she made it back to the theatre, the sun had set, leaving just an orange glow in the sky, and she smoothed down her hair before entering.
    The theatre was quiet, dim. She put her vegetables down and tiptoed onto the stage. “Erik?”
    Nothing.
    “Erik?” She tried again, even looked up to the flies where he seemed to like to perch.
    Still nothing.
    The lack of anything, any sound, any movement made her shudder. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rushed downstairs. She stopped at her room, breathing in a sick sigh of relief that everything was still there. However, there was still no sign of Erik.