Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 184

ALLISON’S POV

I can’t tell if I’m bouncing around because I’m actually panicked or just hyped.

Okay…definitely panicked. In about an hour, I’ll be on stage for the long-awaited midterm play. And my nerves? They’re having a full-on rave in my chest.

The theatre’s all set, the lights dimmed just right, and the title hanging above the stage: Whispers of the Heart.

I used to brag about not having stage fright or at least, not caring before a performance. Minor roles were easy, you could mess up and nobody would notice. But tonight? All eyes will be on me.

My fingers won’t stop trembling, my pulse is racing like I just ran a marathon, and my stomach? Let’s just say it’s doing cartwheels.

“Marcus, move like you have legs!” Chioma yells, dashing around. “Am I the only one working here?

Thank God that’s not me. I can barely manage my own thoughts, let alone coordinate over a hundred people for one night. Just thinking about it makes my brain short-circuit. I clasp my hands together, whispering a quick prayer to whoever’s listening to please, please, not let tonight turn into a disaster.

Let this be the best play the drama club has ever put on. We sold more tickets than last year, which means more people will show up and if anything goes wrong, I swear, I’ll pack my bags and move to Illinois. Disappear for the rest of my life, maybe become a mysterious hermit or something.

Just as I unclasp my hands, Celeste sidles up beside me. “Shouldn’t you be changing?” she tuts, then rolls her eyes. “You don’t even know the basics.”

Seriously? Do I have to deal with her drama tonight too?

I shoot her a look. “Why don’t you worry about yourself for once?”

I try to walk around her, but she blocks my path, her arms crossed. “The success of this play is on you,” she says, her scowl deepening. “And I’m just curious to see how you’ll handle it when you inevitably screw up. Which, honestly, I fully expect.”

What is it about my face that makes Celeste think she can just talk to me like this? It’s blatant bullying, and no matter how hard I try to stand my ground, she keeps doing it. jo/b/nib-comEvery day I wake up trying to be a better version of myself, pushing myself, and what do I get in return? People like her, everywhere I turn, trying to belittle me, trying to make me feel small. Why?

“I’m just looking out for you,” she adds, as if the insults and attitude weren’t enough. “Do your best, okay?”

She’s about to saunter off when I grab her elbow, yanking her just hard enough to make her yelp. I lock eyes with her. “Seriously, Celeste? Didn’t anyone teach you basic manners? Was it really that hard to learn how to treat people like humans? That bullying is…well, bad?”

She tugs at my hand. “Let go!”

I tighten my grip slightly.

“Does it hurt?” I tilt my head. “This is called consequences, Celeste.”

I release her hand and she yanks it back, her chest rising and falling like she’s about to explode.

Honestly, there are a million things I should be doing before the play like checking my lines but here I am, wasting energy on her. I hate myself a little for it.

With a frustrated hiss, I leave her behind and slip toward the curtains. Peeking through the fabric, I watch the lights glint off the seats as the audience trickles in. Strangely, seeing them…even hundreds of faces staring, does more to calm me than I expected.

I’m scanning the rows when I spot three figures maneuvering toward the center aisle. Katy is chuckling, pointing toward Justin, and my chest does a weird flip. Justin has flowers in hand, while Braydon trails behind him. My pulse hammers in my ears and I can’t help but grin.

Their smiles alone make me know they actually belleve in me, and they’ve got my back no matter what. I blink a few times, swiping at the corner of my eyes because, damn, I didn’t expect to tear up here.

“You’re next!” Aaron’s voice slices through my thoughts. I whip my head up to see him staring, horrified, his eyes locked on the tear. He’s probably thinking the same thing I am: the show is about to implode.

“What…what do I do?” I choke out. “I can’t sew it in now!”

“Allie, what did you do?” Aaron is at my side, calling for pins. My eyes sting, but I force the tears back, repeating in my head that I can still salvage this. “How did this happen? Why were you so careless?”

Hands swarm around me instantly, someone dabbing at my makeup, two others wrestling with the torn dress. My chest hammers so hard I think the whole theatre can hear it. Aaron finally steps back, and I glance down to see safety pins holding the rip together, ugly but functional.

“Can you work with this?” Aaron asks, eyes scanning my face for worry.

I nod, forcing a shaky breath. “Yes. Thank you.”

He exhales, rubbing his forehead, giving me that disappointed look. “I can’t believe you ruined your dress already.”

“I didn’t do this-“I start, but the cue for the next scene cuts me off.

“Go, go!” Aaron yells and my feet are already moving. By the time I step out with Jeff, my legs feel like jelly, and my hands are trembling. Celeste has managed to ruin me from the inside out.

The next scene calls for tears, and maybe that’s why I end up giving the best performance the ma club has ever seen. Maybe that’s why I cry like my whole world’s ending while everyone’s falling apart on stage, but to them, it’s just a great performance.