I got out, and put my arm around Tracy’s back to enter. Once inside, I stared at my alma mater. It hadn’t changed from the few months ago when I had seen it last. It was almost if time stood still. An old college friend of mine darted out of the computer area, and bumped into me. “Oh, hi Adam.”
“Hi, Russ. What’s new?”
“Oh, nothing much. Have you seen the new MS-DOS machines?”
“No.”
“You should.” He said, telling us he had to leave. We went to the auditorium. I walked down to the front and took Tracy’s coat.
“Is she here for auditions too?” Mrs. Foster asked.
“Would you like to audition?” I asked Tracy.
“I don’t know.” Tracy replied.
“Go ahead, try it.” I responded.
“Okay.”
“Yes, she will.” I told Mrs. Foster. We all went down front, where we read lines, sang, and were all around pains. My friends from college and I joked around and got the younger director all perturbed. We left there and went home. The rest of my team was staked out at Tracy’s neighbors, but nothing happened.
“I figure, since the B&O is closing, they don’t need any more girls from this area,” said Noah, when we came back from practice.
The next morning, Tracy seemed, to me, as if she was locked inside her body, trying to get out. We went to practice again the next night. I had earned my old part of Cosmo Brown. Tracy gained the part of the girl at the party.
Two weeks later, Thursday, it was at practice when the real Tracy started her return to the real world. I had just performed my big scene. Nothing in the performance seemed to go my way. I realized I was just an outsider, but I guess I felt like I was director. I kept suggesting things to the director, which I thought were good, but turned out no good at all. On top of that, I had gotten a nasty cold. Tricia had gone out of town to check on other B&Os, Noah and Laura went on vacation, and I was feeling the pressure of the world around me.
That night, I felt like just throwing in the towel. I felt like I didn’t care. I sat down in the auditorium, in a middle seat, away from everyone. I watched Tracy perform her number, and I just sat there, tired, depressed, and broken. Longing for someone to come and ask me what was wrong, or anyone who would care to find out. We got a five minute break, for which I just sat there. Tracy and the dancing girls walked of stage, giggling. Tracy spotted me while leaving and told the others to go on without her.
She walked over to me, I had almost fallen asleep. She shook me, and I awoke with a cough. “Adam, what’s wrong?” She said, gently, putting her arm around me.
“I can’t take this. I’m sick, we’re in double rehearsals, the B&Os long gone, I haven’t solved the case.”
“Shh. Think of all the good things you’ve got.”
“Like what?”
