by Ali Franklin
“But he didn’t want anyone to know she was his real target,” said Ryan. “So he made up ‘the Paladin’ and targeted other faculty members at the same time. He’d been trying to think of a way to punish Rick Jensen and Faith Cho ever since he’d heard rumors about them sleeping with their students, so he made exposing them part of the Paladin’s plan.”
Teddy reached out to grasp Summer’s hand. “I can’t believe we lost Faith over this. How did he gather so much negative information on her?”
“David has remarkable computer skills,” said Nicki. “Not only did he dig into Faith, Bobbi and Rick’s personal data, he also dug up information on at least five other faculty members. He was going to target them next. We still don’t know if he really had Faith’s medical records—or if what he said about her was true.”
“So when he took his gun to campus…?” asked Summer.
“He thought he could sneak in, shoot Bobbi and walk away without anyone knowing it was him,” said Nicki.
“Just to get her job?” asked Teddy.
Nicki nodded.
The group was quiet for a long time. Finally, Teddy spoke again.
“I’m just glad one else was hurt.”
Ryan smiled as Nicki lifted a hand to her cheek. The cut on Ryan’s face had nearly healed. She leaned against Nicki with a smile, almost pushing her off balance.
“What?” asked Summer.
“Super Cop here hurt her ankle while she was chasing David,” said Ryan.
Nicki’s mouth dropped open. “That was totally not my fault. Which reminds me: Why are all the light switches in the basement of VZ in secret compartments?”
Ryan and Teddy laughed.
“That’s show insurance,” said Teddy.
“Show insurance?”
“You know how those doors on the south side of the storage rooms lead up to the backstage areas of Kennedy and Hope?” asked Ryan.
“Yeah. So?”
“If the lights are on downstairs during a show, they can filter up through the stairs and out through the edge of the curtains.”
“Many a perfect lighting design has been ruined because someone carelessly turned on a light during a performance,” said Teddy.
“The light switches are hidden beneath panels,” said Ryan. “That way, only the people who know how to turn them on can do it— and only at the right times. All the students know about it.”
“Well, now your chief of police knows about it, too,” said Nicki. She nudged Ryan playfully. Ryan nudged back.
The couple were distracted by their own game for a moment.
Teddy suppressed an eye-roll. “Ryan, before you to become lost in each other’s eyes, I really want to talk to you about the change in the finale.”
Ryan straightened. “Tomorrow is opening night. Our musicians are good, but it’s too late to change the score.”
“It’s not the score. It hardly changes anything at all, but it—”
“Ow!” yelped Summer, slapping at her shoulder. “The mosquitoes are out already. Let’s get inside before they get any worse.”
Ryan and Nicki settled into the couch in the den while Teddy and Summer made decaf coffee in the kitchen.
Nicki picked up Ryan’s hand and absentmindedly rubbed her thumb in a circle on the underside of Ryan’s wrist. Ryan tried to suppress the lightning bolts shooting their way from her wrist to her core.
“Did you pack an overnight bag?” whispered Nicki.
Ryan nodded. She was bewildered at the way her body responded to Nicki’s touch: every nerve ending tingled with excitement. But there was an undercurrent of anxiety. What if being together ruined their friendship?
She looked up at Nicki and her fears abated as quickly as they’d appeared. She wanted her.
Summer walked in with the coffee. “Now that all the excitement’s over,” she said, “what are your plans for the summer break?”
Ryan laughed. “We still have to get through graduation.”
“And we have four days left of the show,” said Teddy, bringing in the biscotti.
“Don’t forget the paintball match,” added Nicki.
Ryan leaned back against the cushions. “I wonder if we’ll be able to have an uneventful summer?”
The four friends considered her question as they sipped their coffee.
A short time later, Ryan and Nicki exchanged a glance.
“I think I’m going to go,” said Ryan, standing. “I’ve had a long couple of days.”
Nicki stood at the same time. “I’ll walk you out.”
This time, Teddy did roll her eyes. The couple wasn’t fooling anyone. “Ryan, I really want to talk to you about the finale.”
Ryan turned, clenching her jaw to conceal her impatience. “It’s your musical, Teddy. Whatever change you want to make is fine by me. I’m sure the story will be better for it.”
Ryan missed the disappointment that passed behind her friend’s eyes. She was too caught up in wanting to spend the rest of the night with Nicki.
“Okay,” said Teddy. “The change is on. Let me know if you want a preview.”
Ryan and Nicki walked to the driveway and stood a little awkwardly between their two cars. Then Nicki reached out and gathered Ryan in her arms. Ryan lifted her lips to Nicki’s. The kiss began tenderly but quickly deepened, leaving Ryan breathless. She pulled away. “Let’s go.”
Nicki’s phone rang. “One sec.” She listened for a moment. “Are you sure? All right. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She ended the call and looked at Ryan. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“Seriously?” Ryan’s shoulders fell. “Is it anything I should know about?”
“Kyle and the IT team uncovered some more issues in the system. It looks like David left a few ‘gifts’ behind the last time he was in there. I need to review it with Kyle and make sure we disable everything before morning.”
“Can I help?”
“I don’t think so.” Nicki took both of Ryan’s hands in her own. “I know we were hoping tonight would be…”
Ryan leaned back into Nicki’s arms. “It’s okay. We’ll have our night.” She kissed Nicki hard, making it clear how much she wanted her. Then she turned and got into her car.
Nicki offered a small wave as Ryan backed out of the driveway. “We’ll have our night.”
☐ ☐ ☐
Opening Night.
Ryan had been a musician for most of her life, but the words still brought chills. Seeing a full house of expectant patrons, feeling the energy of the performers and tamping down her own butterflies reminded her she was part of something magical.
To top it off, she was the one who got to weave through the musicians in the pit orchestra to take her place at the podium and begin the journey.
Each time a group took the stage, that performance was unique—a singular addition to the world. No two productions were ever the same. That was true whether the student playing the part of the garbage man forgot a line or the female lead earned a standing ovation after nailing a solo.
As the conductor, Ryan had to be aware of every single thing happening onstage and in the pit orchestra below. It was a heady responsibility, and one she cherished. She loved being on full alert, ready to respond in a moment’s notice. And she loved it when, at the conclusion of their performance, the audience responded and their applause filled the auditorium. Then she knew she’d played a part in bringing something amazing into the world.
A student usher swept through the green room, handing out programs. Ryan took hers and looked at the cover:
The Choices We Make
A musical
Story, music and lyrics by
Theodora Sayers, M.F.A.
The Haverwood College seal sat squarely in the middle. Ryan traced it with her finger as she thought about this place she called home.
After initially sensationalizing David Anderly’s story, the TV stations and newspapers had moved on to more interesting topics.
The Sheriff’s office recognized Nicki and the rest of the campus police department for behaving admirably during the lockdown. And Nicki promised to keep training her officers and the entire campus so they would be even more prepared for an emergency in the future.
Ryan’s office had been besieged with phone calls for a few days, but it was clear that the college’s adherence to procedures had kept everyone as safe as they could be during the incident. The panic abated as students told their families they hadn’t felt threatened.
Faith Cho’s funeral was held at Haverwood’s largest Catholic church. It was a beautiful but uncomfortable ceremony. Everyone in attendance knew about David’s accusations, and everyone knew how senseless Faith’s death had been.
Lance Cho was a study in the deepest sorrow. He sat in the front row, staring straight ahead throughout the service. A few of Faith’s relatives spoke about her childhood and her commitment to helping people. Then the priest looked at Lance, who nodded.
Lance walked to the lectern. After a brief pause, he spoke. “My wife was an amazing woman. She wasn’t perfect…” He bowed his head and wiped his eyes. He looked out over the small crowd. “She wasn’t perfect, but she did her best. I’m lucky to have been her husband.”
He ducked his chin and took a deep breath. Then he shook his head and returned to his seat, terms streaming down his face.
Ryan found herself thinking about Faith at random times during the day, wondering what she could have done to prevent David’s senseless actions or Faith’s drastic response. No answers ever came. She knew the rawness of the emotions would eventually fade; she hoped that process started soon.
☐ ☐ ☐
Ryan heard a voice in her ear and realized the stage manager for the musical was calling on her earpiece.
“Dr. McCabe? Dr. McCabe, are you there?”
Her mind raced back to the present. “I’m here, Tony. What is it?”
“It’s time to get the orchestra ready. Curtain in fifteen.”
“Got it. We’re on our way.” Ryan closed the door to the green room and called out to the assembled students:
“Okay, everybody, let’s get moving. Orchestra, we need you in the pit. Everyone else, get to your places.”
Ryan got in line with the musicians moving down the stairway to the lower level. As they walked, she glanced at the door to the storeroom where she and Nicki had chased David. Then she stepped through the doorway and stood at the rear of the pit.
Her stomach fluttered. The show was about to begin.
The musicians warmed up their instruments, playing scales and runs, focusing on difficult passages or solos. This was one of Ryan’s favorite parts of the night. Anyone trying to make sense of what the orchestra was doing at this moment would be confused, but their actions were clear to Ryan. They were each getting in one last bit of practice before the show.
Ryan walked over to her stand and turned a few pages of her score, mentally readying herself for the overture. She wasn’t worried; she just wanted her best friend’s debut to be amazing.
“Five minutes to curtain, everyone. Five minutes to curtain,” came the voice in Ryan’s ear.
Ryan looked up. She stepped onto the podium, careful to keep her head below audience level. The musicians quieted. It was time to tune.
She looked to the oboist’s chair. It was empty.
Ryan looked around. “Where’s Sandra?”
The other woodwinds shook their heads or shrugged.
“We haven’t seen her,” said one.
“I talked to her earlier, but she didn’t say anything about being late,” said another.
The first-chair cellist leaned toward Ryan. “Can we go on without her?”
Ryan held an invisible phone to her ear as she mouthed the words “called her” to the first-chair flute. Then she considered the impact of going on without the oboist.
Sandra’s absence wouldn’t be noticeable during the majority of the show, but there were a few solo spots that might be missed. The oboe was an important part of the ensemble. Ryan wondered how long they could stall before the stage manager insisted on starting the show.
Then Ryan was faced with a problem bigger than the stage manager: Teddy walked into the pit.
“Shouldn’t you be tuning?” she asked.
“Sandra’s not here,” said Ryan.
Panic flashed across Teddy’s features. “I knew something would go wrong.”
Ryan squeezed her shoulder. “We can totally go on without her. Mark can cover her part from the piano, but I’m sure she’ll be here any second.”
Ryan motioned for the pianist to tune the orchestra. Immediately, the mélange of sound centered on a perfect 440-megahertz A as the instrumentalists made sure they were in synch with each other.
Ryan looked toward the rafters and listened. She loved that moment when the audience realized the orchestra was tuning. They wiggled in their seats. They closed their programs. They readied themselves, knowing this is what they came for.
She looked at Teddy. She was listening to the house as well, eyes closed.
“It’s time take your seat and enjoy your debut.”
Teddy blinked and smiled. “Are you sure it will be okay without Sandra?”
“I promise. Now go.”
Tony’s voice came over their earpieces. “One minute to curtain. Final places, everyone. Final places.”
Ryan walked Teddy to the door of the pit and watched as Teddy disappeared up the stairwell. From the doorway, Ryan lifted a hand, silencing the orchestra.
The voice in Ryan’s ear said, “House lights.”
The house lights dimmed. The crowd fell silent.
“Pit spot.”
This was the moment when the spotlight would follow Ryan as she walked to the podium and introduced the orchestra to the crowd. She braced herself in anticipation of the bright light.
“Pit spot.”
Pause.
“Josephine, where’s the pit spotlight?”
The crowd tittered. Ryan saw a few people in the balcony looking around.
“Pit—”
There was a loud thunk as Ryan was blanketed in the warm light. She looked up and smiled. The crowd clapped as she stepped to the podium. She turned and smiled at the crowd again, then gestured to the orchestra. The crowd applauded even louder.
Ryan turned to the orchestra just in time to see Sandra slipping into her seat. She smiled.
Here we go.
21
Ryan lowered her arm and the orchestra burst into sound. They played the overture flawlessly, setting the stage for the production to come. Their months of rehearsals were paying off.
The first scene began. The main character, Jade, was about to be spotted by a talent agent while singing in her high-school choir. It was the moment when everyone in the theater would fall in love with her.
Ryan spotted the potential problem right away. Succumbing to her nerves, Jade hesitated a half-second before her first entrance. The orchestra heard it. All eyes darted to the director.
Ryan continued as if nothing had happened, counting on their months of preparation to pull them through. If the orchestra continued like everything was fine, Jade’s training might kick in as well, propelling her back into the scene.
It worked. Jade came in perfectly during the second phrase, in sync with the rest of the cast. Ryan saw confidence surge through the young lady’s frame and smiled. It was going to be fine. Ryan mouthed the lyrics with the vocalists:
I’m gonna piece together the pieces
Write what hasn’t been written
Gonna dance the dance
‘til I just can’t dance any more…
On stage, the scene continued. Jade displayed real talent and wowed the crowd. She also amazed the talent scout, who convinced her she had a real shot at a career on Broadway.
Ryan smiled as the first act continued. The orchestra was great, the vocalists were terrific, and the audience laughed and clapped in all
the right places.
The cast fed off of the crowd’s excitement during the big scene at the high-school prom. Jade and her boyfriend, Danny, made their way through the scene with perfect timing. Danny was an all-American good guy; an athlete who was devoted to the beautiful Jade. But he knew she wouldn’t be content to follow the easy path. Jade longed for something more.
The next day, Jade talked about her dreams with her best friend, Ellen. The two were a terrific pair who’d been inseparable since elementary school. They had their own musical number with crowd-pleasing lyrics:
I’m always heading into the sunrise
When I’m with you
Every day’s a new beginning
I’m only me when I’m with you
Although her heart was in her hometown, and despite her wonderful family and friends, Jade longed for something more. She had to know if she could make it on Broadway. Shortly after commencement, she packed her bags and made her way to the Big Apple.
As expected, she encountered thousands of other “Jades” just like her; young women with big dreams and big voices. But Jade was different. She had a spark, and everyone who met her saw it. They told her not to give up.
Ryan watched the scenes unfold on stage and felt the crowd behind her reacting to the story. They hung on every move Jade made, willing her to follow her dream and hoping she got her big break. If the lyrics had been printed in the program, the crowd would have sung along with Jade while she told the city of New York how she felt during the last number of the first act:
I won’t give up
I can’t give up
Don’t know how
to give up on you
As Jade exited the stage, the crowd offered their loudest applause yet.
Ryan went to the green room during intermission. The student performers were buzzing with excitement.
“Dr. McCabe, this is so awesome,” said one.
“Did you hear how hard they clapped after Danny’s solo?” asked another.
“I can’t wait for them to see the subway scene!”
“You guys are doing a terrific job,” said Ryan. “Keep up the energy through the second half and we’ll be great.”
She looked around as a hand pulled on her arm. Teddy stood next to her, eyes wide. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then glanced over both shoulders.
