What Lies Beneath the Mask Read online

  “Why did you say no to a date with Jack?” She asked and my stomach dropped, at least that explained how Jack had got my number.

  “What do you mean?” I feigned innocence but I don’t think that it was working very well. Especially when I saw the look of scepticism on Hayley’s face.

  “I mean I got a text from him that said you didn’t want a date.” Hayley pinned me with a stare. To most people she was bright and bubbly, the kind of person who wouldn’t say anything even remotely nasty. But for some reason with me she would get to the point in whatever way necessary.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” She coughed before flicking through her phone and quoting the message she must have received from Jack.

  “She says she’s sorry but she doesn’t date. Would you mind coming with us to dinner tomorrow? I’ll invite my friend Isaac.” She put her phone down and sighed.

  “He invited you?” I asked. I couldn’t believe that he’d clearly gone out of his way to make me comfortable even when I’d shot him down. Saying that, inviting his friend did seem a little bit like a double date.

  “He did. And we’re both going.” I looked at her incredulously. “We’re going. Jack could be good for you.” She said firmly and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to change her mind no matter what I tried.

  “I’m scared Hayley.” I muttered quietly not sure if I really wanted her to hear or not. She sighed again.

  “Of course you are Belle. But if you don’t at least try and move on then you’ll be stuck on Toby forever.”

  “I’m not stuck on Toby.” I sounded like a child and knew it, though it seemed that wasn’t enough to stop me.

  “Okay, stuck on was the wrong way to put it. How about this; that jerk was never good enough for you, and every moment that you’re still thinking about him and not dating other guys is another moment that he’s won. Do you want him to have that much power over you Belle? Because I hate seeing that he does.” Her voice cracked towards the end of her rant and I felt guilty for putting her through all this. I sat down on the sofa next to her with my head in my hands.

  “I’m sorry Hayley. I just can’t seem to help it.” I was close to tears and needed to focus on something else. “I do like Jack; he seems like one of the good guys.” I conceded to her, and it was true. I did like Jack, a lot more than I wanted to admit; even to her.

  “I think he is one of the good guys Belle. You just have to trust yourself to know that.” She put her arm around me a squeezed. “Now what are you going to wear tomorrow night to make him realise you are interested?” I laughed.

  “Something wonderful that you’ve made?” I responded hopefully. Hayley was at college studying fashion and not only was she great at designing and creating costumes, but she was great at designing and creating normal clothes too. Most of my wardrobe was made of clothes my crazily talented best friend had made. I bought her the materials she needed and somehow she made something beautiful from them. Her volunteering at the theatre was dually because she enjoyed it and she needed the experience for her course.

  “Bingo. I have this gorgeous royal blue dress in mind.” She smiled at me and I was glad to be back onto safer topics. “So what are we having for dinner tonight?” Despite being talented when it came to clothes, Hayley was a terrible cook and most evenings it was down to me to put something edible on the table.

  “Chilli?” She nodded enthusiastically. Chilli was one of her favourites and luckily it was one of my best dishes. While pulling out the ingredients I just hoped that making it would be enough to keep my mind from wondering to tomorrow night.

  Chapter 4

  The first day of filming rolled around far more quickly than was comfortable. We were in the middle of staging the scenes up to the chandelier drop but we couldn’t seem to get past the Phantom’s interruption without something going wrong. The only highlight was that it meant Merry had to stay silent for the vast majority of it.

  “Merry you’re too far forward.” I called out. She wasn’t one to like being out of the spotlight and needed constantly reminding that she wasn’t the focus of a scene. That role went to the normally shy Veronica. She was a fantastic actress and her singing voice rivalled Merry’s in power and purity, but she’d landed in the supporting role of La Carlotta rather than the lead. “This is Veronica’s scene not yours.” I added to emphasise my point. Normally I would be pointing out issues to John and he’d be shouting out the commands, but he was busy with the producers of the show and so it had been left down to me. On stage, Merry was pouting, clearly unhappy with my direction.

  “She hates the fact that you’re telling her what to do.” Jack said from beside me. He was watching from next to me, taking advantage of the fact he wasn’t needed until after the ballet.

  “Of course she does.” I replied. “For some reason she hates me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you. She’s jealous.” I laughed at his assessment.

  “Jealous of what exactly?” I very much doubted that she was jealous of me. After all, I wasn’t the one on stage with all eyes on me.

  “She needs to be in the spotlight.” He nodded towards the stage where Merry had once again crept to the front. I fixed her with a glare that she obviously noticed because she scuttled backwards quickly enough. “Whereas you seem happy without it.” I gave a rather unladylike snort at that.

  “I don’t think Merry gives me a second thought.”

  “You’d be surprised.” On stage, they’d finally managed to make it to the ballet, though they were making a complete hash of it. Thankfully, it wasn’t my responsibility to sort out shoddy dancing. That fell with Nina, who doubled as the ballet choreographer and the role of Madame Giry. I privately enjoyed the symmetry. “I think I need to be backstage now.”

  “Break a leg.” I smiled at him and he smiled back as he turned to walk away.

  “I don’t think you realise just how much you’ve got going for you.” He said in a whisper and I wasn’t entirely sure that I was meant to have heard it, but his words went straight to my heart and kicked it into over drive. Our dinner with Hayley and Isaac had gone well and we’d had a great time. Hayley was especially excited because she could now claim to have a gay best friend in Isaac, who hadn’t been what I expected but his bubbly personality was kind of infectious and had really helped me to relax. Jack had been friendly and attentive throughout the night and while we’d flirted he hadn’t once made an attempt to kiss me. Something that more than a small part of me was disappointed about, despite the idea of dating anyone scaring me senseless. I watched the rest of the first act play out, which thankfully only took a couple more attempts on the part of the cast, all while trying to mentally prepare myself for my interview to come.

  Chapter 5

  “So Ms. Phillips, you’re the assistant director correct?” I nodded until I noticed the unimpressed look on my interviewer’s face. I didn’t know his name and he had one of those faces that would be difficult to pick out from a crowd.

  “Yes, I’m the assistant director. I’m responsible for a lot of the staging and the sets rather than telling people what to do.” He smiled, apparently that had been a better response.

  “What got you into set design in the first place?” Huh. If his questions were going to carry on down this path, maybe being interviewed wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as I thought.

  “I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford with some friends. Near the end of the tour there were rooms full of concept drawings. I’ve always been good at art and visualising how I want things to look, and so becoming a concept artist seemed to make sense. Getting involved in amateur theatre gave me the chance to practice and gain experience so I can work towards a permanent job in the field.” I was talking quickly, my passion for my career goal coming through.

  “And how do you find working on The Phantom of the Opera?”

  “It’s amazing! I’ve always loved the show and even before I knew that we would be performing it I knew what I w
anted scenes to look like. Of course, some of those were influenced by what I’d seen on stage and the 2004 film version.” I was pleased that I’d been able to answer another question so fully, and that it was on something I felt comfortable talking about as opposed to anything personal.

  “Can you give us an example of a scene you already had planned?” The interviewer asked. I thought for a moment, most likely pulling a horrible face as I did so.

  “Masquerade.” I answered after a moment’s contemplation. “It isn’t fully blocked yet, but I already have several of the key moments worked out. I know that Hayley already has several of the costumes planned too, which helps.”

  “Will you tell us anything about the scene?” I laughed and shook my head.

  “It’s one of the most dramatic scenes in the show, and one that involves the entire main cast as well as the chorus. I’d be ruining it to give anything away. Plus, without blocking I don’t even know if what I have planned will work.”

  “And how will you work out how you want that scene to go?”

  “I’m not sure. Most likely I’ll find an empty room and move around while listening to the music. I’m not a choreographer so the chances of me being able to communicate what I want without doing it myself are low.” Which reminded me that I really needed to spend some time working on it.

  “How do you think rehearsals are going?”

  “Great! Merry, Jack and Henry are extremely talented, as are the other actors and actresses we have working on the show.”

  “Speaking of the three leads…is there any drama going on? Maybe a show romance?” I shook my head.

  “There’s nothing that I’m aware of.” I thought of Jack and smiled. “I’m sure there’ll be something. We spend so long in the same space that something is bound to kick off. People clash all the time and don’t even mean to.”

  “What do you think of your chances of winning?”

  “That’s a very hard question to answer. Of course, I think that we’re the best. We have a great cast and crew. But without seeing any of the other shows and what they have to offer, I can’t possibly comment.”

  “Thank you Ms. Phillips.” The interviewer said with a smile. “We’ve got some good stuff here.”

  “When does the show air?” I asked. For some reason, I hadn’t thought to ask John when he first brought up the show.

  “It starts at the end of next month, that way, by the time you guys are ready to put on your show, the audience has caught up with each groups progress.” That made me nervous. We were going to be on TV and that was only just sinking in for me. I forced a smile to my face.

  “Thank you. We’re excited to put on The Phantom of the Opera.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say and that seemed to tick several boxes.

  “Good luck Ms. Phillips.” And with that he began to pack up his equipment. Mine had been the last interview of the day, mostly because I had been busy acting as director in John’s place. I’d finally get my studio back, and considering I had a lot of work to do it wasn’t a moment too soon.

  Chapter 6

  I put the finishing touches to dinner as Isaac, Jack and Hayley gathered in our living area. The TV was on and a popular local chat show was playing on the TV. Maybe not first choice watching for most 20-somethings, but we weren’t likely to be paying much attention to the show anyway. Working as well as practicing at the theatre had meant we were completely out of the loop and we were taking advantage of a rare Saturday night off. We’d been out as friends a couple more times, but this was the first time that Jack and Isaac had been to our flat and my nerves were making themselves known.

  “Grub’s up!” I called as I placed a cooking pot filled with chicken, onions and peppers all covered in fajita mix; Hayley and I had decided that a social meal like fajitas would allow us to relax and chat. The guys dug in first and loaded up their tortillas with the mix, my homemade guacamole and salsa, which I’d learned how to make off my Mum, and covered it all in cheese.

  “You aren’t seriously going to add sweetcorn are you?” Hayley asked noting the small tin in my hand.

  “I always add sweetcorn.” I replied indignantly. I’m not sure why she thought this was a big deal, but we ended up having the same conversation every time.

  “I’ll try it.” Jack said saving us from the inevitable debate. I passed him the tin and smiled in thanks. His gaze latched on mine and he smiled back as if we were the only people in the room.

  “Cut it out guys, they’re about to talk about the new Angels film.” Hayley’s voice brought me back into the room and she winked at me, clearly pleased to have caught me making eyes at Jack. We watched as the presenters interviewed some of the cast, though some were more recognisable than others, the most famous so far being a former teen pop star, Rosie Stars.

  “And our final guest is local radio DJ, Toby Withers.” My world stopped as I watched my ex walk down the stairs on set and sat on the sofa opposite the hosts. I dropped the fajita I was holding but was too frozen to care if it had made a mess.

  “Shit.” Hayley rarely cursed, but this was a special occasion. “I’m so sorry Belle I had no idea.” I could hear her speaking but it wasn’t really registering. I was too transfixed on the TV. I knew that Toby had become a radio DJ, but I avoided his station for obvious reasons so I’d had no idea that he’d be appearing on the show; which meant Hayley would have had no idea either.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked, and now it was my turn to curse inside my head. I’d forgotten that he was here and hated the fact that he’d witnessed me almost freaking out. Okay I’d be honest with myself for once; there was no almost about it.

  “That’s her ex.” Hayley told him, “I think you guys should go.” She said it quietly as if she was worried about making me worse. The shock was wearing off a little and I managed to give Jack an apologetic look.

  “I’m sorry.” I croaked at him.

  “It’s okay.” He said softly. “I won’t push, but if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.” I nodded, unable to speak due to the lump forming in my throat.

  “T-t-thanks.” I stuttered trying my best not to cry. Isaac gave me a swift hug.

  “He’s not worth it sweetie.” He whispered in my ear before letting go and saying goodbye to Hayley. The two of them left and within seconds I’d burst out into ugly sobs.

  Chapter 7

  All I wanted today was to be alone. After crying for hours last night, I was exhausted both physically and emotionally and even Hayley didn’t know what to do with me. To make matters worse I knew it was time to start working on Masquerade which would mean being surrounded by people, and in an attempt to avoid them, I’d taken myself off to block out the scene. The old prop room was perfect for what I needed; It was empty save for one shelf of slightly creepy dolls and far enough from the main stage that the sounds of the cast practicing wouldn’t disturb me. Nor would anyone accidentally stumble upon me.

  The final notes of the Entr’acte faded and Messieurs Firmin and André began their introduction to the scene. I could just picture it; George and Dave walking into each other on a dimly lit stage before Lissy and Nina moved forward from their places with the other dancers to partner them. While I wasn’t a dancer, as I’d mentioned in my interview for The Show Must Go On, I’d always had a clear vision of how this scene would begin and without a thought I began to move around the room, picturing it in my head full of the colourful gowns and intricate masks that Hayley was no doubt already busy creating.

  There was a touch at my shoulder and I let out an unladylike shriek, tearing my ear buds out as I did so. I turned slowly and found Jack standing there looking apologetic.

  “Sorry didn’t mean to make you jump.” He shrugged as if to ask what else could he have done.

  “It’s okay.” I mumbled, wondering just how long he’d been watching and how embarrassed I should be.

  “What are you doing up here? Not avoiding me, are you?” He asked smiling slightly. I sighed
, even though he was partly right, there was no way I could avoid him now.

  “I’m trying to work out the steps for Masquerade. I know how it’s supposed to look in my head but in reality…” I trailed off and shrugged.

  “Wouldn’t it be easier with two people?” He cocked his head to the side as he asked in a move that made him look beyond cute.

  “I guess, but everyone’s busy.”

  “I’m not.” He gently took my iPod from me and connected it to the portable speakers I’d brought with me in case I wanted to use them. Ear buds worked fine but sometimes I needed to hear music without them to help me plan the staging. He restarted the track before coming back and taking my hand.

  “So we walk on stage when?” He asked and I shook my head.

  “You’ll already be on stage. The lights will be down and a spotlight will be on Firmin and André while they do their thing.” I was only half speaking to Jack as vocalising helped me to picture the scene. “Carlotta and Piangi will be at centre stage with Meg and Giry to their left and right ready to dance with the two owners. Raoul and Christine will be closer to the back at the beginning of the song so that they’re in the right position on the stage further on in the song.” I listed off where each of the characters would be while Jack listened patiently.

  The lone pipe organ started to play and I get myself completely into the zone. “The man bows to his partner and then moves around her with staccato movements until he is back where he started.” I said and noticed that Jack was moving exactly as I directed.

  “Like this?” I nodded and then copied him but with a courtesy instead of a bow. We worked on the introductory moments for a while and I couldn’t help but notice just how well Jack was responding to my instructions; if only the rest of the cast were this easy to teach. It was almost as if Jack could see exactly what I wanted in my head when he pulled me into a standard ballroom hold without me having to say anything. It was at exactly the right moment in the music and he spun me around. This was going to be one of the trickier parts; Christine and Raoul only sang the one line while in this line-up, but I needed to make sure that they were at the front to do it. Unfortunately, that was something I probably needed to work out when I had a stage full of cast members.