Demon

by Laura DeLuca

  The faces of the chorus members started to blend and swirl as they waltzed around her. It made her feel dizzy as well as emotional. The fact that it was the very same song Livy had sung to Justyn when she was telling him how weak and pathetic she was, only made the sequence seem that much worse. Her head was spinning by the time she finally fell back upon the Victorian-style couch which was one of many authentic props they had already obtained. She blinked a few times to try to clear her head. When Rebecca looked up again, Chad and Scott were looming over her, leering. She shielded her face as they reached out to grab her, while the rest of the cast stopped to watch them with undisguised glee. She was certain those viewing the scene from the sidelines probably considered it her best performance to date as the mild confusion on her face exploded into real fear.

  Chad and Scott were only doing what the script called for as their hands jabbed and nudged her. It was a scene they had performed together dozens of times already. Yet Rebecca’s fragile mind suddenly imagined a completely different scene. She was no longer on the stage, surrounded by people and enveloped in the notes of the orchestra to guide her movements. She was alone in the woods with that horrible face hidden behind the mask. He was sneering down at her, only multiplied by two. When the guys reached out to grab her, she couldn’t stop herself from batting their hands away.

  “Don’t touch me!” she screamed.

  Like the rest of the cast, Chad and Scott looked stunned when she backed in the corner of the sofa like a caged animal. It took a few minutes for the orchestra to realize the performance had come to a screeching halt, but one-by-one, the instruments wound down. For a few terrible minutes, the theater was plunged into complete silence. Every person on the stage was either gawking at her or trying a little too hard not to stare at her. They were probably wondering if she had finally lost her mind. She was wondering right along with them. At that moment, she certainly didn’t feel very sane.

  Somewhere in the midst of the real-life drama, Megan had appeared beside her. She was hugging her and patting her back in what was meant to be a comforting, friendly embrace, but Rebecca didn’t want her comfort. Justyn was there too, of course, kneeling beside her, afraid to speak or touch her lest he set her off again, yet still unable to stay away. All she really wanted was for them both to go away and leave her alone. As the horrible panic that had gripped her settled into a more manageable but still heart-numbing fear, Rebecca realized she had just made a complete fool of herself. She wished the stage would open up and swallow her whole or something would happen to make everyone stop staring at her. It was finally Chad’s sarcastic voice that cut through the heavy silence.

  “Looks like Jerseylicious is having a nervous breakdown,” he scoffed.

  Beside him, Scott started snickering. The two of them exchanged high fives. A few other nervous chuckles rose from the crowd, but Justyn definitely wasn’t laughing. Since Rebecca was rejecting the comfort he offered, Justyn rose to his feet and took a few steps in Chad’s direction. For a moment, Rebecca saw that familiar glint in his eye. The one that had made her think it was possible he could have been her real-life phantom. Even though she knew it was meant as an act of chivalry, it still startled her when Justyn lifted his hands and shoved Chad hard. He stumbled backward into Scott, who only barely managed to keep his friend from crashing to the stage floor.

  “Back off, Chad.” Justyn’s eerily calm voice didn’t seem to match his heated stare. “Just back the hell off.”

  “Who’s going to make me?” Chad asked, not about to lose face to a freshman. “You?”

  Scott sneered and cracked his knuckles. “I’d like to see him try.”

  Justyn didn’t need any more encouragement. With an almost animal-like fury, he lunged at Chad and lifted his hand to strike. Before his fist could make contact, the full two hundred and twenty pounds of Scott’s bulk slammed into him, knocking Justyn to the ground. Chad and Scott loomed over Justyn, prepared to combine their forces, while Rebecca could only stare in wide-eyed horror as the fight progressed. Megan squeezed her a little tighter and looked toward Quinn for reinforcement.

  “Quinn, do something!” she shouted.

  Megan wasn’t the only one shouting. Around them, voices were rising, some cheering on the fight, while others looked like they wanted to break it up but were unsure, worried they would get caught in the crossfire. Despite the two-to-one odds, Justyn was holding his own. He had somehow kicked Scott to the side, and before he or Chad had the chance to pounce again, Quinn and Frankie jumped into the fray, standing on either side of Justyn. Adding them to the equation was like hitting a pause button. Scott and Chad no longer felt secure in a victory when they were outnumbered, and though Justyn looked ready to dive back at them both single-handedly, Quinn was holding him back.

  “Listen, man, you have to calm down,” Quinn told him. “Let it go.”

  Justyn only turned his rage onto his friend. “Who asked you to get involved?”

  Rebecca was actually starting to worry that Justyn was going to strike out at Quinn next. At the same time, Chad and Scott seemed to be contemplating a counterattack. Rebecca was sure they were all going to kill each other when Livy finally strolled into the center of the skirmish, raising both her lace-covered arms in a cease-and-desist fashion. Her presence brought the whole conflict to a screeching halt. None of the guys were willing to hit her by mistake, a fact she had obviously been counting on.

  “Listen, fellows,” she said casually, “this nonsense has to stop right now. No one is going to ruin my show. So, you had best save the testosterone wars until after the final curtain call.”

  “I agree with the sentiment, Miss Clairoux, but don’t you mean my show?”

  Professor Carter had returned with his coffee in hand, and the last thing he had expected was to find the orchestra hushed and his actors a step away from an out-and-out brawl. Had he been using a paper cup instead of an insulated, metal mug, it probably would have been crushed by his white-knuckled grip. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets as he looked from Rebecca’s tear-streaked face to the obvious standoff between the primary members of the male cast.

  “Excuse me for being for so naïve,” he continued, his voice curt. “Here I was under the impression that I was directing a group of seasoned professionals. Instead, it seems the school has handed me a room full of children in need of constant supervision. There is a reason I had no children, people. And I do not get paid nearly enough to babysit.” He looked them over, each in turn. “You are all lucky this show is my first priority. Otherwise, I’d have the lot of you expelled. Mr. Patko, you do realize violence on campus is strictly prohibited? Scholarships have been revoked for less.”

  “Yes, sir. I apologize for the disruption.” Even from the opposite end of the stage, Rebecca was certain she heard Justyn’s teeth grinding. “It won’t happen again.”

  “It had better not,” the director replied. “Now, Miss Hope, can you pull yourself together enough to get through the rest of this rehearsal?”

  Rebecca nodded and dried her eyes on her sleeve. While her heart was still pounding, she felt more embarrassed than anything else—embarrassed, humiliated, and most of all, furious with herself for allowing Justyn to get into trouble for her sake. He was still defending her honor, even after how terribly she had been treating him. Yet as much as she hated herself, when he tried to seek her out behind stage, she was sure to stay hidden from his sight. It was odd how their roles were reversed. The year before, Justyn had always been the one disappearing behind the curtain when trouble was brewing.

  The rest of the practice was strained for everyone. It was easy to tell no one really wanted to be there. Only Justyn was in true Sweeney Todd form. His foul mood enhanced the effect of the demonic barber’s bloody rage. The scene where Sweeney kills Judge Turpin was especially nerve-wracking. Seeing the evil glint in his eye, Rebecca was worried Justyn might somehow find a way to make the dull prop blade really slice through Chad’s waiting throat.
Yet despite the tension between them, their two superb voices merged in flawless harmony when they sang. Chad’s deep baritone was the perfect complement to Justyn’s gentle tenor.

  When they finally reached the grand finale, Rebecca was relieved it was almost over. Sweeney had already massacred Lucy, and she pretty much just had to lie on the ground pretending to be dead as the scene unfolded around her. Eventually, Sweeney Todd comes down to the basement to help Mrs. Lovatt dispose of the larger-than-average body count. For the first time, he really sees the tumble of familiar hair beneath Lucy’s filthy bonnet. He finally realizes the beggar woman is his wife and that Mrs. Lovatt lied when she convinced him Lucy had died. In his fury, he throws Mrs. Lovatt into the life-size boiler. It is after that climatic moment that Sweeney finally returns to the fallen body of his wife.

  Despite the fact her eyes were closed, Rebecca could feel the despair radiating from Justyn as he cradled her body in his arms. She struggled to stay limp, but even that simple touch made her heart race. Not with the passion which she was accustomed to, but with panic and fear. She didn’t know why. She knew Justyn would never hurt her, and she loved him with all her being. Yet the terror lingered and controlled her every move. It was bearable, but still enough to make her body instantly stiffen, even at his familiar touch. He was too perceptive not to notice. He stroked her hair as he sang his next lines, and his voice rang out with honest, heart-wrenching emotion.

  “The barber’s wife was his true love.

  An angel sent from up above.

  Her outward beauty matched only by her soul.

  It was only her love that made him whole.

  He was such a fool, such a naïve man.

  One mistake foiled his righteous plan.”

  Behind lids that were still closed in feigned death, Rebecca felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She knew he was singing to her, as himself and not as Sweeney Todd. Yet, even if she wanted to, she couldn’t respond. She couldn’t break character and risk infuriating the director for the second time that day. So she stayed dead in her role. And she felt just as dead inside.

  It was only seconds later that Frankie entered the scene in his role as Toby. When the boy finds Sweeny Todd surrounded by bodies, his suspicions are confirmed. Driven by madness, Toby picks up Sweeney’s discarded razor blade and uses it to slice the throat of the demon barber. Though intended as an act of revenge, it is really peace that Toby gives to Sweeney Todd. He seems almost relieved as his life-blood drips away and he collapses atop the body of his only love.

  In a few more weeks, when they performed in front of an audience, Justyn would have to lean over and let the fake blood drip all over her face. There was no blood yet, but Justyn’s body still slumped gently on top of hers. He was careful not to put his full weight against her, but still, she had to fight back the wave of panic with every constrained breath.

  “Becca, my love,” Justyn whispered in her ear, “I’m so afraid I’m losing you.”

  Rebecca wanted to tell him he was wrong. She wanted to say the words he longed to hear. But the fact of the matter was he wasn’t wrong. He was losing her, in the very same way she was losing herself. So without a word, without shedding another tear, Rebecca stood to complete the final chorus with the rest of the living dead. Never in her brief acting career had she played a more convincing role.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Rebecca sat on the sectional couch in the Pi Beta Alpha frat house. She sighed and looked around the room at the mismatched furniture that looked like someone had picked it up off the street corner. The frat house was the typical college bachelor pad. It smelled of stale beer and masculine sweat, and she was fairly certain they had never heard of a vacuum or a feather duster. She couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing there. Sure, she had promised Megan she’d go, but that hardly seemed like a good enough reason for her to stick around the rowdy house party. Especially since Megan was so busy making out with Quinn on the other end of the sofa, she barely even noticed Rebecca was there. It had only been a week since the attack, and while her bruises were fading, she was hardly in the right frame of mind to socialize. The large crowd was making her feel jittery and claustrophobic. Still, in some ways, it was better than being home alone with Justyn watching her with those alternately sad and worried eyes.

  As the party progressed, the volume of the rock music kept rising to drown out the sound of the growing number of voices. There were dozens of students in attendance, yet Rebecca found herself surrounded by the same group of people she spent most of her time with. Her cast mates and a few familiar faces from the orchestra pit all loitered around the sectional, sipping their beers and only occasionally mixing with the rest of the crowd. Scott was in the midst of a chugging contest with a few of the backup singers, while Chad was making it look like he wanted to pick up one of the chorus girls. It was obvious to anyone who was watching that he was only doing it to get a rise out of Livy. He peeked over his shoulder every few seconds to see if she was watching him, but she hardly spared him a glance.

  For her part, the Gothic beauty seemed bored as she sipped nonchalantly from a glass of red wine. She leaned back against the easy chair with her puffy black skirts billowing around her long legs and her knee-high boots stretched out in front of her. She looked so exotic and beautiful. It made Rebecca feel even more blasé than usual in her casual tan dress. It was strapless and pleated with a dark brown belt at the waist to break up the color and accentuate her figure. When she’d bought it, she loved how sexy and adult she felt wearing it. But at that moment, she only felt overdressed and self-conscious showing so much skin. She wished she had just worn her every day clothes.

  Justyn hadn’t bothered to dress up for the occasion, but of course, his normal attire was could hardly be called casual. His black pants were adorned with silver buckles and rings, and his black shirt featured a group of eerie, grinning skulls swimming in a haze of smoke. Much like Livy, Justyn was sitting back against the sofa, looking bored out of his mind as he fiddled with his keychain. Aside from a brief hello from Quinn and Megan, no one had so much as glanced in their direction. Between Rebecca’s nervousness and Justyn’s bad temper, they probably thought it was safest to avoid them altogether. Finally, it was Frankie who at least tried to make them feel like a part of the festivities. He walked up to them with a beer in each hand. He held one out to Justyn before plopping down beside them on the sofa, but alcohol was just one of many vices Justyn avoided, claiming he didn’t want to poison his body. When he shook his head, Frankie shrugged and turned to Rebecca.

  “You look like you could use a drink.”

  Rebecca accepted the bottle without really thinking about it. “Thanks.”

  She lifted the bottle and sniffed it tentatively. She had tasted beer a few times in high school, but it wasn’t her drink of choice. In fact, she normally preferred not to drink at all, though not for the same reasons as Justyn. Alcohol made her act giddy and stupid, and usually after even just one drink, she had a headache the next day.

  Across from her, Livy was rolling her eyes in annoyance. “My God, Becca. It’s just a beer. Either drink it or don’t, but for heaven’s sake, stop staring at the bottle like it’s going to bite you.”

  Rebecca shot her a dirty look, and her grip on the bottle tightened considerably. Livy’s comment had a few other people watching her too, and rather than making herself look even more ridiculous than she already did, Rebecca took a long gulp of the cold beer. She drained almost half the bottle in one swig and then had to fight back the urge to burp.

  “That a girl!” Frankie cheered. “Chug it down!”

  Frankie obviously had a pretty good buzz going already. He chuckled for no obvious reason as he handed Rebecca a second bottle. When the music paused for a few minutes, he seemed to take that as divine intervention. He guzzled what was left of his beer and started to sing one of the songs from the play as he handed out bottles to the other kids in the crowd. It was from the scene where Sweene
y Todd faces off with another barber. Before their contest, Toby, who starts out as the barber’s assistant, sings about his special tonic that could cure any ailment. Only when Frankie sang the upbeat tune, he replaced the rival barber’s name with his own.

  “Come try Frankie’s miracle potion

  if you get the notion.

  It’s so sweet.

  Soon you’ll see no matter what might ail you,

  sniffles, coughs, or stomach flu,

  Just one sip and the cure’s complete.”

  Soon other members of the cast were joining in, shouting out the lines the chorus sings while Frankie ran around handing out beers almost spasmodically. Justyn had been studying Rebecca with a frown the whole time she was sipping her beer. As the tempo of the song picked up, he must have decided his own lines fit the circumstances perfectly. He grabbed the bottle from her hand and gave it a disgusted sniff. Using Sweeney’s Todd’s impassive voice, he almost sang the words, but not quite.

  “Is that piss?”

  This looks like piss.

  Sure smells like piss.

  It must be piss.”

  Justyn put the bottle down on the coffee table and shrugged his shoulders. Everyone else around them thought it was funny, but Rebecca wasn’t in the mood for a sing-along. She glared at him once before snatching back her bottle and draining it. She wouldn’t say it was making her feel better, but her whole body was beginning to numb. That was certainly better than the constant, unrelenting fear. She didn’t even care that she was feeling lightheaded and just a little queasy. When the bottle was empty, she reached toward the cooler to get a third. Frankie had already moved on to hand out his “miracle potion” to a group of orchestra girls, who seemed entranced by his boyish charms.