Chapter 31

I awoke to find Mom standing over me, gently shaking my shoulder.

"Wake up, Honey. Dinner's ready. How do you feel?"

As I struggled to fully wake up I said, "A little better, Mom. At least my head isn't throbbing anymore."

"Good. Here, take my hand."

I reached up and took Mom's hand and she pulled me upright, stepping out of the way so that I could swing my legs over the edge of the bed. Then she sat down next to me and put her arm around me.

"Crystal, Honey, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never realized that the herbs and supplements would cause problems for any of us. I thought that, since they were all natural, they were better than the packaged vitamins from the big drug companies."

"I know, Mom, and I'm not blaming you for anything. It was just the shock of learning their affect on me. I'm okay now."

"Good." Replacing the concerned look on her face with a melancholy smile she said, "Let's go down to dinner. The table's all set and the food will be getting cold."

We got up off of the bed and went down to the kitchen where Carol was getting some heat-n-serve rolls out of the oven. Everything else was ready so we sat down, served ourselves, and then ate in silence for several minutes.

Carol broke the silence with, "So what now Crys? Are you going to cancel the California gig?"

"No. I've already committed myself and, besides, we need the money for the fund. I've decided to go through with it."

A look of concern came over Mom face again and she said, "Oh, Honey, I don't think that you should. You should stop right now."

"I can't, Mom. We don't even have enough for college, much less the surgery that would be required to return me to being a male."

"We'll find a way somehow."

"Come on, Mom. There's no way that we can get the money that we need any other way. Flipping burgers after school won’t do it. This is the best solution and… I want to do it."

"You really WANT to continue?"

"Why not? According to Dr. Danvers, most of the change has already occurred and stopping won't change me back. I might as well continue on while I can earn money from this body, such as it is."

"But, you'll stop taking the antibiotics?"

"No, I can't. I have to continue on just as before. That means taking the 'anti-biotics', and the herbs, and the extracts, and the supplements, and… everything. I can't afford to have my voice deepen, and I don't really want any facial hair. So if I'm going to do this then I have to do it all the way. I have less than two years to raise all of the money that we need for college and… whatever."

"You're SURE that you want to do this, Honey?"

"Yes, Mom. I'm sure. I WANT to go to California and do the episodes. Cary has ceased to exist for now. This is my chance, as Crystal, to provide for our future. Regardless of the events that have caused my body to develop as female, I have to face the fact that I have the body of a woman now, even if I wasn't born this way. So I might as well become a well-known actress instead of just a 'local' girl. The four episodes in California might lead to something even better."

"Okay then. We'll continue on as we had planned and leave for California on Sunday."

We spent the remainder of the mealtime discussing the trip and the details that should be attended to before we left. With my decision to remain as Crystal, behind me, I determined not to think about the consequences to my body for a while. If my hips grew a little more and my breasts continued to grow, well… it was the price that I had to pay to pursue my goals. My real worry was that, in my mind, I was becoming more of a woman than a man. Originally imitating the actions and movements of the women around me, I had by now adopted those actions and movements as my own. I found myself jumping around and squealing like the other girls when excited, "ooing" and "ahhing" over pretty things, babies, and situations, and, I was suffering mood swings that confused me no end. While I had always been rather quiet, I now seemed to be garrulous. I didn't know how much of that could be attributed to my fame and how much to my imposture. And lastly, I seemed able to cry without a second's hesitation. Years of training, as a male, to suppress the tendency to cry when sad seemed to have deserted me when Cary left. I guess that it was necessary in order to complete my portrayal of a 16 year-old girl, but it had not been intentional.

After we had finished cleaning the kitchen, we all went upstairs to begin our packing. After all, we were going to be gone for a full month and needed to pack everything that we would need for the extended stay. Mom had picked up some excellent luggage bargains during the time since our last trip to California and we retrieved the suitcases from the basement and brought them with us to our rooms. We still had two more days until we left but we could pack some things now. Clothes items such as shoes and underwear would not suffer from being packed now, while items that would wrinkle would be left out until just before we left. Since I couldn't pack everything now, I sat down and began making a list of everything that I wanted to bring. I would add items over the next two days as I thought of them, and check off things that I had packed.

On Saturday morning, Carol and I got ready to attend our last game as football cheerleaders for this year. The football season would be over when we got back unless our team got into the championships. Nancy Cupos picked us up, along with several of the other girls, and we arrived at the school quite early. Once we were ready we sat around talking while we waited for game time. The girls wanted to know about the show but there was little that I could tell them other than that I was scheduled to be in at least 4 more episodes, so I spent the time telling them about the cast and crew that I had had a chance to meet, and the location work that I had already done. Just before game time we hurried out to the field to greet the team as they emerged from the school and entered the field. Brad gave me a big smile and slowed to place his hand on my shoulder for a second as he passed. The whole school had to have seen this gesture. Another male attempt to mark his 'territory'. After the entire team had gone by, we ran to our places on the sidelines.

Our team, under the leadership of Brad, didn't waste any time in showing the opposing team that they were overmatched. On the first possession they marched down the field and scored a touchdown in just 8 plays. The opposing team responded by picking up just 8 yards in three plays, and then punting. For the rest of the first half, and then throughout the second half, our team totally dominated the game. The final score was 49 to 3.

As the players ran off of the field following the end of the game, Brad hung back to wait for me.

"Crystal, are you going to go to the party with me tonight?"

"I can't Brad. I have to leave for California tomorrow."

Carol came up behind me and said, "Oh come on Crys, we can go for a few hours. We just have to be home by midnight at the latest."

As I looked at Carol with daggers in my eyes, Brad said, "Great. I'll pick you up at 7:30. See you later." He then ran ahead to catch up with his teammates.

"Carol, we have a lot to do. We don't have time to go to a party tonight. And I wasn't in the mood for another wrestling match."

"Come on Crys, we have plenty of time. We packed everything that we could last night, and the other stuff has to wait until tomorrow so that it doesn't get too wrinkled. As long as we're home by midnight we'll be okay in the morning. Get with the spirit. This is a victory party. Maybe your boyfriend will behave himself tonight."

"I don't feel very victorious right now and…what? He's NOT my boyfriend."

Carol laughed. "You should feel victorious. You're going with the most popular guy in school. The other team still doesn't know what hit them. I heard that Brad's been telling everyone on the team that he expected them to win big today so that you'd be impressed. This victory was in your honor."

"Really?"

"Really. So you see. You couldn't refuse to go. It would have hurt Brad's feelings and might have affected the rest of the season. Cheer up. This is probably the last celebration party for a football game that we get to go to this year. The season will be over when we get back."

"Oh-kay" I said in an exasperated voice. "You win. I'll go. But we have to be home by midnight."

We jogged into the girl's dressing room and sat on a bench to cool down. The steadily lowering temperatures outside had kept us from getting too overheated today. In fact, at times, jumping around was necessary to keep warm. After about 20 minutes, Nancy called for everybody who was riding with her, and we left for home. Nancy asked us if we needed a ride to the party and Carol told her that we had a ride and that we would see her there. We said goodbye as she dropped us in front of the house and continued on to discharge the remainder of her passengers.

Brad showed up punctually at 7:30. Rather than hitting the horn like a lot of guys would have done, he came to the door to get us. Mom let him in and asked him to have a seat. Carol and I were just finishing up and we grabbed our things and went downstairs. Mom had selected a body hugging, red, mini dress for me to wear to the party. With smoke colored stockings and red ankle-strap shoes with 4-½ inch heels, I felt that I must look like a vamp. The dress was a little too tight, and a little too low cut in the bust, and I was showing more than I would have wanted to. Brad stood as we came down the stairs.

"Wow. You look great, Crystal," he said. "You too Carol".

We both said, "Thank you, Brad."

After a few minutes of small talk we left for the party. Brad helped each of us to put on our coats and Mom reminded us to be home by midnight at the latest as we had promised. Brad held the front passenger door open for me but I couldn't climb up because my skirt was too short and too tight, so he picked me up and placed me on the seat. After placing the seat belt on me, he held the door for Carol and helped her to get into a rear passenger seat. When she was buckled up, he hurried around the driver's side and jumped in.

The party was being held at Vinnie DeMarco's house, and it only took ten minutes to get there. Vinnie's house was nice, but was nowhere near as large as Jimmy Beneker’s house where the last party had been held. This party was spread out all over the house, including the recreation room in the basement. The rec room was the dance area and was the most crowded room in the house. It was like going to a concert.

We had entered the house together but Carol soon paired off with another of the team members. Adam Stefansky hadn't arrived yet and I suspected that he would regret his tardiness, if Carol was still with the same boy when Adam arrived. Brad took every opportunity to show his status by resting his arm on my shoulders or by standing behind me with his arms around my waist, but at least he didn't chase everyone away this time and I got to socialize with most of the people at the party. Carol had been right, Brad was one of the most sociable animals on the team, and it seemed like everyone wanted to be in his company at this party.

Brad took me to the dance area several times when slow songs were playing, but he behaved himself. He did nibble on my ear and tell me how much he liked my perfume, but he kept his arms around me without fondling any part of my anatomy. I was able to relax and enjoy the party. I went to the powder room only once when Carol came and got me. After determining that I was okay she returned to her 'date' for the evening.

I couldn't believe that it was 11:30 when Carol came and told me that we should start getting ready to leave. Brad and I started making the rounds to say goodbye to everyone and they all wished me luck in California. Carol was going to ride home with the boy that she had paired up with at the party, and Brad and I would follow behind. When we arrived at the house it was five minutes before 12 so we sat in the cars until midnight. Brad tried to make up for lost time as we steamed up the windows in the chill night air. When the clock on the dash indicated midnight I pushed Brad away and told him that I had to go in. I took a minute to wipe off my smeared lipstick and then wiped Brad's face. He took a quick peck at my lips and then got out and hurried around to my door. After he had unbuckled the seat belt, he picked me up and carried me to the front door of the house, where Carol was already waiting. After one more quick kiss we said goodnight and Carol and I went inside.

Once we were upstairs in my bedroom, Carol said, "How did it go tonight?"

As I took off my coat I said, "Brad was much better behaved tonight and I actually had a good time. He didn't frighten everyone off AND he didn't spend the evening groping me."

"I guess that he feels a little more secure about your friendship now and he probably understands that you won't put up with the other nonsense in public."

I suddenly had the idea that Carol knew more than she was saying. "Did you say something to him?"

"Me? To him? No."

"To anyone then?"

"Well… I might have said something to Adam. I didn't tell him to speak to Brad about it though. He must have done that on his own." She smiled.

"Uh-huh. I see." I smiled back at her. "Thanks, Sis."

Carol hugged me and I hugged back. Then she loosened my corset and went to her own room to get ready for bed. I was still smiling as I slid beneath the covers.

I still felt a little tired when I woke up in the morning but there was a lot to do so I willed myself awake and got out of bed. After washing my face and hands I went downstairs to the kitchen. Mom was already there, and she had just made fresh OJ. I sat down and enjoyed a glass, with one on my 'antibiotics', while she made bacon and eggs. We talked about the things that still had to be done before we left. Carol came in just as breakfast was ready and we ate as we continued to talk.

After breakfast we cleaned the kitchen and then hurried to bathe and finish our packing. By 11 o'clock we were ready to leave for the airport. We each had three suitcases, in addition to our carryon, and we had made several trips as we carried everything to the step outside the front door. I had checked my list several times to make sure that I'd included everything before I'd sealed mine. Mom had selected my clothes for the trip and, as usual, they had not been selected for comfort. I was wearing a simple light gray dress that had been altered by Barbara to hug my body, smoke colored stockings, and gray 4-inch, single-strap heels. My breasts had been growing since I was measured for the dress's alterations and it was extremely tight in the chest, which would be immediately obvious to anyone who saw me. Mom and Carol, by comparison, were dressed more conventionally.

Mom had called for a limo instead of a taxi because of the amount of luggage that we had. It arrived punctually and we arrived at the airport 40 minutes before our commuter flight was scheduled to depart. The ride to Chicago was very bumpy and I was glad when we finally touched down.

Our layover time would be an hour and a half so we checked in and found a comfortable spot in the waiting area near our gate. We sat and talked as we watched the world pass by us in the form of travelers from every land. Carol and I made a game of trying to guess where each traveler's trip had started from. We giggled quietly as our speculations got more outrageous the longer we played the game. When, at last, our flight was loading, we picked up our carryon luggage and assembled on line as they called the seating assignments. To save money, Mom had booked us into coach class, so we had to wait until the first class passengers had been loaded and then the rear section seating. Our seats were in the middle of the jumbo, and the flight was a crowded one. When we were finally seated, it seemed like only a few minutes before the plane started to move as it was backed away from the gate, but it was a full twenty minutes before we airborne.

After several hours of flying, we touched down at LAX airport. As the plane taxied to the gate, people jumped up and began to retrieve their carryon luggage from the overhead luggage compartments despite admonitions from the flight crew to remain seated until the plane had come to a complete stop. Carol, Mom, and I just sat in our seats and tried to avoid getting 'beaned' by falling objects. By the time that the plane rolled to a stop, people waiting to disembark filled the aisles. The door was opened and they rushed out so that they could hurry to the luggage retrieval area. As a reward for their frenzied efforts they were now entitled to wait longer than everyone else for their baggage to begin appearing on the moving conveyor belts.

After the aisles had cleared, we got up and retrieved our things from the overhead. By now the ground crew was beginning to offload the luggage. We had heard the noises as they raised the compartment door, and could hear sounds below our feet as they worked to empty the hold. We would still beat the luggage to the retrieval area, even if we continued to take our time.

 

As we exited the plane, I was surprised to see Bernard, from the agency, waiting for us.

"Miss Ramsey, welcome back to L.A. Welcome back Mrs. Ramsey. Is this your daughter Carol?" When Mom nodded, he extended his greeting to include her, "Welcome Miss Ramsey." He reached out and took the small case from my hand. "I have a cart waiting. It will take you to the front of the building, where the car is waiting. If you'll give me you're luggage receipts I'll get your bags for you."

Mom handed Bernard the luggage tickets as she gave him a description of the cases, and he led us to the waiting cart. There was only room for three of us on the cart, so as the cart began to move, Bernard walked over to the moveable walkway.

The cart driver dropped us off at the front door where the limo driver that I had met on an earlier trip was waiting for us. He escorted us to the car and we climbed into the back of the limousine to wait for Bernard with the luggage. It was about twenty minutes before Bernard showed up with two skycaps and the suitcases. He and the driver loaded them into the trunk and then he joined us in the limo. As the car pulled away Bernard began his tour guide routine for the benefit of Carol since he knew that this was her first trip to the area. About 25 minutes later we arrived at a condominium complex. I was surprised as I was naturally expecting us to return to the same hotel that we had used previously.

Mom, seeing the question on my face, said, "I asked the agency to find us a furnished apartment for our stay instead of the hotel. It will seem more like home."

Bernard added, "This condo is great. It has three bedrooms and is furnished very nicely. The complex has a pool and several tennis courts. We have used this place before and everyone has always been pleased."

Bernard led the way to the condo as the driver followed with the first of our suitcases, and we explored the rooms as Bernard and the driver retrieved the remainder of the bags. The master bedroom had a private bath, and the two other bedrooms shared another, just like we had at home. The kitchen was a bit small but was joined to a small dining area, separated by a small counter with two stools. The living room was fairly spacious though, and had a large screen television and VCR. The condo was spotlessly clean, tastefully decorated, and should make a nice home while we were here. I agreed with Mom that having 'our' own place would be nicer than staying in a hotel.

When Bernard and the driver had brought in all of the bags, Bernard handed Mom a large manila envelope. "Here's an information packet, Mrs. Ramsey. It contains lists of businesses that will provide services and products that you may require. For example there's a list of grocery stores that will deliver, and also some decent restaurants that deliver in this area, including one that will deliver from 6 a.m. until 3 a.m. The envelope contains the keys to the rental car that you requested. It's parked in the spot assigned to this condo. There's a regional street map, and specific directions to find your way to the studio. They will need Miss Ramsey there at 6 a.m. each morning, beginning tomorrow. Well… I guess that that's all. Do you have any questions?"

I spoke up and said, "Bernard, I haven't received a script yet. I'm not prepared."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. My understanding is that they're still working on it and that they still didn't have it available as of this morning. They will understand that you are not prepared and will give you time to learn your lines before shooting starts. Don't worry."

"Okay. Thank you."

"If there's nothing else, then I'll be going. My number is on a list in the envelope in case you need anything."

We said good-bye to Bernard and thanked him for his help. After he left we took our suitcases to our bedrooms and unpacked. Carol and I took the bedrooms that shared a bath, and Mom got the Master bedroom. We spent the next couple of hours ironing the wrinkles from our clothes using the dining room table and the iron that we had brought. At 6 p.m. we had finished getting organized and we decided to go for a ride, and to find a nice restaurant for dinner.

Taking the street map and the keys to the rental car, we set off. The first task was to find the car. We figured out the system for finding the assigned spot. Each condo's number was painted onto the pavement in front of the condo's assigned parking spot. These were the parking spots closest to the building. A little further away was a number of parking spots that didn't have any numbers. We assumed that these were open for whoever wanted to park there.

The rental car was an almost new Buick. I guess that it would be described as mid-sized. It was a four door, white, hardtop. With Mom driving and Carol navigating, we pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards the condo complex's exit. Mom said that our first order of business was to find the studio so that we'd be prepared in the morning. Using the very specific directions that we had found in the envelope, we located the studio easily. With that chore complete, we drove around, fairly aimlessly, just getting a 'feel' for the area while we looked for a restaurant that appealed to us. After an hour of riding around we settled on a small Chinese restaurant, parked the car, and walked in.

The restaurant looked like any other Chinese restaurant that we would have found back home. I guess that they buy their decorations from the same companies. What we did discover was the difference in food. One of my favorite Chinese dishes had always been Lo Mein. When my order came, I was astounded by what was set before me. Back home, the noodles used for Lo Mein are like spaghetti, or more specifically, linguine. Here, the Lo Mein noodles were like wide, flat, egg noodles. I didn't enjoy the dish because it seemed like I was eating Hungarian Goulash. Carol fared better with her Chow Mein, and Mom enjoyed her Cashew Chicken. Over the following weeks, my biggest culinary disappointment in California would be the pizza. Each of the several times that I tried it, it seemed like different variations of Marinara sauce and farmer's cheese on a Matzo cracker. I'm sure that the California natives loved it the way that it was, if the crowds at the pizza places were any indication, but I longed for a good Chicago style, deep dish pie, or even a New York style pie.

After dinner we headed straight back to the condo. If we were going to be at the studio at 6 a.m. then we had to get to bed. The time zone change gave us a little edge since 6 a.m. here was 8 a.m. back home, but that would change quickly as our internal clocks adjusted to the time here. By 9 o'clock we were all in bed. This would become my regular bedtime for those evenings when I had to work the next day.

My alarm sounded at 4:30 in the morning. I hopped out of bed and hurried to bathe, dress, and prepare to leave for the studio. Mom had selected my outfit, of course, with the idea that I was making another 'first impression'. It was true since much of the cast had not been present for my previous work, and some of the crew might have changed. I was wearing the tightest skirt that I owned, and a blouse that left virtually nothing to the imagination. With my 4 and a half-inch heels, I felt like streetwalker getting ready for work. Mom's counter argument against my protests were that we wanted studio personnel to see that I could portray roles other than the virginal, blushing bride that I had so far been limited to. We were ready to leave by 5:45 and we made it to the studio in less than ten minutes.

The guard at the gate gave us a cardboard sign to place on the dashboard of the car, directed us where to park, and we reached the set one minute before 6 a.m. A few people were milling about on the set, drinking coffee or tea. Jill Stassbery spotted me and walked over with her arms out.

"Crystal, welcome back. It's so nice to see you again. I've been looking forward to seeing you since I learned that they had signed you for more episodes."

"Hi, Jill," I said as we hugged. Separating, I said, "You remember my mother, Susan, and this is my sister, Carol."

"Of course I remember your mom. Hello Susan. And welcome, Carol. Is this your first trip to the studio?"

Carol said, "It's my first trip to California and it's wonderful. It's so warm here. The temperatures were beginning to dip back home, and there will probably be snow on the ground by the time that we get back."

"I hope that that won't be for a while. We're hoping that the show will be picked up again, and if it is, then your sister will be needed HERE'.

I said, "What do you think the chances are of that?"

Looking a little sad, she said, "Impossible to say. Just between us, I have to admit that the episodes have been boring. The producer fired all of the writers a couple of weeks ago and brought in a new group. That's an indication of a last ditch attempt to save the series. The new writers were responsible for suggesting that you be brought back. The series premier was very well received and they're hoping to bring back that spark."

Mom said, "Jill, is the cafeteria open? We haven't had any breakfast yet and Crystal will need something to make it through the morning."

"Yes, it's open for breakfast, but there's no need for you to go. I'll have something sent to Crystal's dressing room. Would you like coffee or tea? And do you want pastries, or eggs, toast, and juice, or, perhaps cereal?"

"Tea, eggs, toast, and juice."

"Got it. I'll take care of it right away. Crystal, you know where the dressing rooms are. Yours has your name on it. The wardrobe people will be with you shortly, and there's a script there. I'll see you a little later. Okay?"

"Okay, Jill. Thanks."

Jill hurried off as we left to find my dressing room. I assumed that it would be the same one that I had before, or near it. My former dressing room didn't have my name on the door so we walked down the corridor until we found the one that did. Instead of the crudely penned sign made from masking tape and a felt tipped pen, the name 'Miss Ramsey' was printed on a piece of vinyl like a bumper sticker. I guess that it was a step up.

As we walked into the room I discovered that it was indeed a step up. The room was at least twice as large as the one that I had been previously assigned. There was a couch, three comfortable chairs, and a coffee table, in addition to a large makeup table with a lighted mirror. A tiny refrigerator sat in the corner, and it had a coffee maker on top of it. A small table in another corner held a television set. I found the script on my makeup table, so I put my purse down and picked it up. Flipping through the pages quickly, I saw that I had a lot of lines to learn.

Mom and Carol sat down in a couple of the upholstered chairs and I sat on the couch to read through the script as they chatted. A knock at the door was answered by Mom's 'Come in'. A stage-hand entered carrying a box containing the food from the cafeteria and he handed it to Mom. We thanked him and he left as Mom spread out the food on the coffee table. I sipped my tea, and nibbled on my food, as I read through the script. I didn't have much of an appetite but I did feel a little better after I had part of the breakfast.

I had read through about half of the script when we heard another knock at the door. This time it was the wardrobe women. I had met Liz and Toni on my last trip out so we spent a couple of minutes with small talk before starting to work. I hadn't noticed but my costumes were hanging in the closet already. I spent the next hour being fitted for alterations. Everything fit pretty well already so alterations would be minor.

As they collected the clothes to be altered, Toni said, "You might want to consider not wearing that padded panty girdle anymore. You've filled out enough that you don't really need it. You've got a nice shape, Hon. You don't have to fake it. We'll have everything ready in a couple of hours. We'll hang the finished clothes in your closet. See you later, Hon."

After Liz and Toni left, Mom laced me back up so that I could put my own clothes back on. I wouldn't be wearing the corset under the clothes for the show, but I needed it to fit into the clothes that had been altered by Barbara. I returned to reading the script until someone knocked on the door again.

This time it was the director, Mr. Landois, and two other men. They came in after Mom responded to their knock.

Mr. Landois put out his arms as I stood up and he hugged me. "Princess, it's so wonderful to have you back with us again. You're looking as lovely as ever. I haven't had a chance to tell you how wonderful you did in the first episode, but let me tell you now that you were terrific. You probably already know that we used almost every scene that you were in. After we saw the raw footage, we rewrote the script to feature you as much as possible. We even hurried out and shot a church scene to complement your performance and devote the whole episode to your wedding and honeymoon. It turned out wonderful and we want to capture some of that magic again." Turning halfway to the men standing behind him he said, "I'd like to introduce you to Bill Wittier, the producer for our show and Walt Goldman, our new head writer."

I said, "Hello, Gentlemen. I'm pleased to meet you. This is my mother and my sister."

They both said hello and then Mr. Wittier said, "Miss Ramsey, I'd like to welcome you back also. We're very happy that you were available to come back on such short notice. I'm afraid that the shooting schedule is going to be a bit grueling over the next several weeks. We're hoping to televise this next, new episode in just two weeks. We have already released a synopsis so that the television program guides will describe the new show. The new writers have a lot of wonderful ideas and will be turning out the scripts just as quickly as possible. We are going to try to salvage much of the footage already shot for future episodes by blending it with new footage."

Mr. Goldman said, "We're going to have a script reading in twenty minutes. We realize that it's a cold reading and that it will be more difficult for you because you haven't worked with the other cast members, except Oliver, but this will be a good opportunity to meet them and the other writers."

Mr. Landois said, "Don't worry, Princess, we're all friends here. We share the common goal of wanting to produce a great show. Your mother and sister will not be able to attend the reading since space is limited in the conference room, but they're welcome to remain here. Fruit will come and get you to show you the way. We'll see you there."

After they left I returned to reading the script. I was determined to get through it before the meeting so that the reading would not be as cold as predicted.

 

(continued in Chapter 32)

 

 

 

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© 1999 by Crystal Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.
Anyone wishing to make comments is welcome to e-mail me at crystal@storysite.org