Page 137 of Rome: The Ballerina

Gosh, I’m all over the place.

Brain fog from total exhaustion was truly my worst enemy today. I uncapped the bottle and poured the cold water down my throat. Instantly, I felt better.

More of my cast mates rushed off the stage, down the stairs, and to their bottles. Others kept pushing, finding their dressing rooms. It was official, we’d survived another practice.

The Wayward Enchantresswas a story of a villager in search of love, stumbling upon a wounded member of the royal family and casting a love spell that would make him fall head over hills for her. While she quickly realized the spell didn’t work, she also noticed how fate had.

The royal family member began making frequent trips to the village to find her, spending only a few minutes a day in her presence until he could no longer withstand her absence during the time he was at the palace. The introduction to the family hadn’t gone as planned, leaving their newfound love in jeopardy. Nevertheless, it prevailed.

“Good job out there, Rome,” Romeo breathed, lowering his water bottle.

I did the same, trying my hardest to catch my breath.

“Thank you.”

The contents of my stomach threatened to spill from my mouth. I turned on my heels and headed for the restroom,hoping I made it in time. The bathroom in my dressing room wasn’t an option. It was too far away.

My legs moved with precision, one foot in front of the other. Though fatigue was weighing me down like a sack of bricks, I carried the extra baggage without a second thought. I slammed my hand into the community restroom door and powered through until my knees were resting on top of two paper toilet covers and my head was over the commode.

“Urgh. Urgh.”

I heaved.

“Urgh. Urrrrrrrrgh.”

My stomach sunk as my chest protruded. Foamy white liquid surrounded my mouth.

“My God, what’s happeni– urrrrrrgh–”

My palms were flat against the toilet bowl. I was desperately trying to keep from falling in. The heaving was intense, pulling my body along every time.

Heat consumed me. My body grew warmer by the second. I felt the urge to remove my clothes and lay out on the cool, dirty restroom floor. But, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Instead, I rested my bottom on the cold floor and my head against the stall. Sweat poured from my forehead. My strength had depleted. Tears formed in my eyes as I checked the damage I’d done.

I feel awful. I whimpered inside, unsure of what was happening to me.

To my surprise, the toilet was empty. Nothing came up. Nothing came out. Just thick, white foamy bubbles in the toilet and on my lips.

I remained on the floor with my head against the stall as I gathered myself, hoping to gain the strength to pick myself up off the floor. Momentarily, my lids sealed. I steadied my heart with even, calculated breathing.

Get up, baby.

Chem’s voice taunted me.

You’re a sitting duck.

My eyes opened at once. I placed my hands on the floor and began pushing upward. Strength, from some unknown place, equipped me with the energy needed to stand on my feet with the toilet covers in my hand. I flushed the toilet and watched the paper go down.

When I stepped out of the stall and into the common area, I was swayed by the idea of cold water touching my face. I leaned over the sink and splashed my face with hydrant water. I began to feel better instantly.

“God, that feels good.”

I closed my eyes and allowed the water to drip down my body. The coolness was refreshing. I wanted to put my entire body in the sink and have a cold bath.

“Are you okay?”

A quick glance in the mirror revealed Aliza’s big, wondrous and worrisome eyes. Concern was etched in her tone. Not much had been the same since I informed her of the fate of Saint and I. I wasn’t expecting it to be. While we weren’t friends, she’d taken my advice and decided against making an enemy of me.

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