"To Change What Is Past"

Doris stands on the stage in a completely empty auditorium. Just a few moments earlier a strange voice had been calling her name. The voice seemed vaguely familiar but at the same time distorted. She’d looked around but could see no one else in the room or backstage, besides who knew she was there?

She thought to herself that maybe the voice had come over the speaker system but that in itself seemed odd as it wasn’t until a few days later that Mr Morloch reactivated the old speaker system. Also it was odd that the voice was just calling her name.

Doris felt uneasy and decided to leave the solitude of the auditorium and hoped that other people around would make her feel more comfortable. She felt sure that her disguise of blond wig and large glasses would mean that no one would recognise her.

As Doris re-enters the lobby she sees Coco, Mrs Berg and her teenage self entering the school office. Doris heads for the stairs and climbs them to the second floor. She remembers that she never had a problem taking the stairs in the old days but now she’s feeling a little out of breath.

Doris makes her way to Mr Shorofsky’s music room and looks through the door window. She sees Holly singing accompanied on the piano by Bruno. Doris remembers it was Holly’s audition and she and Coco had wanted to watch but Mr Shorofsky had asked them to leave. Back when she was a teenager Doris hadn’t liked Holly at first. She’d felt intimated and if the truth be known jealous of her looks. She’d thought people like Holly breezed through life being handed everything on a plate. However, it hadn’t taken long before she’d got to know the person inside and the two had become very good friends.

At that moment the door of the music room opens and a subdued Holly comes out. Doris notices her friend looking down and can’t help but call over to her:

Doris: “How did it go?”

Holly looks up and sees the older woman and walks over to her. Holly shrugs:

“I’m not sure it was good enough. There were a couple of girls at the back of the class and I know they made a couple of comments about me which kinda put me off a little. I just hope it’s good enough to get me into this school.”

Doris: “It means a lot to you doesn’t it?”

Holly nods: “Yes it does. I guess I can always try out for the next auditions.”

Doris feels guilty about her younger self’s behaviour and decides to try and reassure Holly.

Doris: “My names Mrs Rhythm and I’m one of the music teachers at the school.”

Holly can’t help but giggle at the music teachers name but then feels embarrassed that she is being rude.

Holly: “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make fun, it’s just a music teacher with Rhythm as their surname is a little strange.

Doris has used her name from her first marriage and is used to the ridicule.

Doris: “Don’t worry about it I get it all the time. Can you believe I married into that name? I should have more sense but I guess love is blind, or was I’m divorced now”.

Holly smiles at the older woman and feels very comfortable talking to her.

Doris continues: “Anyway I have a 100% track record in predicting if a student will get into the school or not and I know you are going to make it.”

Holly’s smile becomes wider: “You Really think so?”

Doris: “I know so! I also know that one of those girls, Doris Schwartz is going to become a very good friend of yours so don’t pay any attention to any of her silly comments now, she’s just jealous.”

Holly smiles: “Thank you, you’ve made me feel so much better. I hope you’re right about things"

Doris: “I’ve never been wrong yet!”

Holly shakes the teachers hand: “I’m Holly, Holly Laird and I guess I’ll be seeing you in class?”

Doris feels a little guilty about lying about being a teacher but is happy that she has made Holly feel better and so continues with her charade.

Doris: “Yes, I guess you will.”

Holly thanks her and rushes off happily along the corridor.

Doris feels relieved that Holly didn’t seem to question anything she said.

Other people are now leaving the music room and Doris watches them go. She sees Bruno and feeling confident after her conversation with Holly she decides to risk talking to Bruno.

Doris calls: “Hey Martelli!”

Bruno looks around at the sound of his name but doesn’t see anyone he knows. So Doris calls again: “Martelli, over here!”

Bruno looks over to where the voice is coming from and looks at the blond haired woman a little bewildered. Doris notices his confusion.

Doris: “It’s me, Doris, what do you think of the character I’ve put together?”

Bruno stares: “Doris that’s you? You look completely different, older in fact!”

Doris: “A friend of my Mothers does makeup and stuff so wait until you see my old age pensioner, that will really get you!”

Doris is relieved that Bruno has bought her story and she begins to realise that if she can talk to her friends that maybe her predicament isn’t so bad after all. Doris remembers that on the first day of this term Bruno’s father is going to have a fatal heart attack. Knowing the pain losing a parent suddenly and how for Bruno it means he has to quit school she decides to try and intervene.

Doris: “Now listen Bruno this may sound a little crazy but you’ve got to promise to hear me out.”

Bruno rolls his eyes :"You and something crazy? Surely not!”

Doris throws him a look of disgust and takes a deep breath.

Doris: “My cousin is a psychic and she was doing a reading and she mentioned the father of one of my friends and something bad happening on the first day of term. She mentioned a taxi and so I figured it had to be your Dad. So whatever you do make sure you stay with him on that day and don’t let him out of your sight.”

Bruno sighs and shakes his head: “Doris you know I don’t believe in any of that psychic stuff. Besides a friend’s father could mean Danny’s Dad taking a taxi so it doesn’t mean it’ll be my pop.”

Doris; “Hey Martelli, have I ever let you down.” (She pauses and thinks for a second) “No wait don’t answer that. But you trust me don’t you?”

Bruno nods in agreement and Doris continues:

“What have you got to lose anyway? If I’m right and something does happen then you’re there to deal with it. If I’m wrong and nothing happens then you get to spend some quality time with your old man, which both of you will enjoy. So either way it’s a win win situation.”

Bruno contemplates what his friend has said and reluctantly has to agree that it makes sense.

Bruno: “Okay, okay, you win I’ll keep an eye on my Pop but now I’ve got to go and get some lunch before this afternoon’s auditions start.”

Doris smiles and gives him a hug. It felt good to be close to someone she cared about and to be doing a good deed.

As she watches Bruno walk down the corridor Doris thinks to herself “This must be why I’m back here, to help people and stop bad things from happening. What could possibly go wrong?”

At that moment Mrs Berg stands in the school office and suddenly feels a cold sensation all around her. She stops what she is doing and looks around the room Students and teachers busily go about their business and no one notices the change in temperature that Mrs Berg has noticed. Mrs Berg’s hand goes up to her lips and she mumbles to herself:

Mrs Berg: “Oh My!”

To be continued........