A Special Friend

Doris feels very relaxed as music soothes her. Slowly she opens her eyes, looks around and is puzzled as to where she is. Her mouth feels very dry and she has a slight headache. The music has stopped and she is bathed in sunlight from a large window. A large white duvet is wrapped around her and she is lying on a double bed. Looking around the room Doris has no idea where she is. It’s obviously a bedroom but the question is who does it belong to? Memories of her time with Morloch come to her mind and she wonders if she changed her mind and went back to Morloch’s after all. She then hears whistling coming from outside the door and thinks to herself that someone sounds very cheerful.

The door opens and Angelo Martelli enters carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

Angelo: “Good morning Nancy, I bet you could use a good breakfast after last night?”

Doris gives a weak smile wondering what Bruno’s father is referring to. Did she spend the night with him?

At that moment a voice can be heard behind Angelo as Bruno comes running up the stairs and enters his father’s room.

Bruno: “Pop, I think it could be good if we spend the day together!”

Bruno stops, noticing someone in his father’s bed.

Angelo: “Bruno, I’d like you to meet Nancy, she spent the night last night.”

Doris reluctantly looks up at Bruno standing in the doorway.

Bruno recognised her as the person, he though was Doris made to look older, who had warned him that something bad might happen to his Father on the first day of School. The smiles falls from his face leaving him in complete shock.

Bruno: “Nancy?”

There is silence for a moment as Doris desperately looks for an escape route: “Erm, could I use your bathroom?"

Angelo had a wide grin on his face: “Sure it’s the first door on the left.”

Doris quickly gathers up her clothes and rushes off to the bathroom. All the time she can feel Bruno staring at her. As she closes the bathroom door, she breathes a deep sigh of relief. Moving closer to the bathroom mirror she stares at her reflection wondering what had happened the night before. Had she really slept with Bruno's father? She can hear Bruno and his father arguing and is relieved to hear Angelo say he had slept on the couch! Still she isn't sure how she is going to get out of the bathroom without having to do some explaining.

At that moment there is a ringing noise coming from Doris clothes. Doris is surprised at first but quickly searches through the clothes and pulls out her cell phone. It shows an unknown number is calling. Cautiously she answers:

"Hello?"

At first the person calling hesitates: “Doris? Is that you?"

Doris becomes excited when she recognises the voice: “Yes Bruno, it’s me. I can’t believe I'm finally speaking to you.”

Bruno smiles: “I think it’s time we talked properly don’t you?"

Doris feels a little flustered: "Yes, Yes, but how?"

Bruno: "I'm at Caruso's, can you come and meet me? I really need to talk to you."

Doris sighs: "Bruno, If only I knew how to get there, I would."

Bruno: "Please do Doris, please do...."

With that the line suddenly goes dead.

Doris becomes frantic: "Bruno? Bruno? Are you still there?"

Realising that the connection with her friend has been broken Doris frustratedly hangs up the phone, not quite sure what to do next. She wishes the Bruno in the house she was in had the same knowledge as the one on the phone. Some how she suspects the Bruno in the house isn't going to be receptive to anything she has to say. She quickly dresses and can tell that the arguing voices have become more distant so must have moved somewhere else. Cautiously she opens the bathroom door and pokes her head out to see if the coast is clear. She is shocked to find herself looking out into a New York street. Pulling her head back into the room she sees she's still in the bathroom. Doris is totally confused and not knowing where the street will take her, she quickly steps out into the dark night. At least it gets her away from Bruno and his father. Doris looks around and then sees a neon sign lighting up the darkness. As a teenager she'd seen it many times before: "Caruso's".

Doris smiles to herself and can't believe that some how she is in exactly in the place that she needs and wants to be. She moves closer to the door and can see that most of the lights have been turned out. Looking through the glass in the door she can see Bruno, Lydia and Jim Hamilton. Music begins to play and Mr Hamilton begins to sing:

The Lady Dancer:

"She moves so easy, I wish I could see.

Then she takes my hand.

And I am clumsy and so uneasy,

But she just seems to understand.

Lady Dancer, dance for me.

You’re the answer, to my secret dreams.

And when we move together,

There’s something like I've never felt before.

You set me free.

Lady dancer, dance for me.

I learnt a language, her body language.

A world I thought I’d never know.

Lady Dancer, just dance for me.

You’re the answer, to my secret dreams.

And when we move together,

There’s something like I’ve never felt before.

You set me free.

Lady dancer, Lady dancer

Dance for me.”

Doris watches as Lydia dances around the room and as the song comes to an end she see Mr Hamilton kissing Lydia but Lydia looks uncomfortable. She remembers when she was in school and there were rumours of Lydia and Hamilton dating. She'd not been happy about it and she is surprised to feel that a little bit of jealousy has started to swell inside of her now. She watches as Lydia and Hamilton gather up their coats and realises they are leaving. Quickly Doris head back up the steps to the street and hides in a doorway. As the two exit, arm in arm Hamilton stops and sniffs the air.

Jim: "Is Doris Schwartz near by?"

Lydia is puzzled and looks around: "No Jim, I don't see her."

Jim is confused: "I guess my sense of smell must be off. She kissed me you know."

Lydia is surprised: "What?"

Hamilton continues: "Yes passionately on the lips. You could have competition!"

Lydia gives a weak smile:"Come on you fool, why don't we just call it a night?"

As they head off into the night Doris remembers the kiss she gave to Mr Hamilton. When they are out of sight Doris comes out of hiding and goes back down the steps to Caruso's. She can see Bruno sat at the synthesiser playing some music. She tries the door but finds it's been locked and so taps on the glass to get Bruno's attention.

Bruno: "We're closed!"

Doris taps again: "Bruno, it's me Doris".

Bruno unlocks and opens the door expecting to see his teenage friend and is shocked to find it is the older Doris. For a long moment he just looks at her amazed that he is finally able to talk to this mysterious woman. Even though she is older, when she smiles he can tell it is his friend.

Doris smiles: "Well, here I am. You asked me come and some how I found myself here."

Bruno is slightly confused: "Doris that was over 2 weeks ago. I didn't think you were going to show."

Doris: "Oh Wow, for me it's literally just a few minutes!"

Bruno invites her in and removes 2 chairs, that have been stacked on the tables, so that they can sit down.

Doris: "I guess you have a lot of questions?"

Bruno shrugs: "I thought I did but now that you're here I just feel shell shocked that this is real. I mean it is really you, isn't it?"

Doris nods: "Yes it's me!"

Bruno: "But how? What happened? How is it possible for you to be here?" He then laughs: "Maybe I do have quite a few questions after all!"

Doris now shrugs: "I wish I knew. All I know is that I'm here in the past. I don't know how or why or how to get home again."

Bruno pauses for a moment pondering his next question: "So you know what happens in the future? Like you knew my Pop was gonna die?"

Doris nods: "Yes, I'm from 2010 so I know pretty much what happens to all of us, in those years but I'm not sure it's a good idea that I tell. I tried warning you about your father and that just ended up in you hating me and I wouldn't want that again."

Bruno: "I guess you're right. For awhile there I couldn't understand why you would do such a thing and then deny it. That was until that day of the President's show and I realised that there were 2 of you and the person I'd been mad at really was telling me the truth. But can I ask one thing?"

Doris gives a weak smile: "Okay, but I'm not promising to answer it!"

Bruno takes a deep breath: "I guess since my Pop died and I left school, I've been doubting myself. Doubting my talent, doubting that I've got what it takes to make it, you know? I guess what I'm trying to ask is... In the future do I make a living out of a music or am I destined to be waiting tables for the rest of my life?"

Doris smiles: "Don't worry, you're making music. You're pretty successful at it too. You're never gonna be the next Elton John or someone like that but you make a living from creating beautiful music."

Bruno gives Doris a relieved smile: "That's good to know.... Am I happy?"

Doris clears her throat: "I thought you said one question?"

Bruno nods: "I did, I thought I'd just chance my luck".

Doris watches her friend for a moment considering whether to say any more. She realises that her good intentions had previously hurt him and feeling guilty she decides to try and make up for it.

Doris: "You're married, there's no kids, you own your own home, I think you're happy."

Doris can see the relief on Bruno's face and tears well up in his eyes.

Bruno: "You know when you lose someone, someone who's your whole life, everything changes. You don't want it to but you just can't stop it. It's like you can see things happening but you have no way to control it. Leaving school and leaving my friends behind, I feel like part of me has died too. Maybe, I'm underestimating them but I don't think my friends really understand how I feel, so I don't say anything to them. I just carry on hoping one day I'm gonna feel better. Hoping one day I'll be happy again. I figure you being older that you'd understand more. It means a lot to know for sure that things will get better."

Doris nods knowingly having felt similar when she'd lost important people in her life. She can see her friend struggling with his emotions and moves closer to him to gives him a hug. For a long moment they stand in silence and hold each other. Both finding comfort in the arms of the other. Bruno then looks deeply into Doris' eyes and slowly moves his head closer to hers. She thinks he's going to kiss her but at the last moment he laughs and pulls away.

Bruno: "Do you want some coffee or something?"

Doris nods "Yes" as Bruno goes to get the drinks. Doris thinks to herself that in all the years she's known Bruno he'd never mentioned these feeling before. She starts to feel a little guilty. She remembers that after his father died, she'd thought it best that they all just carry on and so she'd never really talked to him. She'd known he must have been going through hell but thought if he wanted to talk he'd bring the subject up. She remembers how depressed she'd become at that time and it was Bruno who had gotten her out of it. She wishes she'd been able to do the same for him. Suddenly it strikes her that she is helping him now by talking and feels slightly comforted. Bruno then returns with the coffee and they both take a sip.

Bruno: "So what happens now? You got Troy to give me that phone number and every once in awhile I've tried ringing it but with no success until 2 weeks ago. What was your plan when you asked him to give me the number? What do you want me to do?"

Doris thinks for a moment and shakes her head: "I don't know! I don't think I really had a plan. I just knew I wanted to be able to talk to my friend and tell him I'm sorry for hurting him. Also I wanted some kind of reassurance that I wasn't going mad and you've always been the one person I could turn to. Whether it was about diets, relationships, music, whatever, you were always there for me and I needed that again. Things have been pretty tough since I've been in the past and I'm reliving a lot of my darkest moments. So I just needed a friend and as always you are there for me.

Bruno reaches out and takes Doris' hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

Doris continues: "Before I was here, I was in a bar with you and Coco and Julie. We were singing karaoke and if I could just get back there I think I could save myself from whatever happened to me. I don't know how but I just have this feeling that that's why I'm here, to save myself."

Bruno is puzzled: "So how do you move from place to place?"

Doris shrugs: "I don't know.. It just seems to happen. Usually when I least want it to and I usually end up going from one difficult situation to the next."

Bruno: "Is there anything I can do?"

Doris smiles: "Just promise you'll always be my friend."

Bruno squeezes her hand again and smiles.

Just then there is a flash and Doris find herself back in the bar, she'd been singing karaoke in. She is alone on the stage and the bar appears empty. A wave of excitement passes through Doris that maybe she'll be able to help herself after all. Then a voice pipes from the darkness.

"I knew you'd be back. I thought it would just be a matter of time".

Doris turns to look and sees the older Bruno sat at the table he'd been watching the karaoke performance from.

Doris rushes over to greet him: "Bruno, you waited for me?"

Bruno smiles and takes her his arms: "I've been waiting all my life for you but it's only now that I realise it!"

He hugs her and they look deeply into each others eyes. Just like before his head starts to move closer as if to kiss her only this time he doesn't laugh or turn away. Instead he actually kisses her passionately on the lips. Doris is taken aback by Bruno actions but enjoys the passionate kiss.

Doris: "Bruno what are you doing?"

Bruno laughs: "I'm kissing you of course. Do you remember that time when we were in school and you were helping me rehearse for the lead in my own musical?"

Doris nods and Bruno continues: "Well we kissed then and I always thought it was more than us just practising a scene but I didn't think of you like that so I never did anything about it. Then there was that time you came back in time to Caruso's and I wanted to kiss you then, but again I bottled out of it. Well, I've been sat here a few hours thinking about us and our friendship. I realise that you are the one person I've always been able to turn to, who has helped with my problems and the one constant in my life. I realise the truth now."

Doris: "What's that?"

Bruno: "That I love you Doris. I'm in love with you and think I always have been."

A huge smile fills Doris' face as she can't believe what she is hearing. She had had feelings for Bruno in the past but didn't think he was interested in her that way and rather than risk losing his friendship she never said anything about those feelings. Now after all these years it feels wonderful to know Bruno feels the same. She starts laughing and crying at the same. After so many tears of pain, these are tears of happiness. Bruno kisses her again.

Finally after a few moments Doris stops: "This is truly wonderful Bruno but there is something I must do and I'm scared we don't have much time".

Bruno nods: "I know, I know,... we need to save your other self. Well come on then."

He reaches out and takes her hand as they rush towards the exit. As they step through the door Doris finds herself nearly colliding with the doors outside the school auditorium. Realising that she's moved in time again and is back in the school, her good feelings disappear only to be replaced with anger and frustration and bangs her fist on the auditorium door.

Doris screams: "No, NO! This can't be happening! Bruno, please I need you!"

Thankfully the school lobby is empty so no one hears her screams.

As she calms down she realises that the last couple of times she'd moved in time she'd been previously thinking about a place and was suddenly there. Also a couple of times going through doors had also triggered her moving in time. She anxiously musters up all her powers of concentration and wishes herself to be back with Bruno. She then opens the auditorium doors and steps through.

To her frustration she finds that she hasn't moved at all and is just in the auditorium. Someone is looking at her, totally shocked by what they see. At first Doris doesn't realise that the person is actually looking directly at her and doesn't think she'd been seen. However, it doesn't take long to realise that she is back where it all started, at Julie's audition for the school and this time she isn't alone.

Dressed in exactly the same clothes and this time able to see her doppelgänger is the other Doris! There is a total look of shock on her face as the other Doris sees herself and realises she too is back at the School of the Arts!

To be Continued......