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For a moment Doris stands motionless, staring at the mirror where Leroy is standing. Leroy bangs his fists against the glass in the hope of breaking his way out. Panicking he cries out.
Leroy: “Help me Doris! I don’t understand.. How did I get here? What happened? Did you do this to me?”
Doris is taken aback by the question: “Why would you think I’d have anything to do this?”
Leroy calms down a little and stops banging against the glass and fixes Doris with a hard stare.
Leroy: “Well for years now you've been haunting me. Whenever something weird or strange happened, I’d always see you lurking around. I didn't realise who you were at first as when it started I was a teenager and you always looked older but eventually I working it out and I've been seeing you ever since. Now the weirdest thing of all has happened and I'm stuck in a mirror somehow and who should I see staring back at me? Of course it’s you!”
Doris breathes a deep breath, trying to take on board everything Leroy is saying. It’s obvious that Leroy is older than the teenager that she has been seeing lately.
Doris: “ I'm sorry Leroy but I have no idea what’s happened to you. I'm amazed by some of the things that have happened too.”
Leroy slowly looks her up and down and raises his eyebrow slightly sceptical of what she is saying.
Leroy: “It’s a little hard to believe you.”
Doris sighs: “I swear I'm telling you the truth. I wouldn't lie to you.”
Again Leroy raises his eyebrow: “Then why are you here?”
Doris shakes her head: “I wish I knew. All I'm trying to do is get home.”
Leroy laughs: “Maybe you should click your heals together 3 times!”
Doris glares at him: “Well I'm glad you’re finding this funny. You are the one stuck in the mirror. The only people I've seen in the mirror before are Lisa and Nicole and they were....”
Doris’ voice trails off unable to finish the sentence as a terrifying thought strikes her. She remembers when she was back at the hospital and moving to different time frames with each of her friends as they left the school. She remembers seeing a distraught Lydia crying as Leroy was dead. Doris realises that’s why he must be in the mirror.
Leroy is waiting expectantly for her to finish the sentence: “Well? They were what?”
Doris looks at him: “Oh Leroy, I'm so sorry..”
Leroy is confused: “Sorry? Sorry about what? I thought you said you hadn't done anything to cause this? What’s going on?”
Doris lowers her voice: “I don’t think I did cause this but there’s something I have to tell you.”
Again Leroy waits expectantly: “Well! What is it?”
Doris opens and closes her mouth a couple of times but can’t find the right words to say.
Leroy starts to feel annoyed: “Come on tell me because this is starting to get very annoying!”
Doris takes another deep breath: “Well, the only other people I've seen in the mirror have been dead.”
Leroy snaps: “So you’re telling me I'm dead and you can see dead people?”
Doris nods slowly: “Yes.”
Leroy is angry: “That’s just crazy! You’re talking crazy! I think you need some help. Now stop playing around and get me out of here before I....”
Leroy stops not exactly what threat he can actually make.
Doris: “ I'm sorry! I wish I did know how to help you but there’s nothing I can do. You obviously have some unfinished business which is why you haven’t passed over to the other side.”
Leroy angrily interrupts: “Stop talking like that! I ain't dead, which is why I haven’t passed over to anywhere. This is obviously some kind of sick joke. Now get me out of here!”
Leroy starts banging on the glass again as Doris helplessly watches. After a moment the lights start to change and other figures start to appear. Doris can see Lisa and Nicole and each of them takes one of Leroy’s arms.
Nicole gently tries to calm him down: “Its okay Leroy we’ll help you. It can take some getting used to but we’re here for you.”
Leroy is stunned to see Nicole: “Nicole, how can this be, you died in a car accident years ago. What are you doing here?”
Nicole smiles: “I haven’t passed over yet either. There’s something that I still need to be done.”
Nicole looks directly at Doris as she says this and Doris nods her head slowly.
Leroy shakes his head: “I don’t know what sick joke you people are playing but I'm not dead! Do you hear me? I'm not dead I tell you!”
Both Lisa and Nicole try to calm him down. Both have one of Leroy’s arms and they lead him away.
Nicole: “Come with us. We’ll explain everything.”
Leroy struggles: “Nooooo! Leave me alone. Doris this is your fault.....”
Doris watches as the lights change and the mirror changes back to normal. Doris puts her head in her hands and breathes deeply. She feels drained by the experience and worries about Leroy and if she did have any part in his death.
Doris sits silently in the empty room for what seems like a long time, lost in her own thoughts. Eventually she is disturbed by two young women, who she doesn't recognise, entering the room laughing and carrying what looks like costumes.
Gillian: “Do you think he really likes me Reggie?”
The question goes unanswered as both girls see Doris.
The one referred to as Reggie speaks to Doris: “Are you with the film?”
Doris is puzzled: “The film?”
Reggie: “Yeah, “Love Kittens go to High School”. They are making it here at our school. It’s so exciting to be involved in a real production”
Doris nods: “Oh yes the film. Yes I'm with the film, I'm the ....designer. Are those the costumes?”
The girls nod eagerly: “Yes.”
Doris makes her excuses and leaves the room. The door closes behind her and she rests against it, not sure what to do next. She hears music start up inside the room and the girls start singing:
“I saw him standing at the footlights,
And I knew it wasn’t wrong,
That feeling that I had at first sight,
Told me there was something going on.
Before I ever knew his name,
I knew I’d never be the same.
Because He Looks like Romeo to me.
(I think you’re taking this way too far.)
Love’s perfect answer to my dreams.
(He Will only smile and break your heart.)
He’s such a crazy guy,
He may not catch your eye but,
He looks like Romeo to me.
(You don’t know where this is leading,
And you just don’t seem to care.
You think he’s just what you’ve been needing,
But you should be running scared.
I do know what your heart is saying,
But can’t you see the chance you’re taking?)
He Looks like Romeo to me.
(I think you’re taking this way too far.)
Love’s perfect answer to my dreams.
(He will only smile and break your heart.)
He’s such a crazy guy, (He’s not stable.)
He may not catch your eye but,
He looks like Romeo to me. (Yeah, he’s a Romeo alright!)
He Looks like Romeo to me.
He looks like Romeo.
He Looks like Romeo.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.”
During the song Doris moves away from the door as the two girls leave room and continue backstage. From where Doris is standing she can see Jesse on the stage in the auditorium practising a dance step. Doris realises she must be back in the 80s. Jesse’s hair is longer than when she attended the school with him and she wonders if now is her opportunity to talk to him. She sees Dusty rush up to him and give him a hug. Doris can just make out what they are saying.
Dusty: “ I'm going to class now but I’ll see you here later for our date right?”
Jesse smile: “You sure will.”
Dusty smiles and rushes off. This is enough to confirm to Doris that this time is after Nicole had died. She ponders for a moment how to approach Jesse and what to say. Suddenly an idea strikes her and she rushes back into the makeup room. She sees the cheer leader costumes that the girls have left and quickly tries to find one that fits. Eventually she does and puts it on. It‘s a tight fit but Doris manages it. She grabs a wig and then spies a mask in the corner which she also puts on. Doris takes a look at herself in the mirror and pulls a face. It’s not a great look for her but it will have to do.
Quickly Doris rushes out of the room and up to the stage. She’d worried that things would have changed and Jesse would no longer be there but to her surprise he is. Doris stands in the wings watching Jesse dance around the stage. She can’t believe that she’s finally caught Jesse alone and in the right time line for her to give him Nicole’s message.
Doris clears her throat and Jesse comes to a stop noticing someone watching him.
Jesse: “Who’s there?”
Doris smiles: “Don’t you recognise your wife when you see her?”
Jesse is puzzled: “My wife?”
Doris nods: “Yes, who else would marry you to keep you from being deported?”
Jesse comes closer and remembers the time when he was nearly deported back to Mexico and the efforts of his friends tried to keep him in America.
Jesse: “Doris is that really you?”
Doris nods: “Yes it’s me. Why how many wives do you have?”
Jesse laughs, rushes over and gives her a big hug: “It’s good to see you; I didn't recognise you in that costume”.
Doris feels him close to her and the comfort of a friend feels good: “It’s good to see you too.
Jesse: “So what are you doing here?”
Doris: “I got a part in that movie they're shooting here.”
Jesse is excited: “That’s great news and that explains the costume.”
They hug again.
Jesse: “It’s been a long time since we've seen you. What have you been up to?”
Doris smiles: “Oh this and that, getting a little work when I can. It’s great to see you again.”
They both smile and there is then a silence. Doris finally breaks it: “Listen Jesse, I've been searching for you for a long time. There’s something I need to tell you. It’s an important message.”
Jesse looks at her intrigued by what she has to say: “ I'm listening.”
Doris: “It’s about Nicole!”
The smile fades from Jesse’s face as he looks at Doris expectantly. Doris takes a deep breath...
To be continued........
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