The Luster of Stars in Moscow
⁇ 57
"What'sthis? It's out of the ordinary, the new kid from a small theater group suddenly gets the lead role."
The whispers came from the second or third row behind Cheri. Slowly their voices pierced through her silence trying to concentrate on the scenario in her hands, drawing the attention of the girl who was careless from daydreaming.
Cheri turned his gaze away from the screenplay paper and from the ramblings of Vladimir Vallensky who was instructing him a lot. The look on his tired face from grieving turned into shock, then became pure annoyance as the whispers continued.
What else is this? thought Cheri. Why does he always find the same thing?
"It seems like there's nothing special about the boy, is he really that talented?"
Hearing those words, Cheri grimaced with blood streaming down his face. His whole body stiffened or was a little dazed. He tried to keep his balance and hid his fist covered in sheets of script while his jaw was grinding. He moved deeper into his seat.
"Already! It's already! Act as usual. What are you guys messing with?" A loud voice rebuked them.
Cheri glanced back and found everyone staring at him. That doesn't surprise him at all. He was quite familiar with that cold, hostile look.
The Kyle-like boy who rebuked her at the entrance a few days ago when Cheri first set foot on Tsar Dramy, stared back at her with a flat face. It was the boy who rebuked the gossipers earlier.
"You didn't hear me, did you?" Vladimir then rebuked him.
Cheri hurriedly turned his face again towards Vladimir, while the gossipers behind him hissed laughing.
After Vladimir gave the briefing, Cheri left the training room with a tired face. He could feel the sight of everyone burning his back.
Although he tried to be calm and tried to talk casually, trying to approach everyone, but the eyes of those people still felt cold and filled with great hostility.
Cheri let out a short sigh and immersed himself into the ladies' bathroom. But the walls of the bathroom were very low and could not hide themselves completely from all this.
"I heard that Cheri Dutchkova had an affair with Rafael Moscovich!"
The gossipers also appeared in the bathroom corridor.
"Oh, great!" A snorting sound. "And now he's also in touch with Vladimir."
At once Cheri felt the world as if it had no safe place to simply rest.
"Great is he too, when he said he was only sixteen years old."
"It's so low!" The other girl chimed in. "But why did she get the role of Joan the messenger girl of God."
"What his Joan will look like. I'm curious."
Sounded giggling.
"I couldn't look up to the director to get the lead role."
You are wrong, Cheri said in his heart. Want to scream, "YOU'RE ALL WRONG!"
But as if he could hear Cheri's inner voice, the gossiping girls suddenly shrieked and held their breaths while smothering their mouths. Their eyes spontaneously widened to find Cheri in one of the bathroom rooms while staring at them with a warning highlight.
"He's here" whispered one of the girls.
"Go, yuk!" push the others.
"Ah, just calm down!" sergeant one of the girls as he glanced at Cheri. "The reality is so, right. Especially when looking at Vladimir's attitude. Who doesn't know what Vladimir looks like."
"Easy! Let's just go."
Then simultaneously the girls turned around and slipped away. But still don't stop gossiping.
Cheri was bowed and gulped with great difficulty-swallowing all the bitterness he could hardly accept. He turned on the shower and drowned his head under the hot shower which he hoped would help him get a little warm feeling. But his heart remained cold.
Even though no one understands me…
Even though I'm being worded…
Even though the whole world hates me…
I have to keep holding on!
Cheri tried to strengthen himself.
Demi Rafael.
I have to hold on…
All alone!
Then the presence of a person in the bathroom next to her made Cheri immediately end his crying, wipe his tears and raise his face. Pretend like nothing happened.
At first glance he glanced at the person and screamed as he crossed his hands in front of his chest.
The boy in the next room was a Kyle-like boy who rebuked him at the entrance when Cheri first entered the theatre of Tsar Dramy.
The boy kept a flat face. "I'm a girl" she said a little annoyed.
A female? Cheri froze with round eyes and mouth. Then look towards the boy.
"Look right," said the boy as he glanced down toward his own body.
With her special childish plain face, Cheri looked up at the next room and frowned. "Sorry—" he said stammeringly.
"It's okay," said the boy, turning on the faucet. "I'm used to it."
Cheri continued his bath while occasionally glancing at the child whose face resembled Kyle with the curious look of a child.
"My name is Leah Denova" said the boy suddenly.
Cheri's eyes spontaneously widened. "You're Kyle Denovich's brother?"
The tomboy girl turned her head in unison, her eyes twinkling, but her expression remained flat. "You know him?" He asked back.
"He's my upperclassman" replied Cheri.
"She's my twin" Leah explained briefly.
The twins? cheri thought surprised. It's just nice that they're so similar. But does Leah need to trim her hair like Kyle?
"Hey, can I have a word?" Leah asked while glancing at him. His voice was loud and resolutely forged a very disciplined vocal exercise.
Cheri glanced at him again. His voice was also very similar to Kyle's, he thought. It was like taking a shower with Kyle. And that makes it a bit clumsy.
"I know why you left the MoscovArt Theatre" Leah said as she began rubbing her arm with soap. "But I hope you don't put your role aside."
Cheri was flabbergasted and glanced at Leah.
Leah glanced back at him, her flat expression seemed to have become her trademark. "People who have known Vladimir for a long time know he enjoys using scandals as a promotional tool."
Cheri finally felt warm and was no longer alone. Finally someone can understand it. And most importantly he's identical to Kyle. At least he could sense Kyle's presence in a foreign place. It helped him feel connected to the MoscovArt Theatre.
"I've seen your show before" Leah said. A smile finally fell on the corner of his lips. Compared to her twin, Leah has a much calmer personality that is more suitable for boys.
It would be nice if he and Kyle exchanged personalities, Cheri thought.
"I love Rafael Moscovich's works myself" Leah continued. "More than Vladimir's."
Cheri's gaze softened upon hearing Rafael's name mentioned.
"But the important thing is Joan" Leah added. "It's a good role."
Cheri tried to display a sincere smile in response to Leah's suggestion.
"For an actress, there's nothing happier than being able to get a good role" Leah said.
"I've worked so hard to practice that I can finally play Joan" Leah said. "So I'd be mad if you couldn't play it right."
Cheri blinked and looked at Leah.
"I've been dreaming of the role for a long time" Leah added, smiling at Cheri.
"Joan is.. What kind of role?" Cheri asked hesitantly.
Leah smiled again, but did not look at Cheri. "I'm not a man or a woman" he said eagerly. "Not an adult or a child, nor is it an angel or a demon. People call me.. Joan of Arc!" Leah raised both her hands as if she was wielding a sword. "The Lord who carries the sword."
Cheri blinked and gasped, filled with admiration.
"This person is a human being who is pacing between heaven and the world" Leah explained.
Cheri is still flinching. Earlier, in an instant, I could see Joan's figure, her mind in amazement.
Then suddenly Leah laughed. "I like that part" he said among his laughter. His face was sparkling with pleasure and looked glittering under the small tuned water splash resembling rainfall.
This guy really has potential, Cheri admitted, a little stung by feelings of envy. "Maybe compared to me, you're better suited to Joan" she said grimly.
"I hate sympathy and humility," said Leah, her expression changing quickly—back to flat mode.
Cheri immediately fell silent.
"The dream is not something that is given to us, or something that has been waiting for us" Leah said with a look of light. "Playing something we have to catch ourselves. Because within will appear magical power when you want to realize the desire. You know that?" Leah looked at Cheri. "Just like when we create a character in a play, we will imagine what we want to be seen clearly in plain sight. When we do it over and over again, it doesn't feel like the character is becoming more and more real, as if we can touch it."
Cheri bowed and gulped.
"Even now I can't, I'll play Joan." Leah.
