AN: I have added YouTube links to the songs in the chapter as suggested by a reader, which will help in the immersion iory.

  ___________________

  The show tinued after a 15-minute break.

  Months passed iory, and the vilge was celebrating Christmas when Billy’s dad got drunk and sang about his wife, who died three years ago. Billy met with Michael, who coaxed him to show some of his ballet moves, but Billy deed his offer. As Michael went home, Billy stood in the hall silently pting before pig up a chair from the er and moving towards the left side of the stage, rotating it on its axis.

  (Dream Ballet-Billy Elliot)

  Evan was surprised by that sudden move. He had seen Troy perform most of his dance routines, but not this one, so he was eager to see what the team of the musical had cooked up this time.

  While Troy was yet to move on to the daep, an older version of Billy came on stage and started doily the same steps, but on the right side of the stage. The theme of [Swan Lake] pyed in the background as the two Billys danced in perfect sync. White smoke was wafting through the air in the background while Evan was mesmerized by the beautifully coordinated se unfolding in front of them. Each jump, lift, and twist seemed effortless on the part of the two dancers. Then suddenly they stopped in the middle of the stage, where the older Billy attached a wire to the younger Billy’s back. The wire went tight as the uy helped the younger one by swinging him through the air. The whole se looked right out of a dream as the young Billy was flying high, without an ounce of fear on his face. In fact, he looked to be in bliss.

  That se evoked a sense of longing in Evan. He wao fly, just like Troy was doing for this dance.

  As the sequended, Billy stopped dang right in front of his visibly angry father. But the audience went wild at that masterfully chraphed danot oo remain behind, Evan and everyone in their box stood up and cheered to show their excitement for Troy’s best dance performao date. From the actors’ reas, it was clear that the father was supposed to say his line, but he had to wait for the audieo calm down before he could do it.

  When they did, he asked Billy to go home befoing to Mrs. Wilkinson’s pce himself to talk to her about Billy’s audition. There he finds out that there is still hope, but Billy would have to go to London, and it would also cost a lot of money for his tuition. Overe with grief a, the father breaks strike to work in the mio earn some money for Billy, only for his older son Tony to stop him, and the older man breaks down.

  Their unity bands together and collects money for Billy and his father to go to London at the Royal Ballet School. While there, when his auditio go well, in a fit of childish rage, Billy hits audent and is reprimanded harshly by the staff. They ask him an important question: Why does he dahe answer is unique in itself.

  (Electricity- Billy Elliot)

  “~I ’t really expin it

  I haven't got the words

  It's a feeling that you 't trol.”

  As Troy started singing in his perfectly toned voice, Eva his desperation to dance.

  “~I suppose it's like fetting

  Losing who you are

  And at the same time

  something makes you whole.

  It's like that there's a music

  pying in your ear.

  And I'm listening and I'm listening,

  and then I disappear.

  And then I feel a ge,

  like a fire deep inside

  Something bursting me wide open

  Impossible to hide.

  And suddenly I'm flying

  Flying like a bird

  Like electricity, electricity

  Sparks inside of me and I'm free!”

  Suddenly, Billy threw his bag to his father, who caught it deftly, and at the same moment did two secutive backflips befoing into the traditional ballet formation for boys. This was his best da as he twirled and flipped, doing everything iween, more than enough for any viewer to dis that Billy was indeed a very good dancer.

  As the song he end, Billy did ten or so tinuous spins on his right leg without putting his left leg down at all. Evan had seen this dance routine many times before, but seeing it executed so perfectly left him sturoy came down in a rexed position, heaving heavily, but pleted his remaining part heless: “Electricity, sparks inside of me. And I’m free. I’m free!”

  As Troy took the final resting pose of his performance for the audition, the audience went wild, and simultaneously everybody stood up from their seats and started g loudly once more. Howls, whistles, and cheers filled the stadium as people kept appuding a performahat wasn’t even the finale of the show. Evan was o the theater se, so he wasn’t sure if this was the norm or if Troy was extraordinary just now.

  Troy was visibly touched by this rea from the people for a moment, but he trolled himself because he had a show to finish. So he waited patiently in his final position for people to sit down so that he could tih the se, but they didn’t. Evewo minutes had passed, people kept on appuding.

  Eva eted to see the rea of people.

  When the audience didn’t show any signs of stopping, Troy turo the man who ying his father, who motioned for him to go oing the hint, Troy went back to being Billy, and in character ran to his father, grabbed his jacket and bag, and dashed off backstage. All this while, the people were yet to cease their appuse or standing ovation.

  That was the most electrifying moment Evan had ever seen in his life.

  As the story tinued, life ba the vilge went back to how it used to be, with the miners still on strike, supp each other. Billy eventually receives a letter from the Royal Ballet School aells everyohat he didn’t get in. He crushes the letter and throws it in the bin, only for his brother Tony to retrieve it and annouo everyohat he got in, in a very brotherly fashion by tag him to the ground. As soon as he did, the crowd went wild again, g and cheering for Billy.

  But the appuse was cut short when it was annouhat the miners lost and the strike was over. It was like being soaked in ice-cold water in the middle of December for everyone, including the audience.

  Yet, life had to go on, and so did Billy’s. What followed were emotional farewells, first to his family, then Mrs. Wilkinson, followed by the ghost of his dead mother, and finally his best friend Michael. Finally, Billy walks off into the audience.

  The curtain falls as the show ends.

  Troy, who had desded into the audience, was caught off guard by the rea of the croere literally on their feet and g loudly. A few of the people around him shook his hand.

  Ba stage, as the curtain rose again, the cast members walked to the middle and hugged. Seeing his opportunity to go back, Troy ran up to the stage, stood in the middle, and joined hands with everyone as they bowed to the audien unison.

  The audience members stood up once again and started appuding like crazy. Soon the woman who pyed Mrs. Wilkinson pushed Troy forward, and he was front aer oage. He bowed again, and the crowd went wild. Whistles and shouts rang across the auditorium.

  “Encore!” a lone voice shouted loudly before being apanied by a multitude of simir shouts throughout the audience.

  Getting the cue for what it was, all the actors took their positions for the finale, which was essentially everyoing a ce to show their ballet moves. From Dad and Tony to Grandma and all the miners, everyone wore a tutu and danced out, ending with Billy being hoisted up above everyone else in his cssic pose as the curtains fell for one final time.

  (Break)

  As the final notes of the st song slowly faded away, I stood breathless and exhirated. The weight of the performance lifted from my shoulders like a heavy burden. The appuse thuhrough the air behind the curtain, a deafening roar of appreciation and adution that filled me with a sense of pride unlike anything I had ever experienced.

  I exged hugs and appreciation with many of my fellow cast members, and my jubition soared with each person I met. Sihis was our first performance for the audience, I wao personally thank ead every one of them fiving their best in tonight’s show. After all, theater is not a one-man job. Everyone came together to create this beautiful piece of art.

  At that moment, I just khat I would love every minute I spent on stage because it horic high. I hadn’t taken any recreational drugs, but I knew for sure that nothing could beat this feeling. Call me an attention whore or whatever, but I loved the response we received from the audience. A performer just knows how their show went, and the audience’s rea is a good measure of it. Sure, it was just the first show, but I was happy with the current response. Even if the critics call me out to be the worst performer ever, I wouldn’t care because the people liked me at the very least.

  I know this because when I reparing for the show, Stephen Daldry suggested I see some other musical shows at the West End so I could know what to expect from the audience. I watched a few popur shows like [Les Misérables], [Phantom of the Opera], [Rent], and [West Side Story], but in none of the shows did the audience go as crazy as it did just now, multiple times during the show. Hopefully, we will be able to maintain this level of performan the ing months as well.

  “Troy!” Stephen Daldry suddenly came running towards me and lifted me in a hug. “You were wonderful out there. God, I’m so happy we did this.”

  “Thank you, Stephen,” I said in slight embarrassment. I didn’t like getting lifted but had to get used to it because of my age. “It was all thanks to you and so many other people here.”

  Stephen put me down before nodding, “You’re right. And some of them want to meet you today.”

  “Oh?” Before I could ask who it was, I came face to face with Elton John, who came forward and hugged me as well.

  “Man, you’re exquisite,” Elton John said in my ear. “I’m already dreading the day you’ll leave this role behind.”

  “Thanks, Elton,” I said after he released me. I wao say a lot more, but I didn’t have the energy to do so. Perf for nearly three hours while pying the lead role is very draining.

  Seeing my face, Elton John chuckled, “I see that you’re tired after your performance. I’ll let you ge a. Maybe we meet some other time and talk more freely?”

  “Yeah, sure, Elton,” I gave him a relieved smile, gd he uood my plight.

  Elton John chuckled before patting my head and walking back to wherever he had e from.

  What followed was more people ing to greet me for my performance, includier Darling, our chrapher, and so many crew members.

  Everything was happening in such quick succession that I had yet to process it all. Ba my green room, as I peeled off my e and wiped away the sweat from my brow, the reality of the situation dawned upon me. I had do. I had overy fear and performed as perfectly as I could. As far as I recall, I didn’t make any major mistakes during the show.

  “Troy!”

  I suppressed a groan as my family and friends came to the green room. As much as I love them, I wanted some aloime right now. Unfortunately, I knew I couldn’t do anything but greet them with a smile as everyone heaped praises upon me.

  (Break)

  “You didn’t have to e here in person, Troy,” Evan said unfortably as someone else reized me in the first-css airport lounge and tried to e near, only to be stopped by a hyper-vigint Roger.

  “Nah, it’s fine,” I waved off his s. “I had to be here to see you off. You’re flying back to Los Angeles, all alone. And today’s my day off, so I don’t even have to worry about rushing back to the theater. Don’t worry too much about the fans. I will sign a few autographs after you leave, so even they will be happy.”

  Evan shook his head, “I still don’t know how you handle all this.”

  “You don’t ha,” I smiled at him. “You just get used to it.” Sensing the dampening of our moods, I ged the topic. “So, your parents would be there to pick you up, right?”

  “Yeah,” Evan nodded. “They are also arriving ba LA today. If they couldn’t e, then they would probably send my uo pick me up. Worst case sario, I’ll get a cab. My pce isn’t that far from the airport.”

  “Alright boys, doh your talk?” Dad interrupted our versation as he approached with Evan’s b pass in hand. “It’s time, Evan.”

  We got up from our seats, and I hugged Evan tightly, unsure when I would see him again. Then Dad hugged him as well. As we started walking toward the terminal, a loud annou bred over the speakers.

  “Attention, dies alemen. This is an urgent annou. Due to unpreted terrorist attacks in New York City, all flights to the Uates have been suspended until further notice. We uand this is a signifit inveniend appreciate your patiend uanding during this difficult time. Please proceed to the er service desk for further assistand rebooking options. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  My blood froze as memories of today’s date flooded my mind. Of course! Today is September 11, 2001. The day that ged Ameri society forever. I silently thahe heavens that I was here in London with everyone I cared about.

  Then I looked at my best friend, eared fused by the news.

  “Terrorist attacks? In New York?” Evan asked, bewildered.

  I shrugged, trying to mask my own shock. I couldn’t have known about them for obvious reasons. Yet, it seemed strao me that I hadn’t received a déjà vu of this i already.

  “Let’s see the news,” Dad said, a deep frowched on his face. Together, we walked over te TV surrounded by a crowd. Everyoched in muted horror as footage of the Twin Towers of the World Trade ter being struck by pnes pyed on the s.

  “This m, in an unpreted act of terrorism, two pnes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade ter in New York City. The first impact occurred at 8:46 AM Eastern Time, striking the North Tower, followed by a sed pne crashing into the South Tower at 9:03 AM. Both towers have now colpsed, causing massive devastation and loss of life. A third pne has crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a fourth pne has gone down in Pennsylvania. These attacks have brought the Uates to a standstill, and emergency respoeams are w tirelessly to rescue survivors and mahe unfolding crisis. The phat crashed into the World Trade ter inated from Boston and were going to Los Angeles when they were hijacked aed. No survivors are expected iher of the flights, including the hijackers.”

  Evan’s face went pale. His parents were flying from Boston to Los Angeles.

  “Evan...” I started, but words failed me. I reached out, grasping his arm as the weight of the situatioled over us.

  “No,” he whispered, shaking his head in denial. “No, they ’t be...”