Page 63 of Just Ten Seconds

I bite my lip and look over at the forty-something children between the ages of six and sixteen. I square my shoulders and lift my chin, giving my body a shake.

My boots tap as I walk across the stage. I pivot when Dean calls my name.

“And, Mara? Just have fun. That’s what this is all about.”

“Fun,” I repeat as I walk over to the principle characters. When I get there, I ask them to call out the character they’re playing. Ariel, Eric, and Sebastian are sitting on the edge of the stage, pretty eager to learn. King Triton, Ursula, and Scuttle are on their phones, and Flounder is looking at me, waiting for direction.

“Let’s go over some lines.”

“I know them already,” Ariel says with a snap of her bubblegum.

Eric gives her a snarl. “How do you know all the lines? You were just assigned the role on Sunday.”

She huffs, “I don’t understand why he’s Eric. I can’t kiss him.”

“And there’s no way I’m going near her with a ten-foot pole,” Eric responds, turning his body in the opposite direction of hers.

“That’s the beauty of acting. You don’t have to like the person you’re onstage with. You just have to pretend to like them.” I turn to Ursula, who is twirling a lock of her purple-dyed hair. “Are you excited to be the evil villain?”

“I wanted to be Ariel.” Her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Sebastian is sitting on the stage floor, cross-legged and looking at me with big eyes. “Let me guess; you don’t like Flounder and wanted to be Scully?” I ask him.

“No problem here, man. I just want to do the show.”

Okay, so I only have three kids who can’t stand each other. “Flounder, Triton, Scuttle. Get over here. Leave your scripts where they are.” I set them all in a circle. “We’re gonna play a little game.”

“A game?” Ariel drudges as Ursula adds, “I came here to act.”

“I love games!” Amanda—I mean, Flounder—bounces on her knees.

“It’s an acting icebreaker,” I explain. “Everyone takes a turn in the circle, and we all have to imitate what they’re doing.”

“Like Simon Says?” Ursula asks.

“This is dumb,” Ariel adds.

“It’s not dumb. It’s a warm-up exercise. If you’re going to be onstage together, you have to be a team. And teams work out together, get to know each other’s moves. Plus, it’s fun. Trust me.”

“Yeah, guys, trust her. Mara is a professional,” Amanda states.

I would correct her, but her little comment might have just earned me some kudos from the kids, so I roll with it.

So, I begin, “Sebastian, you’re first. Let’s get a little silly.”

For twenty minutes, each kid takes their turn. It starts out a little slow. A kid pats his head, and another hops on one foot. Pretty soon, they’re walking around like elephants with their backs hunched over and hands hanging like trunks. Amanda has everyone hopping like a frog, and Eric gets them to yell like Tarzan. They’re laughing and smiling, and despite their differences, they’re learning to be like the other, and I have to admit, it’s hysterical.

As I lean over with a laugh, acting on all fours, pretending to be a tiger, I look up at Dean and catch his smile. He’s right. This is fun.

“Trick or treat!” Jackie saunters over to the café entrance, greeting customers. She escorts them to a booth and then over to me.

I weave my hand through a strand of her long black wig. “You look practically dreadful.”

She smiles her bright red lips against her extra-pale face. “Thanks! Morticia Addams has always been a role model for me.”

Nick is in the kitchen, wearing a Gomez Addams costume, mustache and all. Since he has no hair, his signature ball cap is on his head.

I watch Nick push the fangs back into his mouth with his arm as he tries to make food. I gotta give it to the guy. He will do anything to make his wife happy.