In Love with a Superstar Ch. 03

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I can only say this has been one of the most interesting experiences of my life!" There was some light laughter, "As some of you know I was a teacher for a few years before I did any of this acting stuff, and well, It's been so good to come back to it again, although I never thought it was going to be as a producer mind you. The children at this school have given me so much over the last couple of months, it's almost enough to make me want to change my career, but not quite..." he smiled and there was a patter of good-natured laughter. "Yes, St. John's has given me so much, BUT" he said with emphasis, "I'm afraid that I want more." the audience hushed unsure of the portent of the message, "Would Miss Wells come forward please?"

Sarah froze. What was he doing?

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said expansively, "Let's have a huge round of applause for the Executive Producer of our show Miss Sarah Wells!" The audience got to their feet again, her bravery was still fresh in everyone's minds, and they cheered and finally two boys escorted Sarah forward - Jason and John still in Costume.

Once she reached the stage Bruce extended an arm towards wings and tiny little Cathy in a big flowery dress, her face beaming, walked across the stage with a bouquet of flowers almost as big as she was. The crowd said 'awwww' as one and clapped her onto the stage, and Sarah dissolved and dropped to one knee to take the flowers and hug Cathy and receive a kiss on the cheek. Bruce held Cathy's hand while Sarah straightened again.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I..." he froze, "Do you know, I've had all of this worked out in my head for days, knew just what I was going to say," he looked down at the floor. "Ah well, not like I've never forgotten my lines before." In the hall, a pin dropping would have been noisy. He rubbed his chin in thought and his face looked temporarily stern then broke as he sank to one knee dramatically, looked around at the kids and smiled, then he spoke with arms outstretched, "Miss Wells, will you marry me?"

There was a single sharp intake of breath that the whole hall took at once, then a few giggles, then the hall fell completely silent, realising that perhaps he was being serious.

"Go on Miss," said a young female voice to her left, "say yes."

"Yeah," encouraged another, "Go on!"

"Why did you wait so long to ask me," she whispered.

"I needed you to realise that you still loved me," he whispered back.

"I did, weeks ago, I just didn't know if you loved me anymore."

"Oh yeah," he said, "More than I, or Shakespeare for that matter, could put into words".

"The Bard has finally let you down has he?"

"Yep, but you didn't." She looked down at Cathy and smiled at the girl that hadn't let go of her hand once. The tension in the hall was electric, "Please?" his face for once had lost that forever expression of confidence.

He held his right arm out to her. She took it and the first trembling grin broke into the widest beaming smile at the full realisation of his message. Unable to speak she nodded her head quickly.

"Yeeeeaaahhhh!" growled a few voices from the stage as if the winning goal had just been scored.

It started first with gently clapping, until the whole hall was back on its feet clapping, stamping and cheering wildly. He stood slowly and she jumped into his arms and kissed him, hugging him around the neck, warm wet tears coursing down her cheeks. All around her the children were clapping and jumping up and down in excitement - including the usually cool and aloof Jason.

A photographer from the local paper snapped pictures of the happy couple that would be his fifteen minutes of fame and spread his work across the front pages and colour supplements of the world. Surrounded by children the couple just hugged and kissed while he took picture after perfect picture and calculated roughly in head how much he would charge for each.

"You'd better not be making all this up Bruce Young," she said staring into his face.

"Oh no," he said holding her about the waist, "This is for real," They walked from the stage him holding Cathy in his arms, still surrounded by children, all wanting to kiss her ecstatic face and shake his hand.

In the staff room, her parents met his parents, everyone cooed over Cathy until his parents took her home. Champagne was drunk, goodbyes were said and tears were shed. Colleen argued herself from Bridesmaid to 'Maid of Honour'; even Tom shook Bruce's hand.

The hall was silent now and the chairs, scenery and large piles of abandoned costumes lay where the actors had discarded them during the frantic scene changes. Sitting at the back of the stage were two people - just staring that end of the day stare out over where the crowds had been an hour previously.

"How on earth did you get permission to perform all of that music tonight?"

He sighed,

"Seems I've got a 12 week run in the West End to do next year, a few impresarios said that I can pick my own show. Don't suppose they'll be doing 'Singing in the rain' by then though."

"You never know Bruce; oh yes and just what did you do to my boy Jason?"

"Nothing wrong with him," said Bruce, "trouble with all you teachers is..."

"Oh, so you aren't a teacher anymore then?"

"Don't interrupt, trouble with you teachers is you never see what's in your face," He sniffed, "Jason wasn't a problem child, he didn't have ADHD, he's bloody gifted and no one could see past his frustration."

"I could, I knew from the start he was special."

"Yeah I know, I sent Des your last two reports on him, that's why he came down."

"Nothing to do with getting a call from Bruce Young I suppose."

"Alright, we'll call it a team effort."

"And you didn't pay him?"

Bruce was quiet for a few seconds.

"Partial scholarship," he said, "Half the fees for four years, the central school find the rest; see him through to his A' level exams, the rest is up to him."

"Oh Bruce," said Sarah turning to kiss him, "You old softy."

"Nah," he said, "Bugger all really."

"Don't lie," she took hold of his chin gently and turned him to face her. "I did my A' levels there, you have to be talking eighteen thousand a year."

Bruce smiled, "Twenty two actually."

She took a deep breath, "Forty four thousand?"

"Forty five, I've entered him for all of the school trips and away days."

"Thank you," she whispered to him, the lump in her throat stopped her saying any more. "I'm sorry Bruce," she said staring straight in front of her.

"What for?" he turned to look at her, worried.

"For all of those things I said."

"What things?"

"At Mum and Dads', before you got arrested."

"Not your fault Darling, you were up against a professional, way out of your league." She could see he was holding himself back, "But they'll find the bastard and when they do I will conduct the prosecution personally - lawyers are only educated actors anyway." Sarah giggled.

"I'm sure you'll manage," she leaned into him, "I love you so much Bruce." He kissed her long and tenderly.

They clasped hands and just sat silently until the he spoke again.

"So, do you think you can give up all of this?" he swung his arm tiredly around to include the hall and as much of the school as possible.

She raised her head from where it had been leaning on his shoulder, "I'll have a bloody good try," she answered.

"I haven't got much to offer in return," he said, "Well, nothing except for the Flat in London, the sixteenth century parsonage in Cambridgeshire, the House in California, three cars, the motorbike and the boat of course,"

"Can't forget the boat," she yawned.

"Well, I call it a boat, it's really a cruiser I suppose," he pondered, "Anyway it's tied up in San Diego at the moment, we'll go there on one of our honeymoon's and you can decide for yourself,"

"Fine," she said relaxing her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes again, "I've got half a house in Shropshire," she said, "But not much else,"

"You and your ovaries will do fine,"

"What?"

He smiled, "Those houses are far too big just for you, me and Cathy," Cathy - she would get wonderful little Cathy back again, and pondered on how she could possibly love her more than she already did.

Bubbling inside she fought for a suitable reply, but gave up and just squeezed his hand with the delight of it all, just as Charlie the Caretaker clattered into the piles of chairs stacking them.

"Oh you love birds still 'ere are you," he said in his usual sombre tones.

"Yes Charlie," said Bruce, "Anyone outside?"

"Nah, no bugger out there, besides it's chucking it down,"

"Where's your car," she said.

"Back at the house, where's your coat?"

"With yours as I remember," she smiled squeezing her eyes shut, "In your car."

"OK," he said and stood with difficulty, and taking Sarah's hand he pulled her up to rest almost exhausted against him. The muscles in her side ached with the effort but she really didn't mind.

"Taxi?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Not this time o'night," said Charlie, "Pubs are chucking out,"

"Come on," Bruce smiled, "your place is closest, the walk'll do you good,"

"Huh," she took his hand as they negotiated the stage steps and walked through the mess of steel chairs, "Night Charlie," she said over her shoulder almost absent mindedly,"

"Night love, Oh, congratulations by the way," he added with a smile and a wink, probably the first one she'd ever had from him. At the hall's glass doors she tucked one arm under Bruce's and stood looking out into the hot July night now cooled, listening to the pouring rain rattling on the roof of the bike sheds.

Bruce, misinterpreting her hesitation, said,

"Second thoughts about walking away?" She looked at his face,

"Sooo..." she smiled a wicked smile hugging his arm, "this house in California, how many bedrooms?"

Bruce bent to a chair and picked up a prop Trilby hat and umbrella which, as with all the best endings, just happened to be there.

He doodie-doo-doo'ed the opening bars of all-time favourite intro and at precisely the right moment they looked at each other and smiled, stepping out into the downpour,

"I'm singin' in the rain, jus' singin' in the rain, What a glorious feelin'..."

Charlie stood with a wide broom over his shoulder and shook his head as he watched the pair skip down the road in perfect step through the pouring rain, in and out of puddles and the boles of orange incandescence created by the street lights, singing at the tops of their voices.

"Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place, COME ON WITH RAIN..."

He turned back to the empty hall and, row by row, turned out the lights until all that was left were some green 'exit' signs and a splash of moonlight across an empty stage that vaguely echoed to the sound of two voices singing and laughing, growing fainter and fainter.

"I'm singin', jus' singin' in the rain..."

"Actors," he sighed, and with a large bunch of keys locked the hall and its memories up safely until September when it would all start again.

As he sat in his car he found himself humming to the rhythm of the wipers. Happy that he would not be heard over the sound of his engine he pulled on to the main road and smiled,

"I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain, What a glorious feelin'..."

The End.