I push a strand of pink hair behind my ear while zipping up the back of Julia's countess dress. 

     "Gosh, this is just so damn heavy," she complains with a smile, checking her lipstick in the mirror of the quick change room.

     I whisk her green cape around her shoulders, clipping it together before replying, "It felt heavy just putting it on you." We run over to the stage entrance, tucking the cape around her figure to be sure it looked as beautiful as it always did.

     "Thankfully I only wear it for about ten minutes," she laughs, then turns away seriously. The next scene she has to be frightened and confused, so she has to prepare for the mentality of that. 

     I have always respected performers for their art, to just shed their name and become anybody they could. Julia was laughing just seconds ago but in a minute she will be shaking with fear, her voice ringing among the golden walls of the Majestic with pure and heartfelt agony. Just watching her, Kaley, and Elizabeth I have learned so much, singing with more passion in my own little performances in my apartment. Sure, their is no crowd or ears to please, but it feels good to just be free. To be anybody but me. I love my job, but sometimes I wish I were in Julia or Kaley's shoes and was playing any naive theater girl's dream role of Christine Daae.

     Usually I retreat back to the dressing room and lay out the star princess costume, silver boots, and lace mask, but tonight I idle in the wings to watch the magic on stage. Intermission is next, so there really is no rush. . .  

     Jeremy Hays and Julia run onto the stage, the full orchestra's melodies echoing in the air accompanying their panic induced singing. 

     "Raoul I've been there, to his world of unending night. To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness, darkness. Raoul I've seen him! Can I ever forget sight? Can I ever escape from that face so distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness, darkness..."  Julia-turned-Christine sings brokenheartedly. 

    The rest of the song continues, Jeremy playing Raoul so naturally and Julia trembling like the innocent little ballet girl Christine is at heart. If I were to ever be in such a famous role I would want Jeremy to be my Vicomte de Chagny. 

     The couple exit stage right with smiles on their faces, having "fallen in love" on stage after singing All I Ask of You together. Immediately after they are back to being Julia and Jeremy instead of Christine and Raoul. It reminds me of that game my father would play with me when I was little. He would move his hand up and down over his face, changing the emotion each time his face was revealed. It was magic, and that is what theater is.

     "I bet you my dresser can dress me faster your dresser can dress you," Jeremy dares the young performer, narrowing his eyebrows at me.

     Julia smirks in rebate, "Fine, but Annaleigh was born for this job."

     "Ready... Go!" Jeremy announces surprisingly, and Julia staggers to match his lead. 

     I laugh, running behind them while my long chestnut hair blows behind me, a pink strand standing out from the rest. Julia and Kaley both have matching vibrant strands. We dyed them together to symbolize our friendship, to show we are a team. 

     Julia's green cape flutters behind her and she pulls it off as we hear Norm sing the final words of the All I Ask of You Reprise, the chandelier crash creating an ominous effect. I get to experience that every night.

     The young starlet giggles as Jeremy scales the flight of stairs, taking two steps at a time. He makes a surprised sound as he misses a step, tripping over his own loafers. His knee hits the metal step with a loud 'clank' and his whole body ends up sprawled over the staircase. We can't see his face since it is hidden behind his arm, but his body shakes with defeated laughter.

     The scene makes Julia lean onto her knees with laughter, tears streaming out of her eyes. I accompany her laughs with my own, filling the air with a sound of joy. Jeremy raises his head, looking at us with unusually wide eyes, a sheepish smile playing on his lips.

     "You dork!" Julia shouts in between chortles, shaking her head,"You are seriously the clumsiest person ever."

     I take Julia's elbow in my hand with a sneaky look glinting in my hazel eyes, "And he is about to be a loser."

     We continue laughing as we run into our dressing room, Jeremy scrambling to get up behind us.

     "Hey!" he yells humorously as I shut the door.

     Quickly, Julia literally jumps out of her countess dress after I unzip it and go to grab the star princess costume from the wardrobe. 

     "Woah what is the hurry?" Kaley asks, looking up from her Seventeen magazine to glance at the clock on the vanity, "You guys still have fifteen minutes."

     "Competition with Jeremy," I gasp while shoving Julia into her next dress, "We have to get Julia dressed quicker than his dresser can get him."

     Kaley nods thoughtfully, plopping down her magazine, "Here, I'll help."

     "Grab her boots!" I advise, yanking the zipper up, "Go get Leon and have the tiara put in!"

     She obliges and runs to the vanity, pressing a black button on the wall that calls Leon into our room. In just a mere thirty seconds a swift knock sounds at the door and Kaley runs to let him in, the silver boots dangling in her hands. She swings it open and the door hits the stop heavily, revealing Leon holding the glittering tiara. His graying eyebrows are furrowed with confusion from our state of panic. 

     "No time to explain, get that in her wig now!" I yell, fluffing up the puffy skirt of her costume. 

     Kaley pushes Leon over to the vanity and he immediately attaches the tiara to Julia's fake curly locks. Then he hairsprays it some more, causing a fruity scent to fill the air. I wrinkle my nose from the strong scent, then bend down to put the boots on Julia. Tying them up, I make sure the laces are taut and tight. Nobody needs a boot falling off during the most spectacular scene.

   Kaley and I each grab one of Julia's thin arms and pull her from the vanity's chair. The offset look we receive from Leon just makes us burst into loud laughter that echos off of the bright white walls. Our group makes our way up the metal staircase, where Jeremy fell just minutes ago, excitedly. We always love a good challenge, especially if we end up victorious. Kaley taps her knuckles lightly on the door, where Jeremy's name is hung proudly. Right below that, a sign says "Raoul le Vicomte de Chagny". Quickly, Julia strikes a proud pose as Kaley and I do jazz hands in her direction like she is a prize on an old game show. We hear a click of a lock and the door swings open to show Jeremy wearing his masquerade pants and suspenders, but no jacket. 

     "Ha!" We all shout in unison, "We won!" 

     We give each other high fives then step into his dressing room, and since only once person gets ready in there, has enough room for a couch. We all collapse onto it as Jeremy's dresser helps him into his jacket and then shoulder cape.

     "Nice hair," he comments sarcastically, his lips splitting into a kind smile.

     Kaley and I each tuck a pink strand behind our ears. Julia frowns, "Mine is covered up."

     Jeremy sits on the coffee table in front of the brown leather couch to face us, "You are corroding poor Annaleigh with your adolescent ways," he shakes his head in mock disappointment.

     "Actually she is older than me and younger than Julia," Kaley explains, her dark eyes narrowed daringly. Jeremy just waves his hand away, like he is shooing us away.

     "You know what today is?" Julia asks happily, changing the subject from nonsensical hair talk.

      I cock my head at her while the other two performers form a twinkle in their eyes.

     "What?" I ask slowly, my tone suspicious.

     Their faces turn shocked, "You mean you don't know?"

     I shrug my shoulders, offering no further explanation. The past two months have been so busy, memorizing outfits and under garments to no end. I have been studying for my masters in theatrical and performance fashion so that I could possibly one day design my own costumes for future musicals, operas, and dances. Late nights and early mornings leave me droopy eyed and achy. However I always look forward to going out with the girls every Saturday night after our two-show day. Exhausted, we go out for a late dinner to try all of the restaurants nearby in the city. With everything going on, dates tumble by with no second glance. 

     "Today is your two month anniversary of joining Phantom!" Kaley exclaims, throwing her hands up in celebration.

     I smile and let out a jovial laugh. Two months ago I walked through those doors of the great Majestic Theater, excitement coursing through my veins like natural adrenaline. At that time it would seem, in a word, preposterous to even think that the cast would want me here. And now, now I belong.

     "Aw, you guys I- I cannot believe I did not remember today," I shake my head and rest it on my hands, still smiling gleefully.

     Julia reaches next to the coach where I cannot see, "This would be an awful celebration without... gifts!" 

     "Well, one gift, but you get the point," Kaley laughs, wrinkling her nose. 

     Jeremy holds up his hands, "I kept my promise and did not tell her what the gift is."

     I fake a pout and cross my arms over my stomach, "I could have swore you said it would be a sports-car."

     We all burst into loud chortles and laughs, almost drowning out the sound of the five minute warning from the loudspeaker above. Tears run from our eyes and we wipe them away as Julia hands me the pristine-wrapped gift. The rectangular present is covered with black and white polka-dotted paper with a vibrant royal blue bow set atop it. 

     "It almost hurts to destroy this beautiful wrapping job," I say in awe.

    Jeremy pitches in, "You can thank the wrapping squad at TJ Maxx."

     "Well I will send them a thank you card," I giggle while peeling away the paper. It reveals a white box labeled with red letters TJ Maxx, as mentioned before. Lifting the flimsy cardboard lid, my eyes are met with glittery silver tissue paper. 

     "Pretty," I comment, then continue to move it out of the way. 

     The present ends up being a clean cut black picture frame with the word friends in a mirrored material. It holds a picture of Julia, Kaley, Norm, Jeremy Hays, Elizabeth Welch, and Jeremy Stolle. It is from the night we all went out after an evening show. In the picture we are all smiling too wide, hugging each other too hard, and having a little too much fun. It is perfect.

    "You guys, I am speechless. This is perfect," we all lean in for a hug, "I have never felt like I belonged somewhere more than here." 

     Just then, the loudspeaker announces that all actors and actresses were to go to their positions for Act II.

     "Well, I gotta go do the Daae thing," Julia takes Jeremy's hand and withdraws from the hug.

     The on-stage couple leaves Jeremy's dressing room, leaving Kaley and I sitting there on the couch. 

     "You want to go watch?" she asks, lifting her eyebrows accordingly. She is also "newer" here, and the whole production is still amazing to watch from backstage for the both of us. It is nice to have someone to experience all of these wonders with. 

    "Of course!" I agree.

     The thrill never stops.