Chapter 1 - Aspiration
Becky looked in the mirror and smiled. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. Then, she frowned. Imagining some terrible news, her face fell, she gasped and her eyes welled with tears. She was still for a moment and then her face relaxed and a satisfied smile filled her face. Yes, she could play any part.
She had always longed to be an actor. As a child, she performed for relatives on Christmas Day singing and dancing to the popular tunes of the day. Life was uncomplicated with parents affluent enough to send her to acting classes and help her achieve her ambitions.
Now, past her 18th birthday, she was slim and pretty. with yellow blonde hair, but her life experience was limited. She lived in the countryside and boyfriends she was attracted to were the gnarly rustic type: good for catching a trout, snaring a rabbit or a dance hall squeeze, but never going to open any doors to those sophisticated worlds she dreamt to explore.
Becky had always auditioned for school drama productions and usually was chosen to play a part. Now approaching her 19th birthday and still studying in final year, she was starring in her last ever school drama production.
At the dress rehearsal, Mr. Jones, the drama teacher and producer, announced that he wanted all of the cast to produce a special performance that would elevate the drama department above the mundane to become, "A significant pool of new young talent."
He told the student actors that, this year, they would be enjoying expensive local sponsorship that would raise the school's profile. The homemade costumes of last year would be replaced to theatre standard. Radio mikes, lights and sound system were also getting a substantial investment that would take their performances to a higher level. This excited Becky and seemed to reinforce her inner belief that she was about to follow her chosen career.
Everything was going well until the dress rehearsal for the school pantomime.
As they prepared to go on stage, all the performers had a costume bag provided by the new sponsors with their brand name on it, but Becky couldn't find hers. She asked the costume manager who helped her to look for it backstage. In the frantic period that followed, it became clear that she had been missed out and there was no professional costume for her.
The clock was ticking and she started to get upset. Ellen, the costume manager put her arm around her and suggested she should still go on, but they would improvise a 'near fit' for the official costume.
The players had earlier been told by the producer that, because the professional costumes were technical Lycra material, there was no need for any of them to wear any underwear.
"I don't want to see my fairies' panty lines! It destroys the illusion that you are truly magical beings!", Mr. Jones remarked.
Ellen rushed over to help Becky strip down and to go on stage wearing black tee-shirt and tights over her naked body. The music struck up, and she took the stage as the introductory song began.
Standing in the middle of the chorus line, and looking a little drab in comparison with the rest of her troupe, she resolved to concentrate hard and give her best rendition of the song and dance.
Onstage, it was dark, but she could see twenty or so cast members and teachers sitting in the audience. Their faces were sketchy, but occasionally the stage lights would shine on the eyes or the glasses of the observers. She couldn't help noticing that she was the sole focus of the audience's attention. They weren't looking into her face and eyes; they were staring at her crotch.
Was she invisible? Why was no one looking at her face? She checked again. Their eyes did move from her body to her face and she detected lustful looks in many of the eyes. It put her off her rhythm and she was a second late with a couple of moves.
And still they stared. As the trouper lights ranged across the stage, she realised that they could see straight though the nylon tights and were pretty much enjoying her near naked body. It was quite an energetic routine, and in the process, she started to heat up. She felt the blood flowing between her legs and her tights riding up between her labia.
The sight of her teachers and other relative strangers staring at her body while she energetically sang and danced was extremely unnerving. Despite this, she also felt a sense of excitement. She regained her composure, settled back into the performance and completed the routine.
The band played the last extended chord. The lights came on and she saw for a fleeting moment the faces of the (mostly) men who had been staring back at her. She quickly turned on her heels with the other performers and ran off stage to loud applause from the small audience.
Back in the dressing room there was an excited buzz. Everyone was stripping out of their outfits and into their second costumes. Fortunately, her change costume had now been discovered and she could relax into a full fairy gown.
When it was over, Mr. Jones did a debrief and thanked them all for their efforts. When Becky was about to leave, he took her aside and whispered in her ear, " You were perfect tonight, don't change anything."
Becky left the theatre and took a lift home from her father. He repeatedly asked her, "How did it go?"
She feigned a smile and said, "It was fine." Inside, her mind was confused and racing. She felt violated but also powerful. She wondered, "Is this what sex appeal is, and do I have it?"
That night, she lay in her bed and wondered if something in the world had changed. What did those teachers think of her now? How could she look them in the eye the next day at lessons? Then she remembered the applause, calmed down and lay back under her duvet.
It was warm and close and she spread her legs. Her hand settled between her thighs and she shut her eyes. She re-sang the opening song in her head, trying hard to recapture the exact looks on the faces of the audience. She knew what their expressions meant. A surge of excitement hit her and her fingers started to play. Her mind was racing as she found she was already wet.
She imagined herself dancing sensually in front of the seated group to a tribal rhythm. Now, she was in control and growing in confidence. Her dance became more energetic and erotic as she danced close to them, offering her breasts and hips while they sat, knees spread and unashamedly stroking their cocks to erection. She laughed at their attempts to grope her, nimbly avoiding them until, as the band's music rose to crescendo, they all came in fountains over their expensive suits and fell back in their chairs breathing hard.
Then, she imagined a strong arm halted her dance. She turned to see Mr. Jones was holding her and he pulled her towards him, kissing her forcefully on the lips. And that was all it took to bring herself to a shuddering orgasm.
As she lay drowsily, she reassured herself that this was all a fantasy she had conjured up in her head and that everything at school tomorrow would be fine. She also decided that this fanciful scenario was all part of the true magic of being a versatile performer. Before long, she drifted into a relaxing sleep.
After the first live performance the next day, which involved no wardrobe malfunctions, Mr. Jones came up to her. She looked at him and suddenly remembered the kiss, making her blush.
He said, "I think you have a special talent and should consider applying to the Royal Society of Arts." He said he had a contact within the RSA who looked to him as an agent to recommend bright new talent. His opinion was taken seriously and anyone he recommended had a decent chance of getting in. Was this the sort of thing that would interest her?
Becky's heart started to race and she knew that her reply could shape her future. She told Mr. Jones that she would like nothing more and that she would be delighted to have him put her name forward.
A couple of weeks later Mr. Jones gave her R.S.A. application forms to fill in which she took home and completed with her parents. She would be moving to London if successful, and there was a lot of discussion of her accommodation, budget and welfare in the big city. Her academic results met all the entry criteria but there was a stage performance exam she would have to take. Mr. Jones asked to see her in his office the next day.
At 4 o'clock, he gestured her to sit down at the seat in front of his desk as he slumped into his own chair.
"Becky, many people want to have an acting career but most of them fall by the wayside. Do you know why?"
Becky was unsure how to answer, but replied, "Because they lack real ambition?"
He swiveled in his chair, the tips of his fingers touching as if he was weighing up some metaphysical problem.