Another Time Another Place

[Robin Morbid]

"Get her some water! NOW!" Keavy yelled,and Caron sprung up and ran to the kitchen.
"Boyle! Where do you keep the cups?"
"I'm coming!" Kim got up and hurried after her.
"Come on...come on...come out of this...." Keavy held the girl up and managed to carry her to the couch.
"....Keavy....." Donna's dreary voice came out,although she still looked like she was passed out.
"What?" Keavy was astonished at the way Donna said her name.
It was like....she knew her. It seemed like they knew eachother for years and were the best of friends.
"Yes?"
"We got...rehearsal...Lindsay and Edele...they're waiting for us...lets go..."
"Sinead?"
At that moment,Caron and Kim rushed back in with some water and took over from there. They helped her drink and sooner than Keavy thought,Donna had returned.
"That was...odd..." Donna coughed.
"What happened?" Caron asked.
Donna said nothing and just shrugged it off. When everyone else had gotten passed the ordeal,Donna still looked at Keavy...almost suspiciously.

************************************************

"Donna....? Donna??? Wake up for me...Donna..."

Sinead woke up in the studio with Keavy right above her,or was it Edele? She could not be sure at this point. Everything was a blurr,as if she had just nodded off to sleep.
"You back,dude?" Annie asked,helpnig her into a sitting position.
"Why did you call me that?" Sinead asked in a dull voice.
"What? Donna? You said that was your name when we were outside..."
"You know my name." She looked up at Lindsay and Edele. "What happened?"
"You blacked out for a little bit..." Annie answered for them,they all looked at her strangely. "It was a little scary....I thought you were hurt or dehydrated or something..."
"Keavy..." Sinead nodded. "Always looking out for me."

Annie didn't know how to respond,it was hardly the time or place to start a fight over what her real name was. Sinead was all messed up and looked tired and Annie didn't want to add on to the stress and all that. So she just sat back,nodded and said...
"I do what I can."

"Edele..." Lindsay pulled her aside. "Can I talk to you real quick?"
"Whats up?"
"You heard Sinead outside earlier...she honestly thought her name was Donna..."
"And Keavy thinks her name is Annie,so what?" Edele shrugged.
"So what? Don't you remember that concert in Philadelphia? Those girls that were involved with the accident?"
"We looked into how they were doing,they're fine now."
"Their names...there were three of them..." Lindsay tried to remember their names. "Donna was one of them....and Caron...and..."
"Annie." Edele finished the thought.
They both looked over at Keavy sitting across from Sinead on the floor.
"What do you think?" Lindsay asked. "A connection?"
Edele's strong will prevented her from believing the impossible.
"Or just sympathy for the situation."
"Edele..."
"They're probably just worried about those girls...its got them psychologically bugged or something...."
"How does that work?"
"Sinead's memory is like a steal trap,she can memorize more names and all that faster and easier than any of us."
"And your sister?" Lindsay folded her arms.
"She got shocked worse than any of us! She's just freaking out a little...or something..."
"d**n..." Annie's voice interrupted the conversation and the two of them looked to her again. "You're loud!"

***********************************************

"So Annie..." Caron broke the silence on the way back to Nikki's house that night. "Your show is in a couple weeks,right?"
"My what?" Keavy panicked.
"Your introduction for your acting class at school,you were telling me about how its like...a refresher deal from last semester,the professor's just testing your skills...You've been working on your monologue for weeks...but lately you haven't been practicing...you got it all down that fast?"
"Aw no..."
"Hey,don't worry," Caron punched Keavy's arm. "You'll be great,you always are."
"I...I just...I don't know..."
"Well,look,I have to get in and eat dinner,you should probably get back to Nikki's and practice some more. I'm sure she'll help you out. Then again...it's Nikki...she might not..."
"Thanks..." Keavy looked away.
"See you later,Annie." And Caron disappeared into her house.
"Keavy...my name is Keavy d**nit..."
***********************************************

After rehearsal,the girls sat around talking about the performances to come in the next few days. Annie didn't do much rehearsing with them,she got too nervous and wasn't sure how to sing it right...if that made any sense.
"Well,our next show is the day after tomorrow...you nervous,Keavy?" Edele asked.
Of course she was. She had a truck in her stomach for gods sake...but she wouldn't admit that.
"Nah...I'm cool...I guess..."
"You should really work on your solo..." Edele suggested. "Its better to be prepared you know..."
"I know...I know...I'm just afraid of messing up and forgetting the words..."
"You'll be fine." Sinead reassured her.
"You think so?" Annie paced around the room.
"Of course we think so,you've never done us wrong before." Edele smiled at her.
I'm sure she hasn't...says nothing for me though... Annie thought to herself as she picked up the guitar that was sitting against the wall.
"Play a little something." Lindsay laughed.
Annie looked at them and blushed,then pu the guitar back.
"Maybe later..."
"Well,I don't know about you guys but I'm tired...I'm going home and getting some sleep." Edele stood up and started leaving.
"Right behind you on that one." Sienad followed.
"Come on,Keavy,I'll give you a lift home." Lindsay said and started out the door.
"Ok..." And Annie followed,she was dreading the day after tomorrow.

[Robin Morbid]

"An Acting class...." Keavy said to herself on the way back to Nikki's house. "So we do have something in common...at least with stage work...I don't know how interested she is in it..."
*******************************************
Annie started humming an old showtune while Lindsay drove her back to the apartment.
"Whats that?" Lindsay asked.
"Home..." Annie stared out the window. "Its from a show I did in school..."
*******************************************
Keavy finally made it back to the house. Nikki was coming down the stairs as she came in.
"May as well head back out,your mom just called,she wants you to stop by."
"My mom?" Keavy hadn't even thought of the girls family.
"Yeah...she says you haven't stopped by or even called. Tsk tsk..." Nikki laughed and glanced out the window,the sun had been down for an hour or two. "I'll walk with you."
********************************************
"So what show is it from?"
Annie coughed then replied, "Beauty and the Beast."
"Do you remember all the words? Let me hear it..." Lindsay still had a little while longer to drive and it was too quiet.
Annie just sat there for a moment,cleared her throat and sat up.
"Is this home? Is this where I should learn to be happy? Try to find,something good in this tragic place...just in case...I should stay here forever,held in this empty space,oh but that won't be easy...I know the reason why...my hearts far...far away...homes a lie..." She cleared her throat again and stayed quiet.
"That was really nice..."
Annie's face lit up,one of her freakin' idols just gave her a compliment. "Yeah?"
Lindsay laughed at her friend and nodded,"Yeah."
"I like that song..." Annie sat back.
"So do I,its nice."
*********************************************
Keavy followed Nikki up a few blocks from the house,even if it was only up one street and around another,the neighborhood seemed to change. Where she had been staying,Keavy felt unsafe,exposed,and constantly worried. This new part of the town was,quieter and seemed a lot different than Nikki's house a few blocks away. The yards were bigger,there were more kids,dogs and cats...it was more lively.
A boy ran out of one of the twin houses,happily yelling "ANNIE!!!!!"
"Hey look,it's Shaun..." Nikki laughed. "He must have missed his big sister." She elbowed Keavy.
"Shaun..." Keavy stood in place.
This young man,no older than 17,ran up to her an dhugged her tightly. She got a look at him and registered how he acted towards her. She realized that the boy was autistic.
"Hello Shaun." She hugged him back.
He pulled away,knowing something was wrong,he saw his sister standing thee but there was something so much different. It was the way she hugged him,it was different from how she usually would. He then ran back into the house and closed the door.
"Wow..." Nikki was stunned. "What'd you do?"
"He knows...."
"Knows what?"
"That I'm not his sister..."
"Sure you are,you're his favorite." Nikki walked up the steps to the house as Keavy followed.
"Favorite?" She asked. Was there more than one?
"Come on,Annie..." Nikki sighed. "Allison is never around much anymore,that leaves you."
"Allison?" Keavy became fascinated,her first thought was that someone believed her and actually knew her own sister Allison...but this was hardly the case.
"Where is she? Where's Allison?"
"Probably at work..."
"And her husband?"
"Husband? She's 21 years old with her first boyfriend and they've only been together a few months..."
Not Her Allison...Annie's Allison...great.
******************************************************
"All right,Keaves,I'll see you tomorrow." Lindsay said before she pulled off.
"Later." Annie waved her off and went inside.
Lindsay watched her go in and then thought of the song as she pulled away. "Home"....what would make Keavy sing something like that?
As Annie wandered back into Keavy's apartment,her cell phone started ringing. She looked to see Edele's name and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey,sorry for calling so late,you just getting in?"
"Uh...yeah...whats going on?"
"Mum called me...wants to see us off before we go back to the states to finish the tour,her and dad are in London for a few days and want us to have dinner with them. Naomi will probably be there too...should we take them to a restaurant do you think?"
"Ummm...sure..." Annie ran her hand through her hair and then thought...sh*t...money...can't spend hers its not mine.... "No wait....umm...." She looked around the apartment. "Have them come to my place...I'll make something...."
"What? Really?" Edele was a little shocked.
"Yeah...why not? How hard could it be?" Annie shrugged.
"Umm...Allright then...I'll let them know...are you sure about this? Will you need help?"
"Actually..."
Edele was honestly waiting to be blown off completely,Keavy seemed to be doing that a lot these days. Especially after their heated argument in the car that afternoon.
"The help would be great,thanks,come by tomorrow afternoonish...ok?"
"All right...I will...no problem..." Edele nodded and smiled.
"Yup. Get some sleep,ok?"
"I will,thanks."
"Oh and one more thing..." Annie almost forgot. "Sorry about today...in the car...I get a little angry sometimes and just lose it...don't take it personally I'm not always like that..."
"Its fine...I know how it is and I'm sorry too...Goodnight."
"Night."
Annie hung up the phone and collapsed onto the couch nearby. She rolled onto her back and looked around,seeing old pictures of players and stage like people. Keavy being one of them. She pickd up one of the photos and stared at the smile on everyones faces.
"God how I miss that..."
*************************************************
"Hey punk." A heavy set woman said,all cheery like.
"Hello."
The woman opened her arms out for a ug and Keavy nervously accepted the embrace. Shaun sat on the staircase staring at her.
"Look who's home,bud." The woman looked up at him.
"who's that mommy..." the boy spoke clearly.
"What do you mean 'who's that'? Its Annie,your sister,silly!" She returned her attention back to Keavy and Nikki. "Good you brought help. You need to get the rest of your thing out of your old room before your sister throws it all away."
"Allright..." Keavy nodded.
"Is it heavy? I'll get started." Nikki disappered up stairs to Annie's room.
"So how have you been feeling since the concert? You were right in my unit."
Annie's mother was a nurse in Taylor Hospital.
"I just don't feel myelf..." Keavy admitted.
"I figured...you were calling out some strage names when you were unconcious. Don't worry,the other girls are all ok. All of them,not just Donna and Caron,but the b*witched girls too. They gave this to me to give to you,Donna and Caron." Annie's mom pulled out a large envelope.
Keavy took it and ripped the top of it open. She shook the contents of it out,a letter,6 back stage passes and tickets to one of the shows for themselves and one friend each and coupons for free merchandise at the concert they attend.
"wow..." Keavy nodded. "I wonder if the spice girls do this..."
"Don't get your hopes up." Laughed Mrs.Finnegan.
"Thankyou."
"Don't thank me,thank them. You can do it in person."
Keavy smiled,they could switch at the concert! or at least find a way to fix all of this.
"Go on upstairs and help Nikki."
Keavy nodded and raced up the stairs,realizing she had no idea where she was going she listened for Nikki to make some sort of noise or something to follow. After a moment she heard sounds moving above her. She made her way down the hall and up another flight of stairs. Right at the top was a door that led to a blue room. Keavy stepped in and found the place covered in stars and hand mae constellations. Nikki sat on the empty floor next to a big box fll of random papers and books.
"Look Annie...scripts from our old shows...'The Nerd'...'Good News'....'Annie'...'Cinderella'...They're all in here...even pictures? I can't believe you saved all of these."
Keavy knelt down beside her and searched through the old pictures and playbooks. She came across a group of orphans,obviously from 'Annie' the musical. In the middle was a somewhat familliar face,covered in foundation and stage dirt,wrapped in flannel like a rag doll,a younger,twelve year old Annie Finnegan. Her smile was brighter than anything Keavy herself had produced. Leafing through other photos she basically saw this child grow into a young woman and came to the end f the pile of photos,a young 'Belle' from Disney's Beauty and the Beast,dated only a little over a year ago. But the smile she had seen in the beginning was hardly there and looked forced.
"I know that feeling..." She said to herself and glanced at the entire pile. "I've known all of these feelings..."

[Meli]

I like this one, Annie.
Keep it up!

And Erin, your stories are a work of art, why are you so ashamed of them now?

[classof09]

i really like this one and i been waiting to find out what happens at the end somebody will you please finish the story??

[Robin Morbid]

[glow=red,2,300]A Flashback...[/glow]
Pre-Reunion at an audition of sorts....

"Living on the never never,constant as the changing weather,never sure who's at the door...or the price I'll have to pay..." A faint voice could be heard singing through an empty theatre.
At least she was back to what she loved to do. Entertain. The lights,the echoes from the microphones,the roaring feedback of a live audience. It's enough to make even the smallest actors feel larger than life. For Keavy it was different,she loved he stage but she missed the girls,she missed singing songs she helped write,dances that she and the others took forever learning and perfecting. For Keavy,the lights,stage,band and audience gave her a greater high than she had ever known and she was completely addicted to it. After B*Witched broke up,she was devastated and at one point felt completely hopeless about her own happiness. Theatre,although it was another passion of hers,was just acting as a quick fix.

"Very well. We'll keep in touch. Send the next person in." The voice of the director snapped her back to reality.
"Thank you." She replied timidly and stepped off the stage.

She stepped out of the theatre as another woman went inside to keep the auditions running smoothly. As she walked a man,lanky with dark features,came up beside her and walked along.

"You're a shoe in you know. This part was practically written for you."
"How do you figure that?" Keavy's nerves were shot.
"Its a pretty relatable character for someone like you...big family,strong will,and an internal issue with abandonment." He grinned at her.
"I don't appreciate your humor." She tried to stay calm.
"Hey,I'm just saying,its not easy having a former pop diva show up with her emotional baggage in hand on both sides of her."
"I don't think my 'baggage' is any of your business,I'm in this fair like everyone else,whether or not I get the part is beside the point. I'm no different. And I'm definitely not a 'diva' either,so back off." Without raising her voice she said what she needed and walked away from him.

The average dream lasts only about 7 seconds and just as the memory in her mind came it went. Keavy woke up in Nikki's room once again,she didn't need to look in a mirror anymore,she knew what she looked like and she knew she wasn't herself. Sitting up she looked down to find she was alone in the bed...
"Thank God..." She said to herself. "That girl kicks in her sleep like her life depends on it...
With a heavy sigh she reached beneath her pillow and pulled out the concert tickets.
"They'll be here and we'll figure out a way to fix this." She reassured herself. "I hope Annie's ok over there...I hope she's not doing anything stupid..." Keavy laughed to herself. "Whats the worse that could happen?"

********************************
(insert dramatic music here)
((Don't hate me but I have to put the next part of this chapter up later because I have to fix it...at its 3am for me and I'm sleepy...))

[Meli]

Okay, I'll be patient... but only for you.

[classof09]

there's no need to rush, nobody is hating

[Robin Morbid]

I don't rush. Don't worry about it.

[Robin Morbid]

"Keavy was quiet at dinner last night..." Edele said to Naomi, who was visiting Edele's apartment the night after she spent the day making dinner for their parents with Keavy.
"Yeah...not like her at all..." Naomi nodded sipping at her glass of water. "Give her some credit though, she was pretty upset after she burned her hand on the stove."

Edele looked back on that and laughed a little, Keavy wandered around her own kitchen like she didn't know it. It must have still been her memory lapses from the accident. The doctors did say it would take some time for this whole thing to pass.
Just before their parents arrived Keavy was locked in her bathroom screaming and cursing at the fact that she blindly put her hand down on the hot stove,the burn wasn't bad but it still had to be ungodly painful.
"I tried to help her,she wouldn't let me."
"She's starting to become as stubborn as you." Naomi joked.
"Cute." Edele gave her a weird look and turned away.
"She has been like this for a while though...does she still think her name is Annie?"
"No." Edele replied with a shrug. "She 'knows' her name is Annie..."
********************************************************
Annie studied the burn on her hand carefully before putting the bandage back on gently. Wincing at the pain she could hear the Lynch's voices dancing in her head.

"How are you feeling now?" Said Mrs.Lynch with that maternal vibe that made Annie feel horrible.
"I'm not her kid..." She kept saying to herself. "But even if I wasn't...some how I don't think that mattered...as long as I was ok,she was ok with it...I don't know..."
"She's got to be doing fine if she was up for making an elaborate dinner just for us." Mr. Lynch laughed heartily patting Annie on the shoulder.

They're like my own parents... Annie thought to herself the entire night.
She wanted to give them details on how her day was when they asked,what she'd been doing when they brought it up but she couldn't,she wasn't their kid,so instead of answering with long stories and jokes like she would her own family,she stayed silent and watched as Edele,Naomi and their parents laughed and joked,conversing in and out of all kinds of topics.

Now that she sat alone at the apartment,with only a day longer before going on tour with her favorite group of all time,she felt homesick and tired. Not excited. She hated being someone she wasn't and not knowing what to do to fix it made it even worse.

"I need a walk..." Annie said out loud to herself,then took off into the night.
*********************************************
"Hey you guys are supposed to meet those kids right?"
"What?" Edele glanced back at Naomi.
"Those girls from the concert in Philadelphia,you're going to meet them right?"
"Yeah why?"
"Well,one of them was named Annie right?" She pointed out the obvious which made Edele's eyes roll at the thought that this discussion was getting old. "Maybe you were right about Keavy having sympathy for the situation,maybe when she meets this Annie kid she'll pull out of this amnesia-driven pit of hers."

This gave Edele some hope,Naomi had a good point,maybe this would help Keavy get passed this problem and they could finally move on and be at peace.
***************************************************
Lucid dreams are cruel,Keavy knew she wasn't home and no where near anyone who wouldn't think she was insane for her claims of being in a 19 year olds body...the only comfort she had was in her own dreams. Drifting into a blissful world of slumber she found herself in a home she could find anywhere. The stage. It was a flash back to the past,when she was forced out of "Blood Brothers",a show she worked so hard at. Collapsing on stage was her own fault,or was it? It was not like she hadn't eaten or slept. Keavy knew how to take care of herself before and after any performance,she was at the peek of her health and was only feeling greater with every rehearsal she could out behind her. Once it came down t show time she drank some water,warmed up her singing and then was right on time for her first cue...What happened? Where did everything go wrong?
"Keavy!" Came a clear and mildly aggressive sounding voice from a fellow thespian.

There before her stood an old friend and long time actress,Diana Flemming. She was playing the role of Mrs. Lyon,the antagonist,and opposite of the role she wanted,Keavy's role,Mrs. Johnston.
Granted the two would argue every now and then but Keavy never took what she had to say to heart. In the end they always performed well together.
"It's really hot out there...best get some more water in you so you don't dehydrate mid song." She laughed handing Keavy a water bottle.
"Thanks Diana,I appreciate it a lot. Are you ready?" Keavy asked before taking a drink and setting the bottle down by the prop table.
"Born ready for the stage,love,born ready." Diana had a natural confidence and constant stage presence that matched any local talent and then some. "What about you?"
"I could die on stage that's how much I love it." Keavy smiled honestly. "It's the one thign I have that I would never give up...the reactions from the audience...the applause...it gives me such a rush."
"Yes...manipulating the way they feel and how they react to everything we say and do is something else." Diana nodded.
"That's a bit much don't you think Diana?" A young man interrupted coming between the two of them.
Gabriel,the shows narrator,embraced both women but left a kiss on Keavy's cheek. They had become very close in the last two months of constant rehearsing,hopefully he would keep in touch with her even after closing night.
"Break a leg tonight,ladies." He said before he got to his place to prepare for his entrance in the opening.

Keavy blushed and then set her focus and energy to the stage as she waited for her cue. All the while from behind her Diana gave her a dirty look and then stormed off to find her own place backstage.

Pushing herself out of her dream world Keavy found herself awake and in a cold sweat. It was early,the sun hadn't come up yet but she knew she had to be somewhere. Nikki brought up before that Annie was still in school. Her thigns weren;t hard to find,she was only taking two classes today,a wednesday,both of which Keavy would probably enjoy. Acting 2 and Voice enhancement,both obviously theatre related courses. Annie had papers scattered in and out of a small back pack,all of them monologues from different shows and some that looked like she wrote herself. Meeting up with Annie's friend Kim,or "Boyle" as she seemed to prefer being called,they took a trolley to another terminal and got on a bus that went right to the school.

"FINNEGAN!" Called an old man from down a hallway as Keavy entered the building with Boyle.
"Looks like McDaid's found you early,good luck Finnegan!" Boyle said before rushing off.

Keavy looked as an old man with thin gray hair approached her.
"What the hell are you doing Finnegan? I haven't seen your monologue yet,let's go!"

A little scared of this guy,she reluctantly followed,not sure what she would present to him or the class that waited for her.
*************************************************
A night before going back on tour,Lindsay found herself a little more restless than usual. Knowing that her dear old friend would most likely be in the same position she called Edele.

"I just can't sleep is all..." She explained over the phone. "How did dinner go last night?"

Lindsay kicked at the floor as she listened to Edele chatter away about the events of the night before. Moving from room to room of her small apartment she pulled the curtain away of her window and saw something she hardly expected to see. Looking from outside to the clock on her wall her face was clouded with concern.
"Edele...I think we have a problem..."
"What's going on?" She could hear Edele say as she pulled the phone away from her ear.

Outside,in the cold darkness,Lindsay spotted Keavy sitting on a bench by a phone booth across the street.
"I'll call you back..." She said and then hung up.

Going outside and carefully crossing the semi-busy street Lindsay approached Keavy,who didn't even seem to notice her coming.
"Hey." Lindsay said as she sat down beside her.
"Hello..." Annie replied looking away from her.
"You're out late,what's going on?"
"Can't sleep..."
"Neither can I..." Lindsay nodded. "Want to go get a coffee?"
"I don't have any money." Annie admitted,trying not to sound rude.
"I've got this one...come on." Lindsay helped her up and they went to a nearby coffee place.

Annie held her mug with both hands,moving her thumb in a semi-circle around the rim,Lindsay noted the motions and cleared her throat. Annie wasn't phased by it,she just kept looking down and fooled with her mug. Lindsay knew Keavy was still a little off balance from the accident and wanted to help.
"Annie..." Lindsay said slowly,not wanting to start and argument over the name issue.
This caught Annie's attention,someone believed her? She couldn't believe it...but she needed to risk it anyway if she was going to figure out a way home to her own body and life.
"Yeah?"
"Are you nervous about performing?"
"A little."
"You shouldn't be,you've done it before." Lindsay wanted to bring out some memories for her to work with.
"I know." Annie said to Lindsay's surprise. "I've been doing this forever..."
"So you'll be fine. Just let everything flow and you'll be fine. Ok?"
"Ok." Annie nodded,feeling tired now.
"How does caffeine make you tired?" Lindsay laughed.
"Beats me..." Annie felt comfortable enough to laugh back and then a wave of sadness hit her again that she didn't belong here. "I just want to go back to Philly..."
"We'll be back there soon..." Lindsay assured her.
"Yeah...I hope so..." Annie nodded,downing her cup of coffee.

[Meli]

...Ooohh... good installment.

[Robin Morbid]

thank you