Josie Mayle!
I’ m( Not) Sorry
I had too many performances. I needed a break. I was always tired, but it ' s my own stupid fault for waking up so early. Jasmine looked tired, too. I felt bad for her. She had to wake up in the middle of the night just to deal with me. I ' m too needy.
" You ain ' t lookin ' so hot, Anthony," Alysha noted when she saw me walk in. Her final performance was on that day. I didn ' t want to say goodbye. She ' s moved onto bigger and better things, though. I ' m proud of her.
" I ' m fine," I said, but I wasn ' t. I wasn ' t fine. I ain ' t ever fine. I ' m always depressed or angry or tired. I ain ' t ever fine.
" If you say so." Alysha knew I wasn ' t fine. " You gonna pass out with Jazzy in between shows?"
I managed to laugh a little. " Yeah. We ' re both pretty tired, and I didn ' t have enough time to grab any coffee."
" That ' s rough," Alysha said. " You can always get something ' from the coffee machine."
I shook my head. " Nah, it ' s okay. I don ' t like the coffee from that thing, anyway." " You ' re crazy." Alysha laughed. " You sure you ' re okay, though?" " I ' m fine." I ain ' t ever fine. I looked behind me. Jasmine was looking at me. She had that look again. That look that said, " You ain ' t fine. Stop telling ' people you ' re fine." She saw right through me.
In my dressing room, Jasmine was sitting in my chair and looking at herself in the mirror, straightening up a bit.
9