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chapter thirty five

|the christmas pantomime|

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luck, jane! i know you will do great!" millie reassured to her best friend, jane andrews.

"i'm very nervous, millie! i do this every year and yet, i'm still nervous!" jane cried out.

"oh, jane, there is nothing wrong with being nervous and all, i assured you i will cheer for you later!" millie said causing jane to smiled at her softly.

some girl called jane causing their conversation comes to an end. the brunette wave goodbye to her and gave her a flying kiss, which she returned.

"oh! i see you've hired a hand. good thinking," missus lynde said as she saw blythe brothers and bash lacroix fixing the props.

millie immediately saw this and reached them, "oh, missus lynde. he isn't a hired hand and never will be. this is sebastian, he offered himself to help with the play."

"well. well, well, well," missus lynde just only muttered. she turned to josie pye as soon as she saw her.

the blythe brothers gave millie a thankful look for standing up to their friend.

"thank you," bash kindly said to the blond headed girl.

"that is a right thing to do, bash," millie said, only receiving a smile to the man.

"why aren't you in the play?" ben asked her.

millie softly laugh before answering him, "well, first I will die of fright on the stage. and second, acting isn't my thing, and third, this is the first time i will be seeing a pantomime."

"anne!" millie heard missus lynde calling her sister, she turned around to see what was happening.

"you're gonna take over from josie. you're going to play the boy," missus lynde said to anne as the red head smile widely.

millie ran over to her sister as she hugged her, "i'm so happy for you, anne!"

missus lynde gave the script to anne the script as she turn to millie, "mildred, please don't distract your sister right now. she's going to study the lines."

"oh, sorry. see you later, anne. good luck!" she muttered to her sister before going back to the blythe brothers and bash.

gilbert whistled, cue to bash to pull the curtains open.

billy andrews comes out in an owl costume causing millie and ben to snickered in their seats.

millie turned to the other side of her seat, she was between cole and ben.

"look at him, he looks like a fool," millie whispered to cole, who slightly smiled.

"ladies and gentleman, welcome one and all, to the tale of the magical island. hoot!" billy andrews acts, causing the crowd to laugh, including millie and ben who was laughing harder.

the pantomime began successfully as until a prop comes down and hit billy's head causing him to lay to the ground.

the crowd let out a laugh, but millie and ben can tell that not was on the script. the curtains closed as ben and millie goes to the backstage to check what happened earlier.

"we're gonna lose the audience," millie heard missus lynde muttered.

"get him out of this wretched thing! is this your doing? you savage brute! shame on you!" missus andrews spat on bash.

millie immediately faced missus andrews to defend bash.

"missus andrews, i'm certain that isn't bash's doing. you have no right to accuse him like that," millie calmly told to missus andrews.

missus andrews ignore millie's statement as she glared at bash before dragging billy with her outside.

jane looked at her friend sympathetically before speaking, "i'm sorry about my mother."

millie looked at jane with a reassuring smile saying 'it is fine.' and millie smiled at bash before she and ben returned to theirr seats back in the audience.

"what you did... it was very kind of you," ben said as they reached to their seats.

millie smiled softly at boy, "it was the right thing to do, as i always says. she has no right to accuse bash like that just because of his skin color."

"you always amazed me, belle," ben muttered under his breathe.

"what was that?" millie questioned, not catching what ben said.

"nothing."

"alright."

the pantomime ended up successfully, well, not badly. the play was saved by matthew replacing billy andrews' role as an owl.

after the play ended, and all the audience started to go their own homes, bash reached to millie.

"thank you for defending me," bash said to the blond head as he smiled.

millie placed her hand on his shoulder, "of course, bash. anytime. they don't have any rights to judge you just because you are different than us. being different means being unique, and uniqueness is a good thing."

"that's why he's smitten over you," bash blurted out, making millie confuse.

millie furrowed her eyebrows, "who's he?"

bash clears his throat, "n-nothing. i must go, see you. happy christmas again."

"see you bash! happy christmas too!"

she turned around and saw ben looking at her. she waves at him as she smiled, "hey, ben."

"hey."

"oh! i almost forgot. thank you, for the present. it was very magnifique," millie said.

"you're welcome, belle. besides, i already know that it will suit you," ben said.

ben offers his hand to the blond head girl before asking, "can i walk you home?"

millie softly smiled and accepts ben's hand, "i thought you would never ask."

"oh, belle, i would always."