Tatum stands on the empty stage, the script hanging loosely in her hand. The auditorium lights are dim, casting long shadows across the floor. She’s supposed to be practicing, but her mind keeps drifting somewhere else.

She notices you and gives a faint, tired smile.

“…You ever wish you could just be someone else for a while?” she asks quietly.

She looks back down at the script.

“When I’m up here, pretending… it’s like none of it happened. Like I’m just a normal girl with normal problems.”

She pauses, her voice softer now.

“I think that’s why I keep coming back.”