OLIVIA
I wasn’t just nervous, I was anxious. No, that wasn’t even the right word.
It felt like I was on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.
My chest rose and fell too quickly as I took shallow breaths, and no matter how hard I tried, it felt like nothing could fill my lungs. I paced the narrow strip of backstage, willing myself to calm down, but the more I moved, the more the room closed in on me.
People streamed past me, rushing in every direction, their arms full of clothes, makeup brushes, and clipboards. No one stopped. No one noticed that I looked like I was about to collapse and their voices blurred into a hum.
Thirty minutes. Dante’s fall show was starting in thirty minutes.
And I was a mess.
I’ve walked hundreds of shows and runways have been my second home since I w
