A/N: So, I feel like this deserves some sort of explanation before we get into it. This was a fic I wrote for another fandom before I started writing Whiterose. It was a short romance story, and I ended up liking it so much I never really got rid of it. In fact, I ended up expanding a bit on the characters and setting, changing fandoms, and this eventually became other stories I wrote later.
After re-reading this story, however, I decided to change the characters and setting around and re-post it as WR, and in something akin to a familiar AU. That being said, some of you may notice some similarities between this and other fics of mine. This was intentional, as this eventually became those stories. This was the original, and while it isn't perfect (far from it, actually), it is still by far my favorite short story I wrote, and may always will be.
Please note that this is rated 'M' for swearing and adult themes. While there may (see: will) be smut in a later chapter, and I will make a note of it, but until then you'll have to make do with the language and themes. Oh, the horror.
Enjoy.
0 – 0 – 0
The Odd Couple - Whiterose Special Edition
Part 1
0 – 0 – 0
To this day, I can't step onto a stage without thinking of Ruby.
I can still close my eyes and envision the first time I ever saw her: as a barely-turned twelve year old girl doing commercials on television. The way her face would light up as she talked to others. Her dark hair, tied into cute little pigtails, bouncing merrily as she darted around the screen. How her eyes would seek me out from the other side of the television screen and smile. The way her lips would quirk into a cheeky grin when she talked to others. It was all wonderful. She was the cutest girl I had ever seen.
I immediately jumped online to find out all I could about this girl. It didn't take me long.
Her name was Ruby Rose. She was relatively new, as far as young stars went, but she was quickly gaining popularity with her expressiveness and natural acting ability. I must have spent hours just sitting there, looking at pictures of this girl – in different outfits from her shoots, her hair tied into pigtails or loose or curled, her eyes a bright shiny silver, and her sunny, cheerful smile.
It was after that I had decided what I wanted to do with my life – act. Just like Ruby. The very next day I went to school I sought out the acting club and joined up. I spent all my free time learning the craft, taking bit parts in school plays, and learning all I could about acting.
As I got older, so did Ruby. I kept up on her career as often as I could; on the internet, in magazines with interviews and photo shoots, going to her movie debuts and watching her on television. It was easy when she was almost everywhere.
When she was sixteen she gained the moniker of "The Girl With One-Thousand Faces" due to her ability to shift between an almost innumerable amount of facial expression on the fly. As a fellow actress, even a relatively inexperienced one, I held a great respect for that kind of talent. I won't lie, it was something of a hobby of time to catalog each and every one of her expressions. I was rarely bored as a teenager.
And as I got older and realized what I felt was more than just idol-worship, and dipped conspicuously into a major celebrity crush, things just sort of fell into place.
Yea, I was not ashamed to call Ruby Rose my little baby-dyke crush. I put her pictures on my bedroom wall, had all of her videos and television series on DVD, and damn-near stalked her Facebook and Twitter more than I felt was necessary. While my friends got damp panties over boy bands and other movie stars, it was all Ruby for this little lesbian.
My best friend, Nora, was the only one who really knew about my not-so-little crush.
Once she was eighteen and presumably out of high school she went international; traveling abroad to act in movies around the world – America, Europe and even Asia from time to time. In a way I was slightly disappointed. Now the whole world knew about Ruby and not just a select few. It felt as though she no longer belonged to just me. But as her popularity grew, so did her ability, and I just couldn't find it in me to stay disappointed. Now even more people could see what I saw: The most beautiful woman in the world.
At least, in my eyes she was.
As I graduated and went through university my crush lessened somewhat to make way for practicality. I dated other girls, went out with friends and more or less enjoyed myself as I finished college and joined a professional acting troupe. But the attraction I had for Ruby ever since I was a girl never fully went away.
I had long considered myself one out of the thousands – maybe even millions – of Ruby Rose admirers. The girl was even more popular as an adult as she had been as a teenager.
But I was just Weiss Schnee, a stage actress who had never been on television. Hell, I had only ever been on the stage. And while I understood that I was not a bad actress – there was plenty of room for improvement – I held no illusions that I would ever meet her in person. The best I could do, most likely, was get something signed.
And I would most likely frame whatever it was she signed. Hopefully my bra. Or my panties.
Hey, a girl could dream, right?
We were from two different worlds. I understood that. I was mature enough to accept the fact that, despite my more fervent wish since I was young, she and I would never meet.
Which was why, when I was told of a new television series starring Ruby Rose was holding open auditions in California, where I lived, I could scarcely believe it. I almost didn't bother auditioning for fear of the whole thing being some kind of practical joke. It was only due to Nora, and her insistence that I "get off my ass and go to the audition", that I actually did.
The crowd at the audition itself was staggering. There must have been at least three hundred people – all women. The role called for a female co-star, between twenty and twenty-five years of age, and I was right in the sweet spot at a solid twenty-three. The tension was high with every single one of those girls sitting beside me. Most likely they wanted this role to get their face on television. Some, from their shaking legs and hands, looked as though they were going to the most important interview of their lives. In a way, I supposed it could have been. Some were totally as ease with themselves; apparently, they were professionals and had already landed some gigs on television or movies.
Me? I was just excited to finally get a chance to meet my idol, Ruby Rose. That was reason enough to audition, even if I didn't get the part.
As I sat there, fingering the sheet of paper I was supposed to read from, I considered the piece. It was the female version of Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple'. While I was familiar with the original version from 1961, the female version was made in 1985 for a female cast and I was somewhat unfamiliar with it. Regardless, it seemed as though they were making a new television series version with Ruby Rose as the star, and she was looking for a co-star to play her opposite. My Felix to her Oscar, one could say.
I did wonder why, with her international success, the woman would bother with such a thing as a sitcom version of a comedy play. I only dwelled on it for a moment, however, before my nerves won out and my script dropped from my shaking hands.
"Shit." I cursed softly, bending over to pick up the fallen sheet of paper.
"You doing okay over there, Weiss?" Nora asked from beside me. She beat me to the script and handed it to me, giving me a smile – though a little to smugly for my taste. I returned it shakily and clenched the already wrinkled sheet of paper between my fingers.
"Oh yea. Perfectly fine." I replied, though from the warble in my voice it was obvious I was putting up a brave front. Nora seemed to pick up on that and leaned towards me, a familiar shit-eating grin creeping across her lips.
"You should have brought an extra pair of panties for her to sign." She whispered none-too-softly. I sputtered as I hid my face from the girl sitting on the other side.
"Nora!" I hissed, embarrassed.
The girl forged on, heedless of my plight to keep quiet. "Though, I guess you could have her sign the pair you have. Might be a bit too forward though." She eyed the skirt I wore, her lips twitching. "Though, from how short your skirt is, I'd say you were kinda banking on it. Did I mention how awesome your ass looks in that?"
I tugged the ends of my skirt over my thighs, blushing hotly. I loved my best friend dearly, but sometimes she was too much. "I don't know what you are talking about." I muttered.
I was lying, of course. The size of my chest was dismal at best, so that meant I had to rely on my other attributes to attract people. And that meant my legs and ass. Thank God I had those going for me, at least. I had dressed myself with extra care that morning under the fantasy that if I attracted Ruby enough, she would take exceptional notice to me during the audition. I shaved my legs and underarms, and made a point to wear a skirt and top and showed off all my best features—such as they were. Makeup and my cutest earrings were next, followed by my hair - I had worn my hair in similar pigtails to Ruby's signature ones for years. Immature, I know. But hey, I was desperate.
Though, there was no was in hell I would let Nora know that.
"Sure you don't." Nora drawled, smirking. "There's no way you got all dressed up just for Ruby Rose."
"Right." I replied.
"Naturally." Nora smirked.
"Of course."
"Yup."
The two of us stayed silent for a few moments before we erupted into giggles. God, the two of us were horrible, weren't we? But it did help with my nerves as I skimmed my eyes over the script again. At least, until the girl next to me was called into the audition room. Then my stomach plummeted right down into my groin. I groaned and bent over, suddenly wishing I wasn't there.
I knew Nora wasn't going to make things better when she leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"Just don't lead by telling her that you masturbate to a wall scroll of her above your bed."
Yup. I was right. What a bitch.
I swatted Nora's arm, but laughed all the same. She was only trying to help, in her own way. And I loved her for that. I needed her support after all, as I wouldn't have gotten far in anything without her. My acting, university work, even my place in my troupe was suggested by her. Sure, I would have eventually done all that myself. But having my best friend there with me through it all made all the difference.
When my name was called, it was she who gave me a little push out of my chair and towards the door. I smiled at the woman who called my name and followed her through the doorway. As I made to cross the threshold, I turned back to wave at Nora, but my smile melted in place shocked bemusement as she made a crude gesture to me with her tongue between two of her fingers.
God, sometimes I both loved and hated that woman.
Shaking my head in amusement, I entered the room. The door was shut behind me and I quickly spotted a table with three people sitting at it.
Even from behind I could recognize Ruby. Her dark hair, the tips of which dyed a striking red in her current favorite style, was all the reason my stomach needed to tie itself into knots. She turned her head to look at me, and my mouth dried up instantly. Jesus, she was even more attractive in person! Her lips, pink and perfect, quirked into a pleased smile as I walked around to the front of the table. Her eyes, bright and twinkling, crinkled in amusement at my nervous smile. I could barely make out the flash of her teeth as she grinned at me.
I was honestly surprised when I made to the marked spot on the ground without my legs turning into jelly.
"Um…" I mumbled, clenching my fingers tightly at my sides. I cleared my throat and forced a practiced smile at the older man – probably the director –, the middle aged woman on Ruby's other side and, of course, Ruby. "I am number two-nine-oh, Weiss Schnee." I curtsied politely. When I came back up, Ruby's bright smile was my reward.
"Thank you for coming, Weiss." The director said, also smiling – though not as brightly as Ruby was. "I am the director of this television series, Stephen Fenton." I dipped my head again in recognition. "I believe you know Ruby Rose?" He gestured to the girl beside him, who raised her hand in a small wave.
"Hello." Ruby said, her voice clear and loud, with a playful lift to it. At once my stomach clenched again, and I swallowed deeply. Her voice was just as I remembered it from her movies, recordings and television appearances. With her sitting just a few feet from me, I could have died right then and there and been perfectly happy.
Okay… morbid. But you get the idea.
"H-hello." I managed to choke out, smiling nervously. Ruby's smile widened into a grin as I fidgeted in my shoes, but she didn't comment.
"And this is our writer for the series, Glynda Goodman." The directed gestured to the woman sitting on Ruby's other side. The older woman stood and nodded her greetings, to which I responded to politely. The director continued, "Now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps we can get to the reading?"
I blinked, confused. My eyes sought out Ruby's, and my face must have betrayed my confusion as Ruby brought her hand up to her mouth and giggled.
"The script is in your hands." She whispered loudly.
"Oh. Oh!" I said, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment as the others chuckled politely. Damnit, this was turning out to be a huge success. "Yes. Well," I cleared my throat. "Whenever you are ready."
I received nods and licked my lips, readying myself. I had practiced and practiced this piece for days in preparation for this moment, much more seriously than I normally would have. I had even practiced in front of my Ruby wall scroll just for this moment. And now it would pay off. Or not. Who knows? As I spoke my lines, the fire in my belly made my consider if I would sooner spontaneously combust than pull this off.
The lines themselves were easy enough, but comedy was one thing I was never very comfortable with. Maybe it was my intense expression Nora said I always wore. Maybe it was just my personality. Or my timing. Whatever it was, I could never really manage a joke. They always fell flat.
But if there was one thing I knew I could do well, it was follow a script. As long as I had a script to follow, then I was sure I could do well. It was something of a talent I had, maybe my only one. I had a very good memory, and I could pull off lines from the script only after taking one look at the thing. And I had studied this particular script. More much than was necessary. I could do this. I knew I could.
Nora would never let me live it down if I fucked this up, anyway.
As I finished the scene and took a steady breath, I looked hopefully at the trio sitting before me. The director looked completive, while the writer seemed pleased. But it was Ruby's face that I was focused on.
She was smiling at me, her eyes shining a bright silver, her lips stretched in amusement, likely at the lines I just read – they were meant to be humorous, after all – and her hands under her chin. Her smile turned to a grin, her teeth flashing at me, and she nodded.
I nearly collapsed in relief. Whether or not I got the part, I could be happy with the fact that I impressed her.
It was, hands down, the best day of my life.
The phone call I received the at the end of the day telling me that I landed the role was just icing on the cake.
0 – 0 – 0
End of Part 1
0 – 0 – 0
A/N: And that concludes part 1. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. This story is already finished (since I wrote it last year) and will be posted every week until finished.
Thanks for reading! :D
***Will work for glomps***
