Hello! I am a new writer. My name is Anna. And here's the one-shot
(Tris POV)
You'll do amazing tomorrow! I'm so happy for you; Being in Cinderella on Broadway is no small deal!
Love,
Tobias
I sigh, after reading the newest note. Every night before one of our Broadway shows, a bouquet of flowers - black lilies, this time - and a note signed "Love, Tobias" are placed on my doorstep:
Good luck tomorrow. (I know you don't need it, but I'm more than happy to send it anyway!)
Love,
Tobias
Break a leg up there tomorrow! You'll do great, I know it!
Love,
Tobias
It's honestly starting to creep me out; I don't even know who Tobias is! I mean, it's not particularly unusual for a Broadway performer like me to get support from random fans before a show, but sending flowers and a note to my home every time is overdoing it a little. I shrug it off and head up to bed.
~oOo~
-(The next evening)-
I enter from the back door, and walk towards the dressing room, where Marlene, one of my co-performers, closest friends, and neighbor, is bickering, seemingly playfully with a tall, built man.
"Oh shut up, Toby. If you forget, just tell me! Don't make excuses!"
"I send them Marlene!" The man insists. "Every. Single. Time. You're just convinced they're not from me because you don't want to believe that it's Uriah who forgets."
She giggles and turns to her boyfriend, who's shaking his head vigorously.
"Is that right, Uriah?" She asks him, hands on her hips.
"No!"
"Ask Tris!" He tells Marlene, who's still glaring at him playfully. "Tris knows I'd never forget to send you flowers. Right Tris?" He gives me his best puppy dog eyes. I laugh at his antics, but he's right. Everybody knows Uriah would never forget to send Marlene flowers. He's constantly spoiling her; he hates tears more than anything. Especially Marlene's. His brother Zeke's no better. Zeke's crazy about Shauna. Those Pedrad boys are the biggest goofballs I know.
Marlene and the tall stranger turn to me, and when the man looks at me, my heart momentarily stops. His eyes are the darkest shade of blue I've ever seen, and his hair is almost black. His defined muscles bulge under his sleeves. His features resemble Marlene's slightly, although she has sandy hair, and green eyes. I realize that we've both been staring into each other's eyes longer than is socially acceptable, blush, and turn to Marlene, who's smirking at me.
"No, Uriah would never forget, Marlene," I say quickly, trying to get the attention off me. He grins victoriously. I brush past them into the dressing room, where my best friend Christina ushers me in.
"Come on Tris! Get into your costume! Where have you been? My goodness; your hair isn't made, your make-up still needs to be done, and you're not even in your costume!"
"Relax, Christina," Lynn and Shauna, the famous "stage sisters" say from behind her at the same time, then turn to each other. Lynn smiles and Shauna giggles. They'll be playing the evil stepsisters in Cinderella today. It's kind of a joke between us, because they actually are stepsisters (just not evil). When Shauna was little, her parents were divorced, and she went with her dad. Lynn's father had died in a car accident when she was 7, and her little brother was just 2. Their parents met, and got married soon after. They're practically polar opposites; Shauna has a sweet, motherly personality, while Lynn is tomboyish and sarcastic. Often, their brother Hector has to step between their arguments, despite being years younger than Lynn and Shauna. Lynn is 21, like me, Christina, Marlene, and their boyfriends, while Shauna and Zeke are almost 24.
I try to sit still while Christina puts my hair up in an elegant bun. Usually, she performs with us, but her older sister, Rose and Rose's husband, recently died in a car crash, and because Chris has been looking after their three-year-old daughter, Aria, she hasn't been able to attend rehearsals, so she decided she would just stick to hair and make-up. Fostering Aria was a huge adjustment for her, but her boyfriend, Will has been helping her through it, both financially and emotionally. I think they're planning to get married and adopt Aria soon.
Christina waves her mocha-colored hand in front of my face, flashing her freshly manicured nails.
"Helloooooooo? Earth to Tris!" She wipes imaginary sweat off her forehead when I turn to look at her. "Oh thank god. You're not dead!" I roll my eyes at her dramatic nature. "Turn your head this way, I have to put on some blush," she tells me. I do as she says, while Lynn snickers silently behind her. Lynn hates makeovers even more than I do, which is saying a lot.
"It's almost time, guys!" Shauna says excitedly. Marlene follows her in, shaking nervously; she'll be playing the fairy godmother. She's the newest out of all of our crew; this will be her third performance. Shauna lays a hand on her shoulder and offers a reassuring smile and nod, but Marlene continues to tremble.
We head on to the stage, as the crew places the props, and leaves the stage. The curtains rise slowly, and the lights shine brightly in our, faces. The musical starts with three of us: me, as Cinderella, Zoe, as my mother, and Bud, as my father, right at the scene where Zoe is about to die. Then Tori, Lynn, and Shauna will come in, as the stepmother and stepsisters.
~oOo~
(AN- I don't know how to describe the show, so…. Time skip to after the show!)
"You ladies did great!" Uriah exclaims once we've taken our bows and walked off stage. Zeke nods, then wraps Shauna in a hug.
"I agree," Will and my older brother Caleb, state at the same time.
"Jinx!" Uriah and Zeke shout.
"The jinx machine is out of order, please insert another quarter! Ha!" Uriah sings gleefully. "I win!"
Marlene rolls her eyes so hard it looks painful. "Aren't you guys a little old for that?"
"Besides, aren't we the ones who said 'I agree' at the same time?" Caleb asks, gesturing to Will.
"Well yeah, but-"
"All right Marlene, I have to head out, sorry. You killed it up there, though. All of you girls. That was awesome," The muscular man from earlier cuts Uriah off, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Already?" She asks, pouting.
"Four, my man!" Zeke exclaims. "Marlene's right, dude! You just came."
The man, 'Four', sighs. "I know. Sorry Zeke, Marlene. But you guys know I have to get back to work tomorrow, just like any day, no matter how much I want to stay."
"Pleeeeeease." Marlene begs. "I never see you anymore."
"Fine. I'll make a deal with you," Four compromises. "I go now, but I'll come back and take you out for lunch tomorrow."
"Damn you and your job at the police department." Marlene states. "Okay, fine. You take me out for lunch, and come to our group date, and I'll let you go."
"Group date?" He questions.
"Yeah," Christina pipes up. "It's not really a date, more like our weekly outing as a group, usually to dinner. I mean, Tris and Lynn almost never bring someone with them, and sometimes Will and I bring Aria with us, but…"
"So do I have to bring a date? 'Cause I'm not bringing anyone." He says.
"No!" Marlene says quickly. "You don't have to bring anyone, just come."
"Okay great, see you tomorrow...say noon, and then 6?" He offers.
"Noon and then 6. I'll text you the place for our group date," she agrees happily.
"Who's he?" I ask finally, after he leaves.
"That was my best friend, and Marlene's half brother, Four," Zeke explains. That clears things up a little. I nod in understanding, overlooking the strange name for now.
~oOo~
I roll out of bed, and jolt when I see them time: 11:00? What the hell? I had no idea I was that tired after the show. I quickly brush my teeth, and take a quick shower, and decide to dress nicely so I wouldn't have to change before our night out. I pull on a nice, but casual, maroon butterfly sleeve shirt and skinny jeans, one of my favorite outfits with my knee high leather boots, which I'll put on later.
I head to the kitchen, which is right outside my room, because I live in a small, one-story house, just meant for one or two people to live in. I decide it's too late to have breakfast - I'll just have an early lunch, for today and tomorrow, when Will and Chris bring Aria over. Sundays are my babysitting days. I just grab a glass of milk, and decide to get some housework out of the way; I throw some dirty clothes into the laundry, and vacuum the carpet, then clean the kitchen countertop. Right when I finish, the doorbell rings. Odd. Probably girl scouts or something. But when I open the door, the last person I expected to see is standing there.
"Four?"
"Tris?" He asks at the same time.
"Oh, uh," he scratched the back of his neck, "is Marlene home?"
"Is she home?" I repeat, incredibly confused. "How would I know? I haven't seen her since yesterday. Here, why don't you come in and we'll talk." He steps in, and begins taking off his shoes, but I stop him.
"It's okay. You can keep them on."
"Oh." Four seems embarrassed. "Sorry. Childhood habits."
"I know what you mean. My parents practically carved them into me," I chuckle softly. I miss my parents so much. Although their death brought me and Caleb closer together, I would give almost anything to have them back. It had been almost four years since the car crash.
I am brought back to reality by Four, who is looking at the flowers on my counter, the ones sent by Tobias, whoever that is.
"Did Marlene give these to you?" He asks finally. His tone isn't accusing, just curious.
"The flowers?" I laugh. "No. Why would she do that?"
"It's just that I sent her the same flowers, and she told me she never got them. Speaking of which, where is she?"
"Uh... at home, probably," I say, confused as to why he's asking me, of all people, and ever more so when his eyebrows rise.
"You mean...she doesn't live here?!" He seems so embarrassed and shocked that I find myself feeling sorry for him.
"Um, no," I state apologetically.
"This is 24766 Crest Avenue (Totally random name of the top of my head. It's a coincidence if this is a real street), right?"
"No, actually this is 24768 Crest Avenue."
"Shit," he curses softly. "This is the address I've been sending Marlene's flowers to. Isn't it? You've been getting all those flowers before the shows?"
"You mean the ones signed by Tobias?" I say, louder than I intended to. "You're Tobias?!"
He sighs, and scratches the back of his neck again- a sign that he's nervous. "Yeah, that's me." The tips of his ears turn red.
"Tobias." I say again. "I like it." He smiles awkwardly.
"Thanks."
"So where does Marlene live?"
"You had the address right," I explain. "She's right next door." He smiles, and thanks me.
"I should get going. I promised her lunch."
"Yeah, we all know how she can be without her lunch," I say jokingly, but he nods in all seriousness as I walk him to the door.
"I'll see you tonight then?" He asks hopefully.
"Yup, I'll be there." He grins.
"Wait- Tris," he stops me just before I close the door.
"Yeah?" I pull it back open slightly
"Willyoubemydatetonight?" He mumbles.
"What?" I say, having a very good idea what he just asked.
"Will you be my date tonight?" He asks a lot slower, his cheeks flushing.
"Pick me up at 5:45." I state, as a smile takes over both our faces.
Huh. I think to myself. If simple mistakes like sending flowers to wrong house lead to me meeting perhaps the most handsome man I have ever met, then I hope simple mistakes are made more often.
Review with constructive criticism. Please :)
~Anna