Rehearsals for the local high school's production of Little Shop of Horrors were in full swing—teens belted out notes meant only for their adult counterparts and awkward stage interactions were becoming second nature after weeks of trial and error. Mr. Reyer, who was directing this year's musical, was livid because the leading lady was, once again, absent from rehearsal.
Christine Daaé was undoubtedly the best singer in the school. She was a senior, long flowing brown curls, big doe eyes, beautiful, and had an attitude like no other. She frequently missed rehearsals, because she "had better things to be doing." Christine's lack of care for the musical was appalling to Mr. Reyer, though he somehow managed to put up with it for three previous years.
Enough was enough, he decided. "If she doesn't take this seriously after I've given her the leading role, then fine," he announced to the cast. "Christine Daaé is no longer a part of this production." Everyone gasped and began murmuring to each other about how horribly Christine would react to hearing the news, how she wouldn't accept it. She would of course get her father to reverse Mr. Reyer's decision and steal the spotlight once more. Mr. Reyer thought of this also, but was determined that he could withstand the man's empty threats. "Now," he said, breathing deeply. "Who would like to play Audrey?"
The heart of every girl in the room soared at the question, but none of them dared to speak up. Whoever replaced Christine was bound for trouble of the worst kind from her and her best friend, Agatha Sorelli. Agatha was slightly older, already eighteen and tall as can be, and she was even fiercer than Christine. She had jet black hair, which she grew out and curled to be like her friend. Everyone feared the wrath of her silver-tongued remarks.
Soon, the silence that overtook the theater began to grow awkward. Cecile Jammes coughed and spoke up. "Perhaps Meg could play the part, sir?" to which Meg replied with a daggered stare into the back of Cecile's head. Cecile and Meg were the closest of friends, inseparable from the moment they met in kindergarten. Now, Meg was wondering if she'd made a mistake staying her friend all those years.
The rest of the kids scoffed. "I think she should stick to painting sets and running the lights," one of them remarked. The others began laughing. Meg looked down and blushed, ashamed.
Cecile touched her arm to comfort her. "Please, Meg, just try! I know you can do this."
Mr. Reyer hushed the group and smiled at her from behind the cast. "Yes, Meg, why not give it a shot?"
Meg's heart was about to burst from her chest, as all eyes were on her. She felt like her face was going to melt off from blushing so intensely. Nevertheless, she stepped forward. The teens that stood in her way did not separate for her until she bluntly said, "Excuse me." Everyone was too shocked that she was going to do this that they complied.
Mr. Reyer sat at the piano nearby. "Will 'Somewhere That's Green' be good for you? You surely know the words by now."
Meg nodded. She didn't want to announce to everyone that she already knew the lyrics by heart. The music began and she took a deep breath. Her cue to start singing hit, and she did.
"I know Seymour's the greatest,
But I'm dating—"
She looked at Cecile momentarily.
"A semi-sadist.
So, I got a black eye and my arm's in a cast.
Still that Seymour's a cutie.
Well, if not, he's got inner beauty."
The group began to look around at each other in confusion. Was Meg Giry really singing better than Christine? They couldn't believe it.
"And I dream of a place
Where we could be together at last."
She took another step forward and began to sing the song in the loveliest rendition Mr. Reyer had ever heard from a high school student. When it was over, Cecile and Mr. Reyer clapped, but everyone else was in stunned silence. Ignoring the rest, Mr. Reyer said, "Meg, my dear, congratulations! You are our new Audrey!"
Meg smiled brilliantly at first, but in turning around, seeing the hateful faces behind her, it fell. Mr. Reyer dismissed them, as he assumed Meg would need time to go over the script before rehearsing. "We meet here on Wednesday at seven!"
Meg waved at him as he left. He really was a kind man, just a little impatient. Cecile was practically vibrating next to her from excitement. "I can't believe it! My best friend is going to be a star!"
Meg, the older and more concerned of the two, replied with, "But who will finish the sets? And run the lights? And-"
She was interrupted as someone—a boy, the male lead, she didn't know his name—tripped her and she fell, her books scattering everywhere. "See you tomorrow, Audrey," he shouted as he ran away.
"Hey asshole, get back here and apologize to my friend!" Cecile shouted in his direction.
"You mean girlfriend?" He was back with a gang of other boys across the theater at this point, and they were all in uproarious laughter.
Cecile ignored them, which made them laugh even harder, and helped Meg to her feet. "Don't worry about those assholes," she yelled the word in their direction. "You'll do great."
Meg wasn't worried about how well she would do at rehearsals, she was worried about the consequences of even being there.
Christine marched down the hallway towards Mr. Reyer's room. Everyone made way for her, as she was determined not to be delayed. She parted the masses like the Red Sea. As she slammed the door open, Meg jumped where she stood. It was about two minutes after the final bell had rung, and Meg was practicing for rehearsals with Mr. Reyer during the entirety of study hall—her last period of the day.
"Mr. Reyer!" Christine shouted, finding his eyes. "I seem to have encountered a problem. I hear that you have replaced me!" She laughed. "Which is really quite impossible, you see, because who could replace me?" She looked at Meg for support in her inquiry.
Meg shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, um," she began.
"I hear you replaced me with some dull little girl who paints sets!" Christine chuckled. Meg flinched at the comment. "Can you believe it?" Again, the question was directed at Meg, as she was the only one in the nearby vicinity. Meg didn't get the chance to correct her.
"Christine, you have missed rehearsal too many times. You are out of the play. Meg has taken the role of Audrey," said Mr. Reyer. He sounded firm at first, but his authoritative tone wavered towards the end of his statement. Perhaps he was just as afraid of Christine as the rest of the school. Or maybe he was afraid of what she would get her father to do.
Christine scoffed. "And just who, may I ask, is this Meg?"
Mr. Reyer looked at her with a confused expression before turning to Meg, waiting for her to speak. Christine followed his gaze.
"Hi," she said shyly with a little wave.
Christine's eyes bugged out of her skull as they made their way upwards to meet Meg's. So, this whole time she had been talking to her competition, asking her to back her up! Outrageous. She needed to calm down before she ripped the girl's plain wavy blonde hair out of her scalp in frustration.
She took a deep breath, still staring at Meg—a little intimidated by her height. Christine was only a measly five feet, where Meg was a "towering" five feet and six inches. Her eyes slowly made their way back to Mr. Reyer, who looked very amused with Christine's reaction.
"Christine, listen, if you ask nicely and apologize, I'll let you be an extra," he said defeatedly.
"An extra?" Christine spat out the word like it was a curse. "I can't be an extra in my senior musical, do you know how embarrassing that is?"
"No," he replied, smirking. "I'm afraid I don't."
"Well, it's really embarrassing!"
Meg stood there in silence, watching the two bicker about Christine's possible role as an extra, when a freshman ran into the room with a panicked disposition. "Joseph Buquet is beating the shit out of Erik! Quick, come see!"
Mr. Reyer quickly made his way out the door with Christine still yelling after him. He knew this wouldn't be good. Joseph Buquet was the male lead of the musical, Seymour, and if he got expelled then Mr. Reyer would have no one to play the part, as the vast majority of the school's cast was female. He already had to have one girl, Emily, play the part of Seymour's adoptive father, Mr. Mushnik, and even that was stretching it.
As he exited the room to break up the fight, Christine gave up yelling and turned to Meg. Oh boy, Meg thought as Christine's big brown eyes burning with hatred made their way back up to her green ones.
"Now listen," she said, jabbing her finger into the air. "I am going to play the lead, and that is final."
"But, er, Christine," Meg struggled. "Mr. Reyer told me that the part was mine, since you didn't seem to really want it." Her voice was full of innocence and genuine confusion. She didn't understand why Christine would skip rehearsal so often and still want the part.
Christine's eyes somehow widened even further. "Look, Meg, I don't care what Mr. Reyer says. I will be starring in this production." She broke their gaze and began to turn away.
"Why does it matter so much?" Meg asked plainly, a little irritated.
Christine froze in her tracks and sighed quietly, whispering so that it was barely audible, "It just does."