A/N:Me and a friend both decided to set up a Singin' in the Rain community on this site, but I'm not too sure whether many people will actually join, though I hope they do! This is my first contribution, and this chapter, I think, was just to test whether this story can go anywhere, and whether I have the personality down or now. Let me know what you think, if you read it?
'Dignity. Always dignity.' A motto his best friend came up with the night his life changed. For the better, naturally. The night Don Lockwood fell, flustered and dishevelled, into Miss Kathy Seldon's motor car, his life filled itself chock-a-blockv with Good Mornin's and Lucky Stars. Not that Cosmo was jealous in any way. Oh, no. He was, in fact, jealous in every way but the hostile way. Avoiding all of that nasty stuff, of course. Nobody wanted to hear about the 'great' Cosmo Brown, so nobody heard about him and that was that.
And now the talkies were in business, and Lockwood and Seldon were the new Bee's Knees, the struggling musician was again pushed out of the spotlight that he never got to experience anyhow. Settled. He'd forever be in the shadow of his best friend and he was dealing with it accordingly. Comically. Happily. He didn't care about the money too much, though it was always nice to get a raise, right? Right. And he didn't really care about all the publicity, but it was always nice to get recognised, right? Right. And he didn't care about... well, he'd always run out of examples when he got this far. Providing the person on the other end of the one-ended conversation didn't lose interest and scramble off to associate themselves with the 'real stars'. The people he was around almost daily were more interesteed in the stars of the pictures. The Don Lockwoods and Lina Lamonts of the world.
Another premiere. Another picture. Another silent entrance, as he did another favour to Don. He was still a sensation, and rightly so. With his new sweethheart, the lovely Kathy, who was a wonderful girl, that man could take on the world, and being the loyal friend that he was, he seemed determined to take Cosmo with him. To stardom.
"Cosmo Brown! Mr. Lockwood's closest friend, since they were just little kids. He composes all of the Lockwood and Seldon pictures!" It was always the same build up. He'd learnt to ignore it by now. To pass by quickly, and tuck himself away behind Don, and Kathy, until it was time for the actual showing, where he could admire all of the talents, including his own, that went into the picture.
Midwinter Blues. That was the name the producers had tagged the latest one with. And, as usual, it was a 'screeeeeam!" To put it in his own terms, Cosmo had described it as a modest romance. Unique. Simple to the simpleton's eye, but the most complex of affairs to the lovers. Kathy had marvelled when he'd said that, and he'd respondeed with a flamboyant dance around the room, her own quick steps following. Things were fun now. Now that Kathy had realised thatt not every picture was the same. That they didn't have to be made the same. That after the screens faded to black, and after the credits rolled, and after the story ended, there was still plenty more to tell.
And Midwinter Blues easily reflected that. The diversity the pair could display in their characters warmed Cosmo's heart. He'd never tell, of course. He was, as ever, flippant when he was asked about their abilities. Now, as he waited for the crowds to file out of the movie theatre, he watched Kathy and Don. He gave a little chuckle, to himself.
"'til the stars turn cold." he murmered to himself, a smile creeping onto his lips. It was perfect. No more Lina, and someone who could constantly tell Don how good he was, took her place. It was just what he needed. But, as happy as he was for his good friend, there seemed to be something missing now. This was what drove him to return home alone, leaving the happy couple to their own devices.
The air of the city's streets at this time of day - or rather, night - never ceased to amaze Cosmo. They always put him in a good mood, as he felt the cool breeze dance across his cheeks. It amused him when they turned a rosy colour as a consequence. It was more peaceful than the theatre, and he didn't have to deal with all the hustle and bustle of the people. All the gossip they'd read in the fan magazines. All the chit-chat that mean nothing to him or them either way. This was better.
Not to put the wrong idea into anyone's head. He loved the pictures, he really did. It was just nice to have an escape from all that jazz. To get out and see a little beyond the big screen. The silence of the place triggered his thoughts. The loud ones that surfaced every now and again, when he could think of nothing else to, well, think about. A dominant one, at the moment, seemed pretty pointless really. Thoughts if people jumping into other people's cars. It made him wonder whether life wasn't all one big movie picture. Everything seemingly focused around the stars; the heroes; the good guys, and the sweethearts. Maybe, one day, they'd make a picture about a broke, unknown musician who made his break in the huge wide world. That'd be the day.
The problem with these little mind-blanks was that, well, as it suggested in itself; Cosmo's mind tended to go completely blank to the world around him. And the next problem along the line was that when Cosmo's mind went blank, it took quite a lot to bring him back. Like, say, a slap to the face, or maybe a car horn?
He looked up. He was in the road, and that definately wasn't a good place to be. Because, if he was in the iddle of the road, there was a good chance there would be cars that could, quite possibly cause injury. Unless, of course, the person behind the wheel was civil enough to stop, honk their horn and tell him to move. Thankfully, Cosmo had stepped out in front of one of these people.
"What, are you crazy or something?!" a loud, flustered voice called out, as he shook his head and stepped aside. "I could have killed you!"
Cosmo grinned, and it was all he could do. His mind was that preoccupied that he was stupid enough to step in front of a moving vehicle? Swell.
"Well, what confidence! I confess, you could have tried!" He realised moments later that maybe this was not the time to make such jokes. "I thank you." he chimed, slightly too chipper, to say the least. "This conversation would be a lot less pleasant that way, don't you think... Miss?" He added the title as an afterthought, because a woman she was, and a wonderful looking one at that.
"Don't expect to get my name out of a line like that. Now, if you;d be kind enough to get outta my way..." she shot back, brushing her hair from her face as she spoke, though, it was stuck in a tight wave to the side of her head, Cosmo found himself observing. This amused him. When he managed to evoke reactions like this, it triggered a spark in him every time, and his spark had been missing tonight. But now, Cosmo was back, his eyes bright, and he didn't have time to stand moping around an empty street. He rolled his hat across his head, grinned, his eyes wide.
"Very well, or would you prefer farewell?" he broke off, not waiting for a response, as he dashed off, towards the Lockwood residence. Oh, how he loved it when the nights changed like this.