Pezberry Week Day 1: Broadway Rivals
She's a star. Elphaba, Dorothy, and Maureen: all before she was 25. She was Broadway's number one girl. Until she came around.
"Rachel, we're changing up the cast. This will be the first production of Rent in 5 years and the producers feel we would all benefit from this change."
Rachel stared at the casting director.
"We will be replacing you as Maureen. Before you freak out let me say this: you will take over the role of Joanne. We feel that your personality would better fit the character. And the girl we've cast… your voices would fit perfectly during "Take Me or Leave Me".
Rachel was fuming, but she didn't want to become the stereotypical diva and freak out over a role. So she stayed calm and said, "And might I ask who my replacement is."
"She's new, looking at her resumé you would never know she is as amazing as she is. She graduated from NYADA with you and just got through with a stint on a musical drama in L. A."
"What's her name?"
"Santana Lopez."
"San, there's someone at the door for you!" Santana rolled her eyes as her brother yelled through the condo.
"Stop being rude and let them in. Act like I've taught you some manners."
"You sure? Cause she looks angry. Like that calm angry. You know when you get mad at me for getting on trouble, but you don't really look mad."
"What?" The Latina asked herself. "Just let them in," she huffed as she continued cutting vegetables. She could hear the sounds of the door closing and heels on her hardwood floor as her younger brothers mumbled a greeting.
"I would've thought you would be soaking up the all the attention."
Santana didn't have to look at the visitor to know who it was; she knew that voice anywhere. "No one besides you, the casting director, the producers, and Damien, who's still playing Mark know that I'm the new Maureen."
"Why are you doing this Santana? You know Maureen and Elphaba are my dream roles."
"I didn't even want to be Maureen. I auditioned for Mimi and Joanne, since my appearance is closer to theirs than yours. This had nothing to do with you, Rachel. I was not going to turn down a starring role on Broadway to spare you some tears."
"You always competed with me in school."
"We went to a school for the dramatic arts," Santana pointed out, finally putting her knife down. She had cut way more vegetables than she needed, just so she could avoid looking at Rachel. "The students competed with the teacher for the class's attention. You should know, cause that's why Cassie liked me more than you."
"You went behind my back and tool my role right out from under me."
"I went after what I wanted behind the scenes. I've always done that. Didn't you ever notice that I was never physically at an audition, yet I still earned a lead role?"
Rachel stared at the Latina. She thought about all the audition sheets she signed her name on and all the people she read lines with at call backs, and finally realized she never saw Santana. "How?"
"That's not important. Are you gonna stay for dinner? I'm making chicken noodle. I know you stopped being vegan when Brody broke up with you."
"Yeah. Do you want me to tell Jay, dinner's almost ready?"
"If you don't mind."
"How well do you know Rachel Berry. I know you two were rivals of sort at NYADA, but looking at you two during rehearsal today you seem to be really close."
"She's my best friend. We met the first week of school when we both requested new roommates. She moved in with me after we graduated."
"So was she really upset about you taking Maureen from her?"
Santana nodded at the director, "Yeah, she was sort of upset. More so about the fact that I never even told her I was auditioning. This has happened before, we fought over all our starring roles: Sandy, Wendla, and now Maureen."
"Well, don't let her get in your way. You earned this role fair and square. We were planning to have everyone re-audition anyway."
"It's not Rachel I'm worried about. It's the media, they are going to have field day with this. Santana Lopez Snakes Role from Broadway's Sweetheart Rachel Berry. No one will be ready for this."
"What the hell?!"
"What's wrong?" Santana looked at the brunette with concern etched on her face. The two were sitting in Rachel's dressing room during their rehearsal break. The night before someone had gotten a picture of Santana and Rachel in their respective Maureen and Joanne costumes.
"Why are people calling you a snake in the grass and a cold hearted bitch?"
"I tried to keep you from seeing those. Look don't let those wannabe journalists and stalker paparazzi ruin this. Next week is my first night performing on a Broadway stage and the fact that I get to kiss my happy best friend is a plus. So let's get out there and show them what we really think of each other."
Rachel smiled and exited the room after Santana, "I think I'm starting to run off on you."
"Wanky!"
"Rachel! Rachel! How do you feel about Santana stealing your role?!"
"How are you handling being this close to her everyday?!"
"How much fighting is going on behind the curtains?!"
Rachel was bombarded by questions of backstabbing and blinding camera flashes. She and Santana had gotten separated as they tried to exit the theatre. The Latina was dealing with the same thing.
"No. I don't hate her."
"I'm happy being Joanne."
"I don't have problems working with her."
"If either one of us had a problem, you would all know."
"Does it really matter who's who? I'm just happy I get my chance on stage."
Twisted words. Photoshopped pictures. Videos and audio taken way out of context. Rachel was outraged. First, Santana was a bitch for "stealing" Maureen and now she was an innocent victim of Rachel Berry's ego.
The two had been dancing around, when Santana slipped and fell of the stage. Rachel had been reaching to twirl the Latina into her body when Santana started to fall. The cellphone video shot from the audience point of view was released to the press and now everyone was saying Rachel was trying to get rid of Santana in order to get her role back. Again, Rachel was outraged.
"Rachel, calm down. We'll be fine okay. I told before to ignore the media. Everyone in that theatre knows what really happened, so stop worrying?"
"Is your face okay?" Rachel asked as she lightly ran her fingers over her costars bruised cheek and lip.
"Yeah. The bruises will be gone by Friday."
What do I spy with my telephoto eye?
Rachel Berry and Santana Lopez were seen cuddling in a booth at New York Strip, a restaurant near the hotel Santana has been living in. The two Broadway stars were sitting particularly close for two people who supposedly hate each other. Are the two women hiding something? Has the relationship between Maureen and Joanne been manifested in Broadway's newest bad girl and America's sweetheart?
Only time will tell. Unless the ladies decide to.
Santana smiled as she read the article. She purchased the tabloid and walked to the restaurant where Rachel was waiting for her.