Okay, so I know that this can be annoying when somebody submits a story twice but Blk0912's review reminded me that I did not properly edit/fix the very things I intended to take care of before publishing. So thank you Blk0912.
On another note, I am already over two thousand words into the companion to this and have ideas for the one after that. I do not make promises about publishing, I have many fanfics in progress while having responsibilities at home, having a job, and being a college student with finals coming up.
Now thank you all for reading this author's note and happy reading.
-Sami
Rachel Berry was happy. She lived with her two best friends in a tiny studio apartment in New York City. She was going to her dream school (Tisch) and was slowly on her way to her dream career (taking Broadway by storm). Now all she had to do was get past today.
You see, Rachel Berry (whose never nervous) was nervous. Today was her audition for the lead in the school's spring musical, Singing in the Rain. She had auditioned for the program, she had auditioned for the plays, but she had never auditioned for this director.
Jesse St. James. A Tisch student who had already made it on the Great White Way and was now returning to school and wanted to try and direct. In a sense, he was a legend. Not only that, but he was rumored to be brutally honest and quite attractive. For once in her life Rachel Berry was nervous and intimidated.
She almost didn't leave the house, until Santana threatened to throw out every item in the house with a gold star on it (essentially every single thing that Rachel owned).
So here she sat, in one of the many performance halls the school had, the sheet music to On the Steps of the Palace (Into the Woods, unique, but Rachel knew it would work for the part)in her hands. Suddenly she felt someone sit next to her.
"You look a little to nervous," said a males voice.
She turned to look at a young man with curly-black hair and a large, friendly smile.
"I am," she answered.
He shook his head, "You are Rachel Berry, you had the lead in the fall play. You have nothing to worry about. You were magnificent."
She smiled humbly, "Well, thank you. You know who I am but I am no clue as to who you are."
He brought out his hand, "Blaine Anderson," as their hand shook he continued, "Look, I understand why you are nervous, but trust me Jesse is just like you and I. He is a performer first and foremost, he hates working with ineffiecient actors. He values talent."
"I don't want to be typecasted as an 'actress' because I got the lead in the Crucible," Rachel stated, expressing one of her fears.
"If your talented, Jesse will pick that above anything else."
Rachel Berry folded her arm, "And how do you know that I am so talented?"
"You mean besides acting?" he reached for the sheet music in her hands, "Into the Woods. Its not Evita, its not West Side Story, its not Hairspray. This song requires equal parts acting and vocal prowess. You know your musical theater if you picked a 1989 hit."
"It is what I love."
"Exactly. You love it and that is why I know that you are talented."
She didn't understand the man before her. She understood that on one level he was at ease, but he was too at ease.
"Why are you here?"
Blaine smiled at her inquiry. She was as intelligent as she was talented. He leaned forward to her, "You want the truth?" Rachel nodded her head in response, "This is just a formality, I have already been guarrenteed the male lead."
"No!" she whispered in astonishment.
"Yes. St. James and I go far back. Years ago he promised that his directorial debut would give me the lead. And here we are."
"So he is just giving you the lead?"
"No, he knows how talented I am and knows that I am best suited for Don."
"Must be nice to have a sure thing in the audition."
Blaine tapped Rachel's arm, "Don't worry, you are too."
She was about to contradict him when the stage hand called, "Blaine Anderson."
He quickly rose to his feet, "Wish me luck," he said giving Rachel a wink.
As he left the waiting area Rachel was left with the knowledge that even if she didn't get a role in the musical she would certainly see it, just to see what talent Blaine Anderson possessed.
The curly haired gentleman entered the room and merely sat in the chair across from the director.
"Blaine," Jesse addressed his old rival.
"Jesse, how was the Piazza?" Blaine asked, making a reference to the musical the latter had been in.
"Good, now why are you here when you know you have role?"
Blaine eased back into the chair, "I know who I want to play opposite me."
"HA!" Jesse laughed, "I am the director, I chose your fellow lead. Not you."
"Jesse, I know we haven't always gotten along, but you know that I know talent," Blaine gave the man a look that forced him to remember how Blaine had recruited him into their prep school glee club.
"Fine, who is she?"
"Rachel Berry."
The name sounded familiar to Jesse, almost as if he should know it but couldn't remember.
"Who?"
Blaine rolled his eyes, "She played Abigail in this falls play."
Instantly the image of a short brunette with an amazing ability to act popped into his mind's eye. "Oh yes, I remember her, she is quite the actress, but just because she can act doesn't mean she is Kathy."
Blaine hated when he did this, the condescending know it all, "Fine then, pretend that I didn't say a thing, but fifty bucks says that you will cast her."
Once again Jesse laughed, "You see, I can win that bet Blaine just by choosing someone else."
"But you won't, because you want the most talented cast possible."
"And she is the answer to my perfect cast?"
"Yes," Blaine had knew a lot but he knew best how Jesse St. James operated.
"I will win," Jesse guaranteed.
Blaine stood to leave, "No, you won't," and exited the room.
Jesse St. James now sat nervously, knowing that Rachel Berry was about to come in. He didn't want to lose fifty bucks, but he knew that if she was perfect, she would be casted.
She slowly came into the room, her brown hair lose around her shoulders, her smile bright, and clothes carefully put together. Jesse recognized her. He remembered her impeccable performance as Abigail. He knew that she was a talented actress but he had never heard her vocals. She gave a small smile to which he nodded for her to begin to sing.
That was when his heart stilled. The song was comical and she expressed the exapersation perfectly. She was perfectly with a perfectly unique voice. She was unique. She played up the demure side of Cinderella and easily segwayed it into her clever side. Cinderella was not Cathy. She never could be Cathy. Rachel Berry could be Cathy. She easily could be Cathy. It was just a question as to whether Rachel Berry was worth the fifty dollars it would cost him to have her play Cathy. He had to do his research.
"Ms. Berry," he said, requesting that she stay a few minutes later so that they could.
She walked over to him with a confident stride, "Yes Mr. St. James."
"Why Cathy?" he simply inquired.
Her brow furrowed, "I don't understand your question Mr. St James."
"Why is Cathy so important? Why do you want to be Cathy? Why is Cathy Cathy? Why Cathy?"
Rachel took a deep breath. He was stereotypical actor and worse, the stereotypical director. She looked him in the eye, feeling the challenge, "Cathy is the lead female so of course she is important. She becomes important in the musical because of her personality. She is strong and indignant in a time when women were pretty and complacent. She wanted the world. She valued talent, not ease, which Don Lockwood represented. I want to be Cathy because she is the lead, that I cannot deny. I, like her, live to perform. Cathy and I are similar. Cathy was unique. Who wants to play a doll when she can be a woman. Why Cathy is what you inquire Mr. St. James. The answer is simply because Cathy is Cathy."
Jesse smiled. That was what had been absent from her performance as Cinderella. What made Cathy who she was. The spark. The life. The ability to be angry yet perfectly adorable.
"Ms. Berry, consider the role of Cathy yours in that case," he told the young woman.
She met his eyes once more, this time wider, "Sincerely?" she asked.
"Undoubtly. I do not what you have heard of me Ms. Berry, but I guarantee this, I value talent. I cannot have anything but the best cast. You are the best Cathy."
She went up to shake his hand, "I look forward to working with you Mr. St. James."
He shook her hand, for the first time feeling the softness of her being, "Please Ms. Berry, we are going to be seeing each other daily. Call me Jesse."
Her smile was large as she looked at him while still holding his hand said, "In that case Jesse, please refer to me as Rachel."
"Well Rachel, I cannot wait to see at next week rehearsal on the Vexton Stage."
"Until then Jesse," she moved to leave the room, her hand slowly from his to walk of stage.
"Until then," Jesse whispered to himself.
Moments later Jesse thoughts of Rachel and what she may become were interrupted by a voice declaring, "Be still my heart if that wasn't out of a Gene Kelly piece then I don't know what is."
Jesse turned to the familiar voice, "You stayed after your audition."
Blaine swaggered down to the stage, "You never look."
Jesse sighed, pushing away a debate, "Do you want your money in cash or check?"
"Neither. I got payment enough, 'Until then'. I do believe I saw the beginning of Jesse St. James' first romance."
"Don't Blaine."
"I think I will. You wanted her so you can have her for free."
Jesse shook his head, " She a good performer."
"Yeah but you wanted her for more than the stage. Offstage as well. 'Until then' 'Until then'. That will get me through for life."
Jesse gathered his things, sighing at his best friends' exuberance on the issue, "Has anyone ever told you how irritating you are?"
"You have, on multiple occasions."
"If I buy you a drink will you shut up?"
"Most likely not, I am a very talkative drunk."
"What if its cough syrup?"
"Jesse! If you do that then I get to forever about how you held onto her hand for minutes after the handshake. How you are beginning to fall for someone. Jesse St. James isn't gay ladies and gentlemen! Nor is he asexual! He just needed the right woman who is Ms. Rachel Berry."
Jesse glared at his friend, "Shut up now and lets go!"
"No one is going to hear me."
"Now!"
"Fine, god why I am roommates with you again?"
Jesse glared once more at his best friend while Blaine could only look forward to the excitement that was sure to come from Jesse actually liking a girl. As much as he refused to admit it.