Showtunes and Revelations
Disclaimer: I do not own "Cristela" or its characters. And I don't own "West Side Story" either, just to make that clear. This is only done for fun and the only profit earned is reviews.
Note:
This is set after the "West Side Story" episode. The moment they mentioned a musical on this show, I knew I was hooked. And I loved how Josh was a fan of musicals too. There are so many possibilities to explore.
This is really cheesy and maybe a bit silly but I hope still fun to read.
UPDATE: I wrote this before I found out that the show was cancelled and I am heartbroken. It was such a great show and they never gave it a chance! I am thankful for the episodes we were given but I wish there was more.
So this little fic will be part of my being in denial about the state of the show. Cristela deserved so much better!
Posting this on a special day for me because I like sharing.
Hope you like it.
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"So, how was West Side Story?" Josh asked his fellow intern the day after she watched the show.
"It was AMAZING," Cristela replied excitedly, as she sat at her desk, a dreamy look on her face, "the cast was awesome and the choreography was even more wonderful than I expected. But the best part was that I was able to share this experience with Henry."
"Sounds great!" said Josh, "So you managed to convince your brother-in-law to let him go after all."
"Not just that," Cristela added with a grin, "Felix came along too. I'm sure even he enjoyed it. And though he'll never admit it, I know I saw him tearing up a bit at the end."
"So it really turned out to be a family bonding experience, huh?" Josh remarked, "Good for you."
"Yeah," Cristela replied, "I'm really lucky. Unlike Tony and Maria."
With a wistful sigh, she began humming some tunes from the show as she set about doing her work. She started with the lively notes of "America" and sometimes the haunting tune of "Somewhere". It was clear that some part of her was still back on stage.
Josh could not help but smile as he watched her in such a good mood. He was glad that she was able to bring her nephew to see the show but some part of him wished he had gone with her. After all, he had been planning to watch it anyway. He mostly watched musicals alone because it was always tricky to find someone who wanted to go with him. And here, he felt, was a missed opportunity.
Not only was she someone who was interested in the show, Cristela was also one of the most extraordinary people he had ever met, smart, funny, hardworking, and even more driven to achieve her goals than he was. She was confident in her abilities but sometimes Josh noticed that she masked some insecurities behind sarcasm. He wished he could tell her that she really was pretty and that she had nothing to worry about on that score, but he couldn't find the right moment.
As he continued to reflect on the numerous good qualities of his co-worker, Josh heard Cristela humming another song from the musical, "Maria." And soon, he found himself humming along, but as he recalled the lyrics, he suddenly realized that he could easily match someone else's name to the melody. So he started changing the lyrics in his head.
"Cristela
I've just met a girl named Cristela
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me….
Cristela
I've just kissed a girl named Cristela
And suddenly I've found
How wonderful the sound can be!"
He blushed slightly when he remembered the next part of the song. He certainly had never kissed Cristela. Not that he particularly wanted to. Or did he?
Josh frowned and stopped this chain of thought before it could reach some dangerous territory. It was getting out of hand and he needed to focus on work. He didn't used to get distracted this easily.
"Musicals," he thought, trying to justify his little , "always messing with your head with crazy romantic ideas."
He began frantically shuffling papers on his desk to try and get the song and the ideas it inspired, out of his head for good. But his efforts were futile against the staying power of a really catchy showtune.
"Cristela
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying.
Cristela
I'll never stop saying Cristela."
Josh avoided Cristela's gaze for the rest of the day and pretended to be really busy. Maddie noticed him blushing and started teasing him but he refused to say anything and just focused on his computer monitor. No one could ever know what he was really thinking. He tried his best to cover up his embarrassment. Though the two other interns knew something was up with him, to his relief, they didn't pester him about it.
The song echoed in his head relentlessly for hours, as if to taunt him. And he was forced to face some slightly unsettling truths about his growing feelings towards a certain someone. And it really didn't help that her name was playing on repeat in his head.
"Cristela
I'll never stop saying Cristela.
The most beautiful sound I ever heard
Cristela."
Josh would never think of "West Side Story" the same way again.