A/N Since the first chapter was short I'm posting a second one before the week is up. As always thank you to my reviewers and followers! Now on with the story (normal disclaimers apply).
New Beginnings Chapter 2
As Rachel approached the rehearsal room she was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled aside. "Berry, you'll never guess what's happened."
"You won the lottery?"
"No, silly. Better than that." Jeffrey was almost vibrating with suppressed excitement.
"You met Barbra!"
"No, no! Filming for the movie Tyson was cast in has been moved up, so he's asked to get out of his contract earlier than expected. Which means…"
"You've got a good chance at taking over the role!" Rachel shrieked in delight at her new friend's good fortune. You'll be my Melchior!"
"Yeah." Then Jeffrey frowned slightly, "but they are holding auditions. It's not a given yet. A lot will depend on the chemistry with you. Once they've narrowed the field, they'll call you in to test with the final candidates, including yours truly. That will decide who gets the lead and who will be the understudy. It's important that you feel at ease and work well with whomever they choose, so I'm sure you'll have input into their final choice," he added optimistically.
Rachel momentarily considered the possibility that she might have to play the role of Wendla with someone new. It was a role that required a great deal of trust between actors and both Jeffrey and Tyson had made her feel so comfortable. Now, she was a bit anxious about what the week would bring. But she couldn't let her fears mar her friend's hopes, so she put on a happy face and gave him a hug. It was almost a certainty that Jeffrey would get to take over the part, wasn't it?
Later that evening, as she took the subway home, Rachel pondered whether she should mention anything about the upcoming changes. On the home front things were a bit awkward in the shared residence. Since talking about the show just led to them fighting, Finn had declared that they should just agree to disagree and not talk about the show or her role at all. Rachel had reluctantly agreed to his terms, but things were decidedly cool between them, and Finn was still sleeping on the couch. Thank goodness she had Kurt to talk to about her part when Finn wasn't around or she would have exploded. As she made her way up the stairs to the apartment she decided that since nothing had actually been settled on for the role of Melchior she would say nothing for now to anyone, not even to Kurt.
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By the end of Thursday the role of Melchior had been narrowed down to three choices; Jeffrey, of course, being one of the three. Rachel had been informed ahead of time that she would be doing a scene and a song with each of them on Friday morning. So it had been difficult for her to pretend around Kurt that all was normal. Over the past few days he had been shooting her strange looks that had been increasingly hard to ignore. Ultimately it had lead her to implementing some devious avoidance tactics. On Friday morning Rachel made especially sure she was up and out of the apartment early that day in order to avoid the impending "Kurt deluxe interrogation."
Grabbing a soy latte "to go" at a favorite coffee shop, she killed some time by strolling along "the Great White Way" and imagining her name lit up on the various marquees. It was a habit she never tired of but now it was starting to sink in that soon her dream would become a reality.
Upon reaching the theatre Rachel quickly greeted the casting director and other members of the casting panel then went to wait in the wings for the first candidate. She breathed a big sigh of relief when she saw Jeffrey walk onto the stage.
Their scenes went well, which was to be expected as Jeffrey had been the one she rehearsed with most often when learning her part. They were already very comfortable with each other and it showed in their performance. Rachel was pretty certain he had the lead role in the bag so to speak.
The next hopeful was unlike Jeffrey in both build and coloring. Tate O'Neil had wavy auburn hair, green eyes and a slightly cheeky grin that Rachel found to be rather captivating. However, as their scene progressed she just could not find the timing or a connection with him. Feeling that perhaps she wasn't doing her best to give him a fair chance, she requested that they try the scene again, but it became obvious that it wasn't going to work. They had zero chemistry.
After taking a brief break to hydrate and refresh, Rachel returned to find the final candidate already on stage. He turned towards her as she entered from the wings and Rachel's heart seemed to stop beating, only to start up again in double time. Jesse St. James! He'd allowed his hair to grow out since she'd last seen him. The curls now tumbled in riotous disorder giving him a youthful look reminiscent of the Jesse who had somersaulted on her bed as they duetted 'Hello 12, Hello13.' Rachel closed her eyes for a moment then re-opened them. No, she wasn't hallucinating. She'd recognize that face and those blue eyes anywhere. It was definitely Jesse.
He seemed just as surprised to see her but he quickly donned his show-face, although she still knew him well enough to see past it to the nervousness that lay beneath. Rachel hummed softly to herself in pleasurable expectation. If there was one thing she enjoyed more than anything it was to perform with someone who could meet her beat for beat, measure for measure, and she knew Jesse could do just that. She flashed him a reassuring smile and signaled she was ready to start whenever he was.
Rachel soon became so caught up in the exhilaration of the performance that she totally forgot what was at stake. It wasn't until they had finished singing and her euphoria had ebbed somewhat, that she realized what had just happened. It would have been apparent to even someone tone-deaf and half blind that Jesse deserved the role, and even more obvious, that she and Jesse were a perfect match as Wendla and Melchior. Then she remembered what some of the scenes she would have to play with him involved, and it was as if a swarm of butterflies had been let loose in her stomach. She didn't know if the feelings were of dread or anticipation or panic, but she suddenly felt faint.
"Breathe, Rachel." Jesse had noted her rising anxiety and was now whispering reassuringly in her ear. " Whatever happens, I'm okay with it. If you don't want me in the part I'll understand. This is your big chance. I've always believed that you being a star was inevitable, and as much as I want this part, I don't want to make things difficult for you."
Rachel took a few deep breaths to steady herself and tried to think clearly. As awkward as it might be to perform with her ex-boyfriend, she couldn't deny that they elevated each other's performance. Also, she knew full well she had hurt him multiply times in the past. She simply couldn't do that to him again; she couldn't deprive him of a chance to fulfill his Broadway dreams. Instinctively she reached out and clasped his hand tightly before turning to look at the panel of decision makers. The air of excitement amongst the panel said it all, and Rachel knew her fate was sealed. She was going to be a star on Broadway, and if she was, then so was Jesse St. James.
