"Usa, please sit. You're wearing a hole in the carpet."
"I'm sorry Ames. I'm just worried about this part. They haven't called in three days. What if I don't get it? Do you think they call you just to let you know that you didn't get it? Why are they taking so long?" she rambled, still pacing around her apartment.
"Usagi, sit! You're making me sea sick," she sat, "Have you tried calling them?"
"At least three times everyday, but I just get redirected elsewhere."
"I know what you need. A girl's day out. Come on, my treat. We'll get ice cream."
"No thanks. I don't want to leave just in case they call."
"You refusing ice cream? Now I'm worried. Usa, you need to chill," the blue haired woman said.
"I can't! I just want this part so bad!" she said, worrying her hands.
The phone rang. Both girls stared at it. It rang again.
"Usa, answer it."
"I can't! I'm too scared!"
It rang a third time.
"Quick before they hang up!" Ami yelled in excitement.
"Hello?" Usa breathed into the phone, "This is she."
"Yes."
"Uh-huh," she frowned.
"But I...alright."
"Yes, tomorrow will be fine."
"Thank you," she hung up.
"Well?" Ami practically screamed in excitement, bouncing around in her seat.
"Tomorrow, I have to pay the light bill."
"Oh."
"You know, you're right Ames. Let's go out. I do have an answering machine. If they call, they call. It's driving me nuts just sitting here."
"Great! Grab your coat, let's go!"
She numbly got up and went to the closet to fetch her coat. She was digging in her purse for her keys when the phone rang again. She glanced at Ami, who just shrugged.
"Hello," she answered on the second ring, "Yes, this is her."
"Yes."
"I understand," she glanced at Ami again, who gave her a quizzical look. Usa only shrugged.
"No, that's not a problem. When?"
"Thank you."
There was a long pause as Usagi listened to the other person.
"Yes sir. Thank you again," she hung up.
Minutes passed as Usagi stared at the phone. Ami was dying to know who was the person that called, but didn't want to disturb Usa. She coughed lightly.
Usagi turned and gave Ami a tearful half smile. Ami's heart sank.
"Oh Usa, I'm so sorry."
"I got the part," she whispered.
"What?"
"I got it."
"Got what?" Ami asked, having not heard her whisper.
"I got the part! I got it! Oh my goodness! I'm Christine! I got the part! Yes!" She exploded, grabbing Ami and dancing with her around the apartment.
"Now, this calls for ice cream! Let's go!" she told her best friend.
She approached the auditorium once again. This time she grinned when she saw everyone on the stage. She had landed the starring role, her life long dream. She was Christine. Her grin widened as she thought this again for the hundredth time that week.
"Ah, Usagi, welcome back!" Quatre greeted her when she reached the stage. "Come and I'll introduce you to everyone."
She nodded and grinned again. Looking around, she noticed that most of the cast was sitting in a circle on chairs, but a few of the guys were standing.
"Well Miss Daae," Quatre began, using her character name with a wink, "This here is your new best friend, Mina Aino. She's playing the part of Meg." Usa smiled at the blond haired girl, who smiled in return.
"The gentleman next to her is Trowa Barton, who's playing the role of Monsieur Firmin."
"Hello," Usagi said. He nodded in return.
"Wufei Chang is playing Monsieur Andre," Quatre indicated the dark haired man standing behind, and a few feet away from Trowa. Wufei glared his acknowledgement.
"Duo Maxwell is playing the role of Ubaldo Piangi."
"Hey good looking," Duo winked, making Usagi blush.
"Relena Peacecraft is playing the role of our prima donna, Carlotta Giudicelli." The dark blond smirked at Usagi and gave her the once over.
'Well she fits her part,' Usa thought.
"Lita Kino, on her left," he indicated, "Is playing the role of Madame Giry."
"Hey nice to meet you Usagi!," Lita grinned.
"You too." Usagi returned with a smile.
"And last but not least, your two love interests, Heero Yui and Darrien Chiba. The Phantom and Raoul."
Darrien smiled and walked over to take Usagi's hand and kiss it. "Welcome," he whispered. She blushed again and looked toward Heero, who stared back at her hard.
She smiled at him and said, "Hello."
"Hhn."
"Umm..." she began. Not sure of what to say to that.
"Oh don't worry about him Usagi. He's a stick in the mud," Mina began cheerfully, "And to think that he can act!" she laughed.
"Alright," Quatre started, gaining everyone's attention, "I'll give you all an hour to help Usagi find her way around here and get to know you guys. We start at act one after that! Be prepared!" he finished, dismissing them all.
"This is where the dressing rooms are. There are three total. This one here is for the chorus," Mina said, opening the door so Usagi could see inside. The room was huge. Racks of clothes lined one wall. The other had a counter that ran the length of the room, with what looked to be about fifteen to twenty mirrors over-head. She didn't have time to count them as Mina pulled her along to the next one.
"This is the guys room. Hey anyone naked?" she called out, opening the door to show Usa.
"Hardly woman," came the reply.
Usagi was aware that the room was about the same size as the last with less mirrors. Wufei was seated on a mat in the corner. "Close the door woman! I'm trying to meditate." Mina stuck her tongue out at him and pulled Usagi to the last of the three rooms.
"And this one is ours!" Mina exclaimed in a "ta-da" fashion.
It was much smaller then the other woman's dressing room. She only counted six mirrors, but each had it's own vanity beneath it.
"It's not much, I know," Lita, who had been following behind them said. "But we each get our own vanity and mirror."
"If it was Broadway, we'd get our own dressing rooms," Mina added with stars in her eyes.
"One step at a time Mina," The tall brunette said, taking a seat at what Usagi assumed was her vanity. "Here, this one is yours Usagi," she pointed to the one next to her. Usagi placed her bag on the vanity, sank down into the chair, and stared at herself in the mirror surrounded by lights. "Wow."
Lita laughed, "Yeah that was my reaction when I first came to work here."
"How long have you been here?"
"A few years. Most of us have been. It was unusual for Quatre to audition outside the normal crew for a lead role, but he decided this year he wanted someone fresh," Lita supplied.
"So Usa, can I call you Usa? Do you have a boyfriend?" Mina asked.
"Yes you may and no, I don't," Usagi answered, giving Mina a strange look.
"She does this to every one," Lita laughed, "She thinks she's a matchmaker or something. I told you that playing the Yenta in Fiddler would go to your head."
"It did not! I'm just very good at what I do!" Mina defended herself.
"And look what it did to poor Relena," Lita pointed out.
"Okay, maybe I was a little off with her and Heero," she admitted.
"Heero and Relena are together?" Usagi asked, feeling a little out of the loop.
Lita laughed so hard tears came out her eyes. Mina turned three shades of red.
"Well, not exactly. You see I picked up on Relena's crush on Heero, and so I tried to get them together. Turns out Heero wanted nothing to do with her at all. It was a horrible mess," Mina admitted, hanging her head low in shame.
"And Relena's still not over it," Lita added, wiping her eyes.
"Oh," Usagi said, "So are you with anyone here?"
"Me? No. The guys are scared of me I think," she shrugged, "Doesn't bother me any, though they do look like my old boyfriend."
"All of them?"
"Well no, but they all have certain characteristics that remind me of him."
"Okay," she said turning to give Mina a questioning look.
"I'm the goddess of love! What do you think?"
"She's not. Doesn't even have a boyfriend."
"Lita your so mean," Mina hung her head again. Usagi laughed.
"We better get back to the stage. Quatre may seem nice, but man when he loses his temper," Lita left off, giving Usagi the impression that would be a bad idea.
"What about the other guys?" Usagi asked as they filed out of the room.
"Oh! I should have told you about them. Heero's been here a few years. It's surprising that he can actually act because off the stage he has no personallity. A shame for such a hottie. Maybe that's why him and Relena didn't work out. Duo requested to transfer here from another company. He's been doing this for years, but I'm sure your aware of that. He's a major goofball. He makes the long days short. It's great! Wufei, as you saw is a sexist pig, but treats everyone with upmost respect. Trowa's really quiet. You'd almost think that he has the same personality as Heero but Trowa laughs and says things occasionally. Darrien appears to be a womanizer. He loves to hit on anything that walks, like Duo, only Duo kind of does it jokingly. Darriens a lot smoother at it, so just watch yourself around him and Quatre is a joy to work for. He has manners and knows how to use them! But Lita is right, when his buttons have been pushed it's down right scary," she finished as they reatched the stage.
"Does she ever need to breathe?" Usagi jokingly asked Lita.
"I think she's the reason we're doing an opera," Lita whispered loudly.
Quatre was explaining what he'd like them all to do when the ladies joined the group.
"I want you to read the lines like it was opening night. I realize this is the first time we are reading the script as a whole group, but you all are seasoned professionals, with the exception of Usagi. I want to hear your characters emotions through your voice. I am going to the back of the auditorium and closing my eyes for the next two hours. I want to see the play in my head as you read it."
"Do we have to sing?" Duo asked.
"It is an opera right Duo?" Quatre grinned.
"Ah man," was heard.
They drug chairs to the center of the stage, formed a circle, and for the next two hours they read and sang, poorly.
"Okay," Quatre said, climbing the stairs to the stage, "We need to get a voice coach in here, but for the most part I think you grasp the concept. Now in the coming weeks I want you all to keep in mind exactly what your characters are going through. Mina, your best friend has become the rising star, and is in love with two men. Your role is to be there for her, support her as a friend should," Mina nodded.
"Lita, as Madam Giry, you run the rehearsals with a firm hand and you have taken care of the Phantom for so long that you consider him a son to you. You feel it is your duty to protect him from harm," Lita nodded.
"Wufei and Trowa, you've realized the stage company that you have just purchased is losing its funds and you need a drastic change. It's your duty to do everything and anything to keep it from going under." Both men nodded.
"Relena and Duo, you both have been the stars of the opera house for many years. Carlotta is suppose to be very upset to be replaced by a newer, younger, version of herself for you are the Prima Donna. Ubaldo is head over heels for Carlotta," he winked at Duo. Duo rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah no problem."
"Darrien, as Raoul, you are Christine's childhood friend. Back then she was too young to realize you loved her more then a friend and now that you've found her again, you want to make her see that. You want to show her how much you still care about her," Darrien smiled.
"Heero and Usagi," he said turning to them, "You are both intensely attracted to each other. The Phantom is very much in love with Christine. She makes his music come to life in a way no one ever has. Christine, the Phantom intrigues you. He's your mentor. He reminds you of your father, long since dead, and yet he scares you because you feel more then just admire for him. The lyrics from "Point of No Return" was originally created by both the Phantom and Christine together. Keep that in mind while you interact. All of you, keep what I've said in mind. I want this to be our best production yet!" With that Quatre dismissed them all for the day.
A.N. Okay just enhancing some of what I had written before and setting a better mood. Thanks for the reviews! Ya'll make me smile. Leave some love!