Chapter 6

"Up first is Miss Simon!" Fitz announced as he went over to start the music. Are you two ready?" He asked, snickering to himself at the wince when Victoria had seductively placed her arm on Darcy's shoulder.

Lizzie had been sent outside the room while it was Victoria's turn to perform with Darcy. She was grateful that she didn't have to watch and she had this time to herself as she sat on the benches outside of the door and continued stretching. When she stressed out, her muscles tended to tighten, and she had to continue taking sips out of water bottle and keep her muscles warmed up and limber.

She had her earplugs in to prevent herself from hearing any of what was going on in the dance studio. She may have been outside, but if the first callback was any indication of the pipes on that woman, she was sure she'd be able to hear her even outside the room.

Lizzie was quite surprised to see her called back. While she didn't have a leg to stand on in terms of her professional opinion, seeing as Lizzie had pretty much zero experience on Broadway, she didn't feel that Victoria was a good fit, but what does she know? Maybe Fitz, the director, was looking more along the lines of a performer like Victoria than herself.

Lizzie shook her head, getting rid of her thoughts and insecurities about her singing style and just concentrated on her breathing. This was out of her control, and all she could do was go in and do her best. Whatever happens afterwards was out of her hands.

Before she knew it, the door opened, and Fitz's head popped out. She hadn't heard him, but she hadn't realized that she had zoned out and was staring at the door for the past couple of minutes. She quickly took out her earplugs and gathered her things, putting her shoes back on.

"We're ready for you." Fitz nodded and smiled, before going back in and allowing Lizzie to collect herself. As she walked into the room confidently, her father's words echoed throughout her head. Don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough, Lizbear. Shoulders back, chin up, eyes straight ahead. Be confident in yourself and never lose sight of your dreams.

Victoria sneered at her as she walked past, but Lizzie barely even saw her. She stood next to Darcy, who seemed to tower over her even though her dance partner previously, Jeremy, was only a couple inches shorter than Darcy. She finally looked up at Darcy and met his eyes, as she slowly transformed herself in Satine, thinking every thought, allowing every movement, every breath, to reflect her character.

The music started, and so did she. When Darcy started singing the opening lines to Come What May, staring at her with such devotion and rapture that she could hardly breathe, she felt like Satine. She felt like someone who was loved most ardently by a man that she couldn't be with, whom she wanted so desperately but it seemed like the entire world was working together to ensure that they stayed apart. They moved slowly, and Lizzie thanked god that the first couple bars were just Darcy, because she still hadn't found her breath and dancing was taking up all her air at that moment. When she finally broke eye contact with him because the choreography demanded it as they danced in sync, she finally regained her breath.

The first notes for her were a bit shaky, but she quickly found confidence in her voice. Darcy was a fantastic dancer, and she quickly trusted him to get them through the emotionally demanding piece.

At the last bars of the song, where Darcy lifted her body into the air once again and quickly brought her down so that she was wrapped around his body, their faces close together as they sang and eyes staring into each other's souls, she couldn't help but pull him a little closer. She fed off the desperation and love in his eyes.

The song ended and the room was silent safe for the loud breaths coming from the two dancers in the middle of the room. They slowly blinked in confusion, as if surprised to find that they were not in the world of the Moulin Rouge, but rather realized they were still in the dance studio.

Lizzie blushed as she slowly detangled her fingers out of Darcy's (soft) hair, for they were grasping tightly in his hair, and her one leg that had been wrapped tightly around his torso.

The room erupted in applause, as Fitz clapped enthusiastically and Anna smiled, clapping softly. Mrs. Debough begrudgingly clapped along as well, albeit quietly and under the table.

Lizzie blushed even harder and swept the hair out of her face. She bowed, somehow still able to maintain an ounce of grace. Fitz thanked her for coming in and dismissed her, telling her that they would be in contact soon.

Little did she know, soon, although expecting it to mean in the next two weeks, meant the next day.

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Fitz did a satisfied jig in his seat after Lizzie had left her audition. "I can smell a Tony!" He cheered gleefully, fist pumping in the air and doing a small victory dance in his seat.

"Don't be absurd Fitzwilliam." His aunt said, attempting to poop on his party. "She was good, I'll admit, but a Tony? The girl has a long way to go."

"So I've convinced you? Lizzie's the one?" He asked, leaning towards his Aunt who sneered as she leaned away.

"Get out of my face Fitzwilliam! You know how I hate it when you do that. Haven't I taught you any manners?" She scolded, attempting to deflect answering Fitz's question. When she looked around at the three other people in the room who were all staring at her intently, she realized there was no way she could evade giving her opinion. "I know when I've lost an argument." She sniffed, her nose raised up into the air.

Fitz cheered again; as he knew that was the closest to an agreement he'd get from his Aunt. "Darcy, what'd you think?"

"She's the one." He muttered, his thoughts still going back to the amazing duet that the two of them had performed minutes ago.

"And Anne?" Fitz asked, turning hopefully towards her.

"I agree. She's it. I can't wait to watch her perform! The connection you two had, Darcy! It was electrifying." She gushed.

"Wonderful! I'll make the call tomorrow! Who's hungry?"

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Screams. Squeals. From three females, one distinctively male voice, and a dog's howl coming from one apartment that could be heard around the block.

Then, the male voice screamed out as the squeals finally died down.

"LIZZIE BENNETT IS GOING TO BROADWAY, BITCHES!"

Oh, how Lizzie loved her friends. And her dog.

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Rehearsal Day 1:

Lizzie walked in nervously, her bag clutched to her side with her heavy script stored inside it. She walked into the theatre and saw the various dancers littered around the room, stretching and doing their exercise. Naturally, Darcy was in one corner, which somehow seemed just a little bit dimmer than the rest of the room. Lizzie took a good look around the theatre, which was going to be her new home for what she hoped would be a very long time.

"Ah! Yes! Lizzie! I can call you Lizzie, right? I'm glad you're here! Everyone! This is Elizabeth Bennett. She'll be playing our lead, Satine. Everyone give her a warm welcome!" Scattered applause came from the people within the room. Lizzie smiled awkwardly and waved; trying to ignore the disconcerting stares she was getting from some people. She was surprised to find one familiar face in the crowd, the blond girl from her audition. She couldn't remember her name, though. She was horrible with names.

The blond girl stood up and walked over to Lizzie, smiling softly. "Hi Elizabeth. I'm Rose! We met at the audition? Congratulations, you were amazing." She said genuinely.

"Thanks! And call me Lizzie, please." Lizzie said, glad that she kind of knew one person in the cast who wasn't Darcy, who unsurprisingly still occupied his miserable little corner, which for some reason seemed darker than any of the other corners in the building. Apparently Rose had already been a part of the cast before and wanted to try out for the part anyways. Lizzie had the utmost respect for her for doing so and for not having an ounce of resentment that she didn't get the part.

She excused herself from Rose and walked over to Darcy, who looked stunned when he noticed that she was walking towards him. "Thanks for having faith in me." She said, reaching her hand out for a handshake. "I look forward to working with you." She smiled gently, her hand still outreached. Now was the time to make peace between the two of them, since they'd have to see each other for hours everyday and act like they were in love in front of hundreds of people. Couldn't very well do that if they still hated each other, right?

Darcy looked down at her outstretched hand and slowly took it in his firm, large hand and shook it. "Yes, well, it wasn't me that had the final say." He shifted uncomfortably.

Lizzie recoiled, shocked at how rude he was being. She stalked off without saying a word, her heels clicking angrily as she walked to the next corner to meet the other dancers. She didn't want to spend another minute more than necessary in Darcy's presence. She said hi to Jeremy, who hugged her tightly and congratulated her, telling her that he knew she was a shoo-in for the part at the callback. She blushed at this, unused to getting so many compliments about something that had been considered a "side hobby" in the Bennett household.

After meeting everyone in the cast, Fitz called the room to attention and explained that the first piece they were going to work on was Come What May, since they had already covered it the audition, just to give everyone an idea of what they were working with in terms of the two leads. Lizzie groaned internally. Did she really have to come into close contact with him on the first day?

She trudged slowly to the center of the room where Darcy had already situated himself. She took a deep breath and went into her beginning stance, putting on her mask as Satine. She threw herself into her part, allowing it to fuel her emotions and using the anger to give more energy and power into her leaps, as if every jump into his arms was a challenge to him to catch her. Darcy, as expected, never faltered, despite his look of shock during her first jump into his arms. She was definitely taking the performance to the next step.

The cast watched, mesmerized, as the two leads who were in their own little world. The gracefulness of the two of them and the beautiful lines they created when they danced together captured the whole room's attention. When the music ended and the magic disappeared, they quickly separated and looked at Fitz who further instruction.

"That was… wow." Fitz said, scratching the back of his head struggling to find words to say. "That was even better than your audition. I daresay that we're done with this piece. We can move on! To Sparkling Diamonds! Bring the swing set!"

Lizzie listened intently as Fitz described his vision for this song. Much like in the movie, she would be lowered down from a swing set, however, the swing set would start in the middle of ceiling in the middle of the audience and it would slowly lower her while moving her towards the stage. She would then be carried onto the stage by the dancers. This was Broadway, so the scene would be much more intricate including group dances of Satine and the other courtesans of the Moulin Rouge, Satine and a couple suitors fighting for her attention as they danced across the stage, a quick dance duet with Darcy surrounded by other dancers, and a bunch of lifts and throws until she was situated back onto the swing which this time came from onstage, where she would ultimately fall and be caught by the dancers.

Luckily, the first part of the number which didn't involve much of Darcy took the entire day and would require some more work with it, so the only time Lizzie really had to interact with him was when her character looked at him seductively from afar. Darcy and the Duke, who, to Lizzie delight, was played by Jeremy, sat in two separate boxes to the right of the stage while she pranced around like a courtesan.

Lizzie was a bit uncomfortable at first being seductive, especially around Darcy who she never really felt comfortable around, however during every break, Jeremy and Bryan, the man who played Satine's surrogate father Harold Zidler would come and calm her nerves and make her feel more comfortable.

"Really, you're doing amazing on your first day, Eli." Jeremy complimented, causing Lizzie to blush again. He had chosen to use a new nickname for her. Jeremy was like a teddy bear, and the fact that he had to play the slimy Duke was amusing and fun for Lizzie.

"Seriously, though. You should've seen Caroline prance around during this song. I very nearly suggested we get a pole for the production and turn it into a stripper show." Bryan said as he and Jeremy pranced around seductively and sang in what Lizzie assumed was the likeness of the infamous Caroline. Lizzie gasped, trying to find her breath again with tears streaming down her eyes at the spectacle, only to stop dead when she made eye contact with Darcy who was engaged in conversation with Fitz. Well, more like Fitz was talking at him and Darcy wasn't really paying attention, since he was staring her down.

It was disconcerting and succeeded in pissing Lizzie off. Why does he hate me so much? If he didn't think she was talented enough to be in this production, she was sure that he could've just cited some stupid reason like creative differences and they could've had Victoria be Satine without a hitch. Instead, here she was on Broadway, getting the opportunity to play the role of her life that could make her career, and having to endure the uncomfortable glares from the man she had to act like she was in love with.

He wasn't going to make this any easier, was he?

Thankfully, she quickly broke eye contact, unwilling to engage with Darcy and turned her attention back to the boys, who seemed to have escalated their performance to Bryan giving Jeremy a strip tease, causing Lizzie let out a very loud and unladylike snort before bursting out into laughter once again.

She really was very grateful to the boys, along with Rose who was helping her with some of the footwork and hip movements, for making her feel welcome, and at the end of the day, she was starting to get it down. As her confidence in the routine grew with practice, so did her ability to be seductive as Satine.

After a grueling 8-hour practice where they pretty much spent the entire time working on the first part of Sparkling Diamonds, they had finished it.

"That was wonderful!" Fitz announced at the end of the first day of rehearsal as they sat on the floor in a half circle around Fitz. Lizzie was exhausted and very nearly passed out as she massaged her sore muscles. It had been a while since her body had gone through such rigorous training for such an extended period of time, and with how difficult and demanding the choreography was for this musical, Lizzie was sure she was going to need a long ice bath later tonight. It didn't help that because the crew had already started rehearsal for the musical with Caroline, they already had rehearsed and pretty much perfected the other songs within the musical, so the only ones left to practice were the ones that Satine was in. This meant the next weeks of rehearsal were pretty much dedicated to solely teaching her Satine's part. "I know everyone is tired, but as you know, we're on a deadline, so we have to stay vigilant! Tomorrow we'll tackle the second half of Diamonds, and then we'll move on to Elephant Love Medley. So go home, get some rest, and come back bright and early tomorrow for day two. You're dismissed!" He said cheerfully.

Lizzie slowly picked herself up, which she imagined herself looking like the equivalent of a beached whale and headed over to get her bag to go home. Her new friends had asked her to go to dinner with them tonight, but her body was just too exhausted to even entertain the thought of doing anything else but get takeout and pass out in her bed until morning. As she stopped to look at her phone to find 10 messages from George, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, signaling that someone was standing behind her. She whirled around, only to find Darcy staring down at her with his unwavering blue-eyed stare.

"Y-Yes?" She stuttered, cursing internally for sounding so meek.

"Uhh… yes." He replied, coughing to clear his throat. "You should get some icy hot or an ice bath and take some Ibuprofen tonight. You'll thank yourself in the morning." He muttered before walking away.

"Umm… thanks?" she called out as she watched the back of his head retreating to the other side of the theatre before she shook her head, turned around and walked away.