"So as you may know, we will be performing a musical." Mom declared. "This year will be performing an original composition by our own Isobel Sanchez: Gossip Girl: The Musical, which we'll be performing after Sectionals."
Gossip Girl was a show that was on the air from 2007-2012. I had seen it and it was pretty good but I wished that they had made Jenny Gossip Girl instead of Dan, though that might have had something to do with her actress leaving the show after Season 3 to become a musician.
"Thank you for choosing my play." Isobel declared. I was pretty sure it was the first time I had heard her speak.
"In addition, Xander will be co-directing with me." Mom added. "Auditions will be this week. I expect all of you to audition."
I didn't know what role I wanted. Normally, I would audition for Jenny, but since I would be even bigger since Sectionals was over a month away. I decided that I would talk to Callie about it. However, before I could bring it up, she asked me something.
"Do you want to go on a double date tonight?" She asked. I was a little taken aback by it.
"With whom?" I replied.
"Isobel and her boyfriend Arthur." She explained. "We're kind of best friends and we wanted to celebrate her play getting chosen."
"Speaking of the play, do you have any idea what role I should audition for?" I questioned.
"What about Blair?" She suggested.
"I don't think that would work with my stomach." I explained. "Plus, I think you'd totally be better for the role."
"Maybe you should do Vanessa then?" She replied.
"I don't like Vanessa." I argued. I was pretty sure that no one liked Vanessa because she was such a terrible character.
"I've got it." She stated. "You could be the voice of Gossip Girl."
"I guess I could do that." I agreed. "You know I can't help but wonder how you can fit six seasons into a two-hour play."
"She's really only covering the high school years, which would be the first two seasons." Callie told me. That seemed like it was more plausible. "Gossip Girl is going to be revealed at the end."
"So when is the date going to be?" I asked.
"I was thinking that maybe we could all go out after auditions are over." She explained.
"One more thing: have you seen Jackson because I really need to talk to him?" I remarked.
"I think that he was over in one of the practice rooms." She answered.
I headed down to the practice room to find that he was not there alone. He was there with Rhea, who was stripped down to her bra.
"What the fuck?" I asked in disbelief. "What the fuck is going on here?"
"You know exactly what's going on." Rhea declared.
"You can't possibly want to have sex at school." I replied. "I guess you don't want to be in the baby's life then."
"I can't deal with having a kid right now and you don't seem to want me anyway." Jackson replied. I turned my head in disgust as I left the room. Well I guess I got my answer. I would have to talk to Callie to see how she felt about co-mothering sometime.
I couldn't help but be a little bit pissed off to be honest. I seriously couldn't believe that he was hooking up with Rhea. I knew that we never really had anything, but I thought that he was better than that. I couldn't help but sigh.
I decided to channel my frustrating in my singing class. It was the same song that I was going to sing for my audition.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
You've been talking to her and messing with me
It's finally clear you're blurring the lines
Are you disturbed, oh now you care
Why do you race through my red lights
Can't understand
I'll slow it down for you
Tell me how can you sleep, how can you breathe
Baby tell me how, how you love me now whoa, whoa
Tell me how can you sleep, how can you breathe
I hate when you say how you love me now whoa, whoa
Lights out, I found my falling star
Goodbye the sun rises and there's no more you and I
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Tell me how can you sleep, how can you breathe
Baby tell me how, how you love me now whoa, whoa
Tell me how can you sleep, how can you breathe
I hate when you say how you love me now whoa, whoa
How love me now whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
How love me now whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
The room clapped and I had to admit that it felt good to get that out of my system.
I met up with Alexis backstage for auditions. I hadn't really auditioned for anything in a while. Mom was in the audience with Xander and Isobel.
"So who are you auditioning for?" She asked.
"I was actually auditioning for Gossip Girl." I answered. "What about you?"
"I wanted to audition for Jenny." She replied. "Gabriel was going to audition for Dan."
"Well I hope you get the part." I declared both she went out to the stage for her audition song.
"My name is Alexis Long and I will be auditioning for the role of Jenny Humphrey." She stated.
We both lie silently still in the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together we feel miles apart inside
Was it something I said or something I did, did my words not come out right
Though tried not to hurt you, though I tried
But I guess that's why they say
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn Yeah it does
Gabriel was on after her.
"My name is Gabriel Long and I will be auditioning for the role of Dan Humphrey." He declared.
A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made colder and I don't think that I can look at this the same
But all the smiles that separate disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face
I'm here without you baby, but you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby but you're still with me in my dreams
But tonight girl, it's only you and me
Jackson was up next and I gave him the evil eye.
"My name is Jackson Smith and I will be auditioning for the role of Nate Archibald." He remarked before he started singing something that sounded like something Nate would sing.
I spend all my money on a big old fancy car
For these bright-eyed honeys, oh yeah you know who you are
Keep me up till the sun is high till the birds all call my name
I'm addicted and I don't know why, guess I've always been this way
All these roads steer me wrong
But I still drive them all night long, all night long
All you young wild girls, you make a mess of me
Yeah you young wild girls, you'll be the death of me, the death of me
All you young wild girls no matter what you do
All you young wild girls, I always come back to you, come back to you
The last audition was Callie. I knew I wouldn't be able to ask my mom about the auditions because the casting was completely in the hands of Xander and Isobel.
"My name is Callie Hayes and I will be auditioning for the role of Blair Waldorf." She declared.
I'm at a payphone trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you
Where have times gone, baby it's all wrong where are the plan we made for two
I know it's hard to remember the people we used to be
It's even harder to picture that you're not here next to me
You say it's too late to make it but is it too late to try
And in our time that you wasted all of bridges burned down
I wasted my nights, you turned out the lights now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time when we called it love but even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you
Where have times gone, baby it's all wrong where are the plan we made for two
If happy ever after did exist I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it, one more stupid love song I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
"Thank you everyone for auditioning." Xander declared. "The cast list will be posted on Wednesday."
After the auditions were over, I began to put on the clothes that Callie had given me: a red short-sleeved pleated dress. I wore my usual tights and shoes with a leather jacket.
"Well don't you look amazing." Callie told me before she gave me a kiss on the lips. She was still wearing her same outfit: a white tank with blue flowers on it with a teal cardigan and black tiered knee-length skirt with black pantyhose and black boots.
"So where are we going anywhere?" I asked her.
"We are actually going to the theatre for a local production of Pitch Perfect." She explained. "There's also a dining room where they're be serving dinner."
"Well that sounds interesting." I commented as we went to meet Isobel and Arthur. Arthur was a singing major and I really didn't know that much about him to be honest. I still didn't know very much about Isobel either.
"So Isobel, have you ever written anything before?" I asked.
"I'm actually a screenwriting major." She explained. I blushed because I probably should have known that. "So do you know if you are having a boy or girl yet?"
"No, I'm only three months." I declared. "I'll probably find out my next visit."
"Okay, we need to find a way to make this less awkward." Arthur declared. "Maybe we should order something."
"Why is your solution to everything always food?" Isobel asked.
"Because solves most problems." Arthur explained. "Why do you think most business deals are made over dinner?"
"You know I wouldn't mind some food right now." I replied. The three of them all laughed. "Okay, I get it. I should avoid trying to make pregnancy jokes."
"So you know that you can two could probably get married if you want." Isobel suggested. "I know someone who would be willing to do it."
That caused both Callie and I to blush.
"We're a bit young to get married." Callie explained. "We should really order something."
"We don't even know if Callie wants to help raise the baby." I added. I then wondered if I should said that information out loud because it was kind of a personal matter.
"I thought you loved kids, Cal." Isobel replied. I wasn't sure if I liked that nickname or not. I needed to think of a pet name for her.
"I like kids but I don't have a lot of experience with babies." Callie explained.
After dinner, we headed to the stage and I was a bit surprised by how much I liked it. I couldn't believe that they actually put the shower scene in there with actual naked women on the stage. And unlike with the movie, they didn't have any special camera shots to hide the nudity. It was a good thing that there weren't in children in the audience, even though I'm not sure why people had a big deal with their kids seeing naked people, especially if they're not having sex.
"That was an interesting show." Arthur replied as we walked out.
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it to be R-rated." Isobel agreed.
"Well a lot of plays aren't like you'd see in high school." Callie explained. "On Broadway, swearing and nudity are pretty common. One example is Spring Awakening which is pretty much all about teenagers having sex. I've heard that it's really good though."
From there Callie and I headed back to myself, but she didn't go right away. Unfortunately, I had to leave my door open so the kissing that we could do was pretty limited. I didn't want to tell my mom that we were going to take things slow because it would be embarrassing.
"So I'm trying to think of a nickname for you would be just between the two of us, but I don't really have any ideas." I remarked.
"You know you don't have to do that, Honey." She responded.
"Hmm, maybe Honey and Chocolate." I explained.
"Well I wouldn't mind be called Hershey as long as I got plenty of kisses." She quipped and I made sure to give her one.
On Wednesday when I went to check the cast list, I began to sing to myself.
When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep
Dreamed of para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise every time she closed her eyes
When she was just a girl, she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach, and the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy, the wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall, in the night the stormy night she closed her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly
And dream of para-para-paradise,
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise whoa
She dreamed of para-para-paradise,
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise whoa
So lying underneath the stormy
She said oh I know the sun must set to rise
This could be para-para-paradise,
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise whoa
She dreamed of para-para-paradise,
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise whoa
I then looked at the list that was posted on the bulletin board on the outside of my mom's office.
Gossip Girl: The Musical Cast List
Serena van der Woodsen- Rhea Montgomery
Dan Humphrey- Gabriel Long
Blair Waldorf- Callie Hayes
Chuck Bass- Anthony Goldstein
Jenny Humphrey- Alexis Long
Nate Archibald- Jackson Smith
Vanessa Abrams-Delena Jordan
Georgina Sparks/Voice of Gossip Girl-Beth Corcoran
Carter Baizen- Tim Rutherford
Eric van der Woodsen-Arthur Prescott
Lily van der Woodsen-Isobel Sanchez
Rufus Humphrey-Xander Collins
I didn't expect that I would be the bad girl too. I hoped that I could pull it off.
So I went with something original for the musical. Also we got to meet Callie's best friend and Rhea and Jackson are hooking up. The songs are "How You Love Me Now" by Hey Monday, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison, "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down, "Young Girls" by Bruno Mars, "Payphone" by Maroon 5 and "Paradise" by Coldplay. Please don't forget to review.