Luke dropped to his knees besides Riley ignoring the endless questions from the others.
"Luke, are those her pills?"
"Where'd you find them?"
"You didn't steal them from her did you?"
Luke lifted Riley's upper torso and placed her on his lap. The tears streaming down his face as he stared down at hers. She couldn't breathe. She was gasping, wrenching under him, lifting her torso up slightly as she cried, the tension in her body far worse than anything she has ever experienced before. "Riley…" He sounded softly, so softly in fact he couldn't even hear himself. "R-Riley… How many pills do you need?"
Riley, not in the right mind (or place) to question him and the location of the big Ziploc bag of her pills, breathed in and then breathed out, sounding a small and feeble "Three…" as she exhaled.
Luke immediately pulled out three pills. "All at once?" The pills weren't big, about the size of the body of her nail. She nodded and Luke popped the three all at once and grabbing and snapping the cap off the bottle he poured some water into her mouth and within moments she swallowed coughing slightly from the pills going down her throat. Luke handed the bottle to someone (he doesn't know who) and left the open Ziploc bag on the floor beside him as he lifted Riley up into a hug. He held her close and cried on her shoulder. "Riley I love you… I love you please… Stay with me. Stay with me…"
Riley rotated her head around and placed her face in the crook of his neck. She was done crying. She just stayed there and very gently pressed her lips to his skin. "I love you Luke…" Riley replied and Luke's hold on her got remarkably tighter yet all at once extremely gentle, as if he was holding in his hands a baby bird with two broken wings and without a leg.
"Luke." Victoria called out shaking his shoulder (the one without Riley's head on it). "Where did you find the pills?"
Kim stepped up and took over from then. "Wouldn't you know it?" Kim said dressed in the gown for the ball. "They found out what was wrong with the screen, frayed wire. Electronics."
"Why are you wearing Riley's dress?" Jody asked as she eyed Kim closely.
"Wouldn't you know it?" Kim repeated, feeling all too smug about the current situation. "Since Riley can't perform they gave me her part."
"What? No!"
"You can't take her role!"
Luke remained silent and so did Riley as the others screamed at Kim. Kim raised a hand and spoke as they quieted down. "Well what do you want from me? I am her understudy and she can't perform. Oh and by the by, this is my dress, it was made to fit me, not Riley hence, this is not Riley's dress, it's mine."
"Oh just shut the fuck up you hormonal, pissy, bitch!" Victoria erupted as she went forward to claw at Kim.
"Whoa!" Jody exclaimed as she held back her friend. "Victoria stop! She's right! Stop!"
Kim scoffed and turned her head as if she were to flip her hair over if it wasn't already put in a bun. "That's right. Kim's right."
"We're on in sixty seconds people!" Came the stage manager as he rushed through backstage. "Places!"
"Forty-five seconds and counting!" Came another yell a few seconds later.
"You heard them." Kim added. "Places people… It's show time."
"But who will play your part?" Jody asked as she mentally prepared herself for the show in the back of her mind.
"A stage hand." Kim replied lazily.
"Fifteen seconds!"
The stage manager came up then. "Someone get Riley to the hospital."
Riley moved then and shook her head. "No… No."
Luke wanted desperately to go and take her to the hospital. Luke's eyes flashed then and he glanced over at Brian. "You play the Prince," looking at the stage manager he added "I'll take her."
"What?" The others exclaimed, including Kim, as the stage manager groaned out loudly.
"We're on in ten, nine, eight…"
"Fine, fine!" The manager yelled. "Brian, get ready for the love of God."
"Yes sir."
"… Five, four, three…"
"Let's get this pain in the ass over with!" The manager yelled just as the stage hand yelled 'One!'
Kim growled and glared at Luke as he quickly closed the Ziploc bag and he lifted her up bridal style and left without another glance back. He ran through backstage, dodging people as he went. Riley shifted in his arms. "Luke… I don't want to…"
"To bad." Luke replied, his voice strong with determination. "I am not losing you understand? Even if you feel like you're getting better, I am not losing you." Luke went out the backdoor and walked to a secret back parking lot reserved for the performers (or whoever gets there first, they're not too picky about their parking spots, minus Kim of course). He placed her in the passenger side of his car, buckled her in, and then jumped into his seat, not bothering to buckle his own seat belt. As soon as the car rumbled to life he backed up out his parking space and rushed out into the New York traffic and towards the nearest hospital. But he wasn't done yet. He reached across to the glove compartment and opened it up as he drove. He felt around for his emergency phone (the minutes were already on there so he didn't have to type in numbers when he needed to use them). He dialed 911 stark determined to end this all. "Hello police?" Riley's breath caught as he said the word 'police'. "Yes I'd like to report stolen property and attempted induce coma." Luke rolled his eyes as the police man said that there's no such thing as an 'attempted induce coma'. "Whatever, attempted murder then." Without waiting for the police to correct him again he continued. "Kimberly Love, a co-worker of mine, stole another co-worker's AS pills and she almost went into a coma." There was a pause as the police asked the victim's name. "Riley Marie Colfer-Criss."
"Oh what the hell? My daughters love her! Oh… The… We were about to see Cinderella next weekend." The police man mused angrily before getting back to business. "Your name sir?"
"Luciano Grimaldi, I'm en-route to take Riley to the hospital but Love is at the theater right now finishing up the second act."
"Thank you sir. We'll be right there at the theater faster than you can say A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." And with that the phone line went dead, and Luke, feeling completely satisfied closed the phone and threw it down to the floor by his feet.
"That's it Love that was the last straw." Luke muttered angrily to himself. "No more mister nice guy." Riley, shocked by what happened and what she heard was silent. She knew Kim was an evil bitch but to steal her pills… What sane person would do that? "That bitch." Luke said talking to Riley now to try to keep her to focus on him than to fall asleep which Riley was just thinking on doing. "You know she wouldn't give me the pills unless I asked her to marry her? It's a good thing I'm a good enough actor or else something bad would have happened." Luke chuckled earnestly to himself. "Those were real tears though. The thought of you going into a coma or dying or lo, even being hurt just makes me feel so…" Loss of words made Luke drift off as he decided how he could edit that sentence. "I just, I just felt like I didn't protect you well enough. I felt so… So fucking weak Riley. I love you and I want to be your knight in shining armor, your Prince Charming and I can't even protect you from Kim? What kind of a boyfriend is that?"
Riley chuckled brokenly, still finding it a bit hard to breathe but it had gotten better. "You… You aren't my boyfriend yet…"
"Fuck that." Luke said, taking his eyes off the road momentarily to grin at her. "I may not be your boyfriend but I was certainty yours, from the very moment I saw you as Young Cinderella on your last year."
"Wha…?" Riley asked as she turned her head to look at him.
His eyes stayed on the road as the hospital neared and he prepared to turn into it. "I went to see it with my parents when I first started college. I thought you were such a remarkable singer and dancer and performer that I developed a crush on you. And that crush stayed until I met Kimberly." Luke half growled half scoffed. "But I always was yours Riley. When I heard that you were coming back on the show… It took all of my power not to let my inner fanboy show, especially with Kimberly there and you there of course. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself. Though I guess I made a fool out of myself anyways with everything and the Jeremy thing at the first dance practice and this rambling I'm doing right now and oh lookie here! The hospital emergency room! I'm going to shut up now." Riley couldn't help but laugh as Luke shut off the car and jumped out of the car to go over and retrieve her from the passenger side.
He opened her door and as he unbuckled her she pressed her lips to his and lifted her right hand to the side of his face. Pulling away from a stunned Luke she smiled at him and wrapped right arm around his neck. Shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand he lifted her out of the car and without even bothering to take his keys or lock his car he carried her into the hospital and had her admitted.
Meanwhile at the theater the Grand Duke sobbed over a broken glass slipper. "No… This can't be… Oh, no, no, no…"
"Everything will be all right…" Kim recited as she reached behind her to take the unbroken slipper in her hand.
"No everything will not be all right." The Duke cried. "It's broken… Broken…"
"But I have the other slipper." She showed the slipper and just as the Duke sat onto his knees the doors slammed open and the police charged into the theater.
"Everyone freeze! Don't move!"
"Hands in the air now!"
"Where's Kimberly Love!"
Kim stood abruptly and made a break for it. "Catch her!" A police man yelled but she didn't get very far because off stage Victoria and Jody took her by the arms and held her tight.
The Duke, still frozen in spot, hands in the air, shoe in one hand, watched as the police came on stage and pinned Kim to the ground, handcuffing her hands behind her and telling what she was accused of and reciting their own lines, her Miranda Rights. "You are being accused of stealing property and attempted murder via coma. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present now and during any future questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you free of charge if you wish."
Then it all clicked. "Oh thank God!" The Duke yelled as he started to laugh and stand on his feet. "At long last the Wicked Witch of Broadway is finally jailed! Whoo!" The cast laughed and clapped which then started a chain reaction with the audience.
Kim screeched as she was being dragged away. "You have no right! No proof! Get your hands off me! I'm a Broadway star! Get your fucking donut eating hands off me!"
Months later:
Benny played the opening number to the Cinderella Broadway production, a lyrical type of music which sounded a lot like A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (because it is just majorly edited). On stage the curtain that separated center and down (front) stage was closed. As Nelly ran out onto down center stage from stage right the song changed into a softer new tune, a song created just for the show.
Here upon this hilltop,
There's a home I call my own,
With my father, my horse and my dog,
I could not ask for any more,
May mother watch over us,
From stage left, Cinderella's Father (played by one of the backup dancers) came on stage and placed his hands on Nelly as he stood behind her and sang with her.
And may the love stay warm in our hearts,
And nothing to tear us apart!
We're one happy family,
Just the two of us,
"And of course Bruno and Major too…" Nelly sang as Benny changed the song suddenly and the two ran off stage right and were replaced by Pamela and the Young Stepsisters. Pamela soon sang when her cue came.
I've got a plan,
An evil plan,
Now that Cinderella's all alone I've got a plan,
To make her the maid,
Put her in the tower,
Work her to her bones!
Then one day my daughters will have the chance to wed!
Together the girls who play the stepsisters sang "To whom mother whom? Please tell us it's the prince!"
Samantha, who plays Young Drizella, then sang her line, followed by her on-stage sister Torie. "Oh the Prince!"
"Prince Charming!"
"Of course my dears." Pamela sang before the three of them made off the stage the same way they entered as the music changed once more into the Work Song and the backup dancers dressed up as the mice, including Steven and Frank, came up on stage (from both sides) to sing.
Cinderelly, Cinderelly
Night and day it's Cinderelly
Make the fire, fix the breakfast
Wash the dishes, do the moppin'
And the sweepin' and the dustin'
They always keep her hoppin'
She go around in circles
Till she very, very dizzy
Still they holler
Keep a-busy, Cinderelly!
The song changed once more and their Fairy Godmother came onto the stage as the mice scurried off.
Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put 'em together and what do you got bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
A-salagadoola means mechicka booleroo
But the thingmabob that does the job is
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put 'em together and what have you got
bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!
Victoria and Jody came on then (coming through the closed curtain) and started to sing their horrible version of Sing Sweet Nightingale and as they sung, two pairs of backup dancers dressed in colorful (but not too colorful or blinding) came up to flank the two.
Sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale
High above me… Oh—
The music played as the men of the dancers spun the sisters off stage and took the hand of their partner before all together they raised their arms up and the curtain rose to reveal the rest of the dancers in their spots behind the curtain waiting their mark and a small staircase with an arched doorway with a curtain closed in the doorway. Soon the song started over again and the dancers began to waltz and sing.
Oh, sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale… High… above me…
The females then had their solo. "Oh, sing sweet nightingale, sing sweet nightingale, high-igh…"
Then the males. "Oh, sing sweet nightingale, sing sweet… nightingale."
Then all together once more. "Oh, sing sweet nightingale, Sing-ing…"
The dancers bowed to each other as the filler music played. They then turned to the archway and as the curtain opened they bowed for Luke and Riley dressed in their wedding costumes. Luke led Riley down the staircase, the curtain of the archway closing behind them once, and once they got in the middle of all the pairs of dancers he bowed to her as she curtsied and a new song played as they all danced and he sang.
So this is love, Mmmmmm
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine
My heart has wings, Mmmmmm
And I can fly
I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky
So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of…
The song changed abruptly and Riley broke apart from Luke and quickly walked over to center stage where she sang her song while the others behind her watched.
A dream is a wish your heart makes,
When you're fast asleep,
In dreams you lose your heartaches,
Nelly ran out then and joined Riley, Riley turning to look down at Nelly as she began to sing. "Whatever you wish for, you keep…"
"Have faith in your dreams and someday…"
"Your rainbow will come smiling through…"
As the two joined together in harmony and turned to face the audience the whole cast came out and joined them on stage. "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing…"
Then the whole cast together sang, the sound echoing throughout the theater. "The dream that you wish… will… come… true..."
The audience stood and cheered and applauded while the cast bowed and Benny played the filler. The cast moved aside to either sides of the stage and one by one the cast came up to center stage and bowed receiving their own amount of clapping. Once everyone else was done (leaving Luke and Riley) the two walked to center stage and sang one more time. "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing… the dream that you wish… will come true..." The music rose in a dramatic flurry, the curtain starting to slowly fall back towards the stage as Luke and Riley kiss on-stage, the audience clapping extremely loudly as the show ended. With one last pound of a drum the last show of the season ended.
Well this came to be unexpected. This is the second to last chapter most likely and the last chapter is nearly finished for upload already. Huh.
Anyways I've been asked to make a threequel by daughterofposeidonhudiegleek (you thought I didn't see that didn't you?). Anyways I don't know if I do want to make a threequel, I'm done with these characters and if I do continue on you won't love me because I would most likely kill either Darren or Chris but I do (keyword do) give anyone permission to make spin-offs from Moonlight Shines and Riley's World so go off, be free, I only ask that you PM me to tell me that you are writing a spin-off because even though I am tired of writing about these characters, I won't be tired to read about the many different scenarios with them. So one last time:
I, Animeimaginationgrl, thus give the wonderful readers of Moonlight Shines and Riley's World permission to produce spin-offs if they promise to tell me ahead of time so that I may read them!
Also I'd advise you wait until I finish with this story first before the spin-offs because something BIG happens in the last chapter and well… Yeah… I will not reveal anything!
On another note, didn't kill Kimberly sadly, but killing her just didn't seem like a real life thing even in New York so I had her jailed (for life even though I didn't and won't mention anymore about the bitch). So…
PLEASE REVIEW!