Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the musical/novel Wicked.
Jo leaned her head against Matt's shoulder as he walked her towards the auditorium after the final bell rang. "I wish you didn't have to work," she said. "It would be fun to work on the musical together. Or, at least, wouldn't be as lame."
He smiled. "I can't believe you actually agreed to do this. I didn't think you sang in front of people."
She shook her head as they stopped in front of the theater doors. "I don't. I'm just gonna help build sets, try to get my dad off my back about not having enough school spirit or whatever. Apparently making backdrops and stuff for the musical will help that. At least it's Wicked, so maybe it won't completely suck."
"And you're gonna build sets?" he asked with a laugh. "Have you ever even used a hammer?"
"Well… no. But I can color inside the lines. Kind of. Someone needs to paint, right?"
"I guess so. Have fun. Try not to mash any fingers. Your hands are just starting to get better." He took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of it softly
"Try not to work too hard," she called after him as he headed down the hall before she turned into the auditorium.
Jo rolled her eyes as she listened to auditions on stage, listening to the teenage singers butcher the songs as she painted scenery. Wicked was one of her favorite movies growing up, she couldn't help singing along softly.
She didn't realize that she'd started singing loudly enough to be heard on stage until the curtain pulled open. "What are you doing?" the blonde girl holding the curtain open asked.
"Sorry," Jo said quickly. "This is just one of my favorite songs so…"
She rolled her eyes. "Defying Gravity is everyone's favorite song. That doesn't give you a reason to ruin my audition with your little gravel voice."
"Kelly, what's going on?" the director asked from the first row of seat in the auditorium.
"Nothing, Mr. Willard," Kelly said quickly.
He looked at Jo, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"Uh… Jo… Johanna Castle," she stammered, stepping out onto the stage. "I uh… stage crew."
He nodded. "If you want to audition, go ahead."
Jo shook her head. "I… I don't. I'm not an actor and I don't really sing so…"
Kelly crossed her arms. "Clearly."
Jo rolled her eyes as the teacher walked to the stage with sheet music, handing it to Jo. "Duet Defying Gravity. Kelly, take Glinda's part. Jo, you take Elphaba's."
"But she's an alto," Kelly said quickly.
"What'd you call me?"
Kelly groaned. "Elphaba is played by a mezzo. You can't hit the High F."
"I don't understand a word you just said." Jo looked down at the papers in her hand. "I don't know how to read music."
"Of course you don't."
"Kelly, save it," Mr. Willard said. "Just listen to the music, Jo. Follow the cues." He motioned for the music to start.
Matt came up beside their lockers in the morning and put his arm around Jo's waist, kissing the side of her head. "I thought you weren't gonna audition for the musical."
She looked up at him, blinking once. "I didn't. Not really. Why?"
"You haven't seen it? Come on." He put an arm around her, pulling her away from her locker, barely giving her time to swing it shut before he dragged her to the bulletin board near the chorus room. "Look," he told her, pointing to a large cluster of papers.
She shook her head, walking over to the board and scanning the papers for her name. JOHANNA CASTLE - CITIZEN OF OZ, UNDERSTUDY FOR ELPHABA. "No way," she mumbled.
Next to her, Kelly smiled proudly. "Glinda, of course." She looked at the line with Jo's name. "Good thing all that munchkin makeup will cover that thing on your face. By the way, your audition was pitchy and you need to work on your breath control."
Jo blinked. "Congratulations," she mumbled as the other girl walked away before turning to look at Matt, who was smiling widely. She let out a quick laugh, walking over to him and hugging him tightly, tucking her head under his chin. "I guess I have to pick up my script."
He kissed the top of her head, squeezing her against him quickly. "You can make that green makeup work."
She shuddered. "Seriously, if I have to play Elphaba, I'm gonna need an understudy of my own cause I'm gonna blow chunks."
"Stop, you'll be awesome. What's that thing, break a leg?"
"If you love me, you really will break my leg before opening night."
AN: semi-short chapter, this was really awkward to write. I said I wouldn't make Jo sing again but I wanted to do something so everything didn't revolve around Matt and there's only so many things you can get into halfway through the school year. Plus, she's her grandmother's granddaughter (and this is how Martha makes a comeback)
and for fans of Wicked, I know high school productions aren't really a thing and it's not a movie yet. By 2031, there will be a movie and chances are it'll be rewritten for high school performers once the movie helps to reach a larger audience