In Response to the Guest Reviewer: Let the Games Begin, indeed! And, hehe, it'll definitely be interesting if Penelope and Mary can get their acts together. Moreover, I'm afraid we won't hear anything about Alice in this chapter, though I will confess that she does want something. And, finally, it is always great when students get pumped about this sort of stuff –– I'm glad you appreciate it!

Author's Note: So, we've met most of the main players and we've really gotten at least hints of of the main plots! Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy this next installment!

_._

Tuesday, the 14th of January, 2020

6:47 a.m.

Andy Parker had been warming up his vocal chords the minute he realized he was awake, much to the amusement of his mother. The teen had been buzzing around the house, practicing all manners of warm-ups that she'd long since stopped questioning.

"What's that part you want to sing, dear? Was it the role of Eponine?" She teased over breakfast, internally chuckling as he began to blush in protest.

"I'm not that desperate for a part, Mum!" And, glancing at his phone to check the time, "And, before you ask, neither's Thomas!"

She snorted into her cereal, prompting him to shoot her another look. Much as he loved his mum, she did like to give him a really hard time.

"And, before you ask, I'll take any male part, thanks!"

"I'm sure, dear."

_._

6:51 a.m.

Mary Crawley was not the biggest fan of musical theatre. She carried a slim appreciation for the technique behind the more "classic" pieces that had taken to the Broadway stage. Beyond that, she found the modern musical theatre sound to be intensely irritating, sounding unnecessarily nasally and whiny. Needless to say, she was relieved when she discovered they weren't to be performing solely the modern pieces. She should've trusted Mr. Carson to handle this showcase's musical selection as such, but with Mrs. Hughes by his side, anything was possible.

And, speaking of Mrs. Hughes… Mary found herself unable to believe the audacity of the woman! Working with Carlisle, forcing her and Matthew to endure the snobbish tendencies of that school! It was entirely ridiculous, and if it weren't for the fact that she had had a chance to sing right alongside Matthew, she would've incessantly protested the entire matter!

But, then it went from ridiculous to an utter nightmare. Because yesterday's rehearsal officially formed the octet. Worse still, yesterday's rehearsal assigned everyone their respective parts and Mary wasn't singing the lead. Far from it. She was resigned to singing tenor in the women's part of the octet while the precious Penelope Carlisle sang lead.

And where was Matthew in all of this? If there were four young women –– herself, Penelope, Abigail, and Phyllis –– forming one quartet that would join forces with the four young men –– Matthew, Connor, Thomas, and David –– where would Matthew reside?

Oh, that's right: he would be singing lead for the men's quartet. Which meant he would be standing in the center with Penelope while Mary would be unfairly tucked away in the corner of the group.

Like she said before, utterly unfair.

And entirely Mrs. Hughes' and Miss Miller's fault.

_._

7:12 a.m.

"Are you sure you don't want to audition for anything?"

Oh, Anna loved her boyfriend. But, the truth was, she did not have any interest in vying for a "Seasons of Love" solo. Nor did she find Les Mis to be the most appealing musical ever –– it was a little over-the-top for her taste. She also didn't need to get in Mary's way on this one; the soprano knew her dark-haired friend was struggling with this semester's show and that this was one of the few opportunities she'd have to sing a more "classical" style.

"Quite sure, John." The blonde calmly informed the baritone, pleased they could have this discussion before the school day started. Sorting it out now meant that she'd have to less to think about before rehearsal. "But, please, don't let that stop you from auditioning!"

"But, Anna," She smiled at the concern in his voice, ready to handle anything query he had, "I heard you humming one of the solos in the hallway after class –– Cosette, I think?"

The soprano paused in her tracks, not having realized he'd noticed that. But, after letting go of her surprise, a soft smile appeared. Of course John would've noticed that. He noticed a lot more than people gave him credit for.

"You're right. " Anna glanced in the direction of Downton, but kept them standing in their spot, breathing in the crisp air and the snow around them. Doing so made it easier to remember that he only wanted to support her, that he wanted to make sure she did want she wanted to do. He wasn't trying to set her up for failure, he wasn't like Mrs. Butte.

"All right," She continued to speak, remembering the numerous conversations they'd had about this. They both had their struggles when it came to auditions. And she knew that if their roles were reversed, she'd be acting similarly. "How about we agree to audition for whatever parts we want today?"

"I like that." And, taking one another's hand, preparing to walk toward the school once again, "Do you think you'll try for another proper solo this year?"

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes' offer to the Concert Choir –– the promise that, if the students were interested, they could learn and perform a solo at The Center's competition in March –– weighed heavily on the minds of everyone. Many students were graduating from this choir, many trying to take care of whatever was next for them.

"Well," The blonde sheepishly smiled, "It's our last year at Downton, so might as well go for it, right? You were interested in one, too, right?"

"I'm not really sure," But she didn't buy that for a moment. "It did cross my mind once or twice."

"John, it is our last year at Downton," She reminded him, having noticed how he'd subtly lit up when Mrs. Hughes was announcing another chance for solos. "Might as well give it a go if we want to, right?"

This time it was his turn for a sheepish smile while she fixed him with a knowing look.

"So, we'll ask about Les Mis and other solos together then?"

He took a moment, various emotions flitting across his face. But, eventually, he knew what his gut was saying:

"We will."

She smiled, nodding to herself and feeling so pleased that he was actually going to go for it. Though, knowing that they probably needed to change the subject at least a little, "I definitely agree with Matthew and Sybil when they say we don't need to give them more stress with yet another ensemble piece."

By them, she was referring to their esteemed choir teachers. The two individuals that looked to be relatively at ease, all things considered. But, the same two people who the Concert Choir suspected of being a lot more stressed than it seemed. And while there'd been an argument about how important it is to keep trudging along and prove that Downton was capable of performing a showcase and competing at the same time, the counter-argument was that would cost a great deal to everyone involved. That it would be way too stressful to incorporate more auditions, choreography, costume changes, and music –– especially for the teachers who would be putting it all together.

"I agree: while we could go out of our way to put together another ensemble, that means more work for everyone." Anna nodded, knowing very well knew he would agree. She'd heard his opinion before, after all, and in front of dozens of people.

After Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes had put the question to the Concert Choir –– "Would you be interested in auditioning and competing in an ensemble at The Center's upcoming competition in late March?" –– there'd been a discreet, student-only meeting at one of the few cafés in Downton. Everyone in the choir had shown up. Then and only then, all opinions about competing this spring had been discussed, with the choir making a final decision only a few hours later.

The students wanted to be sure of themselves before being asked to put the question to a vote. It helped that Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes said that there'd be no answer required from them until today, giving everyone time to mull it over. Because now it was just a matter of getting to class, going through with the vote, and seeing what would happen next.

Oh, and auditioning, of course.

_._

8:51 a.m.

"One more day all on my own,"

Ellie Bell decided that, if nothing else, she'd give herself into the sadness of the role she was auditioning for. That, regardless of who else auditioned, she'd let these next thirty seconds be a chance to let go.

"One more day with him not caring,"

Memories flashed through her mind at this, fueling the power necessary to sustain the notes. Old friends who never paid her any real mind, crushes she knew had no clue of her existence, they were all coming back for the next minute.

"What a life I might've known,"

Allowing the piano to guide her voice, breathing in with the timing of the piece and imagining all of the other voices that would be crying out in this piece, she focused on staring dead ahead at the clock on the back wall and pouring all of her energy into her final lyric.

"But he never saw me there."

Crescendoing through the mezzo note, Ellie let an encompassing, forlorn force build within her sound, only breaking character when Miss Vance finished playing the piano accompaniment. Then, lowering her gaze from the clock to her two teachers who were sat where the students would normally be, she warmly smiled.

"Thank you for your audition, Ellie," Mrs. Hughes kindly spoke. The young soprano nodded, appreciating the light tone. Her eyes then discreetly took stock of the choir director, needing to know what Mr. Carson was thinking:

He seemed to be in shock.

And she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Yes, thank you." The choir director eventually said, still looking surprised by her audition. "We'll be sure to let you know if you receive a call-back. Of course, you understand that auditioning does not guarantee a role, yes?"

"Of course, Mr. Carson."

"And, of course," Mrs. Hughes chimed in, discreetly shooting her fiancé a look, "You've officially agreed that you will accept a call-back for any part, yes?"

Every auditioner had been given a slip of paper to help with the process. Said slip of paper asked for their name as well as their permission to be called back for any part of the songs that auditions were being held for. So, if someone came in wanting to be Cosette but struck the teachers more as a soloist for "Seasons of Love", they'd be called back for that instead of Cosette.

"Yes, Mrs. Hughes." Ellie assured the older woman, smiling. The young singer was honestly hoping for anything, having become a fan Rent and Les Mis since she first heard about the showcase. She'd never gotten into musical theatre until Rose and Lavinia had raved about it last semester. And while she didn't dare say anything to the students who'd been fans of all the shows for ages, it was true that she'd be delighted for any part in the performance. "And, thank you for holding these auditions, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson."

_._

09:52 a.m.

Upon asking the Bass and the Bel Canto choir to vote about putting together a competitive ensemble, Elsie Hughes had been surprised when both choirs came back with a resounding rejection of the idea. Asking each student to close their eyes and raise their hand as a way of voting only resulted in majority rulings against competing as an ensemble.

It had been bewildering, to say the least. Still, she and Charles had to respect the main reasoning behind the decisions: the students felt that a competition would be too stressful on top of all the new things they have to learn for musical theatre. It still felt like a loss to her, but she'd rather lose a few medals than push everyone past their breaking point. Nevertheless, as bewildering as all of that had been, it held nothing on what she was currently witnessing.

Bewilderment was a quaint way of describing how she felt right now –– a pianissimo for what felt like fortissimo.

"I'll ask again," Charles broke the silence, just as astounded as his fiancée. They may have been conducting this inquiry, but every choir was choosing an entirely different direction to follow. "Please raise your hand if you would like to compete as an ensemble in this year's Yorkshire ensemble and soloist competition."

Not a single hand twitched.

All forty-seven singers kept their hands clasped together and in their laps.

In other words, no one was interested in changing their minds about this.

After exchanging looks once more –– Bass and Bel Canto saying no to competing was bizarre, the Concert Choir saying no was discombobulating –– the choir teachers gave their students half a minute to change their votes. They knew this would be it for many of them, this would be their last ensemble for quite some time if not forever. And as stressful as putting another ensemble would be, it'd be a privilege to give their students this.

"Right," The choir director didn't understand what was going on with everyone today, but he could adapt to this. Or, at the very least, he could try his best to. Charles would probably never quite understand, but he'd certainly try. "You all may open your eyes."

Elsie, on the other hand, wasn't ready to let go of the subject just yet.

"I suppose not a single one of you wants to perform in an additional ensemble this semester?" Feeling dumbfounded was only the tip of the iceberg. Granted, her traitorous heart did feel lighter at the thought of less work. However, much like her fiancé, she knew that this would be one of last guaranteed chances for some of their graduating students to compete. And though those students may not realize what that really means, that lack of opportunity, she and Charles knew it all too well.

"That's right, Mrs. Hughes," Mary Crawley, quite possibly the self-appointed spokesperson for the group, regally informed her. Every other student nodded in agreement, even the ones who weren't the biggest fans of Mary. All looked to be fully committed to this, giving Elsie the vibe that this decision had been made long before today.

"And, are we to also take it that no one is interested in performing a solo at The Center's competition?" Charles curiously inquired, shell-shocked himself at the continued response.

"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Carson." The eldest Crawley daughter good-naturedly continued to chime in. "I'm equally sure everyone is interested in continuing to audition for solos today."

Well, that was something.

_._

10:05 a.m.

"In truth that she learned

Or in times that he cried!"

Phyllis had been waiting outside of 403 on the premise of auditioning for "Seasons of Love". But, the truth was that she didn't care at all if she got a spot in the Rent song. All she cared about was supporting her friends and listening to her boyfriend as he got really into his audition –– furtively opening the door a bit so as to hear everything. Joseph was past the point of flinging himself in the words, his apparent passion for Rent making itself known.

"In bridges he burned

Or the way that she died!"

"Thank you, Jo–– thank–– thank you, Mr. Moseley!" Mr. Carson firmly said, holding up a hand before the baritone got too carried away. "We will be sure to let you as well as everyone else know about call-backs by Thursday at the latest."

"Thank you, Mr. Carson!" He stammered gratefully, losing all focus at the sound of a potential call-back. Phyllis couldn't withhold a smile at this, finding the whole thing endearing. "And, please, remember that I did say I'll take a call-back for any part!"

"We're quite aware, Joseph, we do have your slip." Mrs. Hughes managed to put a stop to anything Mr. Carson had to say, maintaining a professional tone that belied the twinkling amusement in her eyes. "And we'd like to personally thank you for auditioning –– we both understand how difficult auditioning can be."

Mr. Carson looked to be sending her a look, giving off the impression that he didn't fully agree with the sentiment. However, Phyllis was pleased to note that after he received another look from Mrs. Hughes, the choir director eventually concurred with a hesitant, "Indeed."

_._

10:17 a.m.

"Do you think Mary's asked that Cindy Paisley for help?" Edith curiously put to Matthew, knowing that the American her sisters had met over the summer was rather talented with musical theatre. And, watching her older sister retreat into 403 to audition for a shot at Les Mis, Edith knew this was as good a time as any to ask.

"I very much doubt it." The tenor honestly responded, feeling comfortable enough to be candid with the middle Crawley sister. And seeing as how he'd done his audition for Les Mis –– all the young men being asked to audition first before the young women –– he could fully focus on the conversation. "Your sister never seemed interested in asking Cindy for help before."

"Oh, I doubt that's true" Sybil lightly chided in defense of her sister, but Matthew only looked at her in bemusement. Mary hadn't been cordial to Cindy over the summer. And even though the American had given her contact information, that lack of cordiality was unlikely to change.

Frankly, he didn't quite understand the eldest Crawley sister these days. He thought he had, thought he more of an inkling, but it never really looked to be the case. They talked less ever since they'd realized they had different lunch periods. Soon it became clear something had changed last fall. And although this semester made it feel like things were getting back to normal, everything involving Mary Crawley went back to being confusing once this octet with Carlisle Institute was formed.

"Can you believe we're still auditioning people?" Rose could always be counted on to distract everyone from an awkward conversation. "I don't think it'll ever end!"

Edith turned to the younger girl, curious: "Weren't you interested in auditioning for Les Mis, Rose?"

The third-year soprano firmly shook her head, "Not if there's a chance of being the soloist for '42nd Street'!"

_._

Wednesday, the 15th of January, 2020

4:14 p.m.

Connor Pond, one of the "lucky" volunteers for the Downton-Carlisle octet, rather enjoyed singing. He even liked his school. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't find the crowd of Carlisle Institute to be terribly cut-throat. Ruthless and indifferent at times, naturally. Occasionally pedantic and snobbish, of course. Those attitudes were always possible when there was an obvious limelight. But, all of this negativity to the point of exhaustion? Not quite.

Nevertheless, "Penelope, I think we need to take a break."

Because this "mini-rehearsal" was more intense than the Carlisle Chambers Choir sessions and this group was barely twenty minutes in.

"That's nice," Penelope Carlisle was not in the mood for such an attitude, "We can 'take a break' when I've deemed us worthy of taking a break. Which won't be happening anytime soon. Because we're nowhere near the perfection we'll need to be for next week's rehearsal."

The tenor refused to scowl at this because it wasn't worth it. But each time Penelope persisted in those sorts of remarks, his patience grew thinner and thinner. She may be the daughter of the man in charge of their school, but that did not mean she got to call every shot. And if she didn't adjust her attitude, he had no qualms about walking away because, unlike her, he didn't need to prove himself a worthy singer.

Oh, yes, he knew all about the expectations the name of Carlisle brought with it.

"How about pausing for five minutes? Just to rest our voices for a bit and take a water break." David Eckley quietly asked, stopping from Connor from spewing out some choice words about the situation.

"David's right," Abigail brought Penelope's attention away from David, "We've already sung for over two hours today. We need to stop or we won't get anywhere."

Beady blue eyes glanced between her three classmates, briefly thinking the matter over. While Penelope didn't care for Connor's attitude, David probably had the right idea. And Abigail, loathe as the soprano was to admit it, also had something of a point.

"Fine. Water break for five minutes and then we get right back into it."

Because if she was going to maintain her role as a lead, she was going to do everything she possibly could.

_._

Thursday, the 16th of January, 2020

11:41 a.m.

At one point, Linda couldn't handle it. Playing the same 32-measures on the piano, the occasional off-key singing, the diva attitudes, the endless auditions throughout the school-day, it'd all been all right for the first day. It'd been tolerable the second. Now, they were trudging through the fourth day and she was beginning to lose her drive to be the best teaching assistant she could be.

"Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, how do you handle all of these auditions?"

The pair shared a fond look at this, recalling a memory or two.

"You'd be surprised to know, Linda," The Scottish lilt knowingly struck a curious chord as the older woman eyed the door, "That we usually don't handle these auditions by ourselves."

As though this were all a staged production, the band director of Downton came barging through the door of 403 right after that –– carrying a plateful of sandwiches and immediately drawing Linda's attention. This little scene cracked a slight smile within Mr. Carson whilst Mrs. Hughes opted for chuckling.

"Right," The redhead bluntly began to speak, arching an eyebrow, "What'd I miss?"

"Mrs. Patmore?" The teaching assistant was confused, unsure of why the older woman had come unannounced with sandwiches of all things. "I didn't know we were expecting you?"

"I may be a few days late, but the sandwiches are here, all right? Now, quick your snickering, Elsie," This only prompted more laughter, "And start eating what's probably both your first meal of the day!"

"Okay. I'm absolutely lost," Linda easily confessed, feeling as though there were some sort of inside-joke she was missing. This only coaxed laughter from all three of the teachers, even as the band director began to force feed the other two.

"We'll tell you later. Now, eat!"

_._

3:17 p.m.

"Oh, I am sorry, Jimmy," Elsie Hughes was unashamedly not apologetic about this. Not in the slightest. "But, you've already auditioned for both Les Mis and Rent. To let you re-audition when we're not giving that option to other students would go against the rules."

"But, Mrs. Hughes," The tenor continued to protest, obviously not listening to his teacher, "If you just give me another chance! Or at least tell me if I have a callback?"

"I'm afraid that Mr. Carson and I have an appointment off-campus, and must leave now." Right on time, the choir director stepped out of 402, preparing to lock the classroom up.

"But, Mrs. Hughes––" Fortunately, her fiancé didn't need any context to know what was going on.

"James, you are well aware that callbacks will be announced tomorrow. And, as Mrs. Hughes has undoubtedly already informed you, we have a pressing engagement that requires an immediate departure. Now, if you will excuse us,"

"But––" However, the pair were too determined to let Jimmy get in their way. Unbeknownst to the tenor, they'd been planning this "pressing engagement" for some time, being in no mood to be held back by something that could and should be addressed tomorrow.

Having been inundated with wedding decisions, musical theatre selections, the occasional family visit –– something that, thankfully, became easier to handle after October –– as well as an endless parade of emails and administrative tasks, it became inordinately obvious that any time the pair had would be snatched up by their responsibilities. Something that only grew worse with the start of this new semester.

Hence, today's plan: tell everyone that they had a pressing engagement after-school, hop on a train to get out of Downton and enjoy some alone time nowhere near any show-tunes, overly-enthusiastic relatives, desperate auditioners, and well-meaning friends who were all slowly driving them up a wall.

Then and only then would they eventually return to finalize the wedding decorations and those blessed callbacks.

_._

Second Author's Note: Look at those two, managing to live a little and still complete their responsibilities! Aren't we proud?

Soloist-related question: What do we think about giving the veteran soloists (the ones who performed a solo in ISNSIV) a song that's meant to challenge them this time around? For instance, I could give Mary a song that would naturally line-up with her character and let that play out. I can also give her a song that would be difficult for her to perform and let that play out. No pressure, either way :)