Things I'll Never Say
A/N: Oh my gosh . . . I can hardly believe that my very first LM fic is OVER. When I first started this, I had no idea that people would actually like it; in fact, I was almost sure that everyone would hate it and think I was a crappy writer. Needless to say, I was surprised when I got my first reviews . . . and then the reviews kept coming and I was ecstatic! There were a couple of times during the course of this story that I felt I was getting a little tired of it, but all I had to do was look at the encouraging reviews everyone has given me and I would be motivated to continue writing. THANK YOU SO MUCH! A thank you to everyone who reviewed TINS will be uploaded as well, so look out for that and look for your name. It should be up in a couple of days, since I have to write out all the responses. :) Anyway, on with the final chapter of Things I'll Never Say.
Disclaimer: Lizzie McGuire doesn't belong to me; "Things I'll Never Say" belongs to Avril Lavigne; Moulin Rouge belongs to Baz Luhrmann.
Chapter Thirteen:
Opening night came and before I knew it, I was standing backstage in one of my many costumes, waiting for my cue. At that moment, Gordo was onstage delivering the opening speech. To get an idea of how many people I would be performing for, I stole a peek from where I was standing and was nearly floored; the auditorium was packed and there were even people standing around the back because of the lack of enough seats. Suddenly, I was scared.
At least, I was scared until Miranda, who had somehow managed to worm her way backstage, came skipping over to me. "Are you ready?" she whispered once she reached me.
I took a deep breath. "Oh my God, I'm so scared," I said. "What if--what if I trip on my way out there?" Though I had grown out of my clumsy junior high stage, I still tripped over my own feet every now and then and I couldn't think of anything that would be more embarrassing than falling flat on my face as soon as I made my entrance.
Miranda grinned. "You're not going to trip. And you're going to be wonderful!" she assured me, calming me down in the way that only a best friend could.
"Why are so many people here?" I asked urgently. I couldn't remember a time when enough people to fill the auditorium were interested in one of Mrs. Baxter's productions.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Everyone wants to see you and Gordo kiss, duh," she said with a grin. "And don't play dumb, Lizzie. Everyone in this school knows how long you two have had a thing for each other."
"No way," I said. "You're exaggerating!"
Miranda shook her head. "I am not," she stated matter-of-factly. "I even started a bet with the cast of this play, and everyone was in agreement that you and Gordo would get together before opening night." She smirked. "So, you see, everyone knows."
Before I could say anything, the cue for my entrance came. I walked from the back of the stage to where my "trapeze" was hanging, in the middle. I sat on it, being careful to leave most of my weight on my legs; although Mrs. Baxter had assured me numerous times that the trapeze was sturdy enough for my weight, I wasn't going to risk anything. I heard Shawn whisper, "It's her, the Sparkling Diamond!" from his spot across the stage and I took a deep breath.
"The French are glad to die for love. They delight in fighting duels," I sang, smiling.
"But someone else was to meet Satine that night," Gordo said. He was sitting beside of Shawn, where he was doing his voice-overs.
When he finished his line, I continued, "But I prefer a man who lives . . ."
"Zidler's investor . . ." Gordo continued.
I continued singing the song, my voice lowering so that the audience could hear Ethan Craft (the Duke) and Lucas Donovan (Zidler) as they said their lines. Pretty soon, I was offstage again, panting for breath.
The play continued without hindrance. It was going really well, and "Christian" and I had managed to act out our more intimate scenes without blushing, despite the loud catcalls coming from the audience. Before I knew it, I was onstage again, arguing with "Zidler".
"Are you mad? The Duke holds the deeds to the Moulin Rouge. He's spending a fortune on you. He's given you a beautiful new dressing room. He wants to make you a star. And you're dallying with the writer?" Lucas exclaimed, walking toward me.
Nervously, I answered, "Oh . . . Harold, don't be ridiculous . . ."
"I SAW YOU TOGETHER!" Lucas boomed. He was really getting into his character, I could tell.
"It's nothing; it's just an infatuation. It's nothing," I repeated, turning my back.
Menacingly, Lucas said, "The infatuation will end. Go to the boy; tell him it's over. The Duke is expecting you in the Tower at eight." With that, he stalked off the stage from the left, leaving me alone.
Slowly, I began to sing, "If I should die this very moment . . . I wouldn't fear. For I've never known completeness. Like being here, wrapped in the warmth of you. Loving every breath of you, why live life from dream to dream? And dread the day . . ." I stopped and then gasped.
From offstage, Gordo's voice came, "How could I know in those last fatal days--" I started to cough violently, interrupting his words. Gordo continued, "But a force darker than jealousy and stronger than love began to take hold of Satine?" When he finished his words, I fainted.
The play continued progressing nicely. Everything was going really well and the audience seemed to be eating it up--especially the scenes that Gordo and I had together. It took all of my willpower not to blush a bright red and laugh nervously, but I managed to contain myself.
The end of the play came quickly and soon Gordo and I were on the stage, along with several other cast members. Gordo, very nicely playing his part of Christian, stalked over to where I was lying on the floor. He threw the fake money he was holding in his hand at my feet. "I paid my whore! I owe you nothing. And you are nothing to me. Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." He stalked off the stage and began walking through the audience as he was supposed to.
After a few lines were read, Shawn as Toulouse yelled at Gordo's retreating back, "I got it, I got it! Christian! THE GREATEST THING YOU'LL EVER LEARN IS JUST TO LOVE AND BE LOVE LOVED IN RETURN!"
I was trembling. This whole thing suddenly felt so real to me, like I really was Satine and Gordo really was Christian. Involuntarily, I began to cry. "Want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I'm loving you more and more. Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings? Come back to me and forgive everything!" I paused and gasped, then continued weakly, "Seasons may change winter to spring. I love you . . . till the end of time."
After a pause, Gordo sang his line, "Come what may . . ."
The scene continued. Finally, it was time for my "dying scene". "You've got to go on Christian," I begged, coughing a little for good measure.
Frantically, Gordo cried, "I can't go on without you!" He held me tight in his arms and for a moment I got lost in his scent.
"You've got so much to give . . . tell your story Christian!"
He shook his head and the tears began to fall. "No!" he cried.
"Yes," I said. "Promise me." When he said nothing, I exclaimed, "Promise me!"
"No," he said again.
"Yes. That way, I'll always be with you." My voice had grown weaker accordingly, and I allowed my body to go limp, and I "died". The curtain fell and I scrambled to run offstage. Gordo took his place in front of the curtain while Shawn followed me and sang his last line.
"There was a boy--a very strange, enchanted boy . . ."
From my place, I could hear Gordo. "Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. And then on one not so very special day, I went to my typewriter and sat down and I wrote our story. A story about a time, a story about a place. A story about the people but most of all, a story about love. A love that will live forever." His voice cracked and there was a pause. Finally, Gordo said, "The end."
A/N: A whole hell of a lot of this chapter was the play, but hopefully you'll like it! As I said before, I can't believe it's over . . . my baby!!! AHHH! I'm going to say right now: there will not be a sequel to this story, although I'm still kind of stuck between writing a sequel and not writing one, but I think it's best if I don't. I can move on to other projects, which include my original story and another LM story. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed TINS. It means more to me than you'll ever know. :) The thank yous will be posted in a few days, probably.
On a side note, chapter one of my original story Summer Loving (for lack of a better title; I am open to any suggestions!!) is up on FictionPress.net if you want to take a look! Painted Black ended up not working out, so I started on SL, which has been sitting in my plot bunnies folder forever.
Disclaimer: Lizzie McGuire doesn't belong to me; "Things I'll Never Say" belongs to Avril Lavigne; Moulin Rouge belongs to Baz Luhrmann.
Opening night came and before I knew it, I was standing backstage in one of my many costumes, waiting for my cue. At that moment, Gordo was onstage delivering the opening speech. To get an idea of how many people I would be performing for, I stole a peek from where I was standing and was nearly floored; the auditorium was packed and there were even people standing around the back because of the lack of enough seats. Suddenly, I was scared.
At least, I was scared until Miranda, who had somehow managed to worm her way backstage, came skipping over to me. "Are you ready?" she whispered once she reached me.
I took a deep breath. "Oh my God, I'm so scared," I said. "What if--what if I trip on my way out there?" Though I had grown out of my clumsy junior high stage, I still tripped over my own feet every now and then and I couldn't think of anything that would be more embarrassing than falling flat on my face as soon as I made my entrance.
Miranda grinned. "You're not going to trip. And you're going to be wonderful!" she assured me, calming me down in the way that only a best friend could.
"Why are so many people here?" I asked urgently. I couldn't remember a time when enough people to fill the auditorium were interested in one of Mrs. Baxter's productions.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Everyone wants to see you and Gordo kiss, duh," she said with a grin. "And don't play dumb, Lizzie. Everyone in this school knows how long you two have had a thing for each other."
"No way," I said. "You're exaggerating!"
Miranda shook her head. "I am not," she stated matter-of-factly. "I even started a bet with the cast of this play, and everyone was in agreement that you and Gordo would get together before opening night." She smirked. "So, you see, everyone knows."
Before I could say anything, the cue for my entrance came. I walked from the back of the stage to where my "trapeze" was hanging, in the middle. I sat on it, being careful to leave most of my weight on my legs; although Mrs. Baxter had assured me numerous times that the trapeze was sturdy enough for my weight, I wasn't going to risk anything. I heard Shawn whisper, "It's her, the Sparkling Diamond!" from his spot across the stage and I took a deep breath.
"The French are glad to die for love. They delight in fighting duels," I sang, smiling.
"But someone else was to meet Satine that night," Gordo said. He was sitting beside of Shawn, where he was doing his voice-overs.
When he finished his line, I continued, "But I prefer a man who lives . . ."
"Zidler's investor . . ." Gordo continued.
I continued singing the song, my voice lowering so that the audience could hear Ethan Craft (the Duke) and Lucas Donovan (Zidler) as they said their lines. Pretty soon, I was offstage again, panting for breath.
The play continued without hindrance. It was going really well, and "Christian" and I had managed to act out our more intimate scenes without blushing, despite the loud catcalls coming from the audience. Before I knew it, I was onstage again, arguing with "Zidler".
"Are you mad? The Duke holds the deeds to the Moulin Rouge. He's spending a fortune on you. He's given you a beautiful new dressing room. He wants to make you a star. And you're dallying with the writer?" Lucas exclaimed, walking toward me.
Nervously, I answered, "Oh . . . Harold, don't be ridiculous . . ."
"I SAW YOU TOGETHER!" Lucas boomed. He was really getting into his character, I could tell.
"It's nothing; it's just an infatuation. It's nothing," I repeated, turning my back.
Menacingly, Lucas said, "The infatuation will end. Go to the boy; tell him it's over. The Duke is expecting you in the Tower at eight." With that, he stalked off the stage from the left, leaving me alone.
Slowly, I began to sing, "If I should die this very moment . . . I wouldn't fear. For I've never known completeness. Like being here, wrapped in the warmth of you. Loving every breath of you, why live life from dream to dream? And dread the day . . ." I stopped and then gasped.
From offstage, Gordo's voice came, "How could I know in those last fatal days--" I started to cough violently, interrupting his words. Gordo continued, "But a force darker than jealousy and stronger than love began to take hold of Satine?" When he finished his words, I fainted.
The play continued progressing nicely. Everything was going really well and the audience seemed to be eating it up--especially the scenes that Gordo and I had together. It took all of my willpower not to blush a bright red and laugh nervously, but I managed to contain myself.
The end of the play came quickly and soon Gordo and I were on the stage, along with several other cast members. Gordo, very nicely playing his part of Christian, stalked over to where I was lying on the floor. He threw the fake money he was holding in his hand at my feet. "I paid my whore! I owe you nothing. And you are nothing to me. Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." He stalked off the stage and began walking through the audience as he was supposed to.
After a few lines were read, Shawn as Toulouse yelled at Gordo's retreating back, "I got it, I got it! Christian! THE GREATEST THING YOU'LL EVER LEARN IS JUST TO LOVE AND BE LOVE LOVED IN RETURN!"
I was trembling. This whole thing suddenly felt so real to me, like I really was Satine and Gordo really was Christian. Involuntarily, I began to cry. "Want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I'm loving you more and more. Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings? Come back to me and forgive everything!" I paused and gasped, then continued weakly, "Seasons may change winter to spring. I love you . . . till the end of time."
After a pause, Gordo sang his line, "Come what may . . ."
The scene continued. Finally, it was time for my "dying scene". "You've got to go on Christian," I begged, coughing a little for good measure.
Frantically, Gordo cried, "I can't go on without you!" He held me tight in his arms and for a moment I got lost in his scent.
"You've got so much to give . . . tell your story Christian!"
He shook his head and the tears began to fall. "No!" he cried.
"Yes," I said. "Promise me." When he said nothing, I exclaimed, "Promise me!"
"No," he said again.
"Yes. That way, I'll always be with you." My voice had grown weaker accordingly, and I allowed my body to go limp, and I "died". The curtain fell and I scrambled to run offstage. Gordo took his place in front of the curtain while Shawn followed me and sang his last line.
"There was a boy--a very strange, enchanted boy . . ."
From my place, I could hear Gordo. "Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. And then on one not so very special day, I went to my typewriter and sat down and I wrote our story. A story about a time, a story about a place. A story about the people but most of all, a story about love. A love that will live forever." His voice cracked and there was a pause. Finally, Gordo said, "The end."
On a side note, chapter one of my original story Summer Loving (for lack of a better title; I am open to any suggestions!!) is up on FictionPress.net if you want to take a look! Painted Black ended up not working out, so I started on SL, which has been sitting in my plot bunnies folder forever.