Chapter 2: I Can't Be Bothered Now
A/n: I took the Crazy for You summary from http: and edited it slightly to be shorter (it's still really long :P). This chapter is mostly information, but I hope you guys still enjoy it!
Because you see I'm dancing and I can't be bothered now...
Sydney laughed at Weiss as she slipped her key into her new home for the next three weeks: a safe house owned by Detroit's branch of the Central Intelligence Agency designed to look part of the neighborhood, complete with fake boarded up windows and all. He struggled with several bags and was muttering about having to return to the main floor for more. How Weiss could possibly have more bags than Sydney was beyond her imagination and she rolled her eyes at him. Her eyes wandered down the hall, counting three other doors. Two other people besides Weiss and herself. And while she hoped it would be Vaughn across the hall from her, she also loathed if it were him for the chance of having to confront Lauren.
Finally she pushed the thick, oak door open and stuttered through with her three oversized bags and threw them aside in what seemed to be a large closet to her right. She jumped when the door slammed shut behind her, causing her to look up and survey her surroundings. While the bathroom to her left seemed sufficient with a bathtub, the rest of the room was nothing more than a glorified dorm room. But no windows, of course, just bright lights overhead.
She sighed, stepping forward, and plopped onto her bed in the far right corner, next to which stood a night stand and a dresser. Along the side of the room with Sydney's bed was a desk with a laptop, printer, and phone, and a miniature refrigerator, and across from that, a love seat and small table with two chairs.
Deciding that nothing exciting would magically happen as she rested on the bed, she stood and proceeded to unpack her clothes into the dresser. Once done, she turned on the laptop – a brand new iBook, she observed – and checked out the miniature fridge, which was stocked with bottles of water and a few cans of Coca Cola. She opted for a water and chugged half the bottle in a single gulp, at last realizing her thirst.
A thick manila envelope sat unnoticed on the table until now. She picked it up with her free hand and inspected it thoroughly. In the corner on the front of the envelope she found "SB" scribbled quickly and she flipped it over to open it, setting down her water. Out slid a large pile of papers, ID cards, keys, and such, but she removed the paper first.
She carried it over to the love seat, where she settled in the corner and grabbed the first sheet on top. It appeared to be a schedule of tap and voice lessons. All of Sydney's dance times were in the morning, while singing was afternoon and evening, much to her delight. Studying it further, she found that several times overlapped with other people's schedules. For instance, the first fifteen minutes of Thursday's dance would include the last fifteen minutes of Vaughn's time, and on Saturday she shared thirty minutes of Weiss's voice lessons. Her eyes widened. She would be dancing with Vaughn! As her heart rate rose initially, a knot also formed in her stomach. He's married, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes. She had to stop doing this to herself; she had to stop daydreaming about something that was impossible to attain anymore. Shouldn't she be angry at Vaughn anyway? He was the one who left her; had gotten married while she had merely disappeared. She shook her head. This wasn't emotion time, it was mission time. She did not want her emotions to control her again like they had yesterday. Dealing with her emotions would just have to wait, and come when their time arose.
Concluding her view at the schedule, she saw that only Vaughn, Lauren, Weiss, and herself were on the paper. Were they the only ones auditioning? She had to guess.
Setting the schedule aside, she looked at the next page: a notice that they would all be meeting today at eight PM Detroit time. She had about two hours until then. However, the meeting was naturally during when they would normally eat dinner. The CIA apparently did not want them to ease into the three hour time difference.
The notice also stated that she needed to be prepared to present her alias, which was next in the stack of papers. She read it slowly, taking it all in piece by piece.
Once landing in New York, she would be known as Sophia Kathleen Smith, age thirty-one, born December 14, 1973. Her marital status: single, and her parents names were Janet and Mark. She had no siblings. To summarize her past, Sophia was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and had attended Western Washington University where she majored in acting and minored in dance. Ever since graduation, she had performed in her hometown theater, but later moved to New York. Her place of residency in New York would be Apartment 47 in Whitaker Apartments on 8th Street in Manhattan.
After reading through her life history, she headed back over to the table. She found her driver's license, credit cards, keys to her apartment, and a package of hair dye. She gazed at the box with a raised eyebrow, then picked up her driver's license to inspect it more carefully. Of course the hair in the picture was a shade or two lighter then Sydney's. Going back to the couch, she picked up the last paper in the stack, and gathered the others separately. The last page was the casting call. On it listed all the open parts, eighteen in total; numbers which shocked Sydney quite a bit.
She checked her watch after organizing all the papers on the table. She still had over a half hour before the meeting. And in looking at the list of open roles, she decided to find a summary of Crazy for You online. She slid into the stiff computer chair and Googled in the perfect phrase, finding a summary instantly. It read:
The musical opens at the Zangler Theatre in New York City in the 1930s during a performance of the "Zangler Follies." You meet Bobby Child, a man who yearns for show business but is stuck in the world of banking, and Bela Zangler, the owner of the theater who happens to be married but in love with Tess, a Follies Girl. Bobby auditions poorly for Zangler.
Outside the theatre, Bobby meets Irene, his wealthy fiancé whom he doesn't want to marry, and then his mother, who insists that he go to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a property. But when the women argue over Bobby, he imagines that he is dancing with the Follies Girls. When he returns to reality, he chooses Deadrock over Irene.
Deadrock is a has-been mining town in Nevada. The only woman in town is Polly Baker, and her father, Everett, owns the Gaiety Theatre, a beautiful theatre that hasn't been used in years. A letter arrives from New York stating that a banker named Bobby Child has been sent to foreclose on the theatre if Everett fails to meet his mortgage payments. Polly vows to do something ugly if she ever comes across this man. Bobby then staggers into town and instantly falls in love with Polly.
However, Lank Hawkins, who owns the saloon, wants to marry Polly and buy Everett's theatre. Inside the saloon, Polly meets Bobby for the first time, and Bobby declares his love for her. Polly seems unsure about his Eastern ways.
That night on the stage of the Gaiety Theatre, Bobby gets and idea: they can save the theatre by putting on a show! After Polly is persuaded to join in the plan, Bobby introduces himself: "I'm Bobby Child." Polly recognizes his name, slaps him, and leaves in a hurry. But Bobby is determined to win her heart, and he gets an idea: Bela Zangler.
Three days later, the glamorous Follies Girls arrive in Deadrock to the amazement of the cowboys. Along with the girls is Bobby in disguise as Zangler, complete with beard, cane and Hungarian accent. He's been sent, he says, by Bobby Child. Polly and Everett readily agree to let him put on a show to save the theatre, and everyone rushes to rehearse. Two weeks later, preparations for the show are in full swing. Although the cowboys are still disastrous performers, "Zangler" (i.e. Bobby) changes all that in the course of a single rehearsal.
Irene now shows up, looking for Bobby. She recognizes him and threatens to expose him to Polly if he doesn't promise to return with her to New York. When Irene leaves, "Zangler" tries to persuade Polly to give Bobby a chance; but Polly confesses that she's madly in love with "Zangler" much to Bobby's dismay.
The following evening, the cast is busily preparing for the show. Lank is desperate to stop it, and Irene is desperate to find Bobby, who's been hiding from her all day. When people are spotted coming from the station, the cast assembles excitedly on the street. Alas, the only arrivals are an English couple (the Fodors) who have come to write an American guide book.
The company has now hit rock bottom, and "Zangler" is the most desolate of all. He apologizes for failing the town, but as he starts to leave, Polly explains how life in Deadrock has blossomed since he came. As despair turns to celebration, the real Zangler staggers into town and collapses on the street. In their frenzy of joy, no one sees him.
That night in the saloon, the town is still celebrating, and Bobby, in a rush, asks Polly to marry him when she's in love with "Zangler." He explains that he is "Zangler", the man she fell in love with. But she doesn't believe him, and as he tries to convince her, the real Zangler enters. As Polly kisses Zangler with passion, Bobby exits. When Polly leaves, Zangler explains to Tess that his wife left him and that he came to Deadrock to be with her. Suddenly she gets an idea: he, Zangler, could save the theatre! As an experienced producer, he'd know how to advertise. When Zangler refuses, Tess gets angry and leaves. Bobby, now dressed as Zangler to prove he wasn't lying, enters and both he and Zangler drink away their woes.
The next morning, Polly sees two Zanglers sleeping under the table and realizes that Bobby was telling her the truth. But instead of loving him for it, as Bobby expects, she's humiliated and storms angrily out of the saloon. Meanwhile, Lank is frustrated with the Fodors and Irene is frustrated with Bobby, and in their frustration they realize they are made for one another.
Later in the theatre, the cast has a meeting. With two weeks left on the mortgage, the issue is whether to try putting on the show again or to let the bank foreclose. As everyone bickers, the Fodors step forward and offer their own, very British philosophy. By the end of the number, Polly is no longer angry with Bobby. The issue is put to vote, and to Bobby and Polly's amazement, the decision of the company is to give up. They tried the show once and it didn't work. Why should it work a second time?
The company leaves and Bobby says good-bye to Polly. He's going back to New York. Polly is shocked, but too proud to admit her love for him. Bobby reflects his fond memories and leaves, leaving Polly alone. Suddenly, Zangler enters the theatre. Impressed by the cowboys, be decides to revive the show and save the theatre, all in the name of Tess.
Six weeks later, in New York, Bobby is trying to be a banker, but all he can think about is Polly and Deadrock. Mother, however, foreclosed on the property in Deadrock after Zangler lost the property by "wasting all his money on that theatre in Nevada" - all for Tess's sake. She gives Bobby the deed. The Follies Girls now appear in his mind and he heads back for Deadrock.
Back in Deadrock, the town sparkles. The saloon is now a spiffy cafe run by Lank and Irene who are happily married, and the theatre has been playing to full houses and has paid off its mortgage. However, Polly, now the star of the show, has realized how desperately she misses Bobby, and she leaves for New York to find him. After she leaves, Bobby runs in and learns that the show he prepared has saved the theatre. He realizes that at last he's accomplished something. As this sinks in, Everett and Mother see each other and fall in love. But it's only when Polly unexpectedly reappears that all is resolved. As the town looks on, Polly and Bobby run into each other's arms - and start to dance.
Sydney read it over again, then referred back to the casting sheet. Both the parts for Polly and Bobby were open... Suddenly, without any of her control, her emotions took over in a swarm of thoughts. She knew that with Vaughn's work ethic that he would try to achieve the best part he could, which would be Bobby Child. And if Sydney worked as hard as she possibly could then perhaps she could be his Polly...
It was time to head out to the meeting, and she closed the laptop and headed into the hall, where she met Weiss leaving as well. "Hey," she greeted. "I read up on the musical."
"Me too," he replied as he walked towards her. "And I have three words for you: tap dancing cowboys."
She laughed. "Well, I think the plot sounds interesting."
"Well, I think yippe-ki-yay."
They walked to the elevator and Weiss pushed the button down. "So who lives on the other side of the hall as us?" she asked while they waited.
The door opened, and they both stepped on, Weiss pushing the button for the second floor. "Dixon is across from me, and Jack is across from you."
Sydney frowned. "Okay."
The remainder of their walk was silent while they each reviewed their own aliases. Weiss held the door open for her when they reached the designated meeting room and she smiled faintly at him as she passed. She took a seat in the far corner and lifted her gaze around the room. It seemed that they waited for Carrie, Marshall, and Dixon. Jack sat a seat away from Sydney scribbling furiously into a notebook, while Weiss took a seat next to the door and sat twiddling his thumbs. Across the room Lauren and Vaughn sat and talked, or flirted, as Sydney chose to observe. Her idea of being Polly to Vaughn's Bobby abruptly became absurd as she watched the two together. What had she been thinking? That she could remind Vaughn who he "really wanted" simply by acting with him? She was crazy. He was too honest and loyal a man to simply drop his wife and leave her, even if they may not be soul mates.
Vaughn smiled at his wife and allowed his eyes to wander about the room. He locked gazes with Sydney for a moment, but she darted her eyes away before she could no longer yearn for the coveted. Her eyes burnt into the table top, memorizing every flow of the grain. The wood particles waved in and out intricately, and she followed it's path, tracing it with her fingers. She couldn't rip her eyes away, not because it was mesmerizing, but because she could tell Vaughn was still staring at her.
Dixon, Carrie, and Marshall then entered the room, causing Sydney to look up when the door shut loudly behind them. Marshall jumped a little closer to Carrie at the sudden noise, his hand protectively covering her stomach. She stared at him for a moment before he chuckled lightly and whispered a quiet sorry.
Dixon wasted no time. "Everyone is going to stand and present their aliases to everyone here. I'll begin..."
Dixon was Aaron Lapeer, a security guard. He was married and had two children (Sydney recalled that Dixon's kids were going to live with him in New York once he left Detroit). Jack was Richard Charlevoix, a fifty-five year old single employee of the theater. Eric Weiss was Nicolas Chesaning, divorced with one child. He was an actor hailing from Syracuse. Marshall and Carrie were Sherman and Marie Hampton, a couple from Georgia who worked with the technical parts of the musical. And finally, Vaughn and Lauren were the actors Christopher Garth and Denise Zway, a married couple. Sydney perked up slightly upon hearing that they lived in the same apartment complex as she did.
After all the presentations, Dixon stood and explained that everyone was to grow close to their coworkers and look for anything suspicious. There would be deeper, individual missions assigned later, especially for the actors once they received their roles. Dixon adjourned the meeting by telling them that there would me more meetings throughout the rehearsal period to discuss any new intel or suspicions. "And everyone please get a good night's sleep before training starts tomorrow."
Sydney rushed out of the room before anyone could speak to her. At reaching the elevator, she desperately wished no one would catch up to her as she waited for it to descend. She hurried inside and pushed for the third floor and the close button, but just before the doors clasped an arm stuck through and they widened open.
Weiss entered. "Got out of there in a hurry," he commented.
"I couldn't take it," she replied, referring to Vaughn. "My emotions keep getting in the way. I'm just not sure if I can go through with this mission without them messing it up." The doors opened to the third floor and they stepped out slowly, taking their time as they dawdled. She felt a growing ease with Weiss when she talked with him, minimal, at first, but larger as they spoke more frequently. "How am I going to co-star with him when half the time I'm pissed off at him and the other half he's all I can think about?"
Weiss stared at her with a consoling look on his face as Sydney stuck her key into the lock on her door. "Think of this as your chance to start anew." She gazed back at him in confusion, opening her door but lingering in the frame. "You aren't Syd anymore and he's not Mike. You're Sophia and Christopher. You don't know each other. You've never met. And you don't care because he's already married. Don't you see that this is your opportunity to get over him finally?"
She hesitated. "...Yeah. Maybe." The door to their left opened and Dixon and Jack came in to the hallway, each respectably on their way to their rooms. Sydney raised her eyebrows. "See you tomorrow." Weiss nodded, and Sydney smiled briefly at Dixon and her father before slipping into her room and leaning back against the closed door. Weiss was right, she knew, this would be the best opportunity to get over him. Her new game plan would be to pretend that she was consumed in the musical, not let anything bother her as she danced and sang her heart out. She had grown tired of hoping something would happen; waiting impatiently at the sidelines for a substitution back into the game. She wanted to no longer hurt.
A/n: I know this chapter was mostly informationy but I needed it there. Please review with your feedback!
