Wow, guys! Thank you all so much for your support! I can't wait to get this one out. I reminded my friend that there was no new episode tonight and she nearly killed me, so I hope this is (maybe) enough to keep you all satisfied?

A small note about the chapter: when I talk about distances I'm using the real town of New Stanton in Pennsylvania as a rough estimate.

To a Guest reviewer: honestly my dumb brain was too busy trying to process the fact that they were getting shut down to realize what Maashous' message meant, so let's just pretend he decided to come back and hopefully the explanation in this chapter is good enough to cover it, eh? Thanks so much for reviewing! To the other Guest reviewer: Thank you so much! To maggie (Guest): Aw, thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying!

And of course, thank you all for reading and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Rise or Spring Awakening in any way, apart from caring too much to be healthy, and am not making any profit off of this (apart from any love you decide to show!)

Episode 2: The Aftermath

"You're kidding," Tracey says. Her eyes are wide and she's certain this is some sort of joke.

"I'm not," Lou replies, shaking his head. "They're shutting us down for good. Said it would settle the controversy and handle budget cuts."

"Budget cuts my ass," Tracey says furiously. Lou blinks- he's never heard her sound this upset, and he's heard her pretty upset. "They don't give a damn about the budget, we're theater, we've never had a budget. This is just to keep them safe from those parents that didn't like what we did." She leans back so she's leaning against the desk, facing out toward the kids. Lou sits down in front of the desk and runs a hand through his hair.

"Tracey, I know that," Lou says. "I know they're just trying to cover themselves, and I know it's a horrible, selfish, evil thing to do-"

"We're going to fight it," Tracey says, turning toward him and slamming her hand down on his desk. She looks close to tears and as if she hasn't heard a word of what he just said. "We're going to fight this, Lou." Lou opens his mouth, then closes it. "I've put the world into this department, and I'm not about to lose it over… over…"

"My mistakes?" Lou offers quietly. Tracey's face softens.

"Our mistakes," she says. "What, they had no other solution other than shutting us down?" She leans back against the desk, staring out at the kids again. The night was going so well… and then this. They had to ruin it. Lou just shakes his head.

"I told him to fire me instead," he says. Tracey's eyes snap to his. "But he wouldn't listen. Said this was for the best." Tracey scoffs and her eyes turn to the kids outside, all smiles and laughs. She grows dangerously close to tears again.

"We've put everything into this," she says. "So have they."

"I know," Lou replies, his eyes also on the kids. "But they seemed to think this was the best solution…" He trails off into uncertainty. They all know it was far from the best solution.

"It's not," Tracey snarls. "They can fire you, they can fire me, they can fire the both of us, but they're not going to hurt those kids. We're going to fight this."

"I don't know if we can," Lou says. "What'll it get us other than out of a job? Then these kids won't have directors or a department. At least this way we can…"

"We can what?!" Tracey cries. "We can't do a damn thing without a department, we can't even use that theater. What's the point of having a theater if there's no drama department along with it? We have to fight this- if not for us, then for them!" She gestures out to the kids again, and Lou sighs once more. Personally, he doesn't think fighting it is the best idea… if they go to the PTA, they're just reducing the chances of the drama department ever reforming, at least until long after their generation has retired. The PTA has probably seen enough of the angry director act to last a lifetime. He doesn't think they should fight it… but he knows they probably will anyways. Tracey is still staring at him with that look on her face, waiting for him to say something, to agree with her, to confirm that he's just as upset about this as she is. And he is. But he doesn't have much fight left in him right now.

"I know, Tracey," he says. "I know."

"It doesn't matter what you know, it matters what you do about it," she hisses. "So what are we gonna do, huh? Are we gonna tell them? Please tell me we at least have the shows tomorrow." She practically holds her breath as Lou turns to her with a pained expression on his face. She lets out a mirthless laugh.

"You're kidding," she says. "Opening night was closing night, too?"

Unable to speak, Lou just nods. Tracey covers her face with one hand. "I don't believe this," she says eventually. "We were doing something good, and they just…"

"The world wasn't ready, I guess," Lou says.

"Well, the world better get damn prepared," Tracey snarls. "Because Stanton Drama is coming at it full force. Now are you going to tell them, or am I?"

Lou looks out at the kids. He imagines their smiles being wiped off their faces at his words, the smiles caused by this beautiful thing they've worked so damn hard to create… he can't do that to them. He can't. But he doesn't want it to come from Tracey, either. It's his fault, so he should be the one to do it.

"I'll tell them," he says quietly, voicing this exact concern to her. "It was my mistake, doing the normal version-"

"Oh, I think they were going to shut us down either way," Tracey says. Despite the loathing in her voice, Lou can't deny that her words are probably correct. "But I'm sure your mistake made them feel a little less guilty about it. We should tell them now, before they start leaving… so they know not to come back." Her voice drops pathetically at this last statement, and it's enough to make Lou's heart shatter.

Outside, Gordy can't hear the words they're saying, but he can recognize the look on his father's face well enough. Disappointment, pain, maybe even a little bit of fear. He's had that look directed at him more than enough times.

"Parent troubles?" Maashous asks from next to him, where the two are sitting on the piano bench. They're waiting for the rest of the cast and crew to get out of the dressing rooms- they've all been figuring the directors will have something to say to them about the next day before they all leave, so people are just sitting around before they head out for the night.

"I see I'm not the only one," Gordy says, tearing his eyes away from his father's office to nod at Maashous. "Kaitlin said you'd left."

Maashous shrugs. "I thought I'd left a proper goodbye, and then I just… couldn't go without another, I guess." Gordy smirks.

"Or are you just nervous to go to your mom's place?" he asks. Masshous's face falls. "Shit, that was the wrong thing to say, wasn't it?" His smirk changes to a look of concern. He still doesn't know what Mrs. Evers did, but he figures that if she's been away for this long it can't be good. He isn't about to say anything, however- he can let Maashous share for himself.

"My mother was imprisoned for a lot of things," Maashous says eventually in a small voice. "None of them good. Though I guess that's kind of obvious."

"I'd say so," Gordy replies, and he gets a light chuckle in return. He waits for Maashous to elaborate. They both startle as Ms. Wolfe slams her hand down on the desk- the noise is loud and even through the closed office door they can hear it. Both directors are looking furious and upset now. Gordy swallows something harsh- whatever they're talking about, it definitely isn't the show's success.

"Drug possession," Maashous says quietly, staring at the ceiling. His feet are tapping on the ground and his hands are fidgeting in his lap. "Alcohol abuse. And… endangering a minor." He frowns and glances at the ground.

"Oh," Gordy says quietly. "I… I'm sorry, man."

Maashous shrugs. "It's not your fault," he says. "She's better, now. Or so they've told me." Gordy glances around, trying to think of something to say.

"Did she seem better when you went to talk to her?" he asks eventually, for lack of anything else to say.

"Yeah, I guess," Maashous says. "I haven't seen her since I was eight. She certainly seemed a lot better than I remember. Happier. Less… high? I dunno. She said she'd consider letting me open enroll at Stanton, but…" He gestures to Mr. Mazzucchelli and Ms. Wolfe, who look like they want to scream but are restraining themselves. "Whatever that's about, I'm not even sure if it'll be worth it to come back."

"Of course it'll be worth it," Gordy says. "Kaitlin will be here next year, so you'd have another friend. And, I mean, what's the worst they could do? Fire my dad? They wouldn't do that, his students have the highest pass rate. The worst they could do is make us put on that stupid pirates show again."

Maashous nods. "Yeah, I guess." They sit in silence for a little while longer, watching as more students start exiting the dressing rooms. "They look pretty upset in there," he whispers under his breath, probably not meaning for Gordy to hear. He does anyways.

"Actors don't seem to notice," Gordy remarks, watching the troupe as they emerge and loiter around. "They're all caught up in each other."

"Well, we're crew, I guess," Maashous says. "The black shadows." Gordy laughs, tearing his eyes away from his father's devastated face to scan around the room. His eyes graze over most of the people he doesn't know. Gwen is in the back of the room, talking with a few of the other girls quietly. He watches her for a few moments before he realizes it's probably creepy as Robbie and Lilette walk past, both also looking visibly upset. Gordy sighs and turns back toward his father, catching a few words of their conversation as they move toward the doorway and out of earshot.

"...just say you won't," Robbie hisses. Lilette shakes her head, blinking away tears.

"I can't, Robbie," she says. "The job is already lined up. She's the perfect fit for it, apparently. They need her, according to the guy that gave me these." She holds up the box of chocolates clenched in her hand.

"Forget the damn job in Philadelphia," Robbie says. "What about what you need, huh? Your mother just abandons you for a week and now you're expected to abandon Stanton along with her?"

"Robbie-"

"No, Lilette!" Robbie cuts her off, his voice filled with pain. His angry expression falls and his eyes fill with sadness. "Just… stay. Please. For me."

Lilette can feel her heart shattering with those five words.

"I wish I could," she says in barely more than a whisper. "I don't want to leave you, or Stanton, but my mother… it's what's best for her."

"And what about what's best for you?" Robbie demands. Lilette shakes her head. "You have everything here, everything! You have the drama department, your home, your job, the school, your friends, Simon, me…" His eyes grow more and more desperate as he searches for some sign that she's going to try and stay.

"You don't think I haven't thought about that already?" Lilette cries. "I know what I have here, and it'll kill me to leave all that behind… but we can keep in touch, right? Philadelphia isn't that far, I could come visit on weekends…" This is a lie, and she knows it. They'd be lucky to see each other twice a year…

"It's across the state, Lilette," Robbie says in a small voice. "It's four hundred miles away." Lilette bites her lip and looks the other way, shaking a bit. Robbie takes her hand and uses his other hand to tilt her face toward him. "What if… what if you stayed here? With Simon, or… or with me? Until you're eighteen, and then you can get a place of your own and it won't matter anyways?"

"Robbie, no," Lilette says. "I can't ask you to do that for me."

"So don't ask," Robbie says. "I'll do it anyways."

Lilette shakes her head. "Robbie, no," she repeats.

"Lilette, I can't… I can't lose you too," he says eventually. She opens her mouth, then closes it. She bites her lip again as a single tear finds its way past her eyelashes.

"I can't lose you either," she whispers. "I'll… I'll talk to my mother. See if there's another way." Robbie nods, squeezing her hand tightly. They move away from the doorway, back toward the rest of the group. Lilette sighs. She needs to tell Simon next. He's her best friend, he deserves to know… that is, she should tell him next, if she could find where he is. Currently it seems that most of the troupe is outside, waiting for any further instruction, except him… and Jeremy. Lilette purses her lips together and glances toward the director's office.

Meanwhile, in the dressing room, Simon is completely ignoring the fact that he feels an immense need to talk to Jeremy. Jeremy also appears to be avoiding the fact that they really need to talk to each other. He scrolls through his phone, wondering which of them will bite and start speaking first. He vows it's not going to be him… unless this uncomfortable silence goes on for too long. They're the last two in the dressing room- it's the perfect opportunity. He just can't bring himself to open his mouth.

Simon clicks his phone off, glancing over at Jeremy at the same moment the other boy looks up at him. "Alright, I'll go first, then," Jeremy says. "What'd your family think?"

"What?" Simon asks, slightly taken aback. He figured Jeremy would get straight to the point. Ha. "Straight to the point." Simon really needs to get better at this.

"You said you had a tough family situation," Jeremy reminds him. "What'd they think of the show?" His tone is light, conversational, but it's masking something much heavier.

"My mom and my sister enjoyed it," Simon says in a closed-off voice. "My dad left halfway through. I can't blame him."

"I'm sorry," Jeremy says. "Was it because of…" He trails off. Simon knows how he was going to finish anyways.

"I think it was a lot of things," Simon says. "But that was what really did it." He looks down at his feet, fidgeting, debating what else to say.

There's silence. Jeremy nods. "So that's it, then?" Simon glances up sharply. "No explanation? Not for any of it?"

"Any of what?" Simon asks, turning away.

"You know what," Jeremy says. "What happened on stage? That all happened for a reason. I know you weren't comfortable with that a week ago, but for some reason you were comfortable with it now. You kissed me for a reason. During the bows, you grabbed my hand for a reason. There was a reason, Simon. What is it?" He's got an intense look in his eye that Simon hasn't seen before. Something about the way Jeremy says his name sets him off.

"I lied, okay?" he says, shrugging, with that look on his face like he's forcing something out of his throat, crazed eyes and a tight smile. "When you kissed me. Outside. However long ago. I was lying to you and I was lying to myself. I did. Like it. I was raised in a household where that kind of thing isn't okay, but being in this show changed something. Being around you changed something. And I am comfortable with it now, I guess."

Jeremy stares at him for a few moments, waiting to see if there's anything else. "So you're…" he trails off, waiting for Simon to finish.

"Gay?" Simon snaps. "Well, I certainly didn't feel anything with Annabelle and I certainly felt something with you so yeah, I guess I am gay."

Jeremy nods again, taking in a deep breath that ends in a shrug. "Alright, then," he says. "So what now?" Once again, Simon is completely taken aback by his swift change in demeanor. He leans back against the wall, waiting for Simon to say something.

"I don't know," Simon says softly. "I don't- my dad is probably ready to disown me when I get home anyways and my mom is going to be the only thing preventing him from doing it. She knows, I know she knows, she's known since this all started, I know it- I'm sorry, I'm rambling, but I really think I have enough shit going on in my life to be in a relationship." He freezes, revelling in how he spat out the curse word he never would've dreamed of saying before the mess this show has turned his life into.

"I understand," Jeremy says truthfully. "We should probably head out, Mr. Mazzu probably wants to say something." He turns and opens the door.

"Jeremy," Simon calls softly, so softly he doesn't think Jeremy will hear him. But he does, and he turns around, waiting. "I do want- something. Just not yet." There. It's done. He's admitted it, out loud, to himself and to Jeremy. It's done. He doesn't have to hide… whatever this is anymore.

"Okay," Jeremy says simply, before turning and walking away.

Simon takes a shuddering breath and rushes out after him, out to the main area where the rest of the cast and crew are waiting. He stands next to Lilette, who glances over and smiles at him. It looks like there's something definitely on her mind too, but when she doesn't say anything he realizes what's going on. All of the students are staring at the door to the director's office, waiting with bated breath as Mr. Mazzu opens the door. It's obvious he and Ms. Wolfe are both upset by the looks on their faces as they stand in front of the door.

"The superintendent came to see the show, as many of you may have seen," Mr. Mazzu starts. "He said you guys- you guys did wonderful." The group relaxes a bit, but they're all still tense. "But he needed to do something."

"Are you fired?" Robbie asks, sounding disappointed.

"No," Mr. Mazzu says. "Tra- Ms. Wolfe and I both still have our jobs, thankfully. But… the show is canceled."

The group breaks into protests, exclaiming how unfair it is. Everything they worked for, just for one show.

"It's not just that," Mr. Mazzu says. "And… it would be best for you to just go home, get some rest, talk to your families-"

"What is it, Mr. Mazzucchelli?" Simon calls harshly.

"The PTA is closing down the drama department," Mr. Mazzu says. "Permanently."

Next time, on Rise Again: "You leave me here alone for days, not so much as a call, then come back and tell me we're moving four hundred miles away and just expect me to be okay with it?" - "We're not sure if she's gonna make it. But we're gonna pray." - "You're my brother. I love you… no matter what." - "I should have a say! This is my life you're talking about here! I should get to decide what I do and where I go, not some court judge!"