A/N: From GAME TIME to SHOWTIME! Lauren and her fellow thespians are putting on their dress rehearsal.
Sorry that this took longer than normal but I needed the extra time to make it super special. This is Lauren's big moment!
Another reason this took so long. I wrote initially the chapter, and I HATED IT! It was terrible in my opinion and you guys deserve a good read. So, I just highlighted my favorite bits and threw away the rest.
Like I've said before, I've come a long way since my old days on this site. I used to punch out my first draft and post it, no second glance! Now, I read it through at least twice in its final form before I'm satisfied. When I have trouble, or a lack of focus in a chapter, you will be amazed how often I will order a complete re-write. I know some chapters (and stories) are more loved than others but I NEVER want to knowingly put out an inferior piece of work!
We are getting toward the end, folks. Going to be wistful to close the door on this one.
Of all the things I have written for this site, this more than anything felt like an honest continuation of the show.
The newly restored Oneiros was open for its inaugural production: Jailbirds.
As encouraged by Xander Tundra, the cast and crew brought their friends and family to fill the seats. It was almost a packed house, but this old place hadn't seen a crowd like this in decades! It wasn't just kin and well wishers related to the production out there. Tundra strategically placed a bunch of industry movers and financiers. If this musical came off, one of them might invest in it.
Xander funded this production and the venue all out of pocket, either personally or through very close friends who adored the theater. This was going to be his magnum opus and sink or swim, Jailbirds was produced on his own terms. Except for the title. He had always thought of "Jailbirds" purely as the thing to call his project until something better came along. But nothing did. And even when he thought of a good title, it was taken!
What's more, his assistant director had been sick with pneumonia, but as always, the show had to go on. Tundra had no recourse but to direct the whole thing himself.
(Oh, ghost of Harold Prince! Please guide me tonight!)
Chase hugged Lauren, telling her to knock them dead. She smiled appreciatively and finally let her go to join the others back in the audience. Out of the corridor came Louise who sighed when she saw her daughter.
"Hey, baby!"
"Mom!"
The two held each other tightly.
"I just don't know what to do with you!" the woman chuckled. "Just when I can't get more proud of you, you rise to the challenge."
Those words made Lauren tear up.
"Thanks, mom. I can't imagine getting here without you pushing me."
Louise leaned back, still holding her precious girl's shoulders.
"Hey, now! There was no pushing involved. Sometimes you need to be reminded of how great and strong you are."
Her daughter blushed at the encouragement. She could see it in her mother's eyes how much she loved her.
Some parents felt they need to come down hard on their children's dreams, bring them down to reality. Louise never had that with her mother and she promised to be the same with her daughter. Whatever Lauren wanted to do, she had her girl's back. What she did do was foster the mentality that whatever you really want you've got to work hard for it. She doesn't expect Lauren to BE the best but rather to always do her best every time.
She once told Lauren upon entering Hollywood Arts: "I'd rather be a nobody who didn't compromise my principles than famous and completely hollow." Louise knew the temptations of fame and "easy living" was to young people. To this day, she doesn't understand what an influencer was. To her relief, Lauren chose her interests as carefully as she chose her friends. She was happy for Lauren, knowing that the sky was the limit for her; whatever she wanted to do with her life. Maybe Lauren would do more of this acting thing. Maybe a career in music. Whatever happens, the important thing is that she has the making of a good, balanced soul.
And when that inevitable day comes when she won't be with her anymore, hopefully many years down the line, Lauren will have the strength, intelligence and grace to continue to thrive in this world.
She hugged her daughter once more and kissed her head.
"Better get it out of my system before makeup," Louise grinned. "Break a leg, baby!"
"Okay," Lauren nodded a little shakily. The sensation in her guts felt like that first hill on a roller coaster you had never rode before.
Chase joined the others in the third row.
"This is so exciting!" beamed Jenna.
Billy leaned forward to see Chase.
"She's gonna be amazing!"
"Yeah, she will!" encouraged Alice.
He smiled and nodded.
Those three knew more than anyone the electricity that must be running through Lauren right now. The anticipation before the big premiere was like nothing else.
Jade peeked from where she sat, further down the row at her daughter chatting with Becky because of course they sat together! She felt Tori squeezing her hand and turned to her girlfriend.
"What?"
"Isn't it adorable?" Tori teased.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" asked Jade.
Since Mia started dating Ryan, Tori was an absolute mess. Not that Ryan was a bad guy but seeing your little girl having those sort of... feelings - nothing in life prepares you for that. And Jade was close by to rub this "fact of life" in her face. So now, it was Tori's turn to watch her girlfriend squirm.
"You've got to admit one thing, though."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?"
"Our kids have really good taste."
It was true. They ended up with enough self-respect that they dated someone who was kind and emotionally available. Maybe these couple will go the distance, maybe not. Jade and Beck were a thing once and now they're just really good friends. One thing is for sure, seeing her daughter smiling so brightly was worth all of the anxiety of her beginning to date. There is the consolation that this pairing was impossible to end in a teen pregnancy.
Jade's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the young couple.
(How DO I know that they aren't already ... you know...?)
Tori sighed and put her arm around the former goth to calm her down.
Their row filled up, so Ryan and Mia sat right behind their friends. The tan girl held her boyfriend's hand.
"When does it start?" he whispered to her.
"Any minute now, you'll hear the music start."
Ryan blinked.
"This is a musical?" he genuinely asked.
Mia snorted and looked at him in disbelief.
"You're just now realizing that?"
"I thought it was a play!" he shrugged.
She rubbed his hand.
"You are adorable."
Xander Tundra emerged from the curtain to thank everyone for attending and how this production, more than any of the others that came before, was a labor of love. And he wouldn't be here without his remarkable crew and of course, the cast. He asks that the audience observe the etiquette of the theater and be quiet as to not interfere with the performers. He concluded his little spiel with a bow and exited.
Every person clapped as the red curtain raised and the band began to play, headlined by the piano with some strings and backing him up. The opening number commenced with the adolescent characters entering the common room of the juvenile detention center, singing about who they were and why they were here. Like any great first song it established the story and the players concisely and memorably.
The third row (and part of the fourth) lit up when Lauren first stepped onto the stage.
I thought I knew the kids I friended.
They said it would be fun.
But when the police descended,
I was the only one!
As Lauren moved along the stage, she winced but carried on without breaking character.
Could not believe that they LEFT ME!
We were supposed to stick together.
Dad, the courts, they let them HEFT ME
Into this literal hell!
What is that smell?
I know this place will haunt me forever.
It seemed all of the teens had a reason for being there, mostly petty theft. Maria was vague at this point in the story, confessing about her wrecking that man's car but he had it coming. Christopher was kicked out of his home after coming out, forced to steal food from a local supermarket. Will was in danger of aging out of this place, fearing of being sent to real prison to serve the rest of his time.
The song was peppered in with the guards, two male and two female. They would serve as the chorus throughout the show.
Suddenly, music then took a slightly ominous tone when it was Robert's turn to:
Fire! Burn! Burn! There was no on in there anyway.
That fucking kid on the bike talked.
I should have walked
Away, but I knew that little shit would say
That I did something wrong.
When I get out, I'll find him and make him pay.
Make him bleed, make him pray.
I'll win in the long run!
My sentence might run long
But while I'm here, I could have some fun.
He was established right away as a disturbed young man who would escalate beyond acts like arson. While the story would shed light on the systemic issues regarding the prison complex, and how that pertained to young offenders, Robert was the big bad in this place. Sentences for first time non-violent offenders, particularly young people of color or of a certain background, were made harsher. They also addressed the issue of girls not being believed when reporting a sexual assault.
Robert represented the mentally unstable repeat offender that the system keeps allowing back into society so that they could escalate into far worse crimes.
Once the song concluded, the actors retreated from the set while the audience cheered. Mia whistled from the crowd.
Louise leaned back toward Tori.
"Is it me, or did Lauren look like she was in pain to you?"
When the actors got back, Lauren was dying to sit down.
"What's wrong?" asked Tundra.
"My feet are killing me!" she winced. Relief was written all over her face when she took them off.
The director studied them and couldn't find anything on the inside or outside. These were new shoes, so maybe there were growing pains. The actors wore these black non-slip sneakers that would lend to the dancing scenes. Playing it safe, they ordered new shoes for the cast so that nobody had word soles as rehearsals always happened in the actors' street clothes.
"What size are you?" he asked her.
"Um, nine."
He sent an assistant to fetch another pair of shoes and within minutes returned with a fresh pair.
"Thank you!" Xander told the girl. "Here, Lauren let's try these."
Lauren nodded and put the shoes on and she could tell right away they felt so much better.
"Oh, yeah!" she smiled, getting up to really feel them. "Way better!"
"Other ones must have been too stiff," the director mused. "Well, the important thing is you're more comfortable." He looked around. "Gotta run, see you in two minutes!" And with that, he ran off.
The actress continued to walk around, marveling at how vast an improvement this was.
(That was my fault. I should have broken the old pair in first.)
As the story wore on, Matt's first solo song came up as "Will." He tossed and turned in his sleep, terrified of the future that lay ahead of him. In a matter of months, he will turn eighteen and since the reality of this sank in, he's been plagued with a reoccurring dream.
In this dream, he sees a vision of him getting murdered by stabbing from a deranged inmate.
The stinging in my side,
The cold, cold floor
Nowhere to hide.
I've had this dream before.
Matt truly did an incredible job showing panic in his face. The audience bought that he was convinced that he foresaw his own violent death. He laid down on the floor, simulating him in bed. This part of that minimal set design, using only carefully selected pieces to suggest a space, taking inspiration from productions like Rent. His body writhed around, tossing and turning. Who could sleep when seized by such terrors?
His voice broke as he sung the next part:
I try to be strong, that I need no one.
What's the use of being anything else?
When my story is done,
When my fleeting blood leaves me cold,
There will be nobody to hold me
Besides myself...
He drove the point home by hugging himself and turning his back to the audience, sobbing as the music played him out. The audience erupted in applause with tears in their eyes.
Luisa and Lauren stood there stunned as their co-star came backstage. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes dry. Like a pro, he needed mere seconds to compose himself and was out of character.
"Dude, that was unbelievable!" Lauren grinned.
Luisa hugged the boy.
"I'm gonna have to bring it for my sad song, this one raising the bar!"
Matt was grinning from both the relief of getting through such an emotional scene, and thankfully nailing it, and above all seeing how it impressed his friends. Their respect meant as much to him as that audience out there. On his way, he bumped into a stagehand.
"Oh, sorry man!"
"It's...o-kay..." Matt trailed off when he got a good look at the guy he crossed paths with.
He was handsome. Thick dark hair, just barely permitting his baby blues to be visible. A well-groomed thin beard complimented his strong jawline very well.
"I just saw you out there and you were incredible."
Matt blushed and swallowed, struggling to maintain eye contact.
"Oh, uh, thanks. Thanks a lot."
They stood there for a few seconds before the guy cleared his throat.
"You're Matt, right?"
"That's me," the actor awkwardly nodded.
"I'm Dean," he smiled. "You probably never saw me before; I just came in at the theater the other day."
He blinked, understanding why he didn't look familiar at all because Matt made a point of meeting everyone from behind the scenes. To him they were as important as his costars.
"I'll see you later I guess," Matt said, feeling like he was going to pass out.
"Oh okay," nodded Dean. "Later."
The young man held his heart as the crew member walked away. He turned to see Luisa with a smirk on her face.
"What?" he shrugged.
"¡Qué menso eres!" she sighed. "Ask him out, stupid!"
Next up was Will and Lisa's duet.
But they hit a technical snag that delayed the start of the scene. The microphones were not functioning properly. Upon checking them out, the wires looked pretty frayed. Matt joked that this old building probably had a rat problem and someone should make sure the little critters aren't gnawing away at any of the other equipment.
Xander made a mental note to have the place fumigated.
In the scene, she comes across a very tired looking Will because he didn't get much sleep lately. In this moment, Will is so exhausted that he doesn't have the energy to keep his walls up and pretend everything is fine. That prompts him to confess that he is afraid, but he doesn't mention death. Instead, he reveals another fear that he only hinted at before. Will is worried that his life will be one big waste. That triggers Lisa, who feels her own existence was pretty meaningless.
Lauren and Matt begin a waltz, continuing to sing their sides of the same concern.
LISA: I don't want to be here / I'd much rather...
WILL: What does it matter?
LISA: Of course it matters to me!
WILL: But if you weren't here / Where would you be?
LISA: I...
WILL: You...
BOTH: Have no idea.
WILL: Life is just trying to survive / So I thought.
LISA: But why are you alive? / What has your existence brought?
WILL: I...
LISA: You...
BOTH: Have no idea.
By the end of the song, they come to terms that they want to matter. Not to be famous or "important" but they want the feeling that someone is happy they are here. Lisa says she's happy to have met him and kisses Will on the cheek and says goodnight. When she departs, Will lays down and presumably has a much better time sleeping. Getting that off his chest was comfort enough to keep his insomnia at bay.
At the climax of the first act, Maria was to attempt suicide in the middle of the night when Lisa stops her in the nick of time.
While there was no surprise that she knocked the singing out of the park, Lauren thoroughly impressed her friends with her acting chops. Alice clung to Becky when she cradled the sad girl, singing softly that she will be okay, and she promises that she won't leave Maria's side. Mia's heart was heavy as she remembered being in such a dark place, not suicidal but understanding being ambivalent about her future to the point that life was meaningless.
These kids (and their parents) had the fortune of not going through what Maria went through. Indeed, even Luisa who portrayed her had a good life. But the raw, unfiltered honesty in her performance was out of respect for those that did. Maybe someone in the crowd had been hurt by someone, maybe a person they were supposed to trust, and to see them represented as a complex human being who just craves compassion and justice must be cathartic. Reading through the libretto, Lauren and the others pondered if Xander Tundra was hurt in such a way, or someone close to him, because there was nothing arbitrary or hackneyed the was Maria was written.
That was the power of fiction, to help others understand another's struggles. And a lifetime of such stories imbues a person with an empathy that is bottomless.
Jade tapped Louise's shoulder and smiled.
"She's amazing, isn't she?"
Mother recognized another mother's pride in her face.
"It was about time more people saw that."
She could relate. Every time Jade looks at Alice, she marveled at how advanced she was compared to her at that age. Alice had the makings of a strong, loving adult just like Lauren. They are the kind of person that it's a privilege to know them. And if they are your friend, you won the lottery.
The lone spotlight on the two girls dwindled as the curtain fell, signaling for intermission.
The audience lost their minds, some of them with tears in their eyes. Things kicked off strong in the first act and there was still a whole other half of show to go!
Luisa wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.
"How are we feeling?" Lauren asked her.
"Todo bien," she sighed. "Think I'll go for a quick jog to shake off this bummer."
The actress noticed her buddy, Matt standing to the sides looking intently to the side. Lauren grinned and joined him from behind.
"He's cute," she observed.
Startled, he let out a yelp but quickly reined it in.
"Jesus! Don't sneak up on a guy like that."
"Looks like you're the one wanting to sneak up on someone."
Matt huffed.
"His name's Dean and... well, look at him!"
Lauren chuckled, "I get it, I get it."
She shook her head at the boy's flushed expression.
"So, what are you worried about? That he's straight, or not available?"
"Both very good concerns," Matt nodded. "That's not... all of it. What if I'm not good enough?"
The girl grabbed him by the collar and drew him closer.
"Are you NUTS?" she whispered. "You're awesome! I've seen you face every challenge since I met you and really believe he's out of your league?"
The pressure before any sort of date is not that different than the pressure before you get the part in a show. The audition is scary. Asking someone out is a kind of audition; you put yourself out there and pray that the other person takes an interest in you.
Lauren gave him a hug of encouragement. He gave her so many, now it was her turn.
"Just try, Matt. Do that for me but also for yourself."
"I'll... I'll try."
The curtain came up and we got to see the growing friendship between Lisa and Maria.
Maria told her story, the whole thing, and what made Lisa as upset as what happened to her was how nobody took Maria's side. They all believed the teacher automatically, writing off the teenage girl as a "bad kid" who wanted attention. Unfortunately, that sort of thing does happen in real life. It made many victims not want to come forward because nobody would believe them.
Lisa tells Maria that she believes her and the girl says that was all she ever wanted.
During the middle of the scene, a main light went out. That forced Xander Tundra to think on his feet and direct the actresses to move further along on the stage where there was still adequate illumination. He was sweating at how many things were going wrong tonight, mostly technical glitches.
Once it was over, Lauren had her scene with Lisa's father paying a visit.
Having met the other teens in this place, she realized that her father was doing the best he could, and she could have tried harder to be better. While we can't help where we come from and what happened to us, the responsibility to do the right thing never goes away. Everyone gets to choose. Mr. Jennings apologized to his daughter for throwing himself into his work to deal with the separation. He had been seeing someone and realized that he's been depressed since her mother left. He promised to Lisa that things will be better when she gets out and the two hug at the end.
That scene made Mia look over to her mother with a smile.
Tori wasn't perfect but there was no doubt that she loved her from the beginning and that never faltered. Things did improve when Mia took charge of her life and made better choices. It was easy to make her father a saint in her eyes while taking her mother for granted because he was gone, and she wasn't. What if Tori had gone and it was Sam left behind to raise her? Maybe they would have fought, too? Sam was a good man, but anyone would have their nature derailed momentarily by a child's formative years.
The chips fell the way they did, and Mia swore to never have a day go by where she didn't count her blessings. Her family was strong, her friends were wonderful. She had a ton to be thankful for and she saw that a little in Lauren's character. Ironic in that this curly-haired angel on earth was the harbinger of Mia's life turning around.
Up next was perhaps the most complex scene in terms of blocking action. This was the fight where Robert tries to attack Christopher upon finding out he was gay. That was where Will would intervene to try and save him. The girls were there too to help with fending off Robert.
Matt happened to look up and his "Will" facade dropped, and he shouted: LOOK OUT!
Lauren gazed up and saw a portion of the backdrop was coming undone and she backed out of the way, unaware of the wooden frame leaning toward her. Other actors noticed and reached out. Lauren turned to see the new threat, but she tripped over a box that was part of the set.
She narrowly missed the frame but was so spooked by the imminent danger that she got tangled up into the canvas of the collapsed backdrop.
"No, damn it!" Lauren muttered as she tried to break free but got more and more stuck.
Matt and another actor ran to her aid, but she couldn't quite get her footing and despite all efforts, Lauren tumbled to the ground and landed on her arm.
The girl looked around, the scene around her in shambles, her fellow cast and some crew standing with confused expressions. But the icing on the cake was when Lauren looked out into the crowd, and it was dead silence. The spotlight on her face was like a magnifying glass on her awful misfortune.
She started to cry and seeing as that was making her feel worse, wiggled out of the canvas and ran away. The curtain quickly dropped to everyone's gasps in surprise. Tundra announced on the PA system that there will be a delay and to please remain seated.
Louise got up but Mia was faster.
"LAUREN!"
Mia appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily. She saw her friend and rushed over.
"Just leave me!" she protested.
"No," Mia told her as she got down to her knees to be at her level. "Let me see if you're hurt."
She carefully moved Lauren's arm to see if she might have broken something when she fell. The only sounds Lauren made were her sniffing and breathing. Nothing to indicate she was injured from her perspective, so she had to ask.
"Does this hurt, Lauren?"
Mia followed the question with a soft bending of her elbow. Her friend just shook her head no.
"Thank god for that," she sighed before sitting beside her. "Hey, listen...I'm sorry about what happened. We were worried."
Lauren wiped her face with her sleeve. Mia couldn't find the words and just hugged her while she cried some more.
Seems appropriate as this was how they met. Mia was an absolute mess and ran backstage only for Lauren to offer her comfort. Mia wished there was more she could do to help her but her mom taught her that sometimes there isn't anything you can do or say. It's a person, not a broken clock. You can't fix them when they break down. Sometimes all you can do is hold them and give them the assurance that they are safe right now.
"This way!"
Chase's voice was met with the boy entering with Lauren's mom in tow. Louise ran to her daughter's side while Mia gave them space. She locked eyes with Chase and put a friendly hand on his chest.
"Let's give them a minute."
He nodded, looking back concerned.
Chase and Mia started walking away, prepared to let the rest of the gang know that Lauren was okay for now but she's understandably upset.
"I feel terrible for her," he admitted. "Wish there was something I could do."
"I know the feeling, big guy" Mia sighed. "She just has to know that we'll be-"
He put out his arm, stopping the tan girl in her tracks.
"What the he-"
"Did you hear that?" he whispered to her.
Mia shook her head silently.
Then the sound of boxes falling grabbed her attention.
"I definitely heard that!" she whispered.
The pair went on tiptoe toward the origin of the disturbance and saw a shadow. Chase sashayed toward a big trunk and hid behind it like a fort. He gestured for Mia to join him.
"What's up?" she asked, still keeping quiet.
"I see someone...look," he pointed.
Mia's eyes widened.
"You gotta be shitting me!" she shout-whispered.
"LET GO OF ME!" came a familiar female voice.
"What's going on there?" asked Louise.
"I know that voice," frowned Lauren.
Mia emerged from behind the ropes, holding the wrists of Vanessa Hiller behind her back like a living pair of handcuffs.
"If you don't let me go right now..."
That only made Mia tighten her grip on the complaining girl, which made her squeal from discomfort.
"Mia! Who is this?" Lauren's mother demanded. "And why are you restraining her?"
"So she doesn't get away?" she offered.
It was an honest answer, but it didn't make it seem any less out of pocket.
"Okay..." the adult said, shaking her head. "I need some info pronto!"
"It would seem this theater has its own phantom," Mia sneered.
The others ran over to join them. Chase was brandishing a dark brown backpack.
"Caught her trying to ditch this."
Vanessa's eyes locked onto the bag while Mia let her go. The girl didn't dare make a break for it as the exit was blocked by Lauren's friends. Chase handed the bag to Lauren, who started looking inside.
"Tools...wire cutters, screwdriver..." Lauren ran off the items in disbelief.
"Mmmm," mused Jenna. "Sounds like what you would need to damage a microphone."
"Or collapse a set!" added Alice.
Chase glowered at her.
"I've got a funny feeling my shoes were swapped earlier," Lauren mused while shooting daggers at Vanessa.
Now ALL eyes were locked onto the girl. Her heavy breathing and wandering gaze were not helping her impression of innocence.
"I know what you're thinking..." Vanessa said, her hands up.
Mia started cracking her knuckles. "Then why aren't you running?"
Ever since Lauren's public dressing down of Vanessa, the latter wisely avoiding the former after that. Sadly, that was where her intelligence ended. Vanessa stewed in her juices, barely able to look another actor in the eye in the wake of such massive public humiliation. Lauren tried to be civil and make friends but Vanessa's ego was too fragile to let her. Instead, she operated on the misconception that Lauren was a threat. But she was nothing of the kind. That didn't matter. To someone like Vanessa, people were a means to an end. And when they weren't useful, they were in your way.
But when her attempt to make her jealous by putting the moves on her boyfriend failed spectacularly, Lauren was most certainly her enemy now. Rather than seeing this as a wake up call that her hubris had gotten as out of control as a chimp on a motorcycle, Vanessa could only think about payback. How dare Lauren embarrass her like that? Wasn't bad enough that she got the lead part, but to turn everyone against her?
Vanessa knew her role as far as the dialogue and lyrics, she rehearsed and rehearsed. And in her spare time, she would replay that scene between her and Lauren and get more and more angry. "She's gotta pay! Maybe she wouldn't be so high and mighty if SHE was humiliated in front of everyone..."
"You did all of this to sabotage her?" asked Alice in disbelief. "What's wrong with you?"
"Shut up, kid!"
Mia growled and stepped forward, just barely out of Ryan's reach.
"Don't you talk to my friend that way, you bitch!"
Vanessa brushed her hair from her face as she stared at Mia.
"You think you deserve this part?" asked Mia. "What you deserve is a kick in your-"
Louise cleared her throat, trying to take control as the only adult in the room.
Mia huffed and folded her arms.
"I think you should leave," Chase told Vanessa. "Now."
"Says who?" sneered Vanessa.
"Says me!"
The girl turned to see Xander Tundra standing behind them, looking very cross.
"Vanessa, you're done. Get out!"
"But, wait. Mr. Tundra, I was..."
"I don't want to hear it!" he glowered at her. "You deliberately sabotaged my production, put your fellow actors in danger, I can't have that. Leave!"
Vanessa backed out of the room, feeling pretty small as everyone shot her looks of disapproval. Xander Tundra made the mental note to have it so if Vanessa was anywhere near this theater again, she would be arrested for trespassing.
"Lauren..." Tundra's face softened. "May we talk...please? Alone?"
"It's okay mom," she assured Louise. She smiled at her daughter and glanced at the man before leaving the room with the others.
The man exhaled long and tired, raising his arms to lean against the wall.
"I know this is the part where I say: 'I've seen worse opening nights.' But, this was pretty bad. I understand if you don't want to go back out there."
She looked up at him.
"What?"
"Lauren," he started clearing his throat. "I put my heart and soul into this musical. But the part of Lisa is very near and dear to me." Xander began pacing about the area. "She was a combination of people that helped me, but Lisa was largely inspired by a caseworker who took interest in me when nobody else would. It was because of her I was given a new lease on life."
There was a lingering silence between them.
"She died...didn't she?" Lauren asked.
The man was visibly shaken by the question. He scratched his hair and sighed.
Artists make stories based on their life all the time, particularly their formative years. But to do it much later in their career, when those times were far behind, was the curiosity. Sometimes it was simple writer's block. They wanted to make a story based on something that happened to them but they couldn't quite "crack" it, or how to convey their emotions so that an audience who didn't go through it would understand.
Then sometimes a pivotal moment, a life-changing event, will occur in the artist's life: marriage, family, death. And that would trigger that personal project sitting on the shelf for so many years. Steven Spielberg hadn't gone through with his semi-autobiographical film The Fablemans until after his parents both died. They were a big part in molding him into the storyteller we know today.
He stopped to look at Lauren; really look at her, like he was bearing his very being to her.
"Last year," he admitted with a heavy heart. "We..." he cleared his throat. "Stayed in touch since those days." Xander went from an introspective silence to a warm chuckle. "She was always checking up on me, seeing how my career was going. I didn't hear those exact words but...I could tell from her voice that she was proud."
Tundra took out a folded sheet of yellow steno paper. They were the first notes he scrawled about this musical from the night the idea came to him. He had kept it on his person every single day of rehearsal for luck.
"This show..." he sighed. "Was to honor her memory. To celebrate the selfless and amazing person she was. So, I imagined this fictional character who was like me...just misguided but would rise above her troubles and become a champion of the forgotten and abused...like she was."
"Whoa..." breathed Lauren.
"That woman...I was just in awe of how she dedicated her life to others. And I would sooner shut down this whole damn production before I let that backstabbing...c-word play this part!"
The singer sat down on a large steamer trunk and Tundra sat beside her.
"Just so you know...you were always our first choice, Lauren."
"I was?"
He nodded. "We dug you the moment we met you. My god, you could sing. But when we talked, we could tell that you were a genuinely sweet person. There was a quiet strength there. Lisa was made for you!"
The teen blushed at the sentiment. And here she thought her status in this show was hanging by a thread. They didn't begrudgingly choose her, they wanted her.
Xander sighed and rested his chin on his hand.
"But, the law of the theater, always have an understudy. I wasn't sold on Vanessa's vibe but she could do it but in hindsight I see that would've been a mistake."
The producer cleared his throat and stood up.
"Like I said, I will not settle for that awful girl...the show's too precious to me...but, guess that's no longer an issue."
He turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Lauren asked.
"To give the bad news," Tundra replied. "That the show can't go on."
Lauren rushed over to him.
"Wait a second! I'll...I'll go back out there."
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, Lauren, I can't make you do that."
"I don't want Vanessa to win by letting the evening be ruined! Let's save the show."
Lauren wanted to prove it to herself that she could finish this performance. Besides, her new friends had worked their butts off and it would be a waste if the show was cancelled. Vanessa did her best, but Lauren was determined to make her pathetic efforts to be just that. This was still her night! It was everybody's night! They worked hard and deserve the standing ovation at the end.
Xander wiped a gleam of a tear from the corner of his eye and rubbed his chin.
"I think we can get the set back in order in about a half hour. Will that be enough time for you?"
Lauren nodded with a brave smile.
"Okay, we'll resume in 30."
He was half out the door when he looked back in.
"Lauren?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," he nodded.
Mia, Chase and the others all headed back to their seats. They were welcomed with bemused expressions from Jade and Tori.
"Um...Hi?" shrugged Tori. "What's going on?"
"Is Lauren alright?" asked Jade.
"She will be," nodded Mia. "Sorry about taking off like that but-"
"I get it," her mother sighed with a smile. "Lauren's lucky to have you..." Tori leaned to see the rest. "All of you."
Louise returned, looking like she was exhausted.
"I was lost!" the woman huffed. "I thought one of you kids was supposed to show me the way back!"
Alice sunk in her chair while the older ones turned red.
"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson" winced Mia.
"Yeah, me too" nodded Chase. "Is Lauren..."
Louise sighed and held up her hand.
"Get comfortable. My baby has to finish her performance."
Lauren's mom sat back down beside Jade and Tori.
"So, what happened out there? Did they know why the wall fell?"
She looked at Jade.
"Some little bitch tried to sabotage my child because Lauren was the star and she was the understudy. Can you believe that?"
Tori smirked, folding her arms watching Jade squirm in her seat.
"Yeah, Jade...what kind of a gank would do such a thing?"
"Someone very, very immature," Jade stated and then leaned to Tori's ear to whisper the rest. "Someone who grew up and had a change of heart. Someone who will make it up to that person every day."
The Latina kissed her on the temple, unleashing a goofy grin with the former goth.
Once the impromptu second intermission was over with, they carried on with an even more minimal set than before. Sadly, there was not enough time to fix the backdrop, so they had to just push forward. Fortunately, there were approaching the climax, and all focus was going to be on the characters.
The fight was blocked as before and this time it went off as planned. Will stood between Robert and Christopher but sadly in the melee he was stabbed by a sharpened stick Robert had in his pocket. The boy is then carted off to solitary until he could be transported to a mental institution for evaluation.
The scene ends on a tragic note when Lisa holds Will as he lay dying. Before his body goes limp, he makes Lisa (and those around him) to not waste this life. They need to make it count.
The final song was equal parts sad and hopeful, Lisa and the remaining surviving characters to make their most of the time they have. Wandering through this life with no direction, Lisa decided what she wanted to do with her life:
So much betrayal, so much pain.
So many kids who don't have someone
To stand beside them when
When nobody will...
Will...
Will's sacrifice will not be in vain.
Lisa stood up as tall as ever, holding the hands of those she met and befriended.
There are those who want to change; wish to atone.
It's not fair that they have to stand alone!
I'm going to finish school, practice law
Fight for the ones too small to fight,
The world of adults had let them down.
But I will be their guiding light!
The song ends with the universal truth that we all need help and must have the courage to accept it. The music swelled into a crescendo, the actors singing their hearts out as the scene fades to black.
The whole house stood on their feet and cheered with hearty enthusiasm. It somehow intensified when the lights came back on and the whole company stood to bow in appreciation for the audience. Xander Tundra stood to the side, refusing to take center stage as this was their moment to shine. They already knew who he was.
A few minutes of applause before the red curtain came down for the very last time this evening.
"GREAT SHOW, EVERYONE! GREAT SHOW! The audience loved it!"
Tundra was beaming, making small talk with nearly everybody. He shook Lauren's hand with a gracious smile and went down the line, thanking everyone involved. Luisa hugged Lauren extra hard, saying she had to go as her parents were going out to celebrate and promised to call to hang out sometime.
Lauren smiled and thanked her for being there for her.
Matt locked eyes with Dean, who was grinning.
"You guys did it!" he nodded. "A few mishaps but you pushed through."
"I've got some great talent out there to help me look good," Matt smirked trying to be modest.
Dean rubbed his neck and coughed.
"Listen, I was thinking...uh, maybe you'd like to get some coffee or something?"
Matt's knees locked in place.
"Oh, really?"
Dean chuckled shyly.
"I was hoping, I dunno... that you would be up for that?"
Lauren smiled and waved at him from afar.
"Or... maybe you aren't..."
The brown-haired boy blinked.
"Oh, her?" Matt thumbed in Lauren's direction. "No, no, no, she's just a friend."
The stagehand seemed surprised to hear that.
"Really? You had such chemistry out there."
"That's just acting," he shrugged. "Believe me, I am far from... well, a ladies' man."
Dean smiled.
"So, is that a yes?" he asked.
Matt exhaled, goosebumps forming on his skin.
"That is a hell yes!"
Lauren exited through the back way, but didn't have to go far to meet with her friends because they were all standing there. She held her heart as they clapped hard for her. Chase gave her flowers.
Jenna nudged Billy, "You didn't give me flowers."
Billy scoffed. "I was in the show, too. I didn't get any either!"
"You two hush!" pointed Mia. "This is Lauren's night!"
"You were unbelievable!" Tori clapped while Louise hugged her girl.
"Alright, baby girl" the mother sighed with relief in seeing Lauren make it to the other side and finish the show. "What do you want to do now?"
Lauren cleared her throat.
"Not a lot of talking," she admitted. "Need to rest my voice."
"I know what'll soothe that!" Jade said.
"Ice cream?" suggested Alice.
"Ice cream," she confirmed.
Mia and Jenna each took one of Lauren's arms and raised them like she won the bout at Madison Square Garden.
"WOOOO! VICTORY ICE CREAM!"
Lauren laughed, thinking these guys were insane and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
A/N: Yes, every single lyric you read is my creation. Not too shabby for someone with NO musical talent in their body!
