“Or yesterday, now that I think about it… hmm.” Lloyd stared off in thought. How long has it been? Obviously not long enough that I would die. “I’m sure I’m fine. I think my body’s gotten used to it by now.” (Oh yeah he’s pretty underweight since he forgets to eat and all)
(Ahhh this takes me back. Activating mama Lillian.)
“That can’t be healthy for you,” Lillian shook her head in disbelief. She understood missing a meal or two, but just straight up not eating? “No arguments after auditions your with me.”
Lloyd sighed. “Yeah, okay. When does this end? I’m not typically in the auditorium when it’s happening?” He felt pretty lightheaded right now, but he pretty much just ignored it. It was a familiar experience.
“It depends on how many kids are auditioning,” Lillian shrugged with her answer.
“I don’t think there’s too many left. I mean, there’s only a dozen or so people here. What’s this for again? The director just called me up and told me to sing.”
“School musical,” Lillian went to automatic mode, “We’re doing West Side Story.”
“West Side Story… I don’t think I know that one.” Lloyd thought for a moment. “Wait, since I sang on the stage, does that mean I’m supposed to be in West Side Story?”
“Yeup,” Lillian nodded, “You might be able to get out of it because of your rep as a tech guy.”
“Or maybe I suck enough that they won’t let me in.” Lloyd suggested.
(Lloyd: maybe they’ll think I suck
Lillian: no your voice is god)
“Everyone who auditions gets a part,” Lillian repeated like it was some cult mantra, “Besides you were amazing up there.”
“Oh… w-well, I dunno about that…” Lloyd smiled a bit and looked away, embarrassed. A bit of pink rose to his pale cheeks. “I’m not all that good…”
“Don’t deny it,” Lillian punched his shoulder lightly, “You were fucking amazing up there and you know it.”
Lloyd’s face flushed more and he put his hood up to hide it. He clearly didn’t get compliments very often. He was pretty much invisible at school, after all. “I-I just like singing, you know? It… uh, it sorta reminds me of when I was a kid. I sang a lot when I was younger. I mean, I still do, just… n-not around other people, usually.”
“Well it was great,” Lillian started to hold back on the compliments seeing that Lloyd was getting super flustered by them.
Lloyd looked over at Lillian and let his hood down a bit. “Y-You really think so? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better or anything?”
(Bruh! If I had known this started I would've been here sooner!)
Belle, like usual, hid backstage. She had been crew for as long as she could remember. But she was proud of Lloyd for trying something new and poked her head out from behind the curtain to give him a smile. Except now he was talking to another girl and she just looked weird so she just sunk back into the wing quietly.
(Yeah! Welcome to the party!)
Lillian nodded, “Yep! I don’t lie about these types of things.”
She spent a good minute or so mulling over how she'd just made an absolute fool of herself when she was brought back to Earth with a harsh bump. "Belle!" She popped up and wandered out on stage. "Yeah Doc?" "Can you grab the next auditioner for me? Lillian Phoenix?" She nodded and jumped off the stage. She'd seen Lillian 200 times, she was one of what her friends liked to call "The Humble Populars". Yeah, they were rare, but at least one existed in each school. And Lillian was their one. "Um, excuse me?" She tapped Lillian on the shoulder, slightly nervous.
(Lillian's already auditioned XD)
(Listen man, it's too early for this! I'm tired, sick, and just want to go back to bed so she's going again! 😂😂 The director wants to see her again, maybe?)
(Okay 😆😆😆)
Lillian looked up at Belle, she was one of the backstage crew, "Yeah?"
Lloyd looked up at Belle and waved quietly, pressing his wings closer to his back.
"Uh, Doc wants to see you again. Something about redoing a monologue? Something like that, I don't remember." She smiled shyly. Despite being the stage manager, she was terrible at talking to the cast.
Lillian stood up and smiled back at her, "Okay. Do I have to head back onstage or is he somewhere else at the moment?"
(Oops, I should probably mention, I based Doc on my actual theater teacher (who we call Doc), soooo Doc's actually a girl)
"Onstage, if you don't mind." She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her braid, pinning it under one of the straps of her eye patch.
"Er, good luck Lillian." Lloyd gave her a thumbs up and resumed his staring at the ground.
Lillian gave Lloyd a thumbs up back before going back onstage, "Okay. What exactly do I need to do?"
Doc smiled at her before turning back to her papers. "Could you redo your monologue for me? I just want to see it again."
Belle glanced at Lloyd out of the corner of her eye. "I'm proud you tried something new." She muttered quietly. She was more comfortable around the other crew members but she needed to relax a bit before she'd get back into herself.
Lillian nodded and turned to face the rest of the drama club before starting her monologue once more. She put just as much purpose and soul as she did the first time she had run through it.
Rachel had almost forgotten about the auditions going on today as she slinked into the back of the auditorium to see Lillian on stage running through hers. She would have to top that and it would be easy.
(😊)