Through the Open Door || Change My Mind Sequel || SP

Pilot

Friday March 14th 2025

7:15 AM

Samantha Pauly sat up in the king sized bed of her 4 bedroom home, next to her wonderful husband, Matt Sheehan. Today's the day. Samantha thought, pecking her dog's head and getting out of the covers.

The actress walked over to the vanity and flipped her black to vibrant pink hair. She took a good look at herself in the mirror, before grabbing her gym clothes and heading to the en-suite. This is what you've been waiting for. She thought, washing her face and brushing her teeth. After slapping on some deodorant, switching her clothes and throwing them in the hamper along with the ones her husband left on the floor the night before, Sam left her bathroom and headed across the short hall to her son's room.

-

"Good morning, Zeekie," Sam smiled, opening her son's blinds. The four year old rubbed his face across his pillow and turned towards the wall. "Come on, buddy. You gotta go with G.G. and Avie to the Hive," Sam enticed, grabbing jeans and nice t-shirt for her son.

"I don't want to go to the Hive. I wanna stay with you," he whined, sitting up in his Spider-Man sheets. Sam shook her head, and held her hand out to escort him to the bathroom.

"Sorry, buddy. You have kindergarten at the Hive today because mommy is going back to work," she smiled. Rubbing his eyes and heading towards the hall bath on the other side of the apartment between his sisters rooms.

"You're going to work with pink hair?" Zeek asked, opening the bathroom door. Sam nodded, doing her best to contain her excitement.

"They are calling it a reunion run," Sam smirked, shutting the door and moving to the twins.

8:28 AM

Sam got to the rehearsal space two minutes before time, in a rush. But all worries went away as soon as she saw her girls. A huge scream erupted as all ten women ran into a group hug. This was the first time all the women had been in the same show since their contracts ended and some renewed and others left. The girls spent a minute and thirty seconds asking each other how their runs went, before the music director cleared her throat.

"Ladies, welcome back. We have a lot of work to do and a short amount of time. Shall we get started?" She called, settling the rowdy women, bringing them back to the task at hand. SIX.

12:02 PM

During a much needed lunch break, the women sat around catching up and talking. "Okay, Anna or Courtney," Sam said, catching their attention. "Does Revalee or Jack have to do these like... I don't even know what they're called, but like outside of class, classes?" Sam asked. Courtney nodded while Anna sighed.

"I hate those. Jack can never remember to get on them on Wednesday and he has so many assignments that he's missing," Courtney answered. Anna nodded.

"Revalee does too, and the other night I caught Glenn doing some of her assignments for her," Anna added on. Sam sighed.

"Okay good, because Zeek is falling behind on those too. Like he's five! It is so hard for him to pay attention to those videos and then sit long enough to do those sheets," Sam said, not feeling like such a bad parent anymore. "I'm so glad he's back at the hive and school. While I was home these past few months and it was cheaper to keep him at home on the days he wasn't in school, I was going insane," she said. Anna and Courtney agreed. Being the only moms of the group and with their kids all in the same school, complaints were made easier.

"I don't know, ask Sam," Andrea referred, Sam only really hearing her name. And turning to the other side of the table.

"Huh?" She said. Andrea put her fork down and glanced at Adrianna. "What's up?" Sam asked. Adrianna pulled out her phone, before starting her story.

"So basically, my nephew is coming to stay with me for the rest of the school year and the summer and I was wondering what I needed to do to get him in school and all that stuff and what you do with the girls and Zeek. My brother is going overseas and my mom is just too old to watch him," Adrianna explained with, now, the whole table listening. Sam was a little different from Courtney and Anna in that way, because her husband worked from 9 to 9 most days and the kids were too young to stay at home, but had to be picked up from the Hive at 6.

"Oh, well, getting them enrolled in school is super easy as long as he has his vaccine card. For after school, I send the kids to the rec center in our building and then our neighbor, Naomi picks them up and takes them to our place until one of us gets home. We pay her 300 a week to bath, feed, and do homework with the kids. But she's been with us since the kids were 2 and 1/2, almost 3. I could see if she will take him too," Sam offered. Adrianna didn't live too far from her, so coming to pick him up after the shows wouldn't be too bad.

"If you could, that would be great," Adrianna graciously smiled. "Y'all, I'm scared. He's energetic and this show is draining," Adrianna laughed as they finished their lunch.

8:49 PM

The time had come. The longest rehearsal of the week was over. Sam walked into her house to see her girls on the couch, wet hair and pajama on. "Hi, girls!" Sam called as Dale went up to greet her. The big puppy was old and it was starting to show. It worried Sam that he may only have a year or two left in him. She'd had him for so long that the thought of waking up without him scared her.

"Hi, mommy!"the girls said in unison. Elora's long, thick hair was pulled into a wet French braid to keep her curls intact, while Ellanie's collarbone length hair was drying straighter than her sister's. Elora had been rocking her middle part, while Ellanie was letting her curtain bangs grow out.

"Did you guys have fun at school? Where's Zeekie?" Sam asked, dropping her backpack on the ground next to the shoe rack and petting her first baby.

"Naomi is bathing him. He played in the mud today the Hive," Ellanie said. Sam nodded and placed her jacket on the rack. K Howard was officially hung for the night. It was clear that Naomi had dinner in the oven and Zeek in the tube, but it was time for Sam to take over.

11:56 PM

Sam sat on the edge of her bed, phone in hand reading her email. She's gotten two one from a former student telling her she booked her third regional show. And the other from another student, saying the show she was in was moving to Broadway and they weren't recasting. It made Sam's heart jump to see her students doing well. Especially those two. She'd grown so fond of them and she was happy to see them doing so well.

"How was your day?" Matt asked, coming out of the bathroom, fresh and ready for bed. Sam smirked, dropping her phone to the charger and getting in with her husband. They had "locked" Dale out for the night and were about to celebrate. Celebrate what exactly? Let's call it a successful Friday.

To Be Continued.