Get You Down

Chapter 48-California

Author's note: The story is shifting to more of a Josh/Dylan story. Jake and Opie aren't going anywhere, and will still have appearances and sporadic chapters. Hopefully this is okay! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Or if you're missing Jake/Opie 👀
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Dylan's POV
After running lines over FaceTime with Josh, I felt much more relaxed. He is basically a ball of chaos, but I always felt better after talking to him. I crawled out of bed, took a shower, then brushed my teeth and hair. I stood in front of my closet wrapped in my towel unsure of what to wear. It's just an audition, so nothing too fancy.

I settled on a black and white shirt with thin horizontal stripes and 3/4 sleeves. I wore a brass, vintage-looking, oval shaped locket around my neck, and it contained a picture of my parents on their wedding day and a tiny pressed four leaf clover. I pulled on a black suspenders skirt that landed mid thigh and a pair of black tights.

I climbed up onto the counter in my bathroom so I could get close to the mirror. I applied too much blush to my nose and up my cheekbones and a little mascara. I'm terrible at makeup, but I was trying to get better. I climbed down and put on my round frame glasses and my black Chelsea boots.

After a few deep breaths, I was ready to head to my audition. I hopped on my yellow moped scooter, and drove to the theater. I was called straight back to the stage, and the director asked for my monologue.

"I will have poetry in my life, and adventure, and love. Love above all. No...not the artful postures of love, not playful and poetical games of love for the amusement of an evening. But love that...overthrows life. Unbiddable, ungovernable, and nothing to be done, come ruin or rapture."

I waited for a moment unable to tell what the panel thought of my speech, but was soon dismissed with a wave of a hand and an announcement of "we'll post the cast list online soon." I smiled and walked off the stage on shaky legs.

Once I made it back home, I made a bowl of cereal and sat down on the couch to eat it and watch a movie. I picked 2001: A Space Odyssey, and settled in under a blanket. After an hour or so, my phone buzzed. I glanced down at the notification to see I had gotten first understudy. We would be doing Rabbit Hole, and I would be understudy for the actress playing Becca. I screamed internally, and started to text Josh when the doorbell rang. I threw the blanket to the side and got up to answer it. A man holding a large bouquet of sunflowers and daisies was standing on my steps.

"Are you Dylan Taylor?" He asked. I smiled and nodded knowing my cheeks were pink. "These are for you..there's a card right here," he said as he pointed to the card nestled in the flowers.

"Th-thank you! Have a good day!" I stuttered as he walked back to the delivery van. I closed the door and took a deep breath to smell the flowers. I tilted my head to the side and smiled when I saw the card.

Dylan

I'm so proud of you!

Josh

My heart fluttered and I felt my whole body burn. I couldn't contain my smile when I opened our texts and saw the stream of silly selfies he had sent me. I rolled my eyes at the one where he winked at the camera, and typed out a message.

-1. I got first understudy! 2. Flowers? Joshua! 😭

I knew he'd text me back in the morning, so I put my phone away. I don't know when it happened or why exactly, but I knew I had feelings for Joshua Kiszka. I was also painfully aware that there was no way that he would feel the same way. I finished the movie, another bowl of cereal, and a few episodes of Friends before going to bed.