You Can't Hurt Me

Daddy issues

Race bit his gnawed lip and squared his shoulders. The cast list had been out for ten minutes and all he could do was stare at it. He's never felt this kind of anticipation, it could all build up or come crumbling down in seconds.

"Open the damn thing," Jack groaned from the kitchen. "We don't got all day, I'm warming up my hugging arms."

Race briefly paused his zombie stare to direct it at Jack, "the hell does that mean?"

"Well you're either gonna be happy or sad, and these arms are gonna be warm for hugging."

Race stared at him, speechless.

"Well!" Jack said again, opening a jar of peanut butter.

Race didn't respond, turning his head back down to look at the email. While he wasn't sure, as one never was, he had done a pretty good audition for Tony, and he thinks he'd be a pretty great one if he does say so himself. Plus Olive seemed pretty impressed with his read through and they did keep having him read that part. Truthfully he wasn't familiar with West Side Story at all, the audition had been kind of impulsive, but he knew he wanted to play Tony from the read through.

He ripped off a bit more skin from his lip.

"Okay, none of that." Jack sat down next to him and wrapped a surprisingly warm arm (damn him and his warming arms) around him. Race melted into the touch, his nerves quenching. "No matter what you get, you're gonna be amazing. Roles aren't everything, it's the production that counts. Now I know those three girls and you could play a nameless ensemble, and be the most noticeable person on that stage. The theater is a team and there is no 'best roles,' just roles y'a wanna play and are good for. If you get Tony, great! If you don't that's okay. You're still gonna love it."

Race nodded shortly and took a deep breath, finally clicking on the email satisfying his notifications.

The names blurred together, so he scanned through it, searching for his name, his role, written in stone.

Antonio Higgins - Riff

Race's heart dropped, he swallowed thickly.

"Who the hell is Riff?" He asked, stunned.

"You got Riff? That's a great role! Let's celebrate!" Jack cheered, getting up.

Race still frowned at the unfamiliar words, "I wanted Tony though."

"Sometimes that happens bud, you got a great role. Truthfully Riff is my favorite character." Jack amended, sitting back down next to him. Holding his arms out for the hug.

Race melted into it, he knows he should be grateful, if it's Jacks favorite that counts for something. However the tendrils of disappointment couldn't seem to cease, no matter how much he reassured himself.

This was a new kind of disappointment, one he's never felt before.

Never had the chance to get excited for something in this way.

"Do y'a think my audition was bad?" Race asked quietly.

"No, of course not. You're audition was amazing. Usually people don't get leads on the first show. Despite that Riff is a great character! Seriously!" Jack said, his smile seemingly bigger than Race's.

Race nodded, and let the last bit of disappointment dwell, before pushing it away and getting excited.

"Maybe we can watch West Side Story tonight and I can learn about this 'Riff'." Race put up air quotes on Riff.

Jack laughed, "sure thing."

Race's alarm rang. He looked down at it and swallowed.

"You still wanna go?" Jack looked Race in the eye.