The Stage Lights

The meeting

{Paxton Pov}

     The first day. Nerves were coursing through my veins, my fingers pulling through my hair, my rings getting tied up occasionally. I pushed my shoulders back as I walked into the theatre for the first time since auditions. I walked into the main room where everyone else was. The first thing I noticed was that there was a brunette whose head shot up when the door opened. She looked at me, and I could tell she was staring at the pink scar that trails from above my eyebrow, voiding the hair of the last third of my brow, all the way down to the middle of my cheek.

I ducked my head after a second and pulled my hand up to stim with my septum ring. I shuffled towards the group, and I look up as I hear a voice.

"Hey, you're Paxton, right?" I look up to see the same brunette who I made eye contact with before. I nodded before she continued. "I'm Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam. They are Andrea, Abby, Anna, Brittney, and Adrianna. The others," She nodded towards a smaller group of women speaking to each other. "Are Keirsten, Mallory, Nicole, and Courtney"

I had followed Sam back to the group of women and gave a slight wave before sitting down with them on the stage. They were getting to know each other, and I was sitting there. Listening. Analyzing every movement. The way their bodies spoke before they did.

"What about you?" I felt multiple eyes looking at me and I broke out of my trance. "Huh?" I whispered out and Sam, who had sat down next to me looked over. She moved to say something and all I could do was shake my head and let my arms cross. I wasn't ready for them to know about me.

-----

After rehearsal, Sam walked up to me. "Hey" I whispered to her as she stood right in front of me.

"Hey, Andrea, Britt, and I are going out to have dinner with some drinks. We wanted to know if you would like to come too. You could even ride with me." I thought about it, glancing up at the hopeful look on her face before nodding.

"I need to make a call first though." I whispered back to her, shooting her a small, forced smile.

The phone rang and I was slightly upset when it was answered. "Hey" "Hey love, I just wanted to let you know that I am going to go and get something to eat before heading back to the apartment." "Okay, you better not be out all night" I could tell she was angry and already drinking from the tone of her voice.

"Okay, thank you. Love you" I called into the mic before the phone hung up.

I turned around to see the other three women waiting for me, talking amongst themselves. I walked over to them and followed them outside.

-----

We had settled on a little sports bar near the theatre, the four of us being seated in a booth, the crowd of people talking around us.

"So, how'd you get the scar?" I whipped my head over to look at Andrea. I thought for a moment before choosing to respond to her.

"Oh. I. Uh. I ate shit and slammed my face on the coffee table in my apartment." I waited a second to see their reactions. Sam shot me a quick look, but the others bought the lie that I had spit out. We had talked for a while before I actually felt somewhat tipsy.

-----

It is about 12:30 in the morning, my arm is thrown around Sam's neck, her arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to her, aiding me in walking to my apartment. She knocked on the door as she was forced to hold a majority of my weight. Knowing that I was bound to get in an altercation with Kate either way, I tried to gain control over my body, to make it seem less obvious that I had a couple drinks.

The door is pulled open, and we come face-to-face with my girlfriend. I could tell she had to think about what she was going to say, muting herself at the last second. "Jesus Christ! There you are. Thank you so much for bringing her home..." she stopped for a minute before Sam had introduced herself to Kate.

After a minute or so, I was standing beside Kate, leaning into her as we watched Sam walk back to where the other women stayed.

"Sorry. Sorry for keeping you up and making you wait for me. I'm sorry I am the way I am and that I am such a disappointment and inconvenience to you." I slurred, following the woman to the bedroom.

I started changing into clothes more appropriate for bed. Her arms wrapped around my torso, turning me around to face her.

"Do I need to give you some more of these?" She asked, running her fingers across the scar she had given me.

"No ma'am" I bowed my head in shame as she nodded and then led me to the bed.

As I laid down, that's when it finally hit me. The look Sam was giving me earlier and throughout the rest of the day. Like she knew. It was like she had been in this exact situation before. I think she might know about what happens before I even have to tell her. Fuck.