Now and Always (Rierra)

Chapter One

Sierra had been waiting for this day since she was fourteen.

She could remember the exact day that she has decided she was going to attend Barline University for her BFA in musical theatre. It was snowing in Denver that day, and Sierra sat in her bedroom with pamphlets from different colleges across the nation that had musical theatre programs spread out around her. She had asked her guidance counselor for a list of different universities where she could pursue her dreams, and Mrs. Green had most definitely followed through on her request.

In the background, Sierra had the Guys and Dolls soundtrack playing softly as she read through all the pamphlets. Hadn't people always said they just knew when coming in contact with their dream colleges? Why hadn't Sierra felt that yet? All the colleges seemed like they were trying too hard, or maybe not enough. Sierra couldn't visualize herself on any of those campuses, or see herself singing in one of their concert halls. She was growing nervous, as there was only one more pamphlet yet that she hadn't read.

She was about to give up hope until she picked up the final pamphlet. The bold white text on the top of the page read: "Barline University: BFA of Musical Theatre accepts the twelve best performers into their prestigious program. This small amount of students allows us to carefully tend to each future star's needs and wants, and slowly but surely turn them into the performer they always dreamed they'd be." Sierra was sold, it only helped that their facilities were absolutely breathtaking.

Sierra knew that it was going to be no tough feat to get accepted into Barline's program, so she worked harder than anyone thought possible. Her vocal coach would ask her to work on her fifth octave, she would do so, then work on her sixth as well. Her high school show's director would give her a critique and Sierra would not stop until she all but perfected the character. She signed up for dance classes and did whatever it took to turn herself in Barline material.

Sierra traveled to New York with her parents and two sisters in November of her senior year to audition on campus at Barline. Her audition song was Twisted Every Way from the Phantom of the Opera, as she wanted to do a song that wasn't ridiculously overdone but something she also knew she could nail every time. Sierra had practically had the entire soundtrack memorized since she was eleven, Christine was her dream role, always had been. Sierra did the dance part of the audition and recited some monologues and off she went, back home to Denver. Her parents assured her that she did wonderfully and now, it was in fate's hands.

Two months later and she received a rather large envelope from Barline. It was laying on the kitchen counter when she got home from school as her mother sat anxiously waiting for Sierra to walk through the door. "A big envelope is a good thing right?! That's what they say in the movies!" Sierra was talking at the speed of light, a thing that she tended to do when racked with nerves.

Her mom shrugged, "You'll just have to open it, honey." Sierra nodded, and took a deep breath before carefully using one of her nails to ease up the seal. She wanted the envelope to stay pristine if it was an acceptance letter inside. The papers slid out with ease and Sierra's eyes nearly glazed over from reading so fast: "Miss Boggess: We'd like to congratulate you on your acceptance into Barline's Musical Theatre BFA program! Below are all of the forms you will have to fill out for room and board, tuition, and-". Sierra set the papers down immediately and smiled hugely before screaming at the top of her lungs, "I'm going to Barline!"

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