light my candle

chapter one

chapter one

rachel pov

college was certainly overwhelming, for one thing. there were so many classes, so much homework, but most importantly, so many people. i hardly knew anybody's name outside my circle of friends. my roommate, macy, was quite the social butterfly, however. and whenever i had question about anyone or anything, she always had an immediate answer.

today, NYADA held auditions for their fall production: RENT. one of the most groundbreaking, meaningful, important musicals of all time. almost everyone in school showed up at auditions, which didn't surprise me. who wouldn't want to take part in such a beautiful piece of theatre? i contemplated auditioning for maureen johnson, but once i listened to the soundtrack again and re-watched the filmed final broadway performance, i decided i was more drawn to the HIV-positive, drug addicted exotic dancer, mimi marquez. maybe it was the fact that she was so far away from myself that drew me to her character.

when i went to go sign up for an audition, there was only one other person by the sign up sheets. which was understandable, as it was almost eleven at night. the sheets were almost full when i got to them, anyways. i noticed he was penciling himself in for an audition for roger, mimi's love interest. i thought about saying something, but decided it was just best to write my name and be on my way.

"mimi, huh?" i heard from behind me. i turned around and saw him looking at my name on the sheet. i nodded and smiled a little.

"yeah, mimi. i don't know, it might be a long shot for me, but i figured what the heck. i'm not even hispanic," i replied with a small shrug. i looked him up and down. he was tall-very tall-with brown hair and eyes to match. he was quite attractive, most likely the most handsome boy i'd seen on campus all this year. he was dressed in just a black t-shirt and jeans, and he was emitting this vibe that he was really laid back and fun loving, just from the way he talked and looked, and from his body language. i automatically assumed that he was a member of the popular crowd, possibly in a fraternity. i peeked over at his sheet.

"roger davis," i read, nodding. "i can see you as roger," i said, looking him over again. he gave me a small smile, lifting one of his hands out of his pocket and extended it out to me.

"finn hudson," he introduced himself, and i grabbed his hand and shook it.

"rachel berry," i replied. his smile broadened a little.

"you've got a nice name," he remarked. i raised my eyebrows.

"really? i was never a big fan of it," i said.

"i like it. friends is my favorite tv show, so i like the rachel part. and some of my favorite fruits are berries, like strawberries and blueberries, so i like the berry part, too. so, therefore, you've got a nice name," he explained, and we both shared a small laugh.

"well, i guess if you put it like that my name is alright," i replied. "i am actually named after rachel green. my dads were huge friends fans."

"well, your dads have good taste in tv," finn said, nodding. his phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out and looked at it, then back up at me.

"i gotta run. but, uh, i guess i'll see you at auditions tomorrow, right?" he asked, taking a few steps backward towards wherever he was going, still facing me. i smiled and nodded.

"yeah. i'll see you tomorrow, finn." he flashed me a grin and nodded before turning around and facing the right way and taking off wherever he had to go. i watched him go for a few moments, then turned around and headed back to my dorm. macy was already lying down on the couch, flipping through tv channels. i put my purse and shoes by the door and hung up my jacket, then sat down next to her.