New Beginnings: A Broadway Fanfiction

Five

We ran through a whole scene, just Christian and me. Although it took all of 15 minutes, I was still getting nervous about not finishing my chapter on time. "That was really good," Christian grinned as he folded his script into his back pocket. "Your anxiety seemed so real and raw."
"That is because it was real." I groaned, dropping back down onto my stool. "I have to finish my studies for an online test this Friday." Christian chuckled, causing me to glare. "I'm serious! The chapters in this textbook are long!"
"Just one more scene please?" Christian argued, placing one hand on his hip and using the other to fish the script back out of his pocket. "No. But hey, if you want to stick around you could help me study? Then I just might read a few more pages." Christian huffed, but dropped his script down onto the couch in defeat. "Alright, fine. What are you studying exactly?" He asked, leaned over my shoulder as I flipped open the cover and pointed towards table of contents.

"American Heroins, page 264." I mumbled. Before I had a chance to flip any pages, Christian had snatched the book out of my hands and into his arms. He turned to the page himself and began skimming through the sentences. "The revolutionary leaders — Washington, Adams, Jefferson — have become cardboard characters. Their words have been invoked too often, their deeds too sanitized... God damn." Christian scoffed softly, scanning the page once more. "Why the hell are you reading a textbook? Isn't this what Hamilton is for?"
I rolled my eyes, pulling the book out of his arms and onto my lap. "If you are going to help me you have to actually sit down and not criticize my book."
"I have to sit?" He whined playfully, letting a simpering look cross his face. "Christian!" I growled. "This is serious."
"Fine. But can I get us some snacks first?" He asked. Before I could even reply, he had dashed out of the room, grinning like a 10 year old. "Get me a sparkling water!" I yelled, but I doubt he heard me. I groaned once more and buried my head in my hands.

—

A few minutes later, Christian returned with a plastic tray of snacks. His grin was wider than ever before and I could tell that he had raided Brain's snack cabinet in the green room due to the mischievous glimmer in his eyes. "Found Brian's secret cabinet, now have we?" I murmured as he pulled up a stool and dropped the tray down next to me. He didn't respond, just displayed to me the two brownies and the two bottles of sparkling water on the tray with a grin. I pursed my lips in attempts to contain my smile.

"Alright, down to business." I said, pushing the tray aside and laying the textbook in front of Christian. "Read the questions and I'll answer it the best I can." He let out a pitiful sigh, but pulled the textbook off the counter and let his eyes dance over the page. Christian took a deep breath as if he were about to say something, but then dropped the book back down onto the counter and leaned his head onto his elbow. "This is boring." He quipped, running his other hand through his hair. "I think we should eat first."

I stared at him in disbelieve, but eventually nodded my head with a scoff and grabbing a brownie from the tray. "You are hopeless." I mumbled. Christian smiled in return while peeling back his wrapper. I watched him as he took a bite, marveling at how I had ever let him get me so distracted. "These are hella good." Christian moaned as crumbs fell from his mouth and onto his lips. He tried to brush them away, but they followed the swiftness of his hand and got stuck in his hair. I chuckled as he swung his hand around frantically, trying to find out where the crumbs had gone. "The brownie is not supposed to be in your hair..." I giggled, leaning forward and plucking bits of chocolate from his head. Christian's cheeks lit into a pale pink as he leaned his head back and began to laugh. "You're right," He smirked. "Its supposed to be in yours." Christian then plucked a few crumbs from his brownie and sprinkled them down into my hair, causing me to gasp. "How dare you!" I gawk, pulling a bit of brownie out of my hands and throwing it at him. We both began laughing uncontrollably, only to be stopped by a loud knock at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," Brian's voice echoed from the other side of the door. "But I need you onstage soon, Audra." I didn't say anything, I just stared at Christian with wide eyes. He tried to cover his mouth in hopes of concealing his still present laughter. "Audra?" Brian called again. When I didn't respond, the handle turned and Brian pushed open the door, his eyes landing on me, Christian, and the flakes of chocolate scattered around us. "Bastard." Brian muttered, glaring at Christian. "I knew it was you who stole my brownies." I let out a chuckle in response to Brian's irritation, causing him to shake his head and glare at me too.
"Anyway, the final run through is starting in half an hour. Get into your costume and makeup and be on stage as soon as possible, Audra. And you-" Brian mumbled, turning back towards Christian. "Go to your own dressing room and leave the young lady to get ready!"

"Alright, alright." Christian snickered, pushing his stool back from the counter and standing up. Brian waited impatiently in the doorway as Christian grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. "You still have crumbs in your hair." He said in a husky whisper. With that he let go of my hand and turned on his heels, following Brian out into the hallway. I could feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks.