The Greatest Showman: March One-Shots

5. Bold

Lettie hums the newly composed song to herself, tapping her foot along with the beat. There's this one line that's tripping her up, and she feels like every phrase she tries just doesn't sound right. She sighs in frustration, her eyes resting on the multiple crossed-out lyrics.

"Whatcha up to?" Anne asks as she walks in, a blanket draped over her shoulders like a cloak. She's still in her circus outfit, sans the wig, and her dark curls are pulled up on top of her head.

Lettie leans her head against her fist, glancing back down at the piece of paper in front of her. "I'm trying but failing to finish up this song I'm writing," she says exasperatedly, and, as Anne approaches, she quickly turns it over.

Anne stops, noticing how Lettie won't meet her eyes. She smiles sadly, then slips into the chair across from her friend. "What's this song you're writing?" she asks kindly, still clasping the blanket at her neck.

Lettie waves it off, though. "Oh, it's... it's no big deal. It's nothing."

Anne tilts her head a little. "It must be something if you're so intent on keeping it hidden," she remarks gently, and then reaches one hand forward towards the piece of paper. "May I?"

The older woman doesn't react for a moment, but then, somewhat reluctantly, she moves her elbow off of the piece of paper, and lets Anne slide it towards her. With a small, kind smile, Anne turns it over, and starts to read the lyrics. Lettie watches the changes in her expression carefully. At one point, she even lifts her hand up to cover her mouth. When she's finished, her tear-filled eyes rise up to meet Lettie's.

She holds her breath.

"Lettie, this is..." Anne shakes her head in disbelief. "This is amazing."

The Bearded Lady feels something blossoming in her heart,—something like gratitude—but she quickly brushes it off. She hopes she's not blushing or smiling too much as she dodges the trapeze artist's compliment. "I mean,... it's alright..."

"'Alright'?" Anne exclaims incredulously, her eyes wide. "Lettie, I can't even bel—"

"It's not finished, though," Lettie interrupts, feeling her cheeks heat up as she reaches forward and takes the piece of paper from Anne's hands. "I can't figure out the right lyrics for the bridge."

Anne's nodding enthusiastically. "That's okay, so what? The rest of the song is gold."

The older woman finally lets herself smile a little. "You really think so?" she says softly, and Anne just nods even more.

"I wanna hear it!" she exclaims. "Can you sing it for me? Please?"

Now that is an empty request; Anne knows Lettie would never agree to that, especially for something as personal as this song. The trapeze artist notices, though, and quickly adds, "Not here, though. I'll help you finish it! We can go to my place, if you want."

"But... but what about W.D.?" Lettie asks, quickly running out of excuses. She's more than grateful for Anne's feedback and compliments, and the fact that she wants to help her figure out the final missing lyrics. But there's that other part of her that's holding back. Wants to keep the song for herself, and only herself. Because it's a song she wrote out of horrible memories, out of looking back on what she was like before the circus, and how she's overcome all of those obstacles, how she's no longer afraid to be unapologetically herself.

Well. In front of large crowds full of strangers, that is.

"Come on!" Anne decides for her, ignoring her pointless excuse. The younger girl grabs ahold of the lyrics and Lettie's hand, and together they go down to Anne and W.D.'s shared apartment, just two blocks from the circus.

✨✨✨

The next week, Lettie's song is added to the show. After Anne helped her finish the lyrics, they performed it for P.T., who then excitedly called over Phillip and Charity and W.D.,... and basically the rest of the city. Together, they wrote out the music and added choreography.

And now they're finally ready.

"I am not a stranger to the dark. 'Hide away,' they say, 'cause we don't want your broken parts,'" Lettie sings, standing in the center of the ring, amidst the rest of the oddities. "I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars. 'Run away,' they say, 'no one will love you as you are.'"

"But I won't let them break me down to dust, I know that there's a place for us," Anne suddenly sings, the spotlight landing on her, "for we are glorious."

Together: "When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be: this is me."

All at once, the oddities join in harmony. Singing, dancing, engaging the audience. Some are even crying, wishing they had this song to listen to when they were younger, hoping that the young ones here will.

"It's an anthem to all of you out there who are 'different,'" P.T. had said as he introduced the song. "But all of us are here to tell you that you're 'different' in a good way. Dare to be different. Don't be ashamed of who you are, no matter where you may come from or where you've been. Dare to be proud."

"And I know that I deserve your love," Lettie continues, maintaining eye contact with Anne as she and the oddities dance in a circle around her. "There's nothing I'm not worthy of!"

Anne smiles, then freezes as the music stops.

"Dare to be bold."

✨✨✨

ehhh, this one was kinda rushed, my apologies.