Together

Practise

Hiiii! Did anyone else watch Rent Live (and love it?!) if you missed it, I'd highly recommend checking it out. Anyway, as promised, things are looking up now. Enjoy this chapter, and comment/vote if you wish xx
-ab

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October 29, 2025

Harper

As my debut nears closer and closer, it is time to move our rehearsals into the theatre, while it's vacant during the day. Our first run-through on set is today, Wednesday. I make my debut as Anya on Monday.

I'm not getting the weekend off this time. I was supposed to get Saturday off, then have a put-in on Sunday, but Luke decided I need to make up my missed rehearsal time from Monday, so I'm having a sing-through with William and Maria, then working with Sienna for a bit longer on dancing.

It's only fair.

Everything is really starting to come together. I should be getting my costumes on Friday, then using them for dress rehearsals on Friday and Sunday. I'm dreading that aspect of things, a little bit. I'm starting to feel a little bit better, since the whole incident a few days ago, but I still can't bear to think about what the costume ladies whispered to each other.

Showing up at the Piccadilly Theatre for the first day of on-stage rehearsals is completely surreal. Cassie, who is set to take over the role of Little Anastasia, comes running up to me, excitedly. Clutching her binder tightly to her chest, she starts to hop up and down. "We get to see the theatre today, Harper!"

"I know," I tell her, bending down to her level. "I'm so excited. Are you?"

"I've never been backstage at a West End theatre before!" she exclaims. "I've never even stood on one of the stages!"

"It's so magical," I tell her. "I did Les Miserables for a year, and I still couldn't believe it, every night. I don't believe that this theatre is quite as gorgeous as the Queen's, but it's still quite lovely."

"I want to be in Les Mis someday," she declares. "I want to be Eponine."

"Have you seen it?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. It's so funny to hear an eight-year-old state something like that.

"I saw it for my birthday a few months ago," she declares.

"Really? When's your birthday?"

"August 12."

"Really? You probably saw me, then," I laugh.

"Who were you?"

"I was Cosette. I thought I'd told you this before," I laugh.

"No, you never told me that!" she exclaims. "That's so cool."

"Thanks, love," I tell her. "I'm really glad that you enjoyed the show."

Soon, we are all led out of the lobby, and into the actual theatre area. After being allowed a quick walk-through of the area, we are taken backstage to see where our dressing rooms will be, then given a tour of the stage and set.

"It's all so beautiful," Toby tells me, coming up to me. "You ready for that big kiss today?"

I bite my lip awkwardly. I never had any problems with the Cosette kiss, probably because I wasn't engaged, or even dating, when I learned that part. Now, the dynamic is entirely different to me. Toby and I have been putting it off, and Luke said that was fine, until we started teching the show in the theatre.

Now, here we are.

"No," I admit with a laugh, "but it's happening, like it or not."

"Come on," he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the rest of the group.

"What are we doing?" I ask.

"We are going to practise, real quick, without everybody watching. It won't be as awkward that way."

"Toby, are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"I'm sure," he assures me. "Come on."

Toby pulls me into what will soon become his dressing room, then closes the door behind him. "Now, we can do the few lines leading up to it, so that it isn't just two people coming into a room and kissing, because that's weird."

I let out a little laugh. "It's weird no matter what."

"Well, it can't be. It's not Harper and Toby kissing, it's Anya and Dimitri."

"My friend Kath told me about that when she played a role once, but then she ended up dating the guy who she was kissing, so I think she was lying."

"You're engaged, Harper. I've got a girlfriend. I promise, it's nothing more than Anya and Dimitri."

"If you say so."

"Now, let's just get this over with."

We run through the lines, then, I pretend to slam a suitcase on the ground and jump onto it, before planting a kiss on Toby's lips.

"That felt weird," I jump back.

"Sorry," he laughs.

"No, it wasn't you... it's just... it's been awhile since I've kissed somebody who isn't Patrick."

"Probably for the best," he replies, fighting back even more laughter. "Well, now that it's over, should we do it one more time for good measure?"

"Sure," I laugh. "Then, we rejoin everybody else."

"Deal."

We do just that, then we run out of the dressing room and slip back into the group. Nobody seems to have noticed that we were gone, and we just have to hope that we didn't miss anything important.

Once we have been told everything necessary, Luke looks at all of us. "Well, I think that we had better just run through this thing. We are scheduled for two full runs today. Once, then lunch, then one more. You can all go to your respective dressing rooms, just please don't touch any of the current cast members' things. They're being generous by allowing you to use the rooms."

We all nod, then scatter in our various directions. I've got some time before I have to be onstage, so I flop down on the couch in my dressing room. Looking around, I realize that I've actually got the whole room to myself this time around. I loved sharing a dressing room with Ava, then Megan, during Les Mis, but I have to admit that it'll be nice to have my own space that I can decorate however I please, and take naps in between shows.

I notice the gorgeous Anya costumes hanging up. I walk over and run my fingers along the jewels sewn into the bodice of the red ballgown. I can't believe that I'm actually going to get to wear that. All of them.

Soon, I hear the opening notes of the show's prologue drifting through the speakers in my dressing room. I listen for my cue, and eventually, have to head down to the stage.

I can't wait to step out there for the first time.

I can't wait to bring this show to life.

I can't wait to make my debut as Anya.