From Zero to Her Hero

Chapter 7: She's Got a Haught Date pt. 1

Waverly and Nicole managed to cut their cliché make-out session short and make it to rehearsals in time for no one to notice that they were backstage. It was a close call but they managed to go unnoticed by everyone. Rehearsal was kicked off by Bobo telling them what the goal for the day was. He gave them a scene to work through and sat in his chair to watch. The scene they were starting off with for the day was the first time Hercules and Meg met. Bobo gave them the go and they jumped into action.

"Halt!" Nicole yelled.

"Step aside, two legs," Pete York, who played the roll of the monster centaur Nessus, grumbled.

"Pardon me, my good, uh, uh...sir," Nicole paused to glance down at her lines, "I'll have to ask you to release that young..."

"Keep movin', junior," Waverly rolled her eyes.

"...lady. But you-- are-aren't you a damsel in distress?" Nicole locked eyes with Waverly.

"I am a damsel, I am in distress. I can handle this. Have a nice day," Waverly struggled against her "captor's" grasp.

"Uh – " Nicole noticed that she had been staring at Waverly for too long and suddenly forgot her lines. She cleared her throat and held her script up. "Ma'am, I'm afraid you may be too close to the situation to realize – " Nicole drew her fake sword and immediately got knocked off of her feet by Pete.

Nicole fell, her head hitting the ground hard, and slid back across the stage; Pete shoved her harder than she anticipated he would. Lying flat on her back, Nicole let out a groan and held her head. This was just rehearsal, she shouldn't have even been knocked over; they hadn't practiced that yet. Feeling a bit dizzy, she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

"Nicole!" Waverly yelled and ran over to her. She knelt over the redhead, Bobo appearing next to Waverly soon after, and gently took Nicole's hand in her own. She moved Nicole's other hand away from her face and Nicole shut her eyes tighter.

"I'm okay," she said. "Just a little dizzy."

"Nic, open your eyes," Waverly leaned down closer, blocking the bright lights that were shining in Nicole's face. "I need to see your eyes."

Nicole slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Waverly. "'m fine, Wave," she mumbled.

"Oh God you have a concussion, don't you? How hard did you hit your head?" Waverly turned to look at Pete. "How hard did you shove her?!"

"Waverly," Nicole spoke, slightly more coherent, and gripped Waverly's upper arm firmly. "Hey, I'm okay. Just thrown off a bit. I'm okay."

"You can sit the rest of practice out if you feel like you can't continue," Bobo said. "Run your lines from your seat by me."

"I'm alright, Mr. Del Rey," Nicole sat up and smiled gratefully at him. Without warning, Waverly surged forward and enveloped Nicole in a tight hug.

"I suddenly hate the idea of you being Hercules," Waverly mumbled into Nicole's shoulder. "Don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm perfectly fine, Waves," Nicole whispered into the smaller girl's hair. "I promise."

"Where's Champ Hardy?!" The familiar voice brought everyone's eyes to the back doors of the auditorium. "Is he here?"

"Detention," Bobo said. "And he's not cast in the play. He wouldn't be here."

"He'd be wherever my sister is," Wynonna huffed and made her way to the stage. Nicole and Waverly were too lost in their embrace, and their quiet conversation, to notice the older Earp's presence. "Well it's about damn time," Wynonna crossed her arms.