Ten Minutes Ago // Ben Tyler Cook

Part Three / Chapter Two

"Marlee!" I turn when I hear Amy, the actress who plays Elphaba in London, call my name. "Have you seen my phone?"
   
"Sadly, no." I shake my head. "Where did you last leave it?"
   
Amy takes a moment to think, then realization spreads across her face. "Oh, no."
   
"What?"
   
She sighs. "I think I know who has it," she replies. I raise an eyebrow in question. "I bet Luke and Jamie took it." When she turns on her heel and marches off toward the guys' dressing room, I smile to myself. Within seconds, I hear shouts coming from down the hall. I guess she found it. I turn back to the mirror I'm in front of as the thirty-minute call comes over the speakers.

~ * ~ * ~

Of course, my roommate, Elle, isn't home when I get there. She works late, especially on weekends. I drop my bag in my bedroom before finding something to eat in the kitchen. I step out on the small balcony. Leaning against the railing, I look out over the city lights.

I miss New York. I haven't been back since I left in the first place, a little over a year ago. Shaking my head, I step back inside. It's late, and the last thing I need is to think about everything that happened in New York. What I need is a shower and sleep, so I head to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I crawl into bed, tired from the long day.

I stay awake for another hour, tossing and turning, completely unable to sleep. I hear Elle arrive home, but I don't bother to look at the clock. My thoughts just won't quiet down. Thinking about New York had been a mistake. Yes, some of my best memories happened there, but I didn't want to remember one thing in particular. Something I've regretted since the moment it happened. I haven't had any contact with any of my friends from Newsies in over eight months. The only people I still talk to are Noelle and my family. I miss my family.
I roll over, facing the other side of my room with a sigh. It's a good thing I don't have a show tomorrow. In order to stay away from a topic I don't want to think about, I turn my thoughts to my current life. I'm ready for change. Don't get me wrong, I love Wicked and my cast family, but I'm ready to move on. I think over the friends I've made in London. My mind finally quiets down, and I'm able to sleep.

I wake to my phone ringing. I glance at the clock. 9:41. I haven't slept that late in a long time. Moving into a sitting position, I clear my throat and answer my phone. "Hello?"

"Marlee, I have some wonderful news," my agent says on the other end of the call. "Do you remember that role I said I was working on?" She had told me last week that she had something big in the works, but she didn't know if or when it would work out.

"Yeah, yeah. I remember," I answer hopefully.

"You got the part!"
   
I stand in surprise. "What? That's great!"

"You'll have to move back to New York."

My smile falters. "Okay," I say slowly. "What's the role?"

"They're producing a new musical at the August Wilson Theatre, and they want you to be part of the cast. They're adapting the movie Mean Girls into a musical, how cool is that?"

"You're kidding! I love that movie!" I grin. "So what part did I get?" I hold my breath, excited for the answer.

"They cast you as Gretchen Weiners. They want you back in New York next month, can you make that happen?"

"Yes. Yes, absolutely I can!" I can't believe I'm about to originate a role on Broadway. For Mean Girls!

"I've already talked to the producers of Wicked, so you'll be finishing your week of shows. Then, we'll fly you back out here," my agent informs me. I thank her, and we hang up.

I grab my laptop. I need to find an apartment, fast. It's a bittersweet moment. I've been wanting something different, but I'll have to leave West End and all the friends I've made. On the bright side, I'll be back in the same country as my family.

You'll be in the same country as Ben, my mind tells me, determined to keep me from forgetting him. I haven't talked to him since the week after I arrived in London, over a year ago. Maybe you won't see him. New York is a huge city, I tell myself. You don't have anything to worry about.

~~~~~
okay, a few things.
one, yeah, I know that's not exactly how you get a role and everything, and I know that MG started in DC. We're ignoring that for the sake of the plot.
two, as much as I love Ashley Park, she doesn't get the role of Gretchen in this universe.

double update because I love y'all

ready for the MG cast to enter the story? :))