Everlasting Love | Ben Tyler Cook

Chapter 4

Taylor and I were both in shock on the ride home from dinner. Taylor suddenly turns to me with wide eyes and a smile on her face.

"Hey! If, no, WHEN you get in, Ben Cook will know who you are!" She exclaims, bouncing up and down on her seat.

"Yeah, Tay, that may not be a good thing." I say back, wringing my sweaty hands and wiping them on my leggings. She looks at me like I've lost my mind.

"What? Why wouldn't that be a good thing!" She looks at me, her face confused.

"Because he'll know me as the weird girl from Blaze! I don't want him to know me as that! I want him to know me as the super talented dancer, singer, actress, etcetera!" Taylor considers this for a moment.

"He'll know you as all those things once you get in and start showing off your super amazing moves." I laugh and we stand up as the subway pulls up to our station. The doors open and we walk out into the station which, like always, smells of old cheese and body odor. I wrinkle my nose and hurry up the steps when I hear someone call my name. I stop and turn around confused, as Taylor was right beside me looking equally confused.

"Victoria! Victoria Treul!" The woman that I checked in with for my audition hurries towards me and I plaster on a smile.

"Hi! I'm Laurie. I just wanted to tell you I overheard some of the directors talking about you today. From what I heard, it sounds like they really like you! I think you are gonna get it!" Taylor squeezes my arm and tries not to squeal.

"Oh my gosh! That's great! Thank you so much for telling me!" I sputter back to her.

"Of course! I'm the stage manager, by the way, so I'll probably be seeing you around!" Laurie gives me a little wave and walks off.

This time, Taylor actually does let out a squeal. "Tori! This is amazing! You most likely made it!" I squeal right back to her. Excitement and adrenaline flooding through me. They liked me!

We laugh and walk out of the subway station into the dark New York City night.

By the time we arrive home, it's after 8:00. Less than 24 hours until my future is decided.

I stink from all my physical activity I was doing earlier at the audition, so I hop in the shower. The warm water soothes me and gets my thinking that next time I take a shower, I could be in the ensemble of a Broadway production.

I come out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist and one around my head as Taylor's frantically running around like a mom on Thanksgiving before the guests arrive. "I think you're more nervous about this than I am!" I laugh as she grabs her laptop and sits at the table.

"I need to know more about Tuck! And Ben! And all the other people! It's my besties probable future!" She keeps her eyes fixed on the laptop and she waves me off. "Go, do something, let me do my research!" I laugh and walk into my room.

My Mean Girls and Hamilton posters, both signed by the OBC, stare me down as I think that someday my name could be on a poster in someones room. I wander over to my vanity and look at the bulletin board with pictures of my family on it. My dad and me at a Yankees game, the whole family on vacation in Florida, Dad and Kristi's wedding, me and Maddie at her college graduation, me holding Bailey after she was born, Anna and Carson's wedding, and my high school graduation. There is also, of course, a picture of me and my mom taken 2 days before she died.

I'm sitting on the front porch of our house in Brooklyn, my blonde hair stuffed into a winter hat. My gloved hands are around my knees and I'm smiling into the camera. My mom's long, wavy brown hair is flowing around her yellow sweater as she hugs me from behind, smiling at me. My heart pains as the memories of the day she died come crashing down on me.

"Victoria Treul to the main office with your things, please. Victoria Treul to the main office." The intercom beeps and startles me from pretending to take notes in math. Taylor gives me a quizzical look that I return back to her. I hadn't planned to leave. Maybe Mom forgot to tell me about a doctor's appointment or something. I grab my backpack and stand from my desk, Mr. Arnold not giving me a glance as he continues teaching whatever math concept that I don't understand. I walk to my locker, grab my winter coat, and head to the office. My dad's standing there, his eyes bloodshot red. The secretary gives me a sympathetic smiles as my heart sinks down lower and lower. My dad never cries. Something happened. "We gotta go." He grabs my hand and we walk out the door of Edward P. Hunton High School, the school banner reading "Hunton Hornets Men's Basketball State Champions 2017" looming over our heads. We barely make it to the car before tears are streaming down his cheeks. "What? Dad, what's wrong? What happened?" My voice shakes. He looks up at me and utters the words I will never forget. "Your mom. Car accident. She..she's gone." It feels as though somebody slammed my body against a brick wall. "Gone? You mean she...died?" This can't be happening. My dad sniffles and nods at me. "Yes. Happened about an hour ago. She crashed into a tree. She didn't suffer."  The words float around in my brain. Mom. Accident. Crashed. Gone. Dead.

I grab a tissue to wipe the tears falling down my face. I reach out and touch the picture of me and her. "I miss you." I whisper. I know she can hear me. I believe that she's in a good place now, wherever that may be. She was a good person. And an even better mom.

I shake the thoughts of her out of my head and I pull on my old yellow and black plaid Hunton Hornets pajama pants and my Hamilton hoodie. It's cold in our apartment at night. We have heat, but we never use it as it makes no difference what so ever.

The rest of the night is spent watching Friends with Taylor and arguing over the best character (she loves Joey with her whole heart and I'm a Rachel lovin' girl).

I try and forget about the audition and my mom as I huddle under a thousand blankets. I keep looking at the clock, and the last time I see is 2:47 before I finally drift off to sleep.

✨ AUTHORS CORNER 🦕
I literally got 3 chapters plus cast page done in a matter of 4 hours yesterday. I've got lots of time on my hands today so we should be meeting Ben Cook again in rehearsal sometime today if you are reading this the day I post it lol.
Also, my favorite Friends character actually is Rachel. I love her.

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