New York: Book Four of the Kimberly Hummel Series

Chapter Eleven

"Wait for it," Santana said as she came home with an old chair that was in much need of work as me, Kurt, and Rachel sat in the living room. "With a little TLC and three clicks from Kurt's ruby slippers," she pushed the chair over to us, "this bad boy will be salvageable."

"Take a seat. We would like to have a conversation with you," Rachel said.

"Alright, Rachel, if you are still obsessing over what to sing at your Funny Girl callback, may I suggest your best jam ever, 'Run Joey Run'?"

I feel terrible. I forgot to mention that Rachel had gotten a callback for Fanny. The both of us were stoked and were excited to see if we were going to be Broadway leading ladies at the same time.

"Santana, I hate to say it, but you're throwing your life away," I said.

"It's bad enough you let those horny tourists grope you for tips at that awful Coyote Ugly bar. But Tina just informed us that you are now a bouncer at a lesbian beer garden?" Kurt said.

"And you're a go-go girl. A go-go girl!" Rachel said.

"I am a cage dancer. Big difference," Santana said. "I'm dressed as Barbrella. And I'm sorry, but some of us need to work for a living."

"Santana, I'm not about to have you go Mimi Marquez on me and have you almost die on us on Christmas Eve after almost freezing to death," I said. "You're so talented. You're like the most talented person I know besides me, Rachel, and Kurt. But your voice, it's electric, and your dancing abilities are spot on. So, I'm telling you what we told Rachel, which is that you need to stop and focus on your talent."

"Well maybe I don't wanna be in Wicked, okay? Or be a singing waiter at the Fire Island Pancake Shack. So, why don't you just stop trying to force all of your creaky old-time Broadway dreams onto my amazingly awesome dream."

"And what's that?" Rachel asked.

"I am trying to figure that out. What is so wrong with taking a little time to figure things out?"

"Nothing," Kurt said. "But what about doing something in the meantime? Like dance lessons. NYADA has a great extension program for students."

"Yeah," Rachel said with a smile.

"Something to keep your motors revved, you know?"

"My 'motor' is revved every night that I cage-dance," Santana said, standing up. "And while I appreciate your pity, I don't think I need to be taking advice from TV's Blossom," she gestured to Rachel, "Lady Elaine Fairchilde," Kurt, "and Princess Diana." Obviously me with dating a Brit. She walked to the door, leaving.

"Would you take your chair with you?" Kurt called after her.

* * * * *

"Ladies . . ." Kurt said when he came home as me and Rachel were prepping dinner and Santana sat at the tables. "What is the event the Big Apple's hot polloit must be invited to, or they pull a Javert and swan dive off the Chrysler Building?"

"The New York City Ballet Gala. Duh," Rachel said.

"And guess who gets to attend if they just volunteer a few short hours?" my twin asked, coming over to me and Rachel.

"Anne Hathaway," Santana said.

"It's us," Kurt said with a smile.

"Are you serious?!" I asked, tackling him with a hug as us and Rachel celebrated.

"And just when you thought it couldn't get any gayer, it does," Santana said.

"Make fun of it all you want, but the New York City Ballet Gala, it's a celebration of a timeless art," Rachel said. "If it wasn't for ballet, I wouldn't be here. It was my gateway into show business. My dance teacher told me I was a mini Margot Fontayne. She taught me the power of music. And although that dance studio was just a tiny, moldy Lima storefront, to me, it was the most beautiful place on Earth."