The last four years. (A Nick Jonas Love story) ♥

Eighteen - Corey ♥

After getting introduced to all of the people, we sit around, eat some of the food that they layed out for us and talk. 

I find out Alex is actually a man, and I nearly choke on the donut I'm eating. Everyone has a really good laugh at that. 

After a bit, Ryan and another guy comes in and they say that it's time for action. I smile when Lea informs me that I get to watch. 

We're standing outside the set, her scene hasn't come in yet, I'm awed by how smoothly things are running. I expect there to be more bloopers, but instead of bloopers, people randomly burst out crying. 

So far Mark, Chris, Matthew, Dianna, and Amber have cried. Lea stares with a very depressed look on her face when this happens, and goes and comforts them as Ryan calls cut and gives them some time. 

After Amber starts crying I look at Ryan and walk up to him. "What is going on?" I ask him, alarmed. "Is this like.. an exercise they're doing?" 

Ryan stares at Amber for a second longer and then looks at me, his eyes are rimmed with red and I take a step back. "Oh my god, are you okay?" 

He wipes his eyes, and then his nose and smiles a very sad, and weary smile. "Oh, yes. I will be. It's been very hard, this is our first day back since..." He takes a deep breathe and looks at me. "A very beloved member of our cast passed away about 6 weeks ago." 

My eyes widen and I cover my mouth. "Oh my god, I had no idea! Everyone was so... happy. Wh- what..." 

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "They were trying to play it off. That's why we had so much food and gave them a little time to chat before we start this episode. It's a very hard one to do, everyone is taking it really hard and rightfully so." 

I shake my head and look back at them. "Who was it?" 

He looks at his fingers. "Corey Montieth, he played Finn Hudson." 

I shift from foot to foot, uncomfortable. I shouldn't even be here. I definitely should not be here at a time like this. I didn't even know him, I shouldn't be seeing these moments. 

Or did I know him?

I look at Ryan and he seems to be reading my mind. "Yes, you knew him. You were good friends with him, and that's only certain with him being Lea's-" He's cut off when Lea comes up suddenly and shoots Ryan a hard look. 

Ryan looks at her, apology clear in his expression. "I had to. I'm sorry, you should have seen how shocked she was." 

She nods, patting his shoulder and taking me to sit on chairs away from everyone else. She looks at her hands and then back at me. "Ryan told you?"

I nod. "Yea, about..." 

She smiles, barely, but it's there. "You can say his name." 

I look at my hands. "I'm so sorry Lea. I had no idea." 

She puts her hand on my knee. "I know, you had no idea because we decided not to tell you right away. We thought that this would be a good time. When we were doing this episode so we could break it to you slowly, but I guess that didn't work out as we thought it would. We're just..." She looks up and tries to stop the tears. "We're just a mess right now." She wipes at her tears frantically. "I'm a mess." 

I get up and hug her immediately. She starts sobbing into my shoulder and I wonder just how close she was to Corey. 

Amber, Blake, and Kevin come over and crowd around us, hugging us and whispering soothing things into Lea's ear. I step back and let them have their moment. 

I reflect, I knew this guy. I knew him and he's dead now. I have no memories of  him. He's dead. How can that be? This is so fucked up. I don't feel anything for this man that is gone from this earth, but I should. I was his friend, he was my friend. 

I sit down on a chair and sigh. Damn. 

Everyone seems to collect themselves after an hour or so and they get back to work. As I watch I feel tears spring to my eyes as I realize that no one is truly acting.

 This is all real emotion. 

This man, Corey, was a friend, a family member, to all of them. He was so treasured, and he was ripped out of their life. 

I take a deep breath and walk up to Lea, hugging her, as they've just wrapped up the last scene. 

She smiles and hugs me back tightly, and then suddenly pulling back. A determined glint is in her eye. 

"Come on girlie, we have to go home and get ready."

"Why?"

She grins. "All of us, and by all of us, I mean ALL of us, are going clubbing tonight!"

I laugh, and shake my head. 

This should be interesting.