fitz || @allaboutkenz

one

The chic black steel gates opened, inscribed in the entrance was 'Fitzgerald Theatrical Academy'. Seated in the back seat of a jet black town car, Riley Abbott was equally excited and nervous.

"Logan!" She frantically waved her hands in the air, "We're here! Fitz Academy! It's only what I've dreamt for "

"-for the past three years" He laughed at her little quirks.

Logan Little was right! Riley and about four hundred teens had been competing  for 50 spots, throughout each speciality. Dancing, Musical Theatre, Acting, Technical Production, Directing, or Stage Managing.

The car parked, her heart stopped. This was it, the moment she had been waiting for.

Logan rushed around to Riley's door, She flashed him a nervous smile. As she departed the car, he reached for her bags out of the trunk.

He flashed back to the first time he chauffeured her. Logan  was fresh out of college with a business degree in hand. The only job he could find? Chauffeuring around thirteen year old Riley Claire Abbott to dance practice, voice lessons, acting classes, and Washington D.C. regional theatre. 

She sat in the rear seat of her usual midnight black town car, "Ma'am, I'm Logan-"

"Are my parents meeting me at the red carpet?" Riley asked, impatiently. She smoothed out her crimson gala dress.

"Your parents couldn't make it tonight."

"Oh. Classic. New case? Probably. " Her parents, Alfred and Eleanor, owned a massive law firm. Them missing a performance was nothing new to Riley.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Logan said. The car reached a stop, "This is it, Miss. Riley. " He hopped out of the car and opened door for her.

She suddenly stopped fretting, "It's just Riley." She softly smiled.

"You will do great, Riles." He joked, with her. Out of the blue, she hugged him and ran off. He stood there shocked.

"This is miss Riley Abbott, our lovely Eponine. " Almost immediately after she exit the vehicle, she was whisked away by an interviewer or reporter. "How does it feel to be only thirteen and working at the Washington National Theatre." That was the first night Logan started working for the Fitz family. More importantly, the night Logan Little formed their unconventional friendship.

"No! Logan, this is my future! I want to do this all on my own." Logan blinks back to reality. She pointed to herself and grinned, obviously proud of her newfound independence. Logan looked stunned at the outrageous behavior of the youngest Abbot child.

"Oh.... okay." Logan had a puzzled but fond look in his eyes.

He stood, holding her sleek, polished black trunk with that confused look still on his face. Logan's concerned stare followed the sixteen-year-old's every movement. In a staring match with his youngest boss, Logan didn't notice Riley holding her hand out for her heavy trunk until she cleared her throat impatiently at him.

"Are you sure that it's not too heavy?"

"Of course it isn't. Just let me do this."

Reluctantly, Logan handed the trunk to Riley Abbott.

The confident teen took the case and turned her eyes to the doors of the Academy. Logan could almost see the wheels turning in her head, as if she were steeling herself for what would come. Finally, Riley turned and met the eyes of her oddly-comforting chauffeur of nine-teen and accepted the proffered arm.'

"This is the last thing. The rest of your belongings are in your dorm, already. " Logan said. "Are you sure?

"Logan, I can do this." She pulled up his scrawny body to a hug. "I'm going to be fine.  Goodbye, Mr Logan Little."

"Goodbye Riles."

She left her partner and crime, somewhat teary eyes. Inside of the daunting building, a line of teenaged students lined the walls. A young man beside the door offered a tight smile to Riley and picked up his pen.

"Name?" He abruptly asked her.

"Riley Abbott." Riley tried her best confident smile for her own sake. Moving to a Boarding School can be unnerving.

"What's the major and emphasis?" The man asked, as he found her orientation papers among the stack that he was holding.

"Per- Performance." She struggled to get the words out of her mouth without stuttering.

"Oh yeah, yeah...Performance with a Musical Theatre emphasis, I see it right here..." He continued to study her papers, "I'm Asher Lauder, your 'Acting One' teacher assistant."

"Teacher assistant?' Riley questioned him. She had only known of professors at the Academy.

"I go to Clinton's University. Some of the students are required to teach a class," Asher handed her a lanyard with three keys on it. He took her trunk out of her arms with a small smile, lessening the stress on her frail body, "Come along, your residence hall is over here." He led her to a building with the words Jefferson Hall emblazoned on the stone. 

Jefferson Hall was an extravagant place, especially on this special move in day. There were teenagers running around with their parents as clueless as they were. Even though Asher was showing her around, she felt ostracized.

"Here is your room." He presented the door. She patiently waited for something... Anything, "I'll let you meet your roommates." 

Asher patted her on the back, smiled, and left toward the exit of the building. Riley watched him leave until the far shut door behind him. She only watched him leave not to face her inevitable fear of the unknown.

"Here goes nothing." She unlocked the door of her future home.

Riley pushed open the door, and almost tripped on the way in. 'This suite is better than college dorms', Riley thought to herself as she gazed across the decorated apartment.

The main room was cozy. A soft leather couch large enough to fit three people sat in front of a light wood coffee table. A plush armchair to the side was the only other seating in the room. A tall lamp cast a warm glow over the area, making it inviting and... cozy. That was the only word for it.

Three doors connected to the main room. Two on either side of the sitting area and one closest to the entrance. Riley peered into the one closest and smiled softly.

A simple kitchen greeted her eyes. A small granite counter with three bar stools was in the center, across from a simple stove, microwave and fridge with a bar for food preparation.

Riley turned and padded over soft carpet to the other open door. Inside, the walls were blank. This room must be hers, seeing as her roommate had gotten here first and was nowhere to be found. Riley sat her suitcase down and surveyed her new home.

A girl entered from the living room to her room. "Hi! I'm Lucy." Since she was living at a residence hall, she had suitemates. Something she was not used to in her Worthington Estate, Washington DC home.

Lucy was pretty. Olive skin, Dark brunette hair. She looked like she tanned all summer. Either that or she was from Hawaii.

"I'm Riley," She fluttered her eyes, and showed off her girly personality with a feminine handshake.