a dream that you wish | kasey winslow |

Chapter 62

Kasey prepared for Spongebob's opening night a few days later. She was wearing a cream colored dress, about knee-length. She didn't want to wear any dresses that she'd already worn to other opening nights, so it seemed an appropriate time to wear a new dress. 

Jace seemed excited- he went to the theatre a couple hours early, so Kasey was left to get ready by herself in their apartment. He was playing Patrick- not the character Kasey would have thought he'd be cast in, but he won the role, so she had faith that he would do it well. 

About an hour before the show, she went down to the theatre to make sure that she could get to her seat without any problems.

To her surprise, some of the girls sitting behind Kasey recognized her. At first, Kasey didn't even realize that she'd even been spotted, but then she was tapped on the shoulder.

"You're Kasey Winslow!" one of the girls exclaimed. "Are you here to watch Jace?"

"I am here to watch Jace," Kasey laughed. "How are you?"

"Good! I can't believe you're here!" another girl squealed. "Can you sign my Playbill?"

"Of course," Kasey said. "Do you have a pen?"

The girls dug around in their purses and then one finally handed Kasey a blue sharpie. She wrote her name on the inside cover of the Playbill. Since she wasn't an actual cast member, she would have felt strange about taking up space on the actual cover.

Then, the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to tune. Kasey handed the Playbills back and settled into her seat to watch the show.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She'd never seen Jace in Spongebob before. 

His performance was something Kasey wouldn't have expected out of Jace. She usually thought of Jace as a classic Disney type singer, not the more upbeat, pop-like style that Spongebob used.

Kasey could tell that he loved it up there, so she didn't really have a problem with the show. It seemed to be well-put together, and the music was oddly catchy.

"What did you think?" Jace asked breathlessly when they met again for the opening night party. 

"I enjoyed it, it was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know a lot about it beforehand, but it was fun," Kasey said. "You did an amazing job!"

"Thanks," he said, hugging her. 

Of course, with every opening night party, there were a lot of actors there for press to promote their own shows, as well as support their peers. Kasey found herself being asked a few questions, even though she hadn't really realized that that would happen. 

She got a few pictures with Jace before he had his own duties as on of the leading actors.

"Kasey Winslow!" a voice exclaimed. Kasey turned around. She hadn't recognized the voice, so she was slightly confused.

It was Laura Dreyfuss, who played Zoe in Dear Evan Hansen. Kasey had actually considered auditioning for replacement ensemble, before she got the call for Frozen.

"Hey," Kasey said shyly. 

"I've been wanting to meet you for forever," Laura told her, giving her a hug. Kasey was a little taken aback but hugged Laura anyway. "I'm Laura. Dreyfuss. Laura Dreyfuss, I mean."

"Oh, believe me, I know," Kasey said. "I've been wanting to meet you so badly."

"I actually screamed when they told me that they contacted you for an audition," Laura admitted. "I was so excited, but then I was sad because you decided against the show."

"Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision," Kasey laughed. "I was actually starting to prepare my DEH audition when I was asked about Frozen. And you know, when Disney asks, you really can't refuse."

"Totally understandable," Laura said, grinning. "Just know that, for you, the door is always open. You're freakin' Kasey Winslow."

"I haven't done anything to deserve Laura Dreyfuss putting a 'freakin' in front of my name," Kasey said. 

Laura rolled her eyes. "You're the new Broadway babe, trust me. You've joined the elite ranks, and apparently you needed someone to tell you that. You're up there with people like Kara Lindsay, Phillipa Soo, Laura Osnes... everyone at DEH is obsessed. Truly. Including me."

"I'm so honored," Kasey said earnestly.

"Can I see your phone?" Laura asked. Kasey handed her phone over. "Nice case, by the way."

"Thanks."

Laura quickly opened Kasey's contacts and typed her number in, taking a selfie to complete the contact. She titled her name 'Laura Dreyfuss' with a heart emoji on the end. 

"You absolutely need to text me, and we need to be friends, because you're amazing and I love you already," Laura said.

"Same for you," Kasey laughed, throwing her arms around the taller girl. "I'll definitely talk to you later."

"You'd better, girl," Laura called over her shoulder as she started walking away. 

Kasey made sure Laura's contact was saved before she turned her phone off. 

After a while, Jace finally managed to pull his way out of the crowd. 

"So, how does it feel to have originated yet another role on Broadway?" Kasey asked Jace.

"Amazing, I've never been happier," Jace said. "I finally feel complete again. Losing Tangled was hard, but this show has made it worth it."

"I'm glad, I know how hard it was for you."

"Thank you for being here, Kasey. I couldn't have done it without you," Jace told her, kissing her quickly. "Having a good time?"

"Well, I just met Laura Dreyfuss and we fangirled over each other, so life is pretty good," Kasey said, smiling. "You?"

"Everyone seems happy, I think that we'll get good reviews, and I just opened my second show on Broadway. Life is good over here, too."

"Nothing ever beats this feeling, right?"

"You're absolutely correct," Jace said, spinning Kasey around. She laughed. "I probably should get back to the party.

"You've earned every minute of it," Kasey told him. "Have fun out there, okay?"

"I will."