Casting and Coffee

First Show Back

Anthony's POV

I woke to my alarm clock beeping telling me it was time to get up for work. Work. I wasn't going to lie, I was absolutely dreading the thought of having to face Jasmine during Helpless but I had to get on with it as it was how I paid the rent. And since I'm paying it alone now, I'm gonna need to go every single day. I sat on my bed and scrolled through Instagram for 10 minutes, only to see that Jasmine seemed to be having the time of her life at Phillipa's house, watching movies and eating pizza by the looks of it on her story. It out me in an even worse mood knowing that she wasn't even affected at all by this.

I decided to just skip breakfast and drive straight to work. As I walked in the building, I made my way straight to my dressing room. I knew that Jasmine would be back today as she wasn't feeling as bad anymore. I was the first to arrive in my dressing room so I just tried to change as quickly as possible and get out to avoid any questions, although one thing was for sure, I wasn't hiding behind a plant upstairs again like an idiot. Just as I was putting my coat on, I heard giggling coming from outside my room. I could recognise that laugh anywhere, it was Jasmine's and what I thought was Phillipa's. I waited until they passed to leave my room. I walked out to see Betsy and Lin mid-conversation and they called me over to join them. "What is it?" I asked. "Oh nothing really. It's just I know Jasmine's back today and I just wanted to tell you Well Done for helping through this. I saw her with Pippa and she seems bright and happy again" Lin said and patted me on the back. "Yeah Ant, That was a really kind thing to do. We're all so glad she's back to her usual self. We've really missed you two" Betsy said. "O-Oh ummm thanks" I rushed and they looked at me confused but then seemed to drop it. "Well anyway, we'll let you get on. I'm sure you'll want to go see her. She went up the stairs for some reason by the way" Betsy said. "Ok, Thanks" I said and fake smiled. I turned around and walked up the stairs as if I was going after Jasmine. I just did that so it wouldn't seem suspicious to Lin and Betsy. I didn't know where they went but I saw Leslie, Jonathon and Ephraim all having a conversation at the water cooler. I went over to join them thinking I could hide in amongst them for now. I did that for about half an hour and the conversation distracted me from why I was really talking to them anyway.

Eventually, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker to get in place for the matinee show. I was nervous but I followed the crowd to the stage, still not seeing Jasmine, and stood in my place for the opening song. Everything went well and until I accidentally shoulder barged Jasmine in my frenzy to get off stage after the Story of Tonight. She fell to the floor and I didn't know wether I should help her up or run. I decided to run, even though I knew it was a dick move. I looked behind me and saw Renèe helping her up before they all ran on for the Schuyler Sisters. I felt really bad about that and I could hear it sometimes in Jasmine's vocals. They just didn't sound quite right. After she came on, I saw her run off covering her face. I had to be on for Farmer Refuted so I couldn't ask anyone what happened. During You'll be Back however, I ran as quickly as I could in the the dressing room corridors and I saw Renèe pulling Jasmine into a hug and Pippa held her hand and spoke to her. I walked up to them but Renèe saw me out of the corner of her eye. "Go away Anthony! She doesn't want you here right now" She shouted at me, causing the other two girls and Jonathon, who had just come off stage, to turn around and look at me. Jasmine had tear stains down her face and I really badly wanted to run up to her and kiss her. But I couldn't. It was my fault I couldn't as well. "Sorry. I just wanted to see what the problem was"I replied. "We'll go look in a mirror and maybe then you'll see the problem" Jasmine shouted before crying even more.

Those words were like daggers to the heart. I was frozen to the spot. "Anthony! You need to get on stage for A Winter's Ball and Helpless! You guys too!" Jon Rua shouted from the wings. The girls went rushing past me but I still couldn't move. "Anthony! You're needed like now!!" Jon shouted and ran up to me. "Are you ok? You don't look so good. What happened?" He asked and I choked a sob. There was no way I could sing now. No way. "Right I guess we'll get your understudy on. And quick. You go have a sit down bud" Jon said and ushered me into his dressing room which was conveniently nearby before he sprinted back into the wings, frantically waving his arms around and rambling. I sat on the chair in Jon, Thayne and Eph's dressing room next to the fan. I needed to cool down. I don't know what came over me but I genuinely felt like I had been stabbed in the heart and my vision went black. I was still conscious and sitting just fine but my senses were overwhelmed by this pain my mind was creating in my heart. After satisfied had passed, I heard a whole hoards of people run down the corridor but Pippa and Jasmine stopped at the dressing room I was in and walked in.