Found

Middle Ground

Life somehow began to travel uphill once more, after a devastating dip - finally becoming a flat life between disaster and happiness. I was finally finding a middle ground, we all were. Even Josh was coming back to normal as best he could. He had a few more 'episodes' since his diagnosis two months ago but nothing that he couldn't come back from. 

I had a final call back for Fireflies a few days ago, where I had a chemistry reading with a few of the Albert's in the show - one being none other than Mr. Skylar Flaherty coincidentally known for his previous role of the same name which I found quite amusing. I had found that he was the easiest to read with, seeing as I knew him so well, but something about him was different. There was something he definitely wasn't telling me and I was going to get it out of him. 

He was definitely more mature now, having married Marie, his fiance during tour. He had even grown a beard that complimented his face charmingly. His voice had also somehow lowered slightly since I last saw him if that's even possible, then again it had been almost a year since I last saw him, and a lot can happen in one year. 

My mind floods with memories like a virtual timeline, reminding me off all the ups and downs life had thrown at me these past few years. The death of my parents, moving to the US, being cast in Newsies. Thomas. What Thomas did to Ben. Arrowood with Jules and Clark then Josh. I try to gulp away the memories, not wanting to reside on them too long. I set my mind on the task in front of me - my maths homework that I remember nothing of. I flash back to on tour, with my tutor and the time that I simply couldn't take algebra anymore. 

The doors opened and I made my way to my tutor. I learned her name was Miss Philips and that my teachers had emailed everything that I needed so that I could keep doing everything that my classmates were doing. Since I was the only under 18 on your, I had my tutor all to myself- but that honestly didn't help because, by the end of the day, she looked absolutely exhausted.

-.x.-

"Look, I'm sorry, I've just never been that good at maths!"

She looked up and she looked like she was about to start yelling at me until she saw some toursies coming down to the lobby who were waiting for everyone else so that we could go to fight call together. They must have had a great day sightseeing because they all seemed so happy. 

"I'm just going to call it a day- here is some homework I want for tomorrow please." And with that, she left. 

Ben came over and sat down next to me. He could tell I was disgruntled by the tutor so he tried to lighten the mood.
"We have fight call soon," he smiled.
As much as I wanted to be angry at him for making me go to this tutoring session this morning, I couldn't stay angry at him because I really do like fight call. I quickly packed my books away and quickly went to get changed in my room. I arrived back in the lobby and the toursies and I made our way to fight call.

Even though I was annoyed with Ben at the time, I'm still thankful that he sent me to her. She certainly got basic Algebra drilled into my head, but the work that was lying in front of me was a battle that would defeat me. My brain flew across my mental mind palace, looking for some clear answer to my problems; something I had to do often, more than I would really care to admit. 

My final idea, a revelation if you wish, was to call Clark. All through my time at Arrowood, he had supported me with my maths homework as I am absolutely useless at it. Whereas Clark has a real talent for cracking numbers. 

It only had to ring twice before Clark's face popped up on the screen, instantly bringing a smile to my face. 

"How's it going Gracey?" he beamed at me, propping his phone against the pillow on his bed so I could see him sitting cross-legged on my old bed doing some sort of school work. 

"I told you to stop calling me that!" I complained. I positioned my phone against a glass of water, giving him a side on view of my desperation whilst sat at my desk. 

"Well, there's nothing you can do to stop me!" He smiled at me, teeth wide like a toddler proud of something hardly impressive at all. 

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes at his childishness. "Anyway, I need your help." 

"What do you need?" he licked his lips unconsciously, something he did when he was concentrating on something. 

"Algebra," I sighed, "It makes itself so complicated. Why can't it be simple! Besides, when am I ever going to use it!" I threw my arms in the air, not understanding anything. 

"Let me help you," he looked down at his work, before closing it and giving me his full attention. 

"Thanks, you're the best!" 

"I know." He pretended to flick his non- existent hair over his shoulder. 

"Dork."

He raised an eyebrow, "Do you need help or not?"

"Yes." I sighed defeated. 

"Then shut up at let me help you." 

"Yes, Miss. Trunchball."  

I could practically hear his eyes roll at my reply. I simply snickered at him, then told him my problem. He wrote it down, gave it a strange look before stroking his chin. He hummed to himself whilst I waited anxiously for his reply, tapping my fingers impatiently on my desk. An idea sparked in that odd brain of his and he began to quickly scribble down unreadable numbers down on the page. 

He then proceeded to explain the problem to me, line by line. More often than not he had to repeat what he had done for each line but eventually, I got the answer. We had then repeated this over and over until all twenty questions were completed. Towards the end I had been solving some without his guidance; he was definitely a better teacher than that tutor I had on tour. 

"Thanks, Clark," I said appreciatively. 

"No problem, just remember that I am always here for you. For anything. Even with the whole Josh situation." 

I sighed defeated, it was true. I had overloaded Clark with all my problems; he was my most trusted - the person I could lean on, even if it was through a phone screen. "Thanks."

"Now go and kick butt." 

I laughed at him, clicking the end button that ended the call. 

I leaned back in my chair, wiping the nonexistent sweat off my brow and spinning around to face the emptiness of my room. It was so still, once again. Nothing was happening. Josh had gone to his parents for a few weeks not two days ago and I was already missing how alive he made the apartment feel. 

There was a light knock on the door before it was gently clicked open to show Ben now in his pajamas. He smiled at me, before entering and sitting on the bed and staring at me. 

"I have news." He smiled almost evilly at me, my eyes widening. 

"You didn't kill someone, did you? Ben, Lizzy told you that even the neighbor who doesn't like Broadway deserves to live."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, not that kind of news."

"Then what?" I questioned. I was unsure of what he was going to tell me, at this point it could be anything, anything at all. 

"February Second." 

"What?" 

"Your Broadway debut." 

My Broadway debut?