It's Quiet Uptown

Chapter Twenty-One: One Last Time

A/N: I'm so, so sorry that I missed Wednesday's update! I was in the middle of driving home from college to my family's house for Christmas and just didn't have the time to hammer out an acceptable chapter. I'll do my best to avoid this happening again!

Also, the last Hamildrop was released yesterday. *cries* I can't believe it's finally over!

Lin's POV

    Groff's last performance a few weeks ago had been a very emotional affair. The hours leading up to the performance were filled with tears, and not just the girls. I saw Leslie and Chris cry at least once. Anthony? A blubbering mess.

    Groff had already packed up everything in our shared dressing room, and I couldn't shake the quiet feeling of despair as I stared around the half-empty room. I'd shared this room with my best friend for as long as the show had run on Broadway. I didn't want another King George sharing a room with me. Only my King George could.

    I moped out of my room towards the gathering of people, where they were 'celebrating' Groff's departure before the show. More like sharing stories and crying.

    Chris led us in an especially emotional pre-show prayer, and Groff hugged everyone as we lined up to go on stage. When it was my turn, he gave me a sweet kiss and rested his forehead against mine.

    I told myself to hold in the sadness; this would be Groff's last performance of the show that had brought us together, and I didn't want to ruin it by breaking down.

    The cast performed one of their best shows to date, knowing that Groff was watching from the shadows one last time. The energy was through the roof, and we even got the audience in the mood. By the final song, there were more tears than I'd ever seen while performing.

    On the outside of the theater a notice was posted that this was Groff's last show, so the audience came in ready to celebrate his last performance with us.

    Groff got a standing ovation anytime he entered, be it for You'll Be Back, What Comes Next, I Know Him and The Reynolds Pamphlet. We actually had to stop The Reynolds Pamphlet since the audience was cheering too loudly as he danced for us to be heard.

I got a little teary-eyed the last time Groff tried to get me to break character. It'd been a tradition for over a year, and even though I was leaving soon too, the change hit me hard. He pulled a funny face and smiled encouragingly to me, sensing my depression. As he sashayed past, he whispered, "I love you. Don't be sad," before exiting offstage.

    Surreptitiously wiping away my unshed tears, I raised my chin and carried out my blocking. These people came for a good show, and I was determined to deliver. But more importantly, I wanted Groff to have a good memory of our last show, not me blubbering through the rapping. 

    I threw myself deep into my character and gave one of the best performances of my life. The energy was electric. I moved Pippa (even though she'd seen me perform it thousands of times) to tears with my soliloquy in The World Was Wide Enough. She had to come onstage with mascara streaked down her face. She gave me an annoyed look, to which I just smiled sheepishly.

   We ended the show on our last "who tells your story?" and formed one long line for our final bows. The audience cheered loudly as we bowed, and when everybody had finished I stepped forwards.

    "Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" I called. "I hoped you enjoyed the show, but I have a few things to say before we vacate the stage. If you didn't know, today is a very important day. It's also very sad, too."