Always & Forever - Janthony (discontinued)

Chapter 3: Nervous

"I never liked you. I kissed you out of pity. Derek! Come here, have her for you."

I tried to move, but I was tied to a chair dead center in the middle of a dark room, with a single lamp dangling above me, providing the only light. Suddenly, someone emerged from the shadows.

Derek.

He walked up to me and struck me across the face. "You little whore. You really thought that someone would actually like you?" He laughed. I saw Ant walk up to me holding another girl. Tears began to fall from my eyes. How could he do this to me? I thought he cared about me...

Beep, beep, beep.

I sat up quickly, covered in sweat and tears. Looking over to my bedside table, my alarm read 8:00 am. I sat there, staring into space. A few moments later, I arose from my bed, making my way into the bathroom. I started the shower and got my clothes out for rehearsal day. Today, we were just singing everything to the best of our ability. Everyone got the scripts yesterday so we could practice if we wanted. Say No To This was the song I was most nervous about. I listened to Lin's demo and read over the sheet music, and there was a high note in the middle of the song that I'm afraid that I'm going to mess up.

After I got ready, I walked into the kitchen, pulled an apple off the fruit rack, got my rehearsal bag and a few dressing room decorations, grabbed my phone and wallet, threw on my shoes, and walked out the door. I felt my phone vibrate and pulled it out from my back pocket to see a text from Ant.

Ant🐜: Hey, wanna get some coffee?

AndAllThatJazz: Sure, send me the address.

Ant🐜: *sends address because the author is too lazy to think of a fake one.*

AndAllThatJazz: Omw, see you in 10.

I turn off my phone and walk to the coffee shop. Once I walk in, I look over to hear someone calling my name. "Jas!" Ant called from across the room. I smiled at him and walked over, setting my bags down in the booth and sitting across from him. "I already ordered for us. I just got us both black since I don't know how you like it."

"Thanks, I prefer my coffee black anyways, so you're in luck," I said, slightly giggling. He smiled at me, also giggling. His smile is so cute.

"Are you ready for rehearsals today?" He asked.

"Kinda, I'm just really nervous,"

"Why?"

"I just know that I'm gonna screw it up," I said, looking down. He reached his hand over to my chin and lifted my head so that I was looking back at him.

"You're gonna do great. Lin wouldn't have cast you if you couldn't do this." Ant assured me. My gaze slowly went lower, looking down at my hands. He cupped my cheek in his hand. "And I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't like you." I looked back up at him. He released his hand, and pat the spot next to him in the booth, as a way of telling me to sit next to him.

I rose from my seat, walked over, and sit next to him. He put his arms around me, one resting around my shoulders, and the other going around the front of my shoulders, resting along my collarbone, locking his hands together at my left shoulder. I rest my head on his shoulder as he looks down at me. "You are going to do amazing, I just know it." Ant told me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I blushed immensely at his words.

"Thanks, Ant," I said, looking back up at him to see him trying to hide the pink color on his cheeks. "And I wouldn't have kissed back if I didn't like you too," I finished, smiling up at him. When I looked over I saw the waiter bringing our coffee over, so I pressed a light kiss on Ant's cheek and sat up to walk back over to my seat across from him. We made conversation and got to know each other for a bit, before walking over to the theater together.