December,
"Ready?" Marty asked.
"Action." Tori said.
The stage lights brightened as Robbie and I looked up, turning to one another.
"I-i don't know." I said holding the play in my hand.
"Oh, come on! Why can't you admit that you're in love with me?"
"Why are you in love with me?"
"Because you're beautiful, look at your face in the moonlight."
"I can't."
"You can."
"No, a person can't look at their own face. It's impossible."
"Then marry me and I-i'll buy a thousand mirrors."
"But that's so many!"
"My father's a billionaire. I can give you everything you've ever wanted and I'm very good looking."
"Mmm, yeah."
"Think."
"And lights go." Marty told Sinjin as the lights dimmed and Robbie walked backstage. I turned around, conflicted now facing Beck.
"I-i don't know."
"It's okay that you don't know." He said, looking at me.
"But you deserve an answer."
"I can wait. For you I would wait a thousand years."
"But that's so many.."
"I know I'm poor, I know I don't have much to offer but I do love you."
"Because I'm beautiful?" I asked, turning around, stepping away slightly.
"I don't love you because you're beautiful." He paused, putting a hand on my shoulder making me turn to him. "You're beautiful because I love you."
"Woah." eyeroll.
Before Beck could say his next line, disco lights and music started playing making everyone look up at Sinjin who was messing with the stage controls.
"WHAT UP WITH THE DISCO?!" Jade yelled, getting out of her seat.
"I'm sorry! I hit the wrong thing!"
"No! 16 years ago, your mother gave birth to the wrong thing!" She sat back down.
"Dang." I muttered.
"Alright, why don't we take a break. Y/n, Beck, you guys were great. Really nice stuff." Marty said, as the disco lights and music went off.
"Thanks!" I said.
"How was I?" Robbie asked, sitting up from his seat with Rex in his arms.
"I've seen worse."
"You did good, Robbie." I said smiling, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Y/-"
"GUYS, Guys everyone shut up for a second." Jade said, getting everyone's attention.
"Watcha got?" Beck asked as he led us over to her.
"An e-mail from principal Eikner."
"That says?" Tori asked causing Jade to look at her.
"To all students involved in our school's production of uptown downtown, Sofia Mitchell will be in Los Angeles the weekend of the 17th and will be personally attending your opening night performance." She smiled looking around.
"That's amazing!" Robbie said.
"Oh, my God!" I exclaimed, holding onto Beck's arm and looking up at him, Beck giving me a kiss on the head in return.
"Oh, my God!" Our teacher said, looking at the floor then running out of the blackbox making all of us slightly confused and concerned.
"Who's Sofia Michelle?" Tori asked, looking around.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Jade groaned, pulling my hand, walking us to her seat.
"What?"
"She gets to co-direct the play and she doesn't even know who Sofia Michelle is." Jade said, manspreading and looking around.
"Wait, is she the lady who does those infomercials with the vibrating hairbrush?" Tori asked, getting excited.
"I love that hairbrush!" Sinjin announced from above us, making everyone look up at him.
"Look at the cover of your script." Robbie told her.
"Oh, Sofia Michelle wrote the play we're doing!"
"Oh!" Jade mocked as she typed on her phone making me laugh and Tori stare at her.
"She's like the biggest playwright on Broadway." Robbie said before Marty came back in, holding a water bottle.
"All right you guys, we knew we had to be great, now we have to be perfect. We are not gonna disappoint Sofia Michelle."
"And you want Robbie in this play?" Rex asked.
"I'm good?"
"At what?" Rex retorted.
"I have to go take another nerve pill." Marty said, running towards the doors again as disco music started playing, again.
"Will you kill the disco?!" Jade asked, standing up.
"No one can kill disco!" Sinjin replied as he took out the vibrating hairbrush and started dancing.
When the lunch bell rang, Tori and I made our way to Cat's elective class because we were going out for lunch today. We entered the Makeup and Special effects hall and checked every classroom, but we didn't find her until we checked the last class.
"Cat?" I called looking through the small crowd of people.
"Cat?" Tori called looking around as well, "Hey, have you seen Cat?" She asked, tapping a boy who was in front of one of the vanities. He turned around, making both Tori and I scream at his SFX makeup, more than half of his face looking burned.
He slightly laughed at our reaction, "It's just special effects makeup."
"Oh, well that is special...and I have been affected." Tori said as we walked to the back, noticing Cat.
"Yo, Cat." Tori greeted.
"Hey, Cat."
"Oh, hey Tori, Y/n"
"We doing lunch?" I asked, seeing as she was doing someone's makeup right now.
"Yea, just a sec. I'm alllmost finished with my assignment." She smiled.
"Ooh, what's the assignment?" Tori asked.
"To transform a human's face into a terrifying monster. Wanna see?" She asked, glancing at the both of us.
"Terrify us!" Tori said.
She turned the boy around, who was not terrifying...In the way she wanted. I mean...if I woke up and he was in front of my bed...in the middle of the night, yes. But he was kinda cute!
"Isn't he scary?" She asked, seeing our confused faces.
"No, he's kinda adorable." I answered, smiling.
"Aww, man you made me cute! You're the worst!" The boy said, finally looking in the mirror.
"Well, let me try again. After school?"
"No, no, no! I-i'm done with you!" He said, pulling up his hand slightly and walking towards the door.
"No! You can't just..." Cat begged, following after him.
"Done with you!" He said before walking off.
"That's the third model who's quit on me. I'm gonna get an F! In makeup!" Cat whined, walking towards us.
"Aww, that bites. Let's go get an 'A' in lunch." Tori said, walking towards the door.
"Come on Cat!" I said, grabbing Cats arm and trying to get to wherever we were going to eat at. She grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking. "Wait!"
I looked back at her, noticing that look in her eyes. "Noo." I told her, shaking my head.
"I just need..."
"Cat, I am not going to let you make me into one of your adorable monster models!"
"But if I don't transform someone's face into a hideous monster by Monday, I'm going to fail this class!"
"And if I don't cram a turkey sandwich down my throat, I'm going to fail not starving to death Cat!" Tori said, pulling my arm and walking to the door.
"I don't know Cat, maybe." I said before Cat ran in front of us, holding onto my other arm. "Oh, come on! We can do it tonight, tomorrow night, whenever you want!"
"I'm in a HUGE play Cat, I have to learn all my lines and five songs and—"
"Y/NNN!"
"Cattt!" I said, matching her voice.
"Ah, you have to do it!"
"No, I can't!"
"Say yes, I'm desperate!"
"I can't!"
"You have to!"
"No!"
"Pleasee!" She begged.
"Fine, I'll do it!"
"YAY!
"But you're buying my lunch Cat, come on." I said, as we finally made our way to lunch.
"Aww." She whined as Tori grabbed her arm, leaving the now empty classroom.
"Suddenly, my choice is clear." I sang as Andre played on his electric keyboard.
The next day after school Andre came over to help rehearse the songs from the play, we had been at it for almost 2 hours now. Tori had joined us an hour ago, also helping us rehearse.
"Nice, now sing it like an old jazz singer." He grinned.
"Why?" Tori asked curiously.
"To amuse me."
"Okay." I said, laughing at his odd request. He started playing as I started singing, but as a old jazz singer.
"Suddenly, my choice is clearrr."
"Clearrr." He repeated, but in a deeper voice.
"Clearrr!" I tried.
"Come on, be a man! Clearrr!"
"CLEARRR!" I said, my voice sounding like my great-grandfathers, making us all laugh.
"Now I'm amused." He said putting his keyboard on the coffee table.
"Hey guys, it's almost 8. Are you all getting hungry?" Mom asked coming downstairs.
"Yea, yall want me to go pick up a pizza?" Andre asked, waving at my mom.
"Yea let's get a large pepperoni-'' Tori was cut off by the doorbell ringing.
"Coming!" I said getting up from the couch and opening the door.
"Makeup time!" Cat said, posing at the front door.
"Mmm Hi Cat."
"Hey Cat." Tori called from the couch.
"Where should I set up?" She asked, walking inside, suitcase in hand.
"Kitchen table." I said.
She gasped looking at our kitchen, "Oh I love kitchens!" She looked over and noticed Andre. "Hey Andre."
"Sup lil red." He answered, doing something on his laptop.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She whipped around slightly yelling, making Andre look at her.
"Uh, I don't know...you're little and you've got red hair?"
"Ooh, that's so creative! Do Tori now!" She jumped up and clapped her hands.
"Hey, Cat, can we start this makeup thing so I can get back to rehearsing?" I asked, getting back on topic.
"Sure, let's get started. Hey, can Andre be my assistant?"
"Ask him?" I said walking over to the table.
"Hey, Andre, you wanna help me put monster makeup on Y/n's face?" We turned to look at him and he was already out the house, closing the door. "Bye!" He yelled before the door fully closed.
"Maybe he had to use the bathroom?" Cat suggested looking between Tori and I.
"In my front yard?" Tori asked from the couch.
"Well, sometimes my brother—"
"MAKEUP TIME!" I said smiling, going to sit down.
"Ready?" Cat asked, running towards me with the mirror.
"Yep!" She put the mirror on the table, I looked an old ghoul or something. Cat did a good job, I looked hideous! "Ohh Cat! I look hideous!"
"Aww you really think so?"
"Yes! You did a great job."
"Yay! I'm not a failure."
"Oh, Y/n go scare Trina!" Tori suggested.
"Okay." I said as Cat and I ran to the stairs.
"TRINA, COME SEE SOMETHING!" Tori called her.
"IS IT FOR ME?"
"YEA, SURE." Tori shrugged.
"What?" She asked, jogging downstairs. She gasped when she hit the last step, "Did they deliver my vibrating hairbrush?"
"RWARRR!" I came up behind her, holding my arms out like a creature. It didn't faze Trina one bit.
"Oh, come on how can you not be scared by this?" I asked.
"I've seen our grandmother naked before, nothing scares me anymore."
"Can't argue with that." I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"C'mon, let me get this picture of your face!" Cat said, holding her hot pink camera.
"Okay." I said walking over to her.
"I want some apple juice." Trina stated looking between Tori and I.
"Then...go get some." Tori suggested, glancing at her from her laptop.
"Fine, I'll do it myself."
"Okay, come over here to the light." Cat said.
"Here?"
"Yea, that's good." She said as I was doing multiple poses.
"Uh, what is this for?" Trina asked, holding up something in her hands.
"Oh, that's glue!" Cat said, turning around.
"Yea, but why is it with your makeup supplies?"
"What's wrong?" I asked Trina.
"This is grizzly glue, it's like an industrial cement!"
"Huh?" I asked, not knowing IF I HEARD HER CORRECTLY.
"Cat...tell me you didn't use this on Y/n's face!" Tori said standing up.
"Uh...." Cat looked at all three of us before we all ran to Trina, looking at the glue bottle.
"Give me that!" I said snatching it from Trina's hand. "For industrial use only. Caution: Avoid contact with skin! CAT!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Why didn't you use dermaglue?" Trina asked her.
"I ran out! So, I got that out of my dad's toolbox."
"CAT!"
"ARE YOU INSANE?" Tori and Trina scolded, as I kept reading the bottle on how to take this stuff off.
"Will it come off?" Tori asked Trina.
"I don't know!"
"Cat! Why didn't you read the label, THE BIG YELLOW LABEL!?" I asked Cat, sitting down on the platform.
"Because I got distracted by the clue grizzly bear, I mean look at him, he's a-" she said, smiling.
"CAT!"
"HEY!" Trina yelled.
"I'M SORRY!"
After calming down a bit, Trina and Tori sat me down in one of the kitchen table's seats to try and take off the glue. Cat helped as well seeing as she's the makeup person here...
"Ow, ow...ow! Okay stop!" I cried stopping them, it was hurting too much, and it wasn't even coming off.
"Ugh, this is not gonna work." Trina said, shaking her head as Cat agreed with her.
"Guys, I'm playing the LEAD in a big musical tomorrow night, and I'm supposed to be all beautiful!" I whined looking at all of them.
"Well, you do not look beautiful." Trina added making me look up at her and jump on her. It was official chaos, Tori was yelling, Cat was yelling, Trina was trying to balance herself with me on her back, screaming.
"Okay!" Cat said as Tori pulled me off of Trina and got in between us"Look! Worse comes to worse, you postpone the play." Cat suggested, shrugging her shoulders.
"No! I can't, Sofia Michelle is coming Cat!"
"Oh wow! That's so exciting!" Cat said smiling.
"No, it's not!" I whined, making Cat's face fall.
"Why not?" Cat glanced at Trina.
"Cause I'm a rotting zombie CAT!" I exclaimed, putting my hands on her shoulders and shaking her.
"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"
"I got pizza!" Andre announced, walking through the front door. He turned back around, seeing the four of us at each other's throats "Bye!" I glanced at the door, seeing it close.
"Aww and now no pizza!" I whined sitting on the platform.
"Right, it's on her skin."
"Yea, grizzly glue."
Cat and Trina were on the phone, Cat was on the phone with the glue company and Trina was on the phone with a doctor.
"It won't come off! And my nose itches and I can't scratch it!" I whined as Tori, and I came back from the hall bathroom trying to take this glue off, again.
"Shh!"
"Who are you on the phone with?" Tori asked Trina.
"Doctor."
"And who are you talking with?" I asked Cat.
"Glue company, shh!" Cat held out her arm.
"No, you don't understand, it's all over her face." Cat told the person on the phone.
"Should I take her to the emergency room?"
"Well, I didn't read the label! Don't make me feel bad!"
"Okay, I'll tell Y/n." Trina said.
"What, what, what?" I said sitting on her legs.
"Um, listen while I got you on the phone.... would I need my parents' permission to have minor cosmetic surgery?"
"Trina!" Tori scolded.
"Hang up!" I said, trying to take the phone away from her.
"I gotta go." She sighed, hanging up, then looking at us.
"What did he say?" I asked.
"That I had to be 18 before I could make any—"
"ABOUT HER!" Tori yelled.
"Can they get the makeup off?"
"Oh, no." She shrugged.
"Well, did you TELL HIM I'm starring in a play tomorrow night that was written by Sofia Michelle, and that Sofia Michelle is gonna be there and I'm supposed to be beautiful and not look like the WALKING DEAD?" I groaned as I ranted, falling back onto the couch.
"Really, you do?"
"They do? What do they do?" I said as Tori, Trina and I all ran towards Cat.
"They make a solvent that safe for the skin!"
"Well, where do we get it?" Tori eagerly asked.
"I don't know."
"Ask the man!" I spoke.
"It's a lady." Cat put her hand to her phone and whispered.
"Ask her!" I corrected.
"Hi Gail, It's me Cat. Um where can I buy the solvent? ah huh, ah huh, mk...bye!" Cat said, putting the phone back to her ear and sitting down.
"Well??" I asked when she didn't say anything.
"Oh, they don't sell it in stores."
"W-well, where-"
"We just have to drive to Grizzly Industries and get it there!"
"Okay, well where is Grizzly Industries?" Tori asked.
"Bakersfield."
"Bakersfield??" I asked, that's like 2 hours away!
"Relax, that's only like 2 hours from here, I could drive you there tomorrow."
"When? School doesn't end until 3 pm and I have final rehearsal and then I have to do the musical!"
"Calm down! After school I'll go with Trina to Bakersfield, get the solvent, drive back and get the makeup off your face before the play starts!" Cat said, standing up from the couch.
"Okay-" I sighed as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."
"Hello?" I said, opening the door, making the two little girls selling girl scout cookies scream and run off. "Noo! Come back! I want cookies!"
"Suddenly, I can see what I didn't before and I don't care what they say anymore because I'm finally fallin, finally falling."
"5, 6, 7, 8" Lane counted up as he snapped his fingers. We all posed, finishing the last act of our final rehearsal before the big show tonight. I looked back into Beck's eyes, breathing heavy from all the singing and moving. It was probably weird for him, seeing as I still had this zombie face makeup on.
Yes, I went to school like this. No, I didn't get any weird looks. This was a performing Arts school!
"That was dynamite!" Marty got up as the backstage and lights crew clapped, Marty stopped and looked at Robbie. "Robbie, there's something wrong with your pants?"
"No. Why was I dancing weird?"
"Uh, no it was great..." He turned around, looking at everyone. "Now everyone go get some water, hydrate and rest up for the show! Y/n." He called.
"Yeaa?" I asked, as if nothing was wrong.
"Your face, it's still hideous."
"Thankss, but for real, my sister and Cat are already on their way back from Bakersfield with the solvent." I assured.
"You're sure?"
"Y-, mhm totally." I nodded my head.
I was in fact, not sure.
"Alright." He turned away, sporting a worried expression.
"Go take a nerve pill Marty..." I muttered under my breath before turning around and getting out my phone, calling Trina.
"Come on..." I said, hoping she would answer after the 3rd ring.
"Hi, Trina's phone." Cat said.
"Are you on your way back with the solvent?" I asked, waving over Tori. "Tell me you're on your way back with the solvent!" I whined.
"Who's calling?"
"It's Y/n!"
"Oh, hey Y/n/n!" She paused, "Kk, Y/n you're on speaker, Trina is also in the car."
Why did I send the most unreliable people I know to do this?
"Where are you guys?" Tori asked.
"Relax! Were almost at the factory."
"The factory!?" Tori exclaimed.
"Almost? Meaning you haven't even gone yet! Trina, Cat the show starts in like 2 hours!" I said, raising my voice slightly.
"We'll make it!"
"Oh, punch buggy blue!
"Dude!" A thump sound was heard.
"Ow!" Cat cried, as a car horn went off.
"SHUT UP!" Trina yelled, blowing her horn as well.
"Listen to me! If you two DINGBATS aren't back here before the play starts and I have to go on stage looking like a zombie, I'm going to glue BOTH OF YOUR FAC-" I paused as Tori nudged me, making me look up at Marty who was standing right by me, staring. "I love you too, grandma...thank you for the cookies." I lied, hanging up the phone and looking away.
"Hey, hey It's our playwright." Beck said, grabbing my waist as he and Robbie were looking outside the curtain. The audience was almost packed with people. Sofia Michelle had just arrived, sitting in the front row beside Rex. Everyone was now dressed and ready for the play to start, either going over dance moves or reading over lines.
"Oh my God, Sofia Michelle!" Robbie said, staring at her as she took her seat, taking a few glances at Rex.
"Y/N!" Marty said, jogging up to me.
"I know! But they're still on their way with the solvent!"
"We're on in 2 minutes and you still look disgusting!" He said checking his watch.
"I could play the lead." Tori said, coming up behind me.
"Get away, trader." I said looking over my shoulder.
"Do something." Marty said, walking off.
"What can I do?" I muttered looking around hopelessly, before I walked off to the side calling Trina again.
"Hi Y/n!" Cat answered.
"Where are you! Where's the solvent!!" I asked, yelling into the phone.
"We have it riight here!" She paused, "Kk, Y/n your speaker, Trina is also in the car." Cat said, again.
"What's up sista?"
"The curtain is gonna be up in 90 seconds and I'm still ugly! Why aren't you here?"
"Um..we had a bit of an emergency." Trina answered after they didn't say anything.
"What kind of emergency? Are you okay?"
"Uh...a creamy delicious one?" Cat said unsure.
"You...stopped for ice cream!!?"
"We had to!"
"There was a Freezy Queen in Bakersfield!"
"How far away are you?" I sighed, looking at Marty who was telling me to wrap it up.
"Just like...forty minutes?" Trina said as a police siren went off in the background. "Maybe an hour?"
"Oh my God..." I said, sighing, hanging up the phone.
"So, I'm on my private jet, almost halfway to Barcelona when I say to the pilot, I changed my mind, take a left, we're going to Prague!" Robbie told Thomas, in character. Thomas let out a very forced, kinda obnoxious, frat boy laugh as he slapped his knee, Robbie joining in on the 'laughter'.
"You're too much!"
"Aren't I?" Robbie asked as Beck came by his chair, grabbing his bags. "Hey, hey, you there." He called.
"Yes sir?"
"That luggage is very expensive, don't just toss it around like a monkey!"
"I'm sorry-"
"Woah, woah check out the girl coming this way." Thomas said, grabbing their attention.
"Oh, my God she's gorgeous." Robbie commented, swirling his drink around in his hand.
"She's beautiful." Beck said, staring at me as I walked onto stage causing the audience and Sofia to look confused. I looked at the audience, catching sight of Marty taking a nerv pill, downing Lane's water bottle.
"Just say you'll marry me!" Robbie said, as we were the only people on stage right now.
"Excuse me, but most women don't want to be screamed at while they're being proposed to."
"Oh! Come on! I'm rich, I'm handsome, I have nine boats!" He said, listing off all the reasons 'I should marry him'. "Stop acting like a stupid girl!"
"Wait, you got a little something there." I touched my lips.
"What?"
"This!" I said as I 'punched' him, making Robbie fall to the ground, groaning and the audience laughing. The lights then dimmed as it was now my time to sing, again.
"Suddenly, my choice is clear. I knew it only you and I were standing here." I sang, walking towards Beck and grabbing his held-out hand.
"And beautiful, is all I see..." Beck sang, looking at the audience as the lights brightened.
"It's only you and I know it's true, it has to be..." We chorused, staring into each other's eyes until we heard Andre's finger snapping.
(Time skip)
"And I don't care what the say anymore, cause I've finally fallen, finally fallen..." Beck got my attention from looking at the audience, pointing at Trina and Cat who were finally here with the solvent and waving me over. I did a very awkward dance after telling Andre to keep it going, while they got this hideous makeup off me.
Trina pushed me in a desk chair, making me roll back before I grounded myself. "Finally!" I whined looking at the ice-cream in Cat's hands.
"We bought you Freezy Queen!" Cat said smiling.
"Ooh yay! Save it for after the show though." I said, giving her a smile before Tori bumped the ice-cream in the air, making it fall to the ground. Awe.
"Get this!" She gestured to my face, "Off her!"
"Okay!" Trina said, getting the stuff she needs to get this stuff off my face.
"Get it off her face!" Marty yelled from behind Trina.
"Okay!!" Trina exclaimed.
"Hurry!" Lane told her.
"Ohhh." Marty grimaced as he and Lane went to go see what was happening on stage.
"Come on, come on!"
"Come on, she's missing the song!" Tori urged as they had gotten almost half of it off my face.
"Ohh..." Trina said hurrying.
"It's coming off, I can see the—"
"It's coming off!" I said as we all started screaming and squealing, one of the crew members telling us to quiet down.
As soon as the mask was off, I ran onto stage, hiding behind the 4 boys who were dancing. Beck was in front kneeling down, waiting.
They moved as I looked up, putting my arms on my head. "I don't need all the finer things, diamond rings or nothing, just show me something. Cause love is all I ever need, all I ever wanted and now I got it." I sang, walking to Beck and putting my hand on his chin as he stood up.
"Suddenly, I can see what I didn't before and I don't care what they say anymore because I'm finally fallin, finally falling." I finished, making everyone pose as Beck and I looked into each other's eyes, breathing heavily again. The audience erupted into claps, and screams as some of the audience, including Oscar, stood up. "Beautiful doll! Beautiful!"
I waved at him, smiling.
After the room cleared, mostly everyone who was in the show or worked on the show was on stage talking.
"Well, that was an interesting performance." Sofia Michelle said, making her presence known as she walked between me and Jade, looking at all of us. "When I wrote that play, I certainly never pictured Penny as a freakish zombie for most of it."
"Aw, man I'm out of pills." Marty said, looking at the pill bottle and stepping back.
"Uh, loo-" I said, trying to explain.
"You don't need to explain, I totally got it." She stated, looking around at us.
"You did?" Tori asked, glancing at me.
"You do? She got it! What'd ya get?" I asked, looking at her amazed.
"The whole commentary on what's really beautiful, having these two young men feel true love for a girl with a hideous face really emphasized the whole point of the play, which is substance over beauty, beauty within!" She explained.
"Ah huh...girl you hit it on the nail!" I muttered looking down as everyone agreed with her thinking. "Well, we're all really glad you liked it!" I smiled at her, wanting to be done with this whole thing. Even though we have to do it, for 2 more nights.
"Y-yea and did you enjoy my performance Ms. Michelle?" Robbie asked, holding Rex.
"Wow, I am late for my plane." She said smiling, lying through her teeth.
"We heard you were going to be in LA all week?" Jade said.
"Right. Well bye!" She scurried off, giving a little wave.
"Alright, congratulations everyone. Now before we go, just a couple of-" He stopped as disco music started playing and disco lights turned on making everyone look up at Sinjin.
"Don't fight it!" Sinjin yelled as he danced, all of us eventually joining in.
"Where's that ice cream?" I asked.
~
I finished this and 'Jade and Alyssa Vaughn' in less than 24 hoursss