@glindalesbian rachel! i'm so happy i got you for the fic exchange, especially when i saw the ships you wanted. it was supposed to be 2k but then it spiralled out of control, so... here's chapter 1 of 2 sitting pretty at 4.5k (oopsie!)
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broke: janna spies on, steals from, and generally antagonizes marco because she secretly likes him
woke: janna spies on, steals from, and generally antagonizes marco because heâs been staring at her best friend his entire life and she thinks itâs weird as hell
not at all saying this excuses her actions, but i think itâs a way more compelling character motivation. like yeah if some guy spent his whole life staring at my friend but never actually talking to her, iâd be keeping an eye on him too. (but i definitely also think that annoying him is also just fun to her)
Title:Â Curtains Up
Summary:Â âAll of the pieces of the puzzle were there; now they had to turn their rough draft of their concept â a popular show with an all-female cast and crew â into something fit for a Broadway stage, and they had about a month to do it.â And once the show opens? No one could predict what happens next, but everyone is along for the ride, whether they like it or not.
Word Count:Â 2724 (this chapter) / 13,546 (total)
Relationship(s): Lydori (Lydia B. Kollins/Kori King), Jankie (Jan Sport/Jackie Cox), Rosnali (RosĂŠ/Denali Foxx), Anarcia (Anetra/Marcia Marcia Marcia), Jewelzie (Jewels Sparkles/Suzie Toot) Jasya (Daya Betty/Jasmine Kennedie)
Rating:Â E
Chapter Summary: Hell week leads into opening night and everyone is on edge. Jasmine and Jewels address their respective feelings in wildly different ways.
Read on AO3
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Hell Week: The intense final week of rehearsals leading up to opening night. Long hours and late nights were the name of the game. Stress, chaos, and delirium, often reserved for cramming for college finals, covered the theatre like a thick blanket. Day one rehearsals ended around midnight, and day two was nearly as bad. By the third day, cracks were starting to form.Â
âJan, youâre going to need to stand in for Marcia until about four,â Jackie explained. She looked up from her clipboard and took in Janâs expression â a strained smile that didnât meet her eyes, her jaw clenched, and her gaze tired. âBaby,â her tone instantly switched to a softer one, âAre you okay?â
Jan blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. âYeah, totally, everythingâs fine. Marcia has another interview, right?â
Her answer didnât convince her in the slightest. âIâm not asking you as your manager, Iâm asking you as yourâŚâ Her voice trailed off as she furrowed her brows. Their rendezvous after the club was the first of many, and they often consisted of more than just sex; cuddling, watching movies, and sharing meals were all parts of these nights. To anyone on the outside looking in, it looked like cozy date nights in, but they had never established what their relationship status was. Not wanting to come off as presumptuous, she settled on, âIâm asking as someone who cares about you as a person.â
Despite wondering the same thing, the actress opted not to address the elephant in the room either. âIâm fine, Iâm just tired. We all are⌠Just some of us more than others, perhaps.â
âSo, this is about Marcia?â
Jan let out an exasperated huff. âOf course it is, everything is about Marcia! Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!â She whined and stomped her foot, then took a deep breath. âOkay, okay, Iâm good. Needed to get that out of my system.â The outburst was embarrassing, but at least the only witness was someone she trusted.
In another circumstance, Jackie mightâve laughed at the mini temper tantrum and found it oddly endearing. But she knew this was different; this was a touchy subject that required her to proceed with caution. Any attempt at conversation regarding how Jan compared herself to Marcia required the tact of navigating through a landmine â one wrong move and Janâs defenses would go up while she shut down entirely. âDo you wanna talk about it?â
âNot especially.â There was a pause as she acknowledged that Jackie wasnât going to let this go. âMaybe later⌠Not while weâre on the clock, okay?â
She sighed as she looked into the actress's eyes, as she was silently pleading for her to drop the subject. But she didnât close the door on it, and she knew it was best to take what she could get. âNot while on the clock.â
The clock, however, seemed to move both faster than ever and at a snailâs pace simultaneously. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like seconds â it left the cast and crew with increasingly severe cases of time blindness.
âOkay, guys, time to take a meal break,â Jackie announced as she, with Anetraâs help, carried in cardboard trays piled up with containers of food from a nearby Italian restaurant. âWhat meal? I have no idea, but you guys need to eat.â
There was a collective sigh of relief as the women abandoned their tasks and gathered around the fold-out tables, all helping unpack and set up the food before filling their plates and settling down to eat.Â
RosĂŠ sat down next to Denali, draping her free arm over the back of her chair. âHowâre you holding up? I can only imagine how exhausted you must be, running through all the routines a million times.â
âIâve been through more grueling endeavors,â Denali replied with a laugh. âThat said, I wouldnât say no if you wanted to give me a massage. You know, make sure I donât get too sore⌠at least from dancing,â she winked.
She chuckled, her hand loosely wrapping around Denaliâs braid and giving it a light tug. âI think that can be arranged, baby.â
Across the table and several seats down, Symone found herself unable to look away from the two of them flirting, her stomach knotted up too tightly for her to attempt to eat.Â
âGirl, your eye is twitching,â Lexi remarked. âAre you okay? Do you need to go outside and smoke or something?â At this point, most of the cast and crew had backed off on asking Symone about her ex, but she didnât seem to share that sense of self-preservation.
Symone let out an exasperated huff. âItâs not twitching, itâs just dust from a hundred-year-old building. Besides, it ainât my business what they get up to⌠the pda is just doing a little too much.â She then remembered who she was talking to and added, âDonât fucking say anything; the last thing I need is for them to think Iâve got a problem with them.â
She tilted her head, strumming her long acrylics against the table. âI mean⌠You kind of do, though, donât you?âÂ
âI donât.â The icy sharpness of her tone was enough to make even Lexi recoil. The silence that followed was just as tense and lasted for the longest minute. âI just wish I didnât care. Itâs annoying that I havenât gotten the fuck over her already. Sheâs clearly doing just fine. When is it my turn?âÂ
âItâs not a fair comparison to make,â Lexi countered. âThe person who got dumped is going to take longer to move on than the one who did the dumping. Besides, didnât you say this blindsided you?â
Symone arched her brow. âYes, but I didnât say that to you.â
âHeard it through the grapevine. But my point remains. Do you want me to try to set you up with someone?â
She shook her head as she poked her fork around her plate. âIâll take a rain check on that. I wanna attempt to meet someone on my own. You know, see if I still got it.â And maybe to start repairing her ego, but that was beside the point.Â
â
âOkay, say your name and that this is you before opening night,â Kori directed as she held her phone up.Â
Marcia stood upright with her hands on her hips and a thousand-watt smile. âIâm Marcia, and this is me before opening night.â
She nodded and stopped recording. âPerfect. On to the next victim.â It was a popular trend on the theatre side of social media â filming the actors before and after a big performance. It was a succinct and entertaining way to convey the immense physical and emotional energy invested in the show. Granted, Kori wasnât particularly concerned with the nuance of it; it was going to trend, and that was what mattered.Â
While Kori made her rounds, Lydia decided to make herself useful and help with last-minute finishing touches for the wigs and costumes. âRumor has it that you and Daya might have somewhat of a dalliance developing,â she remarked as casually as she could.
Jasmine opened her mouth to defend herself, only to close it and furrow her brows. âWhat the fuck is a dalliance?âÂ
She bit back a laugh. âYou know⌠an affair, a fling, something of the âredirecting the energy you spent hating each other into something more funâ realm.â All she had heard was that the two of them were caught in a âcompromising positionâ, and that was enough to pique her curiosity.Â
She scoffed, though her reddening face was not helping her case. âIt was nothing like that. We didnât even, like, kiss.â
âYou donât need to kiss to have sex.â
âWhat, so you donât kiss Kori before she goes down on you?â
Lydia laughed heartily this time. âI kiss her before and after, girl. But youâre not exactly in a position to compare whatever youâve got going on with my relationship.â She paused her work on the dress she was re-hemming to hold up her left hand and wiggle her fingers, her ring sparkling under the bright lamp set up on the desk.Â
âI mean, it truly isnât that deep,â Jasmine insisted. âWe were just goofing around. But since then⌠Well, sheâs been nicer to me. And maybe we flirt here and there⌠But I donât think she ever intends for anything to come out of it.â She hoped the explanation would be enough to satiate Lydia, but the way she was looking at her said otherwise.
âKinda sounds like you want something to come out of it, though,â she accused with a smirk. âAnd hey, I love me a tall, femme bitch. So I canât say I blame you.â
âKind of the opposite ends of the âfemmeâ spectrum,â she mused, then finally relented. âLook, I donât know⌠Itâs complicated. And I have no idea how she feels.â
Before Lydia could prod further, Kori let herself into the room and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and rested a hand on her shoulder. âDone with round one of filming all these bitches. Howâs it going over here, babe?âÂ
She turned her head back to look up at her fianceĂŠ, beckoning her to come down to her seated level for a kiss. âGood, good. Jasmine has a crush on Daya.â
âLydia!â
Kori didnât have much of a reaction other than a shrug. âOkay? Fork found in kitchen.â
Jasmine hid her head in her hands. âOh my god.â She took a deep breath, waiting for a moment before speaking. âGive me some time to sort out how I feel. I promise Iâll act accordingly when I do.â
âThank god,â Kori replied. âWeâve already surpassed our quota of useless lesbians.â
After that, it wasnât long until the five-minute warning went out, ending the chit-chat and sending everyone rushing to take their places. The next thing they knew, the curtains were up and the show had begun. While not completely flawless, it was easily deemed a successful opening night by the cast, crew, and audience alike.Â
The women, along with some invited family and friends, relocated to a rented-out restaurant to celebrate their first official Broadway performance. There was a bright, vibrant energy buzzing throughout the building. Any exhaustion that mightâve been felt was replaced with warmth and pride, enough for the long night to keep going.Â
âDid you guys like the show?â Jewels asked her parents, eyes wide and sparkling with hope.Â
âOf course, mija, my baby girl is a star,â her dad gushed as he pulled her into a crushingly tight hug.Â
She barely had time to soak in the praise before her mom chimed in. âAnd you looked so beautiful, you will have men lining up around the block for you. You know, we were sitting next to such a nice young man, I got his phone number so you canââ
âNo, no, Mami, please donât,â she waved her hands in front of her as she shut her down. But that left her parents waiting for an explanation. In a panic, she blurted out, âIâm seeing someone!âÂ
Her parentsâ reaction was a mix of shock and excitement. âWell, why didnât you say so?â Her mother asked. âWhatâs his name? What does he do?â
âItâs S- uh⌠S-Steve!â Her mind short-circuited as she now struggled to recall any occupation, preferably one that would explain his absence at such an important event. âHeâs⌠Heâs a pilot, so heâs traveling all the time, super busy.âÂ
While Jewelsâ parents continued to ask a litany of questions about Steve the Pilot, Suzie and Lydia stood out of their field of vision, but well within earshot. âOn the bright side, it seemed like she wanted to say your name,â Lydia offered in an attempt to lighten an otherwise bleak moment.
âThat isnât all that reassuring, Lydia.â Suzieâs voice was deadpan, but the hurt she felt read clearly across her face. The anger simmered beneath the surface; every ounce of her acting abilities poured into avoiding a reaction.Â
She winced, looking down and away. âSorry,â she mumbled before looking back up at her friend. âAre you gonna confront her about it?â
âMaybe, though I donât see why I should bother.â She stirred her drink with her straw, looking into the glass as if the answer would appear in the liquid. âIs it even worth it?â It seemed fruitless to engage in confrontation â what was she going to gain from it? A fight? Confirmation that the girl sheâd been pining after didnât care about her? It seemed like it would be in her best interest to pretend she didnât hear anything and see if Jewels would own up to it on her own.Â
âBecause bottling up your emotions has worked so well thus far?â
Suzie rolled her eyes. âAs if that wouldâve made any difference. At least I know who I am and what Iâm about. Sheâs the one in denial.â She looked over, taking in Jewelsâ visible discomfort as she dug herself deeper into a hole of lies. âIf I wasnât so damn pissed, Iâd feel bad for her.â
Lydia gave a sympathetic nod as she placed a hand on her shoulder. âItâs not mutually exclusive. You can be mad at her and feel bad that sheâs stuck in a shitty situation. Itâs complicated, I get it.â
âYeah,â she sighed, âitâd be a lot easier if I just hated her.â
â
Jewels woke up to a throbbing headache and pulled the covers up over her head to block out the morning (or afternoon, she hadnât the slightest clue) sun. The night ended on a note she could only describe as âblurryâ. She remembered her parents leaving. She remembered actively hiding from Suzie while grabbing a drink whenever she could, but then it started to fade to black.Â
After taking pain medication, she put on her glasses and pushed herself to her feet. She shuffled into the common area, where she saw Lana sitting on the couch and eating leftover Chinese food. âHey.â
âOh, good, I thought I was gonna have to come in and check for signs of life,â Lana remarked as she looked her over. âThe afterparty was rough, huh?âÂ
She winced and swallowed thickly. âFuck, did I do something to make an ass of myself? Am I gonna be in trouble?â
She chuckled softly and shook her head, then patted the spot next to her on the couch, waiting for her roommate to join before answering. âIt wasnât that bad, though you were making it sound like Suzie was hunting you for sport; every time you saw her, you hid and went âsheâs gonna kill me!â until Jackie and I kept you still enough for you and I to get into an Uber, which by some act of divine intervention, you didnât throw up in.âÂ
âSo⌠She knows?â
Lana shrugged. âI didnât get a chance to talk to her. I was busy chasing your drunk ass around. But if I had to guess⌠yeah, probably.â She set the now-empty container down and turned to face her friend. âThis was not your finest hour, but you canât undo it. The question is, where do you go from here? Are you gonna talk to Suzie?âÂ
Jewels looked down as she fidgeted with her hair. Deep down, she knew it wasnât something she could avoid for long â they did still have to work together, after all. âI donât know what Iâd say? That Iâm sorry for being a coward? That she deserves better?âÂ
âSo do you, babe. You deserve better than the life youâre creating for yourself. Weâve all been trying to tell you how important it is to live for yourself instead of your family. But you have to be ready to take that leap, to do the scary thing.â She wrapped her arm around her and pulled her close. âDo you think you can do that?â
She slumped against Lana with her head on her shoulder. âI want to. Itâs just⌠Iâm not ready. Iâm not as strong as you guys are. For most of my life, my family was all I had, especially when I was sick. Iâm not ready to risk letting them go.â She chewed her lip as she thought for another moment. âBut I donât want to lose her either.â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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