Chapter Text
“Hurry up !”, Natasha says pulling me behind her. “You’re gonna be late for your audition.”
I try to follow her the best I can towards the crowed streets of New York to reach the nearest subway station, my bag floating behind me.
“Nat, please, slow down !”, I manage to tell her, panting. “Even if I’m on time, Amora is the one that will have the lead role ! She always gets the lead roles…”, I add in a sad whisper.
“Don’t be pessimistic, that part was made for you and you’re going to have it”, she concludes a wide grin on her face.
We finally stop running when we reach the station.
“You’ll be perfect, you were born for this”, she adds, once we’re sitting inside the vehicle driving us to Broadway and the theatre our troupe belongs to.
I look up at her not sure if I have to share her enthusiasm or not. Of course, I’m ready, I practice my song over and over and over again, trying to get myself into the character.
“Maybe your secret admirer will be here”, she suddenly snaps, referring to the person who sends me flowers, chocolates and who writes me songs and music. “You know what that guy makes me think about, that French book and musical that you love so much, we watched the movie once. What’s the name of that thing again ?”, she asks me.
“The Phantom of the Opera”, I answer her, perfectly knowing what she means and where she wants to go to. “Don’t be stupid Nat, I do not have my own Phantom, that’s ridiculous.”
“Why is it ridiculous ? He’s the Phantom to your… What’s the name of that girl inside the movie again ?”
“Christine”, I answer once again. “Natasha, stop it, it is real life, not a book, nor a movie, nor a musical. I do not have a Phantom, I don’t know who sends me all those things but it’s certainly not a Phantom. Plus, we’re in New York, not in Paris, and we work in a theatre, not at the Opéra Garnier, I’m a musical singer, not an opera singer and that’s the 21st century, not the 19th.”
“If you have your Phantom, I bet you’ll soon have your Raoul too.”
I sigh at Natasha’s remark, wondering after all if she’s not right, but I’m not going to tell her.
We finally head to the theatre to find Pepper, Natasha’s mother, who raised me as her own daughter after my father’s death, talking to the new directors of our theatre, Mr Tony Stark and Mr Bruce Banner. She was showing them the theatre and explaining what kind of show we give here.
“You should also know, gentlemen, that we have some kind of ghost in here. He doesn’t really ask for anything, except some money for his musicals.”
“A ghost ?!”, asks Mr Banner.
“And we have to pay him ?!”, adds Mr Stark.
“He’s the one who provides us a big part of our musicals. He gave us the one we’re preparing now. So don’t forget to pay him. We owe him one of our biggest success. I think you might have heard about the musical The Wicked Sisters, he’s the one who wrote and composed it.”
“What do you know about that man ? Do you even know if he’s real ? How old is he ? What does he look like ?”
“Nobody knows sir, but, believe me, that man is a genius. The only thing we know is that he sign all his works with the initials J.B.”, Pepper answers. “He also had a demand for the new show, he expressly asks for one of our young singer to be the lead role of that new show.”
“Oh because, in addition, he demands things. And who’s that singer he absolutely wants to see as the lead role ?”
“My protege, Miss Y/L/N”, Pepper says pointing at me. “Her father was a great musician, you must have heard about him, Daniel Y/L/N. That girl is talented and has the voice of a nightingale. Until now, she’s used to second roles.”
“Maybe, maybe, but, it’s our first show here, our first production, so we don’t want to take any risk. Miss Amora Enchantress will have the lead role, as she always does.”
I just want to cry when I hear Mr Stark’s answer, they don’t even give me a chance. They choose Amora over me, as usual. I worked that song with my guts for nothing.
“Come on Y/N, don’t listen to them”, Natasha says, after glaring at her mother, taking my hand in hers. “Let’s change our clothes for the dance rehearsal.”
Natasha drags me to the locker room in silence, what’s surprising because, knowing her, she usually would have yelled at the new directors, saying that it was unfair and that I’m so much more talented than Amora. Speaking of the devil, she’s standing in the way to the changing rooms.
“Once again I didn’t have to make any effort to have the part”, she smirks at me when I pass by her. “Face it, Y/L/N, you’ll never have the main role time I’m around, and that even if that so-called ghost demands you to be the lead role. I’m a star, and you are a nobody”, she finishes, leaving in a rustle of long blond hair.
This time, my tears fall down my cheeks and I run away from the hallway, Natasha screaming my name behind me. Between my tears, I catch the slight move of a curtain but I’m too torn to be curious about it. Once on the roof, I let myself slid against one of the walls bringing my knees to my chest, putting my head on it, still crying. I’ll never get my chance.