#am auditioning for into the woods with a theatre group in about a month though so im looking forward to that :) hopefully I get in lmao

[spideyhexx]

auditioning for shrek the musical in a couple of days 💀💀💀 the theatre grind never stops - 🪼

I did Shrek jr in high school👍have fun, it’s a fun show!!!!

[lonelyfanboy48]

Loud House Moon Goats Christmas Vacation

After nearly a full month of performing, the Moon Goats are ready to enjoy their Christmas Vacation. Gig after gig, they outdid themselves with awesome Christmas songs they'd written the previous month. It was the time of giving people a new experience in the season of giving, not to mention a rockin 'holiday experience.

At seven am on Christmas Eve, Luna and her band, the Moon Goats arrived at the Royal Woods Mall. They promised Luan, her friends Ruby and Shannon from the Theatre Club, and Leni to help out on Christmas errands at the last minute. Leni took Lily with her to babysit on Christmas Eve with the whole Loud Family making the decision to celebrate Christmas in their own separate ways.

"So your dad was crying all night because this is your first time spending Christmas without your family?" Mazzy asked.

"Yes, you have no idea how many years he wants us to celebrate the holiday." Luna answered.

"But you do realize we haven't come up with an idea of what we can do during Christmas, right?" Sully added.

"Hey, it's not our fault our dad told us to reschedule until our mom gave us the opportunity a couple days ago." Luan said.

"I had to give up on the best Christmas outfit, because our Dad constantly wants me to drop it all because it was getting old." Leni groaned. "I just wanted to be in the Christmas spirit."

"Jeez, talking about sticking to the family tradition forever." Ruby added.

"We don't hate it, we just wanted to do something different for a change." Luna replied. "Though still, I really wanted to do something great with Sam since we couldn't go ice skating with all the skates sold out."

As the group headed their way to the food court, Luna saw Sam sitting alone, waiting. The sad part is despite the gigs she did with the band, she just told her family last night about her skipping family tradition which she's lucky they accepted, as long as she's being honest.

"Hey Sam." Luna walked up to her girlfriend.

"Hi Luna." She responded as Luna sat down. "So...any plans for us?"

"Sorry, but still nothing. To tell you the truth, it has been a busy month outside of our gigs."

"We really wanted to make this special for all of us but then again...this is our first Christmas together." Mazzy added.

"Well you can't expect to have a proper first Christmas for a band like us." Sam replied.

"So are we just gonna spend time in the mall?" Shannon wondered.

"No." Luna replied. "I gotta help Luan and Leni with their Christmas errands soon. And then maybe we can have lunch here."

"I had to work overtime at the Theatre club, so I didn't have time to buy Benny a Christmas present." Luan filling in.

"Were you planning to spend time with him?" Ruby added.

"I would if we had tickets to see a Broadway play of A Christmas Carol, but we don't."

"I gave Gavin his Christmas gift, but he headed down south to celebrate Christmas with his family so, babysitting Lily is all I got." Leni lifted Lily up.

"Lily wants a great Christmas!" Lily shouted.

Soon, Nina and Joey arrived at the food court, seeing the Moon Goats from a distance. "Hey Moon Goats!" She called their attention.

"Nina! Joey!" Sully smiled.

"It's great to see you two." Mazzy added.

"Well after she helped me with the tuba audition from the Christmas parade last week, I decided to help her pay for the Christmas Snickerdoodles." Joey replied.

"I'm in a snickerdoodle mood this year." Nina replied.

"That's nice." Sam smiled. "But we're trying to find our mood, since we have no plans for Christmas."

"We're not doing our family traditions this year unlike the last few years." Luna filling in. "Do you have any ideas?"

"We can do some Christmas carols." Nina offered.

"That'll take time." Joey said.

"Yeah, we all have been doing so many gigs, we didn't have time to listen to Christmas Carols." Sully replied.

"Don't you guys know you can do other activities during Christmas?" Shannon filling in. "Like sure, the Theatre Club does singing as well, but maybe there are other activities."

"She's right." Luan filling in. "How about when we do our errands, we find someone who could give us some inspiration."

"Yeah, you're right." Luna standing up. "But on Christmas Eve, it has to be a fast one."

Luna, Luan, and Leni left the food court, while the group stayed behind. They headed to the costume store to find Leni not only a costume for herself, but also Lily in her size. After picking a sparkling red and white Santa outfit and an elf costume for Lily, they paid for the two outfits as they headed out of the store.

"Why wouldn't you wanna see Sam in a Santa outfit?" Leni wondered.

"Because she told me I would look better in one." Luna answered. "The last time I wore a Santa outfit was when I was eight."

"Yeah, we remember that when you sang so many Christmas songs." Luan smiled. "Do you have Sam's Christmas gift?"

"Yes but it's in our bedroom. I didn't bring it with me because I was saving it for tomorrow. I know how thrilled she would've been if she found out what it is."

"Did she tell you what she likes?" Leni added.

"No, I picked up on hints during our time together, it's a surprise."

"Ohhh..." Luan, Leni, and Lily responded.

"You two would do the same, don't overdo it."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with savoring the moment when it happens." Leni smiled.

"Yeah." Lily added.

"Though still, we really need to find someone to get an idea on what we're gonna do today." Luna looking around. She then noticed Lori's friend Carol hanging out with Becky after coming out from the camping store. She made her way to the two while her sisters followed suit. "Carol!"

Carol and Becky turned their attention to Luna but little did the rockstar know, they were planning to leave. "Luna?" Carol replied.

"I know this isn't really the time, but I want to spend Christmas with not only my band, but also Sam. Do you have any ideas?"

"Luna, we're actually on a strict schedule right now." Becky replied. "Nothing personal, but tonight is really gonna be special."

"What, does it have something to do with your families?"

Carol and Becky looked at each other and went back to Luna again. "No." Carol responded. "We're gonna be watching the stars tonight."

Upon hearing their plans, Luna just found the inspiration she needs. "Wait, there's gonna be stars tonight? Like real stars?"

"Yes, we're gonna go to the forest while the stars appear above the frozen lake."

"For the last few days, we've decorated the trees at the location and all that's left is for winter camping supplies." Becky said, showing the supply bag.

"Wait, what do you mean by winter camping?" Luan wondered.

"The stars only appear at midnight." Carol answered. "Once we get to our destination, we're gonna set up our camping tents and sleep out there after watching the stars."

"That's...really awesome!" Luna cheered.

"Shooting stars during Christmas!?" Leni squealed. "How I didn't think of that before!?"

"It's called the Geminid Meteor Shower." Carol answered. "Usually it only appears a few days ago, but after the forecast news earlier this month, midnight could be bigger than that."

Luna couldn't pick a better opportunity for the best Christmas on her own. Even if she didn't experience the Geminid Meteor Shower in her life, she wonders how Sam would react upon the stars from the sky.

"Luna, you need to understand this isn't gonna be easy, not even a bit."

"You see, the weather is getting colder and it's gonna be a long night." Becky added.

"Yeah...I didn't forget the time we got stuck in Burpin' Burger to find the winning wrapper for Lana. The snow was that cold."

"We would've been burping icicles if things got worse." Luan added.

"Well you better get the equipment if you really want to see the stars." Carol replied. "Here's where you need to be." She showed Luna her phone on the destination where she and Becky are heading. Luna immediately took a picture from her phone as she's ready to tell Sam and the others their Christmas plans.

"Is Lori and Bobby gonna be there?" Leni wondered.

"No. I did offer, but they already had plans but luckily, Lori told me she found a way to get two other people to come along."

"They're probably already there right now, they really love the location." Becky added.

"Well, Lori is literally missing out on the best midnight in years." Luna grinned. "I'll do whatever it takes to get there." 

"It's not that far away, it's just two miles from the road." Carol added. "I will say, I'm looking forward to seeing Sam. I've heard good things about her." This caused Luna to blush which Carol giggled. "Always the shy girlfriend who smiles especially during Christmas."

"She can't help herself." Leni replied while Lily giggled.

Carol and Becky walked past Luna and her sisters to head out of the mall. Luna took a deep breath, while focusing on her goal. "Okay, I'm gonna go to our band to tell them we're going winter camping tonight to see the stars at midnight!"

"You sure this is gonna work out?" Luan wondered.

"I'm sure, it's a once in a lifetime chance for me and the band. I promise I'll get back to you with the errands." Luna headed straight back to the food court while Leni, Lily and Luan looked at each other.

"I'm sure the stars are gonna be pretty like the New Year's fireworks." Leni commented.

"If Luna's taking her band, I'm taking Ruby, Shannon, and my boyfriend Benny along." Luan smiled. "Though it is sad Gavin isn't here to watch the stars with you."

"Nah, I can send him selfies with the stars behind me. He'll be impressed."

"But I am worried about Sam, I'm sure she'll enjoy the stars if what Carol said is true."

"If she is, should we give Luna a surprise from her girlfriend?"

Leni lidded her eyes while looking at Lily. If everything turns out great in the end, she'll make Luna and Sam's midnight the best Christmas ever. She heads back to the costume store to buy Luna and Sam outfits.

After Luna's band agreed to the plan, they began their shopping rush in the mall for the accessories, especially finishing Luan's errands. Upon leaving, the Moon Goats texted their closest friends to tag along on their journey. With one stop at Luna's place to pick up Sam's Christmas present, they made their way to the forest where Carol and Becky were heading. Chuck took the Moon Goats on the road through the forest. After the snowstorm, every tree in the forest is covered in snow to the point where Carol, Becky and others had to clear a pathway to head to the frozen lake, especially when the snow from the trees constantly fell on the ground.

Chunk parked his van on the edge of the road with the Moon Goats heading out, while taking out their accessories. "We're here." Chunk getting out from the driver's seat. "You sure this is gonna be worth it? It's still close to noon."

"We can do something by the frozen lake." Mazzy smiled.

"Then again, winter camping is like summer camping, but colder." Sully commented.

"It's still worth seeing the stars at midnight." Nina replied.

"It's gonna be awesome mate." Tabby hugging Nina.

Then Leni along with Lily, Luan, Ruby, Shannon, and the Moon Goat's friends parked Vanzilla behind the Moon Goat's van. When they got out, Leni and Luan headed straight to Luna who took out her camping gear.

"We're here!" Leni smiled.

"So this is where we're going?" Luan looked at the cleared pathway.

"It seems like it." Luna replied.

"I have to say, I'm mostly wondering what we're gonna do before midnight." Shannon walked up behind Luan.

"We could go skating, but we don't have ice skates." Sam answered. "Then again, camping in the winter is what's on my mind."

"The only thing we can do is make the best out of it." Benny commented.

"You're right." Joey added.

As Luna and the group head through the open pathway, a broadcast TV truck also parked at the edge of the road, revealing Katherine Mulligan, her niece Adeline in her baby leash and her TV crew. "This could be it." She got out of the truck. "On Christmas morning, it will be the best Christmas report any broadcast has ever seen."

As the TV crew took out the camping and broadcast equipment, they headed in the pathway to reach the frozen lake. The two miles Luna and the group took wasn't as stressful as they thought. Even if they had to carry heavy camping equipment, they made sure to put their full focus on setting up their camping spots. Nina, Tabby, Ruby, and Shannon were way in the back carrying food and drinks.

"Have you ever imagined what it would be like to see the Geminid Meteor Shower, but bigger?" Shannon asked.

"It'll possibly be a once in a lifetime event, if it's true." Ruby commented.

"Hey, once in a lifetime opportunities should always be taken." Nina smiled. "Who knows, we would probably be the only people to see that during midnight."

"Those people who rejected the idea don't know what they're missing." Tabby added. "You have no idea how thrilled I am right now!"

"So am I, and I'm wondering how Luna is gonna handle this with Sam."

In the front of the group, Luna, Sam, Luan, Benny, and Leni are leading the group with much of the camping supplies. With the rest of Luna's friends from behind, Luna knew she would make it as far upon arriving. But with so much time until midnight, she not only needs to keep herself occupied, but also Sam and the others.

"Sam." Luna spoke to her girlfriend's attention.

"Yes?" Sam responded.

"When we set up our tents, what do you think we should do during our spare time?"

"Well when you showed me the map, all there was a frozen lake. There was nothing close to it aside from the tents."

"Maybe we can ask Carol or Becky when we're there." Luan replied.

"They probably went somewhere other than staying by their tents." Benny added.

"The only thing we could do since we can't go skating is hiking, but during the winter with snow?" Leni blinked. "No fashion show would approve of that."

"I still want to make a snowman!" Lily said.

"Don't worry, I promised we would do it today."

"If we find a way to do something exciting, even at the last minute, we can do it together." Luna slightly smiled.

"Okay, no matter what it is, at least we're spending Christmas together." Sam smiled back.

"Yeah, I know."

In a matter of time, they arrive by the frozen lake with the tents set up with tons of open spots. During the summer, nobody swam in the lake with other lakes slightly farther away being bigger but during the winter, the ice is stronger in smaller lakes than the bigger lakes. As the whole group walked past the tents, they saw Carol and Becky right in front of their tent.

"Luna." Carol took notice of her group's arrival.

"We're here." Luna replied.

"Where can we set up our tents?" Mazzy asked.

"Over there." Becky pointed.

"Thanks." Sully walking past.

It took them time to set their tents up along with the supplies and Christmas gifts, but with the help from Carol and Becky, they followed on really easily. With all the tents, each being shared by two people, the rest of Luna's group relaxed while having some drinks.

"So you two sleep with your winter clothes on?" Joey asked to which Carol nodded.

"Sleeping in a winter tent that isn't necessary when a regular tent is more convenient." Becky replied. "But during a snowstorm, there's a reason why winter campsites don't exist."

"Technically we're making one, but we're not running a camping business." Carol added.

"Well, at least we have the right tools to go through the night." Sam spoked.

"Though we're wondering," Luna replied. "Do you two plan to do anything until the Geminid Meteor Shower comes at midnight?"

"Nothing at all." Becky answered.

"We've been focusing on this whole winter camp along with the whole tree decorating, we just want to make sure we don't miss the stars." Carol replied.

Luna felt speechless of the lack of activities Carol and Becky do aside from winter camping. Of course her hearing about how hard setting up camp felt exaggerated. "It's not even one o'clock and we have eleven hours from now until then."

"We weren't sure okay, just because this is all your first time doesn't mean we've done this before."

"Only a few families saw the Geminid Meteor Shower in Royal Woods." Becky said. "Anyone who denies it just prefers normal camping, that's for any season except winter."

"Well, it seems you can do more in normal camping but still, we can at least do something to use up all that spare time." Sam replied. "There should be something we can do that's close to us."

When Carol looked at the map from her phone, Luna and everyone by the frozen lake saw Katherine Mulligan and her TV crew making their way. "Katherine Mulligan?" Luna blinked.

"The Moon Goats." Katherine smiled. "Didn't expect we would meet again after you performed on Kat Chat." As the TV crew moved past them to set up their winter tents, Luan and Leni, who picked up Lily, walked up next to Luna and Sam.

"Looks like the tv broadcast might be capturing the moment." Luan said.

"Correct. And in the morning, we're going back to the TV station and giving families a great Royal Woods Morning News."

"Wow, talk about doing a service for missing Christmas just for an amazing Geminid Meteor Shower experience." Leni commented.

"They already show it on TV, just not the bigger one." Joey replied.

"Anyway, I'm planning on going sightseeing with my niece soon. It may not be enough in my mind, but my crew are still setting up the TV equipment, especially our broadcast camera." Katherine said.

"I don't blame you, we've all early here." Becky commented. "Then again, we made the choice to be here rather with our families so...this is our price we have to deal with."

"Wait!" Carol called as she headed back to the group. "There's a building close by but it's on top of a hill."

"On top of a hill?" Luna responded.

"I don't know what it is but considering we have a lot of time, we can check it out."

"Perfect! I can give Adeline great sightseeing along with capturing it on video." Katherine said happily, picking up her niece.

"Well at least it's still something." Sam turned to Luna.

"I'm mostly wondering what we can do on the hill, especially the building." Luna wondered.

"Then let's go already." Sully said, standing up from the ground. While the rest of the group relax by the frozen Lake, Luna, the Moon Goats, her sisters, Carol, Becky, Benny, Katherine along with her niece and a cameraman made their way to the nearby hill. After going through the forest from the other side from where they came from, they got out where they saw the hill by the open field. It wasn't as big as they thought so they couldn't see it by the frozen lake.

Upon heading up the hill, they noticed snow steps from two people who went up there. Luna remembered the size of the snow steps, she still remembers the time she had a snow day without school, spending time with her siblings, and remembering the sizes of their footsteps. She may not be an expert like Lisa but she still knows her siblings in some aspects when it comes to size.

"We're almost there." Chunk panted.

With Luna and her siblings reaching to the top, the building is a medium size cabin with a garage on the right. It wasn't the best cabin in the world, but the most cozy at this time of year.

"It's just a cabin?" Becky took notice after reaching the top.

"Well that's a bummer." Luan commented. "But I wonder who's inside."

"Let's not bother them." Sam replied. "If they're staying for the Geminid Meteor Shower, they really rented the money here and not wasted a cent of it."

"I would do the same to be honest." Carol said.

When Luna followed the snow steps from the left side of the cabin, she saw two kids on the edge of the hill, but one of them she recognized very well. "Bro?"

The kid turned around after hearing the B word from someone who calls him that everytime. "Luna?"

"Lincoln!" Luna smiled as she ran up to him. "I didn't expect to spend my Christmas to see you." She then saw Girl Jordan and was surprised to see her. "And your happy Christmas angel." She lidded her eyes, causing her brother to blush.

"Hey, I also didn't expect to meet you out here to see the stars." Lincoln reacted.

"Lincoln, everyone called me and my friends Christmas angels." Girl Jordan said, walking up next to him.

"I even heard when you and her were video chatting, she called you the Gildor Elf." Leni smiled as Lily giggled.

"Guys stop!" Lincoln continued to blush harder.

"Aww! You didn't tell me?" Luan looking at Leni. "I could've come up with a great pun."

"Okay, everyone give him a break." Carol chiming in. "Lincoln and Girl Jordan were the ones Lori talked about and they agreed."

"We were planning on just spending Christmas apart since we did a lot this month, but Girl Jordan wanted to see the stars with me tonight, so here I am." Lincoln presented himself.

"Geez, everyone has last minute decisions." Benny commented.

"It's still our first time watching the Geminid Meteor Shower together with it being bigger than normal. I can't imagine how breathtaking it will be." Girl Jordan replied.

As Katherine and her cameraman reached the top of the hill, her niece cheered from the view on all sides. "This is perfect!" She smiled. "Get the camera ready!"

Luna, Carol, and Lincoln walked up from the edge of the hill while looking at the view in the distance. Nina went past the group to see Luna next to her brother while Girl Jordan took notice. "Is that a new member of your band?" Girl Jordan asked.

"Well, temporary member." Sam answered.

"She looks really cool."

"Thanks, I don't usually get those compliments from fans." Nina smiled.

"Hey, even non-fans can give out honest gestures." Sully added.

"Though I'm wondering what's with the cabin here."

When the group turned to the cottage itself, they agreed with what Sam said but when Sam got close to the window, she noticed it's empty in the living room. "I don't think anyone's here."

"Really?" Girl Jordan seeing through the window. "Yeah, there's no one inside?"

"But it doesn't look dusty at all." Nina also joined in.

Mazzy reached to the front door to open it, but found it to be locked. "We still need a key though."

"What about the garage?" Joey pointed. "Because I don't think it's very heavy, we might push the garage door up."

"Yeah, let's give it a try." Tabby cheered as the group headed to the garage.

Back from the edge of the hill, Luna told Lincoln everything on why she and her band are here. Of course Lincoln would've been in the same position as her sister but his relationship with Girl Jordan isn't the same as Sam's.

"Luna, when you say this is your first time spending Christmas with Sam, did you expect more from it?" Lincoln asked.

"Everyone wants their first Christmas with someone more than better." Luna replied. "If ice skating was my option, I would still want more from it."

"Even me and Becky, which is why we decorated the trees by the frozen lake." Carol added.

"Well, I can't say I would've felt the same way. Girl Jordan wanted to do more before we came here." Lincoln looked in the distance.

"Hey, the only thing I remember from last year is you and her having turtle doves. Don't act like she missed Christmas when she was born."

Lincoln turned to his sister after hearing the complement. "It did feel like that."

"Hey, I didn't get a chance to sit on Santa's lap until I was seven." Carol retorted. "When do you get a chance to sit on his lap?"

"Four years old?"

"Exactly!"

"What? I wasn't rubbing it in your face."

This causes Carol to lean down face to face with Lincoln. "Kids do that when they get their chance. They're not like my friends."

"Was it a bad experience?"

"We all grew up thinking that Santa was real." Carol leaned back while noticing that everyone except Katherine and her cameraman were gone. "Where is everybody?"

The three headed to the front of the cabin and saw Nina, Girl Jordan, Tabby, Sully, and Mazzy push the garage opener up. "We got it!" Nina smiled while they witnessed the inside.

"There's tons of sleighs in here." Tabby looking at the stack of sleighs.

"We can definitely slide down the hill with these." Girl Jordan smiled.

When Luna, Carol, and Lincoln headed to the front of the garage, Nina and the others took one medium size sleigh and walked past them. "There's sleighs inside?" Luna reacted.

"Yeah, we can ride down the hill to pass the time." Sam replied.

"That's actually really great." Lincoln jumped in thrilled. "I'll help you carry the sleigh Girl Jordan." He heads to ad Girl Jordan as most of the sleighs, small and medium, are out of the garage.

"You're thinking about sliding down with Sam?" Carol asked while they saw Sam taking another medium size sleigh out. "It's not skiing, but it's still riding down the hill."

"I do, it's just..." Luna stepped into the garage. "It's not the Christmas moment I wanted with her. Midnight is the moment, but sleighing isn't really what I had in mind to pass the time."

"It's not like it's wasting your time." Carol walked next to her. "I make the best out of using my time on anything that comes my way."

"That's easy for you to say, all I have is my gift to her."

Carol turned around to see Sam nowhere in her sight, outside of the garage. "What did you bring her?" She turned back to Luna.

"A light blue and yellow rockstar guitar pendant." Luna answered. "I couldn't find anything better like a new guitar or something else, so I went to the jewelry store where I found the pendant."

"That's...really unlikely of you to do that."

"I didn't get the choice to go out of Royal Woods. The women who worked there stated that the pendent's rare and I was lucky that they had her name on top of the guitar." When she took a deep breath, Nina overheard everything while hiding by the garage door.

Just when Luna headed out, Nina got out of the way while heading inside. She wanted to make things better between her and Sam, but it requires a lot more for them to spend quality time. But when she turned around, she saw two pairs of ice skates that are the right sizes for Luna and Sam. "This is perfect for her and Sam."

She headed to Katherine who her cameraman finished setting up and preparing to record. When she slightly pulled on her winter jacket, Katherine took notice as Nina whispered into her eye. Katherine liked the idea so much, she was willing to have it included on television. "I like the way you think, kid." She smiled.

Nina headed back to the group who all set up their sleighs. She shared a sleigh with Tabby from the front and Becky from the back. Leni, Luan, and Benny all shared one with Lily in front. Carol shared hers with Lincoln and Girl Jordan with her right in front of them, Chuck had his own sleigh for himself, Sully and Mazzy all shared one as Luna and Sam sat on their own sleigh.

"Are we all ready?" Carol asked, holding onto Lincoln.

"I'm ready when you are." Mazzy responded.

"We can do this as many times as we want, we have a lot of time." Becky added.

"This is gonna be exciting." Sam responded. "I did this with my brother last year, but not on this high of a hill."

When Luna looked straight down, it was a bigger hill then expected. If people walked up here, they're would be no way of them sliding down. "Yeah, he'll probably be exhausted by going up the hill several times."

"Would you?" Sam turned to Luna.

"Probably, if the hill wasn't so big."

"You'll be like my brother, even though you're in shape."

With everyone in their sleighs, they pushed them down the hill with Leni and Carol's coming down first. Becky and Sully came second while Luna and Chuck's came down last. "See you at the bottom, mates!" He called while sliding down.

The speed of Luna and Sam's sleigh due to the height of the hill was beyond what they expected. The two tried to hold on with the speed of their sleigh being much faster. They went past Becky which took her and the others by surprise.

"Whoa!" Becky reacted.

"They're going down fast!" Tabby shouted.

Soon Luna and Sam went past Benny and the Loud sisters. "Luuuunaaa!" Lily pointed and just in the nick of time, she received a high five from Luna.

"Wow, they're going really fast." Benny reacted.

"They're coming up by Carol." Leni replied.

When Carol, Lincoln, and Girl Jordan are focused on the end of the hill, they didn't pay attention to Luna and Sam who went flying past them. Just when they saw them, they reached the end of the hill with their sleighs slowing down. Luna and Sam turned their sleighs to the right to stop as the others stopped their sleighs.

"You beat us!" Lincoln getting out of the sleigh.

"We thought we would've been the first to stop." Girl Jordan added.

"I guess we were lighter than all of you." Sam giggled. "It's disappointing, but it's still not a race."

"And it was still fun!" Luna said. "If Lana was here sliding with Bobbie Fletcher, I would love to see the look on her face."

"Hmm, confident are you?" Carol smiled while raising an eyebrow. "If you participate in the skiing event at the olympics, let's see who's the more confident one."

With the other people stopping, they were amazed to see Luna and Sam sliding past them. "That was amazing!" Luan getting out of her sleigh.

"I want to do it again!" Tabby reacted.

"Should we get the others to slide down?" Leni offered.

"Sure if you go get them." Chuck picking his sleigh up.

The group continued to go back up the hill and slide down. Leni went back to the frozen lake and brought more people to join in. For the next hour, they continued to slide down the hill while Katherine recorded them. Not long until she and her niece took a turn, sliding down with Adeline cheering in excitement. Luna and Sam were having a blast sliding down multiple times. When everyone took their final slide down the hill, they reached back up to return the sleighs in the garage while heading back to the frozen lake. However when Nina became the last person to put her sleigh back, she took the two pairs of ice skates and followed the group.

When they made their way back to the frozen lake, they decide to take a break with the amount of time they still have. Nina sneakily went into her tent to keep the pair of ice skates a secret from Luna and Sam. But after she got out, Luan, Leni, Lincoln, and Lily spotted her.

"Were you carrying something?" Lincoln replied.

"Yes, but it's a surprise." Nina answered.

"Oh, that's totes a coincidence, because we already have a surprise for our sister Lu-" Luan covered Leni's mouth.

"Leni, don't blurt it out loud." Luan said.

"You also have a surprise?" Nina blinked.

"Yes?"

"What's this all about?" Lincoln replied.

With Lincoln being the only one not keeping secrets, the rock girl and sisters had to confess to each other. "We brought Christmas outfits for Luna and Sam." Leni answered.

"And I was carrying two pairs of ice skates from that hill we just went on." Nina answered. "It's mainly for Luna and Sam."

"As in, the two skating together on the frozen lake?" Lincoln asked as Nina nodded. Lincoln wanted to help out his rock and roll sister, but for how his sisters and Nina were setting everything up in secret, he wondered how Luna would react upon the moment's arrival.

"We've brought dresses for Luna being dressed up as Mrs. Claus while...it's a surprise for what Sam's gonna wear." Leni confessed.

"The Geminid Meteor Shower didn't feel like enough for her, so we wanted to make it better. It's almost a Christmas miracle she hasn't found out yet." Luan commented. "Then again, we didn't even prepare for the two at the last minute."

"Seems you didn't think of the idea of them skating together." Lincoln said, catching on to what was going on.

"If we did, we would've planned everything out. But I couldn't afford two pairs of ice skates." Leni said.

"If I took that opportunity alone, it would take me weeks, maybe even months to make it work between her and Sam." Nina commented.

When Lincoln looks at Luna who's hanging out with her band, including Sam, there's still lots of time before midnight arrives. Even with the trees decorated, he may find a way to make Luna's Christmas with Sam better.

"Be right back." Lincoln saw Girl Jordan hanging out Carol and Becky who were testing the Christmas lights. When he got her attention from behind, he whispered into her ear while keeping an eye on Luna and Sam not spotting him. Girl Jordan found the idea perfect as she joined in on Lincoln's plan. When they come back to the sisters and Nina, there's only one way to make Luna's Christmas better. "Let's do some more errands."

"Perfect." Nina agreed.

"Let's get this show on the road." Luan smiled.

"I can drive...but I'm low on payments." Leni added while Lily giggled.

Lincoln, his sisters, Girl Jordan and Nina, made their way to the exit from where they came from, only for Luna to take notice. "Hey!" Luna called as she walked up to them. "Where are you all going?"

"More sightseeing, since we still have lots of time before the meteor shower."

"We'll be back before night time." Luan said.

"We're mostly impatient, staying here isn't gonna occupy us for that long." Nina replied.

"I don't blame you, but I'm not risking the chances of missing the meteor shower at midnight." Luna looked up at the sky. "Hope you all get back."

"We will." Leni spoked.

The group headed back to Vanzilla to drive to stores outside of the forest. It took them to four separate stores to search for the stuff they're looking for. It took them all afternoon, but they managed to get everything that they needed. During their trip, Girl Jordan came up with an idea that'll make Sam more pleased when it eventually happens, just like what Lincoln did for her last year.

Nina managed to rent more pairs of ice skates for the people by the frozen lake for one night, but at the same time, she'll do more with them knowing that Katherine Mulligan wants her Christmas report to be memorable. Of course, she doesn't want everyone to stay off of the frozen lake, leaving Luna and Sam all alone before the meteor shower arrives.

By the time they headed back, it was starting to get dark out with the sun setting below the horizon. Even with only six hours left until the moment itself arrives, they still have enough time to set up the moment between Luna and Sam. Luan texted her boyfriend, Ruby, and Shannon on their plan for Luna, to which they accepted. Upon arriving back by the frozen lake, most of the trees around are lit up with each tree having one set of colors while some have multiple colors. It wasn't the best Carol and Becky set up, but for their first time, they at least contributed.

Luna and Sam both came out of their tents while taking notice of her brother, sisters and Nina coming back. They both walked up to them after five hours being away as Luna's becoming inpatient despite keeping on track of time. "You're finally back." Luna replied.

"I told you we'd be back by nightfall." Luan replied.

"Is there anything else you're gonna do until midnight?" Girl Jordan asked.

"Not much, we did spend time with the band performing songs...despite no instruments." Sam said.

When the group turned to the frozen lake, Luan and Nina turned to Benny who popped his head out of the tent. "That's good, hey Sam, is it okay if you can do an activity with Luan's friends?" Nina pointed at the tent just as Benny got back in.

"Sure, it'll keep me occupied for a little while." Sam made her way to the tent.

"Speaking of activities, me and the Moon Goats are all out of options. Then again the whole meteor shower is really testing my patience."

"Then how about we do something together in our tent?" Leni offered and Lily cheered.

"Even sisters need to keep themselves occupied." Luan smiled.

"Okay." Luna smiled as she and her sisters headed into their tent.

"Okay, you two tell everyone about our plan, but remind them to not tell Luna and Sam." Nina spoke to the preteens.

"We got everything under control." Lincoln smiled.

"Especially the unexpected moments." Girl Jordan lidded her eyes.

Lincoln and Girl Jordan reached everyone by the frozen lake, while Nina hid the surprises behind one of the tents when the moment arrived. For the next five hours, it's getting close to midnight, just thirty minutes away. It was a quiet time while Luna and Sam remained inside their tents. Carol and Becky looked up at the sky with tons of stars.

"The meteor shower should be coming in half an hour." Becky commented.

"The meteors from last week were smaller, but bigger?" Carol wondered. "Science and the solar system can be unpredictable."

"At least it's not an asteroid crashing into earth at unpredictable speed levels."

Katherine and her crew are at their tv set up, while Katherine is keeping her niece occupied. Everyone who's outside of their tents are waiting for the meteors to come past them, all except Luna, Sam, her sisters and Luan's boyfriend and friends.

"Wow, this Christmas outfit is perfect for me." Luna looking at her reflection from Leni's mirror.

"Does it take you back to your childhood?" Leni smiled.

"Yeah, minus the sparkles. And the ice stakes." Luna looked down at her boots.

"Don't worry, I've heard that the ice in the lake is really strong, thanks to the snowstorm." Luan added.

"You mean you want me to ice skate on the frozen lake?"

"It's not hard to get used to."

"What about Sam, is she also gonna ice skate?"

"Yep." Leni replied. "I bet she'll be surprised when she sees you in that outfit."

Luna can tell where this is going, but not catching on completely on her sister's plan. Especially since her girlfriend Sam is in the other tent hanging out with Luan's classmates. In the other tent, Ruby and Shannon took their time to put Sam in her outfit, but compared to Luna's, it was a bit harder to do.

"Is this really necessary? It's really cold outside." Sam said while shaking.

"It's only for tonight." Benny replied.

"Besides, doesn't it look great?" Ruby commented.

"I'm not gonna lie, it makes me stand out as a beautiful girl during the Christmas season." Sam looked at her outfit.

"If only we could rent them for Theatre Club plays." Shannon said, being mesmerized at the outfit.

"I'm still on the fence with the whole ice skating thing. I did take lessons, especially pairing with a partner, but on the frozen lake, aren't other people gonna ice skate?"

"In a little bit." Ruby answered. "Trust us, you won't regret this."

"It's just, I thought this would've been an appropriate time to do it earlier than thirty minutes before the shower starts."

"It's not like you're gonna miss it when you're outside like everyone else."

"I can guarantee that you won't fall when the meteors shoot past." Benny said. "If you're good at ice skating, you should be able to keep your balance with your partner."

Sam soon picked up the pieces with one more question in mind. "Who is my partner, by the way?"

"Take a wild guess." Both Ruby and Shannon smiled while Sam lidded her eyes. By the look on their faces, she won't jinx the moment of the partner she's skating with.

Back outside, Lincoln and Girl Jordan stand together in front of Luna's tent while Nina and Joey stand together in front of Sam's tent. fifteen minutes have passed with only fifteen minutes until midnight. With the people in Royal Woods sleeping until Christmas morning, people by the frozen lake aren't wasting their opportunity. A difficult night for first timers, but worth the wait. The Moon Goats along with their friends are sitting as a group, staying on time but also witnessing an ice skating show like from TV but by teenagers.

Luan popped her head out of her tent while Benny popped his head out of his. They gave each other a thumbs up while turning to Lincoln and Nina, giving them the thumbs up indicating that Luna and Sam are ready. Upon the signal, Lincoln and Girl Jordan lifted up a red curtain with pulls on each end to prevent Luna having eye contact with Sam. As for Nina and Joey, they have a white curtain to do the same with Sam.

Carol and Becky took notice of Luna coming out, they've heard about what Lincoln told them earlier and they're gonna join in on the view. "Would you be willing to give two of them an announcement? Like from an ice skating show?" Becky asked.

"Keeping them anonymous makes the show better, this isn't professional ice skating." Carol replied.

Luan and Leni helped Luna stepping on the frozen lake due to her ice skates. With Sam getting the assistance from Ruby and Shannon, the two groups reached the center of the lake and crossed paths. They remain still with Leni and Luan letting go of Luna. "You're ready for this?" Luan backed away.

"I think I can handle this from here." Luna grinned. "I'll love the look on Sam's face when she sees me in this." Sam quietly giggled with Ruby, after hearing what Luna just said. In the right moment, Lincoln and Girl Jordan moved out of the way with their curtain while Nina and Joey did the same. "Merry Christmas Sa-"

Upon seeing Sam in full view, she cut herself off, with her heart pounding. Sam wore an ice crystal sequin patterned outfit, being much more shiny compared to Luna's. Even without any make up, she still stands out more beautiful than Luna, who's the only person wearing a Santa hat. "Ha, Merry Christmas Luna." She giggled.

"That...outfit...is gorgeous!" Luna reacted. "I never thought I would ever say that!"

"And your outfit is adorable."

Luna was shaking, while Leni and Luan kept an eye on her in case she fell over. "Just stay in the moment." Luan leaned towards her sister.

"And backing out is the last thing people do during Christmas." Leni added.

"I'm aware." Luna responded.

"We should let them take it from here." Shannon replied.

"Okay." Ruby smiled. "The lake's all yours."

With the girls getting off the frozen lake, Luna and Sam stared at each other. With the sky filled with stars, Sam took Luna's hand as she moved herself, skating with Luna behind her. Luna saw the way Sam skated from the movements of her legs. She kept her balance as Sam turned to her right.

"It's not skiing, but it's still something." Luna is still distracted from Sam's dress.

"Don't worry, this is just for fun, I'm not expecting you to be an expert." Sam replied. "If we were skiing on a hill, I wouldn't want to see you do a flip of some sort, because you would end up crashing down."

"I've been thinking the same thing."

"Then again, I would've crashed if I was trying to save you."

"Still would do the same thing."

The two giggled while they continued to skate on the ice. With the tree lights glowing around the frozen lake, it felt like skating through a garden at a holiday light show. Even in staying in one place, Sam couldn't believe how hard Carol and Becky worked by decorating the trees. Luna may seem better when it comes to decorations, but she can't deny the place itself is beautiful.

"I want to know." Sam spoked. "I know we're gonna do well in the new year but...what do you bring me for Christmas?"

Luna didn't forget to bring Sam's gift, but on the other hand, she was planning to give it to her on Christmas morning after making the choice to sleep inside her tent. "Do you want me to give it to you now, instead of in the morning?"

"It's almost Christmas, besides, I'm willing to give you mine."

From the gesture of her girlfriend's holiday spirit, Luna made up her mind as she let go of Sam. She made her way to the Moon Goats with Sam stopping herself. "Go get my gift to Sam and hers to me, we're gonna open them tonight."

"No problem." Sully replied, heading into their tents.

"I'm gonna love to see this." Chunk crossing his arms.

"So do we all." Mazzy added as she gets Sam's gift. In no time, Sully and Mazzy got out Luna and Sam's gifts to each other. Upon giving them to Luna, Luna skated back to Sam and handed her gift to her. Katherine and her crew are recording every second of Luna and Sam's skating on the frozen lake and now, they're having the moment together. "This is gonna break ratings for teenage Christmas spirit!" Katherine cheered. "Zoom in on them!" The cameraman followed Katherine's order as the camera zoomed in on Luna and Sam.

"I want to open mine before you open yours." Luna replied.

"Okay." Sam smiled.

While standing still, Luna opened up her gift. Upon ripping the wrapping paper, they're Mick Swagger style headphones with Mick Swagger's face sticking out. "Mick Swagger headphones?" Luna smiled.

"I knew they were rare to find, so me and my mom searched outside of Royal Roods to find them. You can't imagine how hard it was to find them."

The appreciation of searching for a rare gift made Luna impressed, but at the same time, she couldn't do the same by going out of Royal Woods. "Speaking of Royal Woods, my gift isn't from out of town. But I did what I could to find something you'll enjoy."

"It's fine." As Sam looked at her gift, it's smaller compared to Luna's. She did receive smaller gifts in her life especially from her birthdays, but never expected one from Luna. Luna paid attention to Sam as she ripped the wrapping paper from her fingers. With the wrapping paper off, it's revealed to be a small box exclusive to necklaces which took her off guard. She took the top of the box off and saw the guitar pendant.

"Is that...a rockstar pendant...with my favorite colors?" She stuns in disbelief.

"It was mostly a last minute choice, I couldn't think of anything else." Luna slightly smiled. "I was thinking of picking out jewelry and I came across that."

Sam took the pendant out of the box and found it mesmerizing. Thanks to the Christmas lights all around, the reflections on the pendant were beyond beautiful. The guitar, while not the real thing, is fully detailed, as if there wasn't a single spot that was off. When she put the chain on her neck, it was better than how Luna imagined it in her mind.

"So...do you find it good?" Luna asked.

"It's more than good. It's perfect." Sam turned to Luna. "I'm not really into jewelry, but this really fits me."

Meanwhile, Nina checked on her watch that it was close to midnight, it was time for her to head behind the tents. With her running past Lincoln and Girl Jordan, it was also they're clue to do their own thing to make Luna's moment with Sam better.

"I'm glad that you like it." Luna smiled.

"I'll try to find one similar to this, but with your colors."

"I can help you with that, we don't have to wait until my birthday, that's still eight months away."

"Hey, it could be our new year's resolution together."

"Yeah."

Little did they know when they looked above themselves, a mistletoe was hanging above them. Lincoln and Girl Jordan together were holding onto a very long stick that the mistletoe is attached to the end. When they both looked at each other, Luna blushed hard. She kissed Sam a few times, but only on the cheek.

Sam also blushed, but not as hard as her girlfriend. At the same time, she's been thinking about receiving Luna a favor for the good things she did for her, especially today on Christmas Eve. She placed both of her hands on Luna's shoulders which caught her attention, but she didn't lid her eyes. She only looked straight into Luna's eyes so she could pay attention to her. Luna slowly closed her eyes, staying in the moment without anyone in the way.

"Merry Christmas...Luna." Sam closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Luna. She wrapped her arms around her while lifting her leg up. Luna grabbed Sam's body, preventing her from falling but her body is in another level of emotions. She shaked with her heart pounding, but Sam placed her hand on her back to calm her down.

Nina then rushed out from the back of the tents after setting off the surprise. Fireworks flew above the frozen lake, to the sky and exploded. It was also around the time where midnight of Christmas had arrived with shooting stars of The Geminid Meteor Shower. With them being bigger than before, they're in colors of blue, yellow, and purple. Both Luna and Sam opened their eyes while containing their kiss, with the decorated lights, fireworks, and the shooting stars on Christmas, they looked at each other again, and closed their eyes as they savored their best Christmas moment of their lives.

Everyone adored the moment, Tabby whistled from the moment she's witnessing Carol was more impressed with Luna while Katherine found the jackpot of all jackpots for her Christmas report. "You're aware that lesbian kissing isn't allowed on news broadcasts, right?" Her cameraman replied.

"Don't bring in oversensitive censorship!" Katherine leans towards the cameraman. "The LGBTQ community deserve a wonderful Christmas moment from their eyes!"2

After a solid minute, Luna and Sam broke the kiss as the fireworks stopped. They were more satisfied than they thought as Luna breathed after holding her breath. Upon letting the air out, she and Sam made their way off of the frozen lake. "Best Christmas ever!"

"That was amazing!" Mazzy cheered.

"Best romantic Christmas moment ever." Ruby added.

"I'll never stop putting mistletoes above couples during the holidays." Girl Jordan lidded her eyes.

"You really pulled a deja vu from last year little bro." Luna rubbed on Lincoln's hair.

"Wasn't planning on it, but I wasn't just gonna stand here and just watch the stars." Lincoln giggled. "Man with a plan love's out of nowhere goals."

"And besides, this Christmas is all about you and Sam." Luan commented.

"True, but Christmas is all about all of us." Sam replied. "I wanted to thank all of you for this."

"Really appreciated." Luna added.

Carol walked up by Luna, clapping from her and Sam's moment. "If this was part of a movie, you two would win an award for best kiss." She smiled.

"Couldn't agree more." Becky added.

"Anyway..." Nina went past the Moon Goats as she showed everyone her rented box of ice skates with Joey helping her out. "Who's ready to ice skate?"

Everyone cheered as they got a pair out from the box. In no time, everyone got on the frozen lake as they all skated. It felt like ice skating from the big city despite having no buildings, but the holiday feeling is still there, untouched and unchanged. The people who didn't ice skate are Luna, Sam, and Nina, sitting together, watching the people skate while The Geminid Meteor Shower is still shooting meteors from above.

"Aren't you gonna join in?" Sam asked.

"In a little bit." Nina answered.

"Is it because you planned most of this?" Luna guessed and Nina nodded. "You and the others weren't sightseeing, were you?"

"You're already catching on?"

"The moment came and went uninterrupted, this isn't seventh grade knowledge."

"I kind of knew it was a set up, but I wasn't gonna spoil anyone's Christmas errands." Sam giggled.

"Then I'm ahead of seventh grade education." Nina said.

"You bet." Luna taking off her Santa hat. "Nina, for you being an honorary member of our band, you proved to me that you really enjoyed us when we were just enjoying ourselves."

"Well I know bands do more than just gigs."

"Isn't it really a surprise, you've been with us for awhile, you already knew that." Sam replied.

"It's still the truth of them all. It was more than an honor to join your band. And as a person who adores Christmas, an honorary member shares holiday cheer to their closest members."

This causes Luna to roll her eyes, while smiling after months of getting to know Nina. "You're my friend rock star rookie." She wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "I think your new year's resolution is to write one song that can blow me away. No matter how long it takes."

"You're really giving me that honor?"

"Who knows."

"Possibly." Sam commented. "If it's a hit, you could write more songs."

"I will listen to them until the day I die."

"Okay!" Nina cheered. "I also have something for you two." She stood up while opening her backpack. She took out two bags of Christmas Snickerdoodles and gave them to Luna and Sam. "I don't have a lot for everyone, but I wasn't gonna forget about you two."

"Christmas Snickerdoodles?" Sam receives the snack.

"I would've passed them out, no matter what Christmas dessert it is." Luna taking one snickerdoodle out, taking a bite from it. "Thanks Nina."

"You're welcome." Nina smiled. "By the way, I need to return those ice skates back to that cabin."

"We'll do it in the morning. Enjoy ice skating."

Nina put on her ice skates as she joined the others on the frozen lake. "Should we join?" Sam offered.

"In five more minutes. I'm still satisfied from...you know."

"I'm also satisfied, but Christmas has arrived." She stood up while putting her beg in her tent. "And I'm not tired of ice skating again with my girlfriend."

Luna blushed again, while standing up. "Okay then." She took Sam's hand as they both got on the frozen lake. Nearly everyone had the best experience from The Geminid Meteor Shower after waiting half a day to witness it. Less and less stars appear but no one misses the moment they can all remember. Especially when more people see it on TV.

"I love Christmas." Katherine smiled as she joined in on the ice skating with her niece. "I'm just waiting to see the news reporters all around the world jealous of my ice skating skills."

[reidandweep]

I Know Him

Adam Sackler x Reader

A/N- I love Sackler as a character and wanted to write a character more personal to me. I am on the spectrum myself. I know everyone’s autism is different so don’t take this as characteristics or mannerisms of everyone with autism. These are things I have done, or do, or like. Not everyone is the same. I hope you like the story.

Word Count- 4670 words

Warning- Fluff, Angst, mentions of autism, swearing, manipulative behaviour.

If someone had asked Adam how different his life was now to what it was nearly a year ago, he could not explain how much so. He finally felt as though his life was on track. Successfully booking auditions and work, in the past 6 months alone, Adam had worked in two theatre shows, one even being considered to transition onto Broadway. The people around him was different as well. For the better. There was no more Hannah, no more Jessa, or any of their friends. His sister Caroline had arrived back in the picture. With time and patience, Adam and Laird had slowly helped her get back on track. They had all celebrated Sample’s birthday together and Christmas as a mismatched group. 

There were times where he thought he missed Hannah and Jessa, both in different ways, but Adam quickly realised that he missed the physical aspects rather than the relationships he had with them. He was putting himself first for once. It took him a while to get to where he was now, but he had help along the way. Especially from one particular person.

Walking into the diner, Adam gazed over to the empty booth. The diner held patrons here and there. Adam flittered his gaze across the people as he scanned the room. A sudden jerk of movement caught his eye. Turning his gaze to the fourth booth on the right, situated underneath the hand painted letters on the window, Adam saw is usual sight on a Thursday afternoon.  She was what Adam could describe as perfect.

Y/N had no idea of the Adam staring at her. With her headphones on, she faintly rocked back and forth, unaware of the movement she was making. This was an everyday occurrence for her, and the people in the diner. This was her routine every Thursday. Thursday was her favourite day. She wore her favourite colour jumper, her h/c styled in her favourite way, and listened to her favourite music. All whilst sitting in her favourite diner eating her favourite choice of food there. Since moving to NYC, Y/N had followed this routine, only falling out of it when a break occurred. She never referred to them as meltdowns or breakdowns because she did not want it to be viewed as negative. She had been made to feel bad about who she was for a long time; she wasn’t going to let it carry on.

Adam watched on as the woman rocked back and forth, adjusting the large white cabled headphones on her head. Chuckling, he continued to watch until a waitress arrived.

“What can I get you hun?”

Adam pulled his gaze from the woman in the booth before him. Clearing his throat, he quickly scanned the menu. 

“Can I have scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.”

The waitress wrote down Adam’s order.

“Any drinks?”

“A glass of milk.”

The waitress gave Adam a knowing look before writing down his request.

“That’s eggs, bacon, toast, and milk to drink. I’ll bring it right over.”

The waitress walked away from Adam and towards the fourth booth on the right.

Adam continued to watch from his view by the door.

Out the corner of her eye, Y/N saw a manicured hand on the table. Pausing her music, she slowly pulled her headphones off her ears and around her neck.

Quickly glancing up, she smiled at the sight of Paula.

“Good afternoon Y/N.”

“Good afternoon Paula.”

Adam licked his lip at the sound of her voice. He leaned against the pillar; blatantly eavesdropping.

Even though Y/N ordered the same thing every Thursday, Paula still asked her each week. She appreciated that the woman would help with her routine in the smallest ways.

“And what are you having today?”

As always, she looked at the menu to see her order, even though she had ordered it a hundred times before. 

“Can I have the number 16 special please?”

Paula smiled as she wrote down the order in her notebook.

“Coming right up.”

Just as Paula turned to leave, Y/N spoke up once more.

“Is he here yet Paula?”

Paula turned to the young woman and smiled. 

“He’s at the door. Right on time.”

Y/N smiled as she turned in the booth. Her smile growing bigger at the sight of her best friend standing at the door. 

Adam smiled back. Pushing from the pillar, he walked towards the booth and sat across from Y/N.

Her eyes followed him. The grin never once faltered.

Threading his hands through his hair, Adam pushed back his mop of dark locks. 

The pair sat in silence for a moment, choosing to just smile at one another. The silence broke as Y/N couldn’t help but giggle.

“Afternoon Adam.”

“Hi squirt.”

“So, how did your auditions go?”

Y/N leaned forward, placing her head on her clasped hands as she prepared herself to listen to Adam tell her his day. Like everything else on a Thursday, this was part of her routine. It was one of her favourite parts. She didn’t mind how long they spoke for. She didn’t mind if they spoke so long that her other activities were delayed because she was with Adam; her favourite person in the world.

She could remember the day she met Adam clearer than her most vibrant memories. It was the first time in a long time that Y/N had met someone who didn’t see her for her autism, but for herself. She had just moved to NYC after months of explaining to her mother that it was the perfect time for her to venter away from the comforts of home. New York City had been her dream since she was young, but Y/N feared that they would never become a reality because of the fear that held her back and her comfort in her routine at home. 

Meeting new people was difficult for her. Y/N found eye contact hard, sometimes even reading people’s expressions was a struggle. She would often have to ask someone what they were feeling during a conversation because she was unsure. Public transport was another feat to get over. But she knew if she did not try, then she would never know.

So, she moved to NYC alone. Found an apartment that she was happy with and started to make it feel like a home. The apartment was filled with her comforts. Posters from movies decorated the walls of her bedroom and living room. Along shelves sat books upon books of adaptions of her favourite films. DVD’s scattered the sparse spaces, as well as, collectable figures filled her room; never leaving their boxes but ordered in a way she could tell you what row and column each one was placed.

Her apartment felt like a home away from home. But the only problem seemed to be her neighbour above. At often times she would hear a mixture of noises from the room. They would range from the sound of things breaking to the overlapping of music and wood being sawed to the constant rocking of a bed. After a few weeks, she had enough, and built up the courage to knock on the stranger’s door. Their conversation hadn’t gone well at first.

They had bickered back and forth and as Y/N was about to leave, Adam had reached out to touch her arm to cease her from doing so; not happy with how the conversation would’ve ended. Well, it caused Y/N to have a minor breakdown, which resulted in Adam consoling her by bringing her to the diner. It weirdly did calm her down. Unfamiliar environments usually stressed her out, but the calming aura of the diner and Adam’s genuine remorse and caring actions ceased her breakdown all together. 

That night, they had spent 4 hours and 16 minutes in the diner. She explained to him about her autism and why she reacted the way she did to him touching her arm. Adam, being the forward person that he was, asked all sorts of questions. Y/N asked questions back about why he built at such ungodly hours and smashed things up when he wasn’t building. They both answered truthfully, and for the first time in a long time, Y/N and Adam felt something new and exciting.

The tradition of the diner continued. Nothing could’ve ever change that.

“They said I would hear back in about two weeks, but I don’t know.”

Y/N smiled at Adam, leaning back she sipped at her drink that had arrived as he told her his day. 

“Well, no matter what, you did amazing. From when you were practicing the other day, it sounded phenomenal.”

Adam stared at Y/N after her compliment. He wasn’t used to such words directed towards him. Having someone that truly cared. 

Y/N had grown on Adam the minute they met. He liked that she admitted when she was wrong but never backed down when she was right. He had become used to her routine, noticing how it slowly adjusted to fit him into the activities and moments she recited in her days. As Y/N worked from home, Adam often venture downstairs to her apartment, to keep her company when he was free. Using the time to practice his lines, read, or even just be in her presence. She was there through the rejection and anger. He worried of how she would react when he was angry, but he had found just being with her helped it disappear. 

One particular occasion saw Adam storming into Y/N’s apartment as she just emerged from the shower. Wrapped in just a towel, hair dripping wet, Y/N had no time to feel any discomfort when she saw Adam’s clenched fist and red face. She knew the anger wasn’t directed at her and that he was about to blow; desperately trying hard not to. That’s why he had gone to her apartment; letting himself in with the spare key. He paced the front room. A guttural scream ripping from his throat only to suddenly cease when he felt the sudden presence of a force wrap around his waist.  Adam mind instantly cleared from all traces of negative thoughts and his chest had heaved away the rage and anger. Y/N was touching him. She was hugging him. They stood like that for 23 minutes, in complete silence, taking in the moment. Not once did Adam try to touch her back. He respected that she was stepping so far out of her comfort zone to even touch him. Let alone hold him. He was also aware of her lack of clothing and did not want to make her regret her actions by him acting on impulse.

That night brought them closer. It made Y/N more comfortable around Adam. They now hugged each other in greeting and goodbye. They even sometimes held each other when the other was feeling down or had a bad day. Adam always asked before hugging her, even though Y/N had told him he did not need to. The fact he continued to do so made her cheeks blush every time.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

Adam held in his breath. He didn’t want to just blurt anything out. He wanted to think about what he said for once.

“So, we got a number 16 and a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.”

Paula placed down the plates, smiling at the pair before she wondered away to continue serving.

Y/N smiled in thanks.

Turning back to Adam, she held up a finger.

“Can I wash my hands first? And then you can say what you need.”

Adam nodded her head. He knew if he said no, she would not be comfortable. She always liked to wash them before she touched the utensils.

Y/N thanked him as she walked to the bathroom.

As Adam waited for Y/N, he began to re-arrange her food for her. It had become second nature for him to do this. Taking of the things she didn’t eat and manoeuvring it to his plate, he was unaware of the presence approaching him.

“Adam?”

Adam mumbled under his breath, knowing full well whose voice it was. Putting down his knife and fork, he took in a heavy breath, and turned around.

“The fuck is you doing her Hannah?”

She didn’t look much different from the last time he saw her. Except for the baby bump, which was no longer there. She was alone. No child in sight.

Physically, to Hannah, Adam looked no different either. But there was still something that did not seem the same as before. She just couldn’t figure what.

“I’m here for work. If you’re wondering about the baby-“

“I don’t give a crap.”

“My mother is watching her for me.”

Awkward silence surrounded them. 

“I saw Jessa. She said you guys aren’t together anymore. That she hasn’t seen you in over six months.”

Adam looked down at his food, clenching and unclenching his hands.

He looked back up at Hannah.

“Yeah. I realised that I made bullshit decisions when I was surrounded by bullshit people. Any more questions or is that all? Because I have company.”

Hannah gaped at his words, unsure of how to respond. 

Y/N exited the bathroom, feeling better now that her hands were thoroughly washed. 

Walking up to the table, she saw that Adam was no longer alone. Y/N recognised the woman from pictures she had seen destroyed in Adam’s apartment once. He had been truthful with her. She knew all about Hannah and Jessa. She did not like how they treated Adam. 

Y/N took a deep breath. Seeing that her plate was next to Adam’s, her cheeks warmed up at his thoughtfulness. Y/N began to walk back to her seat.

“Excuse me.”

Hannah flicker her head to the interrupting voice. Y/N flittered her eyes around Hannah, trying to keep calm. Hannah stepped back, thinking the woman would merely walk past her and to another table. Shocked enveloped Hannah when Y/N sat down across from Adam.

As Y/N did with most occasions, she blocked out her surroundings. She didn’t like talking to people if she did not need to; especially strangers. 

“Can I have my plate please?”

Adam re-directed his glare from Hannah. The harsh look softened as he quickly finished swapping their food, passing Y/N her plate once it was done.

“Thanks Adam.”

Hannah watched silently as Y/N grabbed the jug of milk in the middle of the table, and refilled Adam’s cup.

Adam knew Y/N would not eat until Hannah left. It had taken the girl ages before she ate in front of him. The first time they came to the diner, she sipped a glass of Coke the whole time.

“Like I said, I have company.”

Hannah looked at Adam in disbelief. Her gaze flickered over to Y/N seeing that the woman was tense. Hannah was angry. Angry at Adam. At the woman sitting across from him. At the fact that he looked at her with a different intensity that he had looked at even her or Jessa.

“He’s not who he pretends to be. Whatever perfect image he’s made of himself isn’t true.”

Adam sneered at Hannah.

“Shut the fuck up.”

Hannah glared right back at the brooding man. Why the fuck was he allowed to act like this after all he had put her through?

Hannah turned towards Y/N; her arms tightly crossed in front of her. Y/N refused to look Hannah’s way. Her hands tinkering and moving things on the table until she was happy how it looked. It pissed Hannah off that she did not look her way.

“You know he fucked my best friend. Then when he found out I was pregnant with another guys baby; he dropped her and came running back to me to play house.”

Y/N looked towards Adam. She knew everything. Adam was an honest person. He had told her every single detail about his relationship with Hannah and with Jessa. It took her a few days to talk to him again because she felt so overwhelmed by the information. She thought at first it was because she had never had someone tell her so much about themselves; that she could not stomach some of the events that he had been a part of. But Y/N soon realised that it was because she was in some ways jealous that these two women had such an intimate relationship with Adam; one that she wanted in her own way. Hearing Hannah talk about it confirmed the thought even more. It also confirmed the fact the she did not like Hannah. Whilst Adam was not a saint in his actions either, and Y/N had told him this, he did not deserve the crap he had endured.

“He’s just going to make it out like he’s in whatever kind of relationship you have 100% but he’s not. He will drop you the instant he finds something that he thinks is better. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already found someone else by now.”

Adam slammed his hand on the table and stood up. His face was bright red, surging from anger, as he strode towards Hannah. Pointing his finger in Hannah’s face, Adam had not felt this angry since he had last seen Jessa.

“I said, shut the fuck up Hannah. Why the fuck is you trying to ruin shit for me? I finally have my shit together and you come in here and try to manipulate the past. Trying to make the one person I care about turn against me. You have a new life. So, why the fuck are you trying to ruin mine?”

The diner was silent. Never had any of the regular customers or workers seen Adam in such a state. Paula glanced across the counter at Y/N, noticing that the girl was visibly shaking from the situation. Y/N tried to regulate her breathing, but it was becoming difficult. The young woman began to rock back and forth, her hands pulling furiously at her wristband; the plastic flicking continuously against her wrist. She felt helpless. Paula knew what to do to help.

Just before Hannah could spit anymore venomous words, Paula cut in.

“Adam. She’s closing.”

Hannah looked at Paula in confusion at her words. However, it was soon replaced with shock as in a flash Adam had steered from leering into Hannah to standing in front of Y/N.

Crouching in front of Y/N, Adam instructed her to breathe deeply in and out.

“Come on squirt, move yourself to face me and copy my breathing, alright?”

Y/N did as Adam instructed. Slowly, she moved her body to Adam’s direction.  Adam slowly cupper her face with his hands, looking for any signs that she did not consent to what he was doing. His thumb stroked her cheek as he guided her to slow down her breathing. Y/N focused on his breathes listening to his words of encouragement. The pair were in their own world, unaware of the continuous stares of the patrons and Hannah. The locals of the diner knew Y/N and Adam enough to have seen this happen once or twice before when Y/N felt overwhelmed or stressed or was just not having a good day.

Y/N hated calling the breakdowns or meltdowns; she always referred to them as closing. Because when she felt better, she always opened back up. When Adam first experienced her closing, he felt helpless, and he hated that he had no way to comfort her how she needed. So, with a lot of research and talking to Y/N herself, over the months they had known each other, it had become second nature for Adam to help her out when she was closing. Y/N’s instinct had become to contact Adam if she was alone and felt like she was going to close. He was always there as soon as he could. He had never let her down.

Adam watched as Y/N’s breathing slowed down and the vigorous rocking of her body subsided to being considered a slight sway.

“You’re doing fucking great squirt. Now tell me about our day. What film are we watching tonight?”

Y/N briefly looked up at Adam. In her peripheral vision, she could see Hannah and other people looking. It wasn’t as many as before, but the beading eyes of the woman standing behind Adam made her breathing begin to pick up again. She definitely did not like Hannah.

“Look at me.”

Y/N looked back at Adam. Her eyes flittering across the beauty marks on his face. 

“Our day. What does it look like?”

Adam’s hands travelled from her face to rest palms up on her knees, inviting her to hold his hands to stop the plucking of her wristband. Her wrist was welted and red raw. She accepted the invitation, delicately drawing shapes on his palms.

“We are going to kindly ask Paula to put our food in some containers. We are going to go back home…”

Adam could not help the smile on his face as she referred to the going home instead of naming one of their apartments.

Hannah didn’t miss the look on his face either; or Y/N’s words.

“We have to watch a Marvel movie because your auditions went well. We watched Spiderman Homecoming last time, so Thor Ragnarök is next. Then its your turn to pick what we do to finish our day because I picked the movie.”

Adam chuckled.

“Okay that’s the plan. Let’s go and do that.”

Adam stood up from his crouched position. As he turned to call Paula, he realised that Hannah was still standing there. Behind him, Y/N began to put on her coat. Packing her bag with the things she had laid on the table before Adam came.

Adam slowly walked to stand in front of Hannah, watching as the woman looked towards Y/N in disbelief and anger.

“Why did you never care for me like that? Why her?”

Adam threaded his hand through his hair, keeping down his frustration.

“I did Hannah. You were the one that never cared to notice. You never cared back. Neither did Jessa. I always give 100% no matter what. Even when people only gave 20%. Now I have someone in my life who gives 100% back and were not even fucking together. So, imagine if we were? I’d give her everything and more. And you know what?”

Hannah looked at Adam, tears in her eyes, in silence.

“I know she would give me everything back to.”

Adam stepped around Hannah to grab the takeout boxes from Paula. Thanking the waitress, Adam pulled out his wallet, paying her for the meal and leaving his 50% tip as usual. 

Walking back around Hannah, Adam walked towards Y/N. Seeing that she was ready to go, he hastily packed up their food. Once he was done, Adam allowed Y/N to lead them outside the diner. 

Closing the door behind them, the pair began to walk in silence, in the direction of their apartment. They hadn’t got far before her voice was heard once again.

“You don’t know him like I did. Like I do. Once you found out all the fucked-up shit that he was into and done, you would leave in a second. You’re a fucked-up person Adam. Acting like you care because you helped her out of a panic attack. We all fucking get them. It doesn’t mean you actually care.”

Adam whipped around, ready to give Hannah another mouthful. But before he could step any further, a grip on his arm held him back. 

“I know Adam.”

Adam looked behind him at towards Y/N.

“I know trivial things about him that you and many others probably do. Like his love for milk, or his outlet with carpentry, or that he likes to read. But I also know things about him that he doesn’t realise. Like how he has 26 beauty marks on his face. Or that even though he calls romance movies fabricated and full of bullshit, he will still smile when they get their happy ending. I know his favourite colour, his least favourite colour, how he recites monologues he’s learning under his breathe when he is busy with everyday activities. How he has changed his running times in the morning so he arrives back half an hour after I wake up so we can have breakfast together. I also know that in my entire life, I have never cared about someone as much as I do for Adam Sackler. I might not know what he looks like or sounds like when he cums. Or what kinky shit he likes in bed. Or even all of the little details of the drama between you, him, and Jessa; whilst by the way I do know at least 99% of it.”

Hannah’s mouth opened and closed in silence. Adam looked at Y/N in bewilderment and awe.

“But what I know is that, even if everything you said was true, I don’t care. Because I care about him more.”

Sliding her hand down from Adam’s arm, to his hand, Y/N linked their digits together.

“It was lovely meeting you Hannah; but we have a movie to watch.”

Turning around, Y/N pulled Adam in the direction of their apartments. Their hands held tightly together. Hannah did not follow.

They walked in silence the whole way back. Y/N’s thoughts set on the rest of their day, already pushing the encounter with Hannah into the back of her mind. Adam’s own thoughts clouded with the woman holding his hand. He stared as she ascended the stairs. He stared as she opened the door to her apartment, pulling him inside. He continued to stare as she kicked off her shoes and threw her bag and coat on the sofa, moving around the apartment to set up their movie night. 

“Can you pass me our food Adam so I can reheat them in the microwave?”

Y/N waited for the reply but never got one. Walking back through her apartment, she saw Adam still in the doorway.

“Are you okay?”

Adam shut the door behind him and walked towards her. Handing over the food, he watched as Y/N busied herself in re-heating it up. Moving to the sofa, Adam pulled off his shoes and got comfortable, waiting for Y/N to return before he hit play. Once she arrived back with their plates of food, Y/N situated herself in her area on the floor, where she always sat to eat. Placing a glass of water in front of her and another glass of milk in front of Adam, she smiled as he said thank you. Gesturing to begin the movie, Y/N began to eat. 

As the movie played in the background, Adam looked at the woman in front of him. He knew trivial things about her that many others probably did. Like her love for Dr Pepper, or her love for anything Disney, or that she loves to read. But he also knew things about her that she didn’t realise. Like how she always sat closer to the window because Adam hated the draft it created. Or that even though she loved superhero movies, she still preferred romance because she loves love; even though she had terrible examples of it around her growing up. He knows her favourite colour, her least favourite colour, how she likes her set routine and how it differentiates when he suddenly wants to spend time with her. How she has changed what she makes for breakfast so that Adam is always full after his run. He also knows that he was kidding himself when he thought he had felt strongly for Hannah and Jessa because he feels so much more now. He might not know what she looks like or sounds like when she cums. Or what kinky shit she likes in bed; though he wishes he did. Or even all of the little details of her life before knowing him. But what he does know is that he is in love with her and that she feels something for him too.

[oneandahalfwolf]

a very happy birthday to the mun behind @bloodsorceress​. i hope you enjoy this little drabble and have a fab day.  

“So, what do you guys think the new student is going to be like?”

Iley raised her head briefly to look at Mika’s grinning face before going back to her stretches with a slightly exasperated, though begrudgingly fond, shake of her head. She loved her friends, she really did, but sometimes they were so typically vapid it made her miss the snooty students at her old French High School. She never thought the ‘California Valley Girl’ stereotype she had seen in so many American movies could be true. Even if only one of the trio of girls was actually from that area.

“I heard he’s some street dancer kid from England or something,” Evie, the one Californian in the group, responded. Mika’s grin only grew, swinging one leg over the other from where she sat perched on an amp, leaning back as if posing for a swimsuit photo shoot.

“Well...” the blonde drawled in her, surprisingly natural, posh Oxford English accent, “maybe that will give us something in common.”

“Pump the brakes blondie,” Paige, the group’s native New Yorker, interjected. “You’ve not even met this guy yet. You have no idea if he’s even going to be into you.”

“Who could resist me?”

“You want the whole list?” Iley said with a raised brow, her French lilt peeking through her generic American accent. Mika immediately pouted while the other two girls quickly broke into giggles. Eventually the blonde rolled her eyes and leaned forward, blue eyes fixed on the short brunette.

“Well what do you think then ‘Ley?” Iley gave a half shrug, shifting her body to help Paige with a partnered stretch.

“I don’t have any thoughts. I’m waiting until whoever they are arrives and we actually meet them before making any assumptions.” Evie scoffed.

“God you are no fun shortstack.”

“Well,” Paige said, grunting slightly as the stretch pulled at her muscles, “whoever it is, I heard he was fast tracked all the way into second year. Didn’t even have to audition or anything. Got plucked straight out of whatever school or street corner the Headteacher saw him at.”

“As long as we don’t get a fucking Step Up situation,” Evie sneered, picking at some fluff on her leggings. “I am so not up for that whole fusion bullshit.”

“Open your mind Evie,” Iley said, finally getting up from the wooden floor. “Maybe you’ll actually learn something.”

The other brunette scowled and opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by their teacher entering the room, clapping her hands to get their attention.

“Alright class, alright class, please get in formation.” The woman waited until her students had lined up before carrying on. “As you’re all probably aware, we shall be having a new student joining us today. They will be arriving shortly after the Headteacher finishes their induction. In the meantime I don’t want us lazing about waiting for them, so everybody get into pairs and begin basic warm ups.”

Iley immediately partnered up with Paige, not in the mood for anymore of Evie and Mika’s gossiping, and followed the rest of the classes lead in starting their exercises. Fifteen minutes later they were on a water break when the door to the studio opened, their teacher greeting the Head immediately. The brunette had her back to the door, busy taking a long drink from her water bottle, but heard every word that was spoken.

“Good morning class.” There were a few echoes of ‘Good Morning Mx Kader’ before the Head continued. “This is Benkai’l Brandr and they will be the new student joining your class today.”

Iley’s head snapped up, not taking in any of the rest of Mx Kader’s welcome speech. That name. It couldn’t be. Her eyes went to the full length war mirror and focused on the new figure standing beside the headteacher. She gasped, her bottle of water slipping from her grasp and falling to the ground almost in slow motion.

They were older. Taller. So much taller. But the eyes were the same. Grey like a stormy afternoon. Skin was still as pale as snow and smattered with freckles. Freckles she used to play connect the dots with when they were four.

Her water bottle hit the wood floor with a loud clatter making everyone look her way, but she didn’t care. She simply turned sharply and openly stared, mouth agape as she tried to form words.

“Noc?”

The new student, who had been staring at the fallen water bottle, looked up at the name. Eyes widened, brows raising towards black hair.

“‘Mira?” came the mumbled reply.

A sob escaped her throat as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. The room was silent, everyone confused at the turn of events - with some even starting whisper.

It was broken as Iley sprinted forward towards the other teen, crossing the floor as fast as she could. The new student dropped the duffel bag from their shoulder and easily caught the brunette as she leapt at them. Her arms wrapped around their neck as her legs went around their waist, the two seemingly not strangers fitting together almost like a puzzle piece. Like they had been made to be two halves of one whole. The whole class could only stare as they pair spun around, the movement so fluid it looked like a step from a contemporary dance number.  

Iley started to sob into the much taller teen’s neck. They smelt exactly the same. Like fresh paper, burnt wood, and lilacs. One of her hands reached up and cradled the back of their head, fingers fisting the red beanie that was between her palm and their hair, pulling it off slightly. Not that her old childhood friend cared. They were just over the moon that she was here, in the flesh. Tears silently streamed down their own cheeks, feeling completely overwhelmed. But why wouldn’t they - their wildest dream was coming true right now after all.

Eventually Iley finally, though reluctantly, eased herself down off of the taller teen. However one hand remained clutching at their hoodie, fist pressed against their lower back. She swiped at her tears with her free hand, unable to take her eyes off their face. When someone finally broke the silence she had to look away.

“Um… Iley?”

Brown eyes landed on Paige and took in that the whole class was staring at the pair. The brunette cleared her throat, free hand going up to fix her dishevelled hair.

“Sorry. Sorry. This is… We were...” It was difficult to get the words out without crying all over again. “This is my best friend. We used to dance together as kids until I had to move away. We haven’t seen each other in ten years.”

A chorus of understanding and awed noises came from the surrounding class. The Headteacher cleared their throat, a strange smile on their face - almost like they had known and a plan had come to fruition, the twinkle in their eyes adding even more mischief to the expression.

“Well that is a wonderful happenstance. I suppose I shall leave you now however. I hope you can catch up soon, but remember; class first students.”

They nodded to the other teacher before taking their leave. The dance teacher gave the Head a wave before turning to the still pair still locked in what could be seen as an awkward embrace, but the two teens simply looked at ease more than anything.

“So um… Benkai’l wasn’t it? Why don’t you introduce yourself properly?”

“Uh...” The taller teen pulled the beanie Iley had loosened from its perch on their head before they rubbed nervously at the area. “Yeah, I’m Ben. I have danced lots of different genres over the years. Jazz. Tap. Contemporary. Ballroom. Currently though I’m mostly Street and Commercial. I’m majoring in dance here on a scholarship, whilst minoring in backstage and technical theatre. I’m originally from Scotland before we moved to Poland, and now I’ve come here for school.”

Iley grinned. She knew the Polish lilt they had under their Scottish broag had seemed stronger. Much like how her own French one had become more distinct since she moved to that country, theirs had done the same. And now she knew where the hell they’d ended up. Though she was sure there was more to the story. Something she couldn’t wait to find out.

“Well it's lovely to have you in our class Ben. I’m sure Iley can keep you right on how we work.” Iley gave a fervent nod, unable to stop herself from grinning. The teacher smiled before giving a clap and turning to the rest of the class. “Okay then, now we have all been introduced, let’s get back to work. I want you all to be on your best behaviour and perform your heart out for our new family member.”

Iley immediately dragged Ben over to the class side, ignoring the stares from her friends and other classmates, still unable to believe her eyes or let go of them in some capacity until she absolutely had to. Her childhood friend couldn’t help but laugh quietly even as they struggled to remove their hoodie. It was too cute. Besides they were more than happy to keep the girl close. Iley’s three girl friends could only continue to gawk. They had never seen the other girl like this. So.. happy.  

Class had to continue but all parties couldn’t wait until lunch to hopefully get some answers to their burning questions.

***

“What happened?”

Ben rubbed their hands free of salt and grease, swallowing the last of their mouthful of fries before clearing their throat and leaning forward, resting their forearms on the edge of the table.

“There was a fire. Three years after you left. Arson. Everyone’s fine though. Mostly property damage and a few minor injuries. But we had to go into Witness Protection. Change names and move away. Everything happened so fast we either lost your address or it was burned in the fire. I was… I was so heartbroken. I think I cried every night for a month. Mama tried to comfort me, and Tata tried to find you online, but we came up blank.”

“Three years after I moved?” Iley asked, moving back from where she had been leaning her chin on the lid of her drink. Ben nodded, frowning slightly. The brunette laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this. Three years after I moved to England there was some bullshit with my grandparents. We had to go back to France to sort it all out. I wrote to you with the change of address, but obviously it never got to you. You wouldn’t have been able to find us cause we’d left the country.”

“Holy shit.” Ben shook their own head, chuckling in disbelief. “I can’t believe we were so unlucky.” Iley reached over and took one of Ben’s pale hands in her own, running a thumb over their knuckles.

“Hey,” she said softly, waiting until the taller teen met her gaze. “We might have been unlucky then, but we are fucking lucky as hell right now.” Ben chuckled, squeezing Iley’s hand.

“That’s an understatement Princess.” Iley grinned before letting go and grabbing a few of her fries from the table.

"So how are your parents?"

"Good," Ben replied, reaching for their burger. "They all adjusted quickly to the change. I mean Matka and Tata grew up there so they helped when we were confused, plus we'd already been learning Polish since I was wee. Mama and Matka opened a cake shop. Matka does most of the business side while Mama bakes. Papa got a job as a mechanic, while Tata went to work as a tour guide. He loves it cause he gets to wax lyrical about all his favourite places." They swallowed their mouthful and shook their head again. "They aren't going to believe I found you. I can't wait to tell them."

"Same with mine," Iley responded. "When I wasn't getting any letters back from you I got so worried, even more so when some started coming back. To be honest at one point I thought you hated me cause I moved further away, but Maman reminded me that that was likely impossible. Said 'Noc would be more likely to forget a step in your best routine than hate you.'"

"She's right." Ben leant forward, elbows resting on their table and fingers interlaced as they looked at her with a critical gaze, though there was a light twinkle in their eye. "Okay so, we know why I changed my name, but why did you change yours."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Iley replied with a wince, realising she had slipped up. Ben waved it off, that lopsided smile she had missed so much still on their face. "Well for me… Short version is, the crap with my grandparents put a sour taste in my mouth and I didn't want anything to do with them, name included. I brought it up with Maman and she agreed to let me change it, as did Papa and Dad. She was sad but she understood. They've all been really good with using this new one."

“I still can’t believe you picked that name.”

“You’re one to talk,” Iley said with a laugh, leaning over and gently punching them in the shoulder. “I guess… It just fit. It was our favourite book as kids. I mean we used to play pretend all the time, acting like we were the fabled Wolf Prince and Water Princess. Hell we based our best routine on that story.” She gave a shy shrug. “I dunno, I guess I thought if I picked that one then I’d be a bit closer to you in some way.”

“To be honest,” Ben said quietly, “those were my thoughts exactly when I picked mine.”

Iley reached across the table and wrapped her left pinky around Ben’s right. The taller teen smiled and completed the link. Brown and grey eyes just stared at each other for a long while, looking much like a happy romantic couple - even though that was far from the truth. The sound of the door to the fast food joint opening broke the moment.

“I told you she’d be here!”

Iley looked up to see her three girl friends followed by the two boys of their small group - Nate and Jackson. She groaned and collapsed back into her seat. Ben’s brows furrowed and they started to turn in order to look round, but were interrupted by Nate hopping over the back of the booth to sit next to them. Their nose wrinkled as he stole some of their fries. Paige slid in next to Iley while Mika took a seat at the end of the table.

“So this is the new kid?” Jackson asked as he and Evie moved into an adjacent booth. “I hear you and Shorty here are an item? Or were at least very cosy in class.”

“Shut the fuck up Jax,” Iley yelled, trying to drown him out and earning a few glares from some of the other customers. Jackson simply smiled and ignored her, attention still on Benkai’l.

“Well? Are you hitting our little dancer?”

“EW!”

“NO!”

The two answers came simultaneously with almost identical looks of disgust. The other teens couldn’t help but laugh.

“She’s my best friend and my sister,” Ben said, squirming a little at the awful thought still in their head. “I love her, but not like that.”  

“So that means you’re available then?” Mika said with a salacious smile. Ben shuddered slightly.

“Sorry but I’m not interested.” The blonde flipped her hair and shifted in an attempt to show her cleavage to the other teen, smirking whilst she lowered her voice.

“Are you sure?” She batted her eyes. “If you give me a chance, I’m sure I can make you interested.” Iley couldn’t help but snort a laugh at the look on Ben’s face.

“First off I’m asexual so I’m not just not interested in you, its everyone. And second, no offence, even if I was interested...” They paused, face scrunching up as they tried to think of a nice way to put the next part of their sentence but came up blank. “Sorry but you look like one of my mothers.”

Mika’s jaw dropped as a roar of laughter went around the table. The blonde’s face turned a deep shade of red as she sank back down in her seat. Nate was the first to find a new question.

“Wait, mothers as in plural.”

“Yes,” Ben said slowly, brows furrowed.

“Nice.” Paige reached across the booth and smacked him across the side of the head.

“It's not like that. They’re with my Dads too.”

“Oooh, four parents. They have you beat Iley.”

Another round of laughter filled the table, one Ben managed to join in on. Iley was happy to see her newest friends accepting her oldest one. Though to be fair if they hadn’t, she would have dropped them easily for Ben.

“Can’t believe you guys came here.”

“You were the one who skipped out our usual lunch when there was new gossip to be had.” Iley rolled her eyes at Evie

“I dunno, maybe because I wanted to privately catch up with my childhood best friend who I haven’t seen in ten years or spoke to in seven.”

The bickering around the table continued until they had to return to class, and continued still on the walk there. It was too early for Ben to get fully involved but they felt like they had at least been accepted into the group. They were happy to just watch them all interact. Most of all they were happy to watch Iley being so animated and joyful. They were glad she had found that without them. But now they were more than ready to make up for lost time. Starting with some dancing.

[mccartertheatrecenter]

Meet the 2016-2017 Interns: Austin Brecht

Hello there future theater professionals! My name is Austin Brecht and I am currently one of two Arts Administration interns at McCarter for the 2016-2017 Season! Though my days are often filled with a fantastic amount of running about the building and greater Princeton area via train, car, van, dolly, and cart, I did find some time at my desk to fill you all in on the wonderful world of General/Company Management at McCarter Theatre Center!

Where are you from?

I am from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, more specifically the little town of Dryden. As a youngster you could often find me scampering through the woods behind my house, building my own trail system and hidden shelters!

Where did you graduate from and what was your major?

 I completed my undergraduate career at Kean University in Union, NJ, earning a BFA in Theatre Performance with a minor in Dance.

What attracted you to McCarter’s internship program?

 In searching for a post-grad route, I found that rather than searching for casting calls and auditions, I was looking to find an internship/apprenticeship position that would foster my relatively newfound love for arts administration! Being that I went to college in New Jersey it was not uncommon that I would interact with professors and peers alike that had visited and worked at McCarter, all of whom spoke volumes about the people here and the work that is presented and produced. I also knew that I wanted to remain in the tri-state area and be a part of a program that would challenge what I already knew about the world of theater while also exposing me to an incredibly new part of the business that I had not had a ton of experience with previously!

What projects are you currently working on in your position?

In the last month, I have had my hands in quite a few different areas of the theater! Most notably I am working with our General Management team to provide support for our upcoming production of Murder on the Orient Express with regard to payroll, record keeping, human resources details, and so on. It is fantastic to be involved in the process of bringing such a well-known story to life on stage! In my current role I also keep close tabs on maintenance and facilities upkeep details in tandem with Princeton University facilities. Don’t be alarmed if you see me wandering around staring at the ceiling looking for burned out light bulbs!

What’s your favorite thing about your department?

My favorite aspect of the McCarter Administration Department is their commitment to ensuring the highest standards of artist hospitality, with regard to Company Management, while also maintaining constant emphasis on an empathetic and holistic approach to completing work within a myriad of different vendors, departments, and personnel. The fact that they are three respectful, humorous, and hardworking women is always a plus too!

How has the McCarter staff inspired you?

My time with the McCarter staff has inspired me to continually challenge the work and processes that we are completing as an art form and do so with the utmost respect and understanding of the whole picture. I have learned that there are an incredible number of paths to take once leaving this internship, though the staff continually inspires the intern class to commit to putting ourselves out there with diligence and excitement!

What is your favorite project you have worked on so far?

My absolute favorite project that I was a part of this season was having the opportunity to work closely with the Bedlam Theatre Company during their time here at McCarter as they presented not one, but two plays, Saint. Joan and Hamlet, in rotating rep in the Berlind Theatre! As a group of only five actors on stage, the productions they presented were an astounding feat of both endurance as a performer and ingenuity in approaching two classic pieces! Above all, this ensemble of artists and collaborators were amazingly warm, welcoming, and giving to one another and to the McCarter production team and staff as a whole.  

If you were to give advice to the next intern in your position what would it be?

Get to know everyone! The staff and artists here at McCarter full-time, part-time, overhire, guests, collaborators, and so on are all fantastic to work with! Being involved with General and Company Management at this theater means you are going to be interacting with many different departments and individuals, so take the time to get to know them better and offer support in any way that you can. I would also advise you to be unafraid of questioning “why something is done the way it is done.” Perhaps you will end up learning more about a process than you knew or you could have an entirely different approach to the task! Above all, though the days may be long at times and the hours of sleep few, have a blast.

[gettraughtgetdead]

Fate Brought Us Here Ch 3

In My Dreams 

So this is very late. And not what I’d like it to be, but no amount of revisions were making it better. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

FFN | AO3

In my dreams, it’s all real, and my heart has so much to reveal…

They had been at it all morning, and so far not a single girl had been suitable for what they needed. I mean really they must know that they had to bear at least a slight resemblance to the lost princess. Even seventeen years apart weren’t going to make the Dowager Empress believe her granddaughter had changed race.

The next contender looked at least plausible. She had brown hair and blue eyes, which were musts, and that was more than most people had had going for them that morning. ‘Natalya Sharapova,’ Andre read out from the list in front of him. ‘When you’re ready.’

They were in an old abandoned theatre. Old abandoned buildings were ten a penny in Petersburg now, especially if they had once been beacons of culture and art and everything the Bolsheviks approved of. They’d been at it for three hours already. There were a startling number of actresses in the city willing to con an old lady out of thousands if it meant getting out of Russia.

Beck was beginning to think this was a bad idea, even with the number of sign-ups it was proving more difficult than he had thought to find a girl to play Jadelyn. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking for, but none of these girls had been remotely convincing as long-lost princesses. The first woman who turned up had been about forty years old. The next one had actually forgotten Jadelyn’s name. This one had opened her mouth to speak, but only a squeak had come out, at which point she’d turned and fled.

‘Next!’ Beck called again. Oh god no. the next woman who walked out was of undeterminable age and dressed in a huge fur coat. She sauntered on to centre stage, and dropped the coat to reveal a terribly short skirt and a long cigarette.

‘Grandma, it’s me, Jaaaadelyn,’ she drawled with a voice roughened by years of smoke. Andre’s head fell forward onto the desk in front of him, while Beck’s eyes rolled back in his head. Just when Beck thought it couldn’t get any worse, Andre turned his head, still on the desk, to look at him.

‘I have some bad news: she was our last one.’ Beck groaned. Well, that was it. It was over. The greatest con that never was.

The theatre was like a window into another time. The mouldings surrounding the stage were gilded with gold, the seat coverings and curtains were a rich red velvet. The carpet, though dusty now, was plush beneath their feet, and the stage, though it had long since lost its shine, was clearly made of an expensive wood.

Looking around, Beck wondered, not for the first time, what his life would be like if the royals had never been overthrown. He wondered if perhaps he might still be here, in some other capacity. Holding auditions for an actual play, maybe, or even auditioning for one himself. Would he have a house of his own, or would he still be sharing with ten other guys he didn’t know? Would he have a family of his own by now? It was nearly impossible to consider all the ways that life would be different. His parents would still be alive.

But there was no point in dreaming. This was further proof of that. His plan to get out of Russia had fallen at the first hurdle, it was surely a sign.

He and Andre packed up their papers, and made to leave the theatre, when a girl walked in the door. She looked to be just a bit younger than them, with large bright blue eyes, and long dark hair, which she wore tied up with a bit of string.

‘Are you Beck Oliver?’ she asked harshly. She wore a threadbare brown coat, worn brown pants, and scuffed black boots.

‘Depends who’s asking.’

‘I’m looking for tickets, a woman at the ticket office said you were the guy to talk to,’ the girl said – without explaining who she was, Beck noticed.

‘You’re out of luck,’ Andre interjected. ‘Borders are closed. That business dried up weeks ago.’

The girl’s shoulders slumped as she blew out a long breath. She turned to leave the theatre, but suddenly stopped, looking at a painted advertisement on the wall. A relic from before, from a time when this place hadn’t been obsolete.

It was a painting of a woman in an ornate golden gown, wearing a huge gold crown. Beck’s mother used to love the opera, she’d have known what it was advertising, but he didn’t. The girl stopped in front of it, staring at it intently, her brows knitted together.

‘Are… you okay?’ Beck asked her, walking up behind her, and tentatively reaching for her shoulder. She started at the touch.

‘Don’t touch me,’ she snapped, wheeling around. Her eyes were on fire, but the glare she shot him was chilling.

‘Whoa,’ he soothed. ‘It’s alright. Are you okay?’ He moved round so that he could see her face, as she turned back to the advertisement. His first impression was that she was beautiful, but there was something distant in her eyes.

The girl shook her head, seemingly trying to clear whatever thoughts she’d been having. ‘Yeah.’ The corners of her mouth twitched up weakly. ‘Fine. I just thought that… I thought I remembered seeing that once.’

‘You think you remember?’ Andre enquired.

‘I… I don’t remember much. About my childhood, I mean. Or being a teenager.’

What? ‘You don’t remember any of it? How old are you?’

The girl hesitated. ‘I’m not sure. Twenties, I think. And I remember some things. Well, in my dreams mostly. But they must be based on something real, right?’ She didn’t seem like she wanted an answer. She drifted down the aisle toward the stage, stopping just below the boxes, and she closed her eyes. ‘It feels familiar.’

‘You don’t know who you are? Seriously?’ Beck let out a short, shocked laugh.

Her eyes shot open. ‘Fuck you. You don’t know what it’s like,’ she spat.

Beck held his hands up, as if in surrender. ‘I… I didn’t mean…’

‘What if we could tell you who you were?’ Andre cut in.

Jade looked at him, blankly, for a moment. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I knew a girl, a long time ago, who went missing when she was seventeen, and hasn’t been seen since. I think you’re her.’

‘You think I’m some girl you knew when you were a kid? Why?’

‘You look just like her. You even act a little like her, she was defensive, too.’

‘So who am I?’ she said it like it was a challenge.

‘Grand Duchess Jadelyn West.’

Now Jade was the one who was laughing. ‘You’re crazy.’

‘Is he?’ Beck asked. ‘Think about it, you don’t have a clue who you are. What’s to say you’re not her?’

Jade sighed heavily. ‘What’s your angle here? You don’t care who I am. What’s in this for you?’

Beck and Andre exchanged a loaded look, trying to have the whole discussion without alerting her to it. Eventually, they broke their gaze, and explained their plan. Jade stared at them both for a long time after they’d finished talking. Finally she nodded her head. ‘Let’s do it.’ What did she have to lose? ________________________________________ The worst part of Tori’s job was undoubtedly the paper work. There were mountains of it, day in and day out. And it all had to be done perfectly. Errors were not accepted in the Bolshevik regime, anything could be someone trying to cover something up.

She was following in her father’s footsteps, joining the Cheka, but her father’s stories were all adventures and heroism. Tori’s experiences thus far had been considerably less exciting than the stories she once listened to so eagerly every night. She wondered if her father would be proud of her. Proud that she was carrying on his legacy. Ushering in a new age for Russia.

It was no secret that the secret police got most of their information from civilian informants. People were hesitant to trust each other, lest they say too much, and someone reports them for it. Tori knew that, and it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere she wanted for her people. But the informants were too valuable a resource to give up. However, it did mean that most of Tori’s days were spent listening to paranoid townspeople divulging all of their neighbours’ deepest secrets. Most of the things she heard were of no consequence to Tori or anyone else, but she had to listen to each and every report, in case even one of them was relevant. That meant filling out forms on every story that every informant told.

She had barely finished filing the report on her last informant when three women entered her office. The first was tall, rail thin, and had red hair. The second was a busty blond, scantily clad. The last was a waifish girl with short black hair who looked younger than the others.

‘You three… are together?’ Tori asked. It was unusual for informants to come in groups. Usually, they demanded privacy, since it was usually their friends they were informing on. When the three women gave their affirmation, Tori gestured to the seats across the desk from her. There were only two, so the blonde stood behind the others. She leaned forward between the sheets, allowing Tori a view right down her shirt. She spoke with a breathy voice. ‘We have some information for you.’

Tori had had a long day. She didn’t have the patience for these women to be wasting her time. She didn’t know why the blond had decided to go down this route, but she didn’t have time for it. ‘Yeah, I guessed as much,’ she said drily.

‘You know Beck Oliver?’ the woman asked.

Of course she knew him. He’d been a pain in her ass since she started this job. It was bad enough when she found out that Russian citizens were trying to flout the system for their own selfish desires – some people just couldn’t accept that they were trying to show them a better way. But Beck Oliver was worse, because no one could ever catch him in the act. They knew he sold stolen goods down by the docks, but on the days they set up for an agent to check it out, he was never there. Once, they’d stationed someone there for a month straight and got nothing. Eventually, it had been decided that it was a waste of resources.

Tori nodded sharply.

The black-haired girl seemed to tire of the way the blond was dangling everything for maximum dramatic effect.

‘He’s auditioning women to play Jadelyn in the old theatre near the palace. He wants the old lady’s reward,’ she blurted out.

Well, that was a new one. Tori couldn’t imagine how he expected to pull it off, but it was certainly good information. She ought to check it out.

‘He picked some street urchin to play her, too. Like, how’s she ever going to be a princess?’ This was the redhead for the first time.

So he already had his princess. ‘Do you know who she is?’ Tori asked.

‘Some bitch named Jade. Like her name’s enough to pass her off,’ the redhead scoffed.

Jade. Could it be? Tori had seen the woman from the street the very next day, they’d run into each other at the coffee shop. They’d talked for a while, and Jade had explained her unique situation. It was ridiculous to think she was anything more than just another orphan of the riots.

‘I have no time for rumours about Jadelyn. The Grand Duchess is dead, along with the rest of her family. It’s just a fairytale.’

Honestly, did people have nothing better to do than talk about her? Tori was pretty sure that if one of the royals had managed to escape the cellar, they’d have been dealt with. Ipatiev House had been swarming with guards, Tori knew, she had seen it. She had seen too much.

[brucewooddance]

REMEMBERING BRUCE

Last Thursday marked the one year anniversary of the passing of Bruce Wood. He was our director, choreographer, mentor and friend. We’d like to take a few moments to share some of our favorite memories of Bruce. We hope you enjoy them.

Arnold Wayne Jones: When I was a kid as someone died, people always said as way of comfort, “He’s in a better place.” I remember asking my mom at the time, “If he’s in a better place, why are people crying?” “They are sad for themselves,” she told me. “They cry because they will miss the person.” It’s true: grief is a selfish act, one where we pity what is absent from our lives. But when I think of Bruce’s passing — which I have often in the past year, and which tears me up every time — my sadness is more akin to a deeper loss for society. Bruce was a true genius, a master of his art form. He gave us so much, including his friendship and counsel, but had much more to give. His art was something that enlightened the world, the human experience. I can hardly think of one of his dances which I did not find transformative at some level. And dance is so ethereal, you want it to go on and on so that more and more people can benefit from that sublime transformation. His legacy will be with me until I pass on, as I suspect it will everyone who opened their heart to what he was saying with every leap, every gesture.

My’kal Stromile: I began working with Bruce when I was dancing for Dallas Black Dance Theatre. In 2001, he created a piece, Smoke, which before I came to the company, I saw performed a lot and always enjoyed. I never knew that I would ever dance that work. When I was invited to DBDT in 2009, that was the moment I began to be engulfed in this man named Bruce. He came back in 2011 to re-set Smoke, and I had the opportunity to work with him closely. It was after that, my curiosity about his work led me to see all of the Bruce Wood Dance Project shows while I was a student at Booker T Washington HSPVA. I would watch the company rehearse and wonder what was happening in those studios! I silently admired his work and would go home and begin to imitate what I saw! In early March 2014, I was pulled into a meeting to discuss the TITAS Command Performance Gala. I was asked, or basically told that I would be dancing in the show, performing a duet with Albert Drake, choreographed by Bruce Wood. Naturally, my mouth dropped and I could not have been more excited and grateful for the opportunity. About a week later, I started rehearsing every day with Bruce, Albert, and Harry and the rehearsals were task oriented towards creating a duet, however, Bruce would drill me on his aesthetic. Now, thinking back, I feel as though he was preparing me for something more. Our rehearsals together involved a lot of talking and me listening to his wisdom and I was always so amazed with his views on things, which changed how I view the world and dance as well. I do not think I have valued anything more than the time, for about two and a half months that I basically spent every day with him. In the middle of our process he asked me my plans for the summer, and I replied with hesitance because I did not know so Bruce says to me, “You want to come dance for me this summer?” My response, “Okay! Sure!” And just like that, he pulled me in to his world of the Bruce Wood Dance Project. It was at that moment where I would forever be connected to his work! In our time together, he taught me so much about humility, authenticity, and manhood. Strong yet gentle, he would always check on me and ask how I was doing, and in the world of dance, that goes a long way. Whether we were bonding over dancers we liked, Nike shoes, or Lululemon (which he loved), we created a dynamic that I think would have really grown into a great mentor/mentee relationship. I am grateful that he believed in me and gave me an opportunity and the chance to prove to myself the difference between good and great. I value our time together and I take pride in knowing I was a part of one of his last creations, Hide Me Angel (Because you Know God is Near). Thank you, B.

Lee Scoggins: Bruce had an amazing way of making people he liked feel as though they were uniquely important and special to him.

Kimi Nikaidoh: Here is a photo of a letter Bruce wrote me at some point in 2003/04. Thank you, Bruce, for bringing me joy. And thank you for your dances, which continue to encourage, challenge, and inspire us.

Read Gendler: You were comfort and acceptance, hilarity with pain, challenge and soul. I think of you less. I feel you more.

Mallory Ketch: “Bruce expected a level of excellence and precision I found daunting when I had the honor of working with him as a young 17 year old. He pushed me to limits I never imagined I could achieve and in the process of working in this intense environment, I was being molded and nurtured into a dancer and person I was proud to be and that was something I couldn’t even see at the time. His vision of dance and being human was extraordinary; the power of his work and the relatable nature of his choreography is as incomparable as Bruce and too exceptional for words. My memories of Bruce are filled with respect and admiration. I am forever grateful for him giving me a chance to experience his work and for sharing his immense wisdom of the world. I cannot thank him enough for molding me into the artist I am today and for seeing something in me he knew he could nurture.”

Danny Pietryk: One of my oldest and best memories of Bruce was way, way back when I was just getting to know him…. He came to work with the River Repertory Theater up north of San Francisco with John Pasqualetti. He took a group of 5 to 16 year olds that had never danced or been on stage and turned them into a beautiful flowing company that amazed and enchanted each and every one that got to see the performances. While watching him create for the first time, I couldn’t help but think…this is what it must have been like to watch Michelangelo sculpt or Rembrandt paint…pure creative genius. I was hooked on Bruce ever since. Another time, I flew out from San Diego to come to the premier of “Bolero” at Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. All of a sudden Bruce came in and said he needed me on stage since one of the guys was sick. My big stage break to perform with the Bruce Wood Dance Company. Next thing I knew I was standing half naked, up stage, center, all tied up, gag in my mouth, ….and Bruce looked at me and in his most serious of voices said…whatever you do…”don’t you f…ng move, not even an inch.” You bet I didn’t. But I still can say I performed in a Bruce Wood Premier. Yes, it is on my resume.

Albert Drake: When I needed it desperately in my life, he taught me an important idea that changed my entire perspective on dance and the world; “Popularity or purpose.” He challenged me in a way to always remain a human first and a dancer second. Dance just has that amazing ability to touch people’s lives, so that comes with a very sensitive responsibility to remain honest. Bruce was one hell of a creative genius, and the best part is that he was an even better person. Moving forward, folks…

McKinley Willis: In 2010 when Bruce began Bruce Wood Dance Project he was taking high school apprentices for mentorship. I was so afraid to audition, knowing his high expectations. I was not offered an apprenticeship position, initially. What I did receive was the most uplifting rejection letter. It was filled with notes on my performance in the audition, addressing my specific weak and strong points. This letter was a true reflection of his character. It was at that moment that I realized what good Bruce was to the dance community. He was one of the most beautiful beings I had ever gotten the chance to know. He inspired the way I think and how I approach dance. He heightened the expectation I had for myself, and for that I thank him.

Ellen Storeim: We used the tagline “Bruce Is Back” many times for Season 1. I captured this image of Bruce on the floor during rehearsal, and I put it on a shirt and gave it to a few of my friends involved with the Project. “The only way through is through”—something I repeat over and over when I’m stuck in a crummy situation or project. Always improves my attitude!

Emily Perry: I have a favorite memory of Bruce that I still remember so clearly today. It was my first season dancing for the project and we were performing one of the hardest ballets I’ve ever done called Red. Bruce called it a “gut buster” and it really was. He pushed us every day to build the stamina we needed for this piece. Somehow after rehearsing for six weeks it finally got a little easier to do. But the thing that really helped me get through that piece was seeing Bruce in the wings during our opening night performance and he was cheering us on. I got such a rush when I could hear him yelling and encouraging us through the most difficult parts. It really touched me in a way I had never experienced before. Bruce was always so hard on his dancers and that just showed me in that moment how much he cared about us.

Gayle Halperin: Bruce was hilarious — funny, witty, sarcastic, self-abasing, and loved to laugh and we laughed a lot. What a business partner — he kept me on my toes all the time. He turned me onto coffee and I turned him onto tea. His imagination was rich with ideas. He had the most uncanny insights into human nature and had that rare talent to transform them into stellar dance works. He made me smile––a lot.

Thank you, Bruce, for being so AWESOME!