Beautiful People: Discovering Emma (And Travis) Part Sept!

1) Does he/she have any habits, annoying or otherwise? Emma: Plays with her jewelry, more specifically her necklace. Travis: None in particular.
2) What is his/her back story, and how does it affect him/her now? Emma: She grew up poor, unable to afford dance lessons. Her dad was an alcoholic and her parents divorced when she was young. She grew up believing she would never amount to anything but she chose to change that when she moved out at age eighteen. Because she couldn't afford to take dance, no companies or studios will hire her so she finds a job as a nanny instead. Travis: He grew up in upstate New York to rich parents who gave him everything he ever wanted. He took dance at his parents' studio, The Waters School of Dance and never was in want. He started working for the studio when he turned 17 and inherited it not long after. His sister, Shelby, and her husband died in a car crash leaving Heidi an orphan and he immediately took her as his own. He makes sure she can take as much dance as she wants because he knows how much she loves it.
3) How does he/she show love? Emma: Quality time. She likes to be around the people she loves. Travis: By giving his time, money, home, anything he can to that person so they know he cares about them.
4) How competitive is he/she? Emma: Not so much competitive as determined to prove herself strong and capable. Travis: Not very, but more so than Emma.
5) What does he/she think when nothing else is going on? Emma: She pretty much always has something going on but when she gets the chance she thinks about her Uncle Ben, and dance, and Heidi and Travis. Travis: Whether or not he's making the right choice by raising Heidi without a mother, Emma and her struggles, the studio.
6) Does he/she have an accent? Emma: She has a bit of a New York accent but not so much that it's obvious. Travis: He doesn't have an accent as much as a "New York way" of saying things.
7) What is his/her station in life? Emma: She was born into a very poor, lower-class family but now she's moved up to middle class at least. She doesn't have a lot of money, but she lives with someone who does. Travis: Upper-class. He's "pure-bred" in a sense - his father and his grandfather and so on were never lacking money.
8) What do others expect from him/her? Emma: Not a lot, considering where she came from and what her family was reputed to be like. Travis: More than he would like because of everything he's taken on.
9) Where was he/she born and when? Emma: Manhattan area of New York in the late 80s. Travis: Upstate New York in the late 80s.
10) How does he/she feel about people in general? Emma: For the most part, she'd wary and cautious of others but she can also be very gullible. Travis: He's very open and warm to others but his trust is easily lost.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 10}

Bria shivered from her resting spot in the pile of petrified wood. Not from cold. Not from exhaustion. From fear.

Max took a swig from his whiskey bottle. "Stop whimpering like that!" He yelled her way.

"I'm sorry." She muttered. "Please can I come inside, Max? I didn't do anything wrong."

Max seemed to contemplate how this idea would benefit him. "No!" He finally decided. "You're lucky I'm even letting you live under my roof."

"I can't even sleep under your roof." She mumbled to herself, afraid that he would get angry if her heard her speak. "May I at least have dinner?"

"No! Now quit your whining and shut your trap. You're getting on my nerves." He spat.

She bit her lip to keep from saying more. Max had been drinking all night. He'd picked up the habit a while ago, though when it was exactly, Bria couldn't pinpoint. It had been a gradual thing, first casually at parties, then late nights with friends, and now every night (and most of the daytime too). She believed that it was a fixable thing at first. That it was only temporary. That he would grow out of it. But by now she had learned there was no hope. Every day she had to walk on eggshells to keep the sleeping giant appeased. She lived in fear of him, and she didn't know how much longer she could do it.

Sure she'd tried to run before. Twice actually. The first time she didn't get farther than the end of the road before she got cold feet. And the second time he'd found her, dragged her home, and . . . she didn't like to think about what had happened. Now she lived and ate and slept and even breathed fear and she hated it. Gosh-flipping-darn-it she hated it but there was nothing she could do. There was no family to live with, no friends to run to. The town they lived in wasn't all that big on security and if she ran to the police, Max would find out.

She was alone.

Completely, utterly, undeniably alone and the realization sent chills down her spine and tied her stomach in knots. She was stuck. Teetering on the edge of a precipice, undecided whether to let Max push her over or simply jump . . . and take matters into her own hands. She needed to make a decision soon enough, she knew that much. These days without food, these nights spent in the cold, though once few and far between, were now much too common.

She eventually feigned sleep and Max went inside. She could hear him rummaging through cabinets and slamming open drawers in search of the brandy she used for cooking. Every word that came from his lips, every sound of a rustling leaf made her start. She eventually decided she couldn't take it anymore.

Silently, slowly, she stood from the pile of wood and backed away from the house, praying the whole time that he wouldn't come out to check on her. When she passed the mailbox she turned to face the road. She was leaving town tonight.

Bria was taking matters into her own hands.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 9}

Franny tucked herself into one of the folds of the tree trunk and held her breath.

"Ninety-nine . . . one hundred!" Nick's voice echoed through the forest. "I'm coming!"

Franny tried to stay as still as possible. His footsteps were soft, as if he were stalking his prey. She shut her eyes tight, hoping that the action might make her more invisible. She heard him stop just a few feet to the right.

"I will find you, Franny." He said. "I always win."

Franny bit her tongue in order to keep from yelling out, No you don't! Not always . . .

The two kids had an ever growing rivalry since preschool. They'd lived next door to each other their whole lives and everything one did well, the other had to do better. Their latest competition had been hide and seek and neither would admit that the other was better. They would race home from school, drop their backpacks on Franny's porch and then race into the woods and begin. It had become a routine by now. Most afternoons they ended up bickering so much they couldn't stand each other and they'd storm home swearing they would never talk again. But then the next day would come and they would realize how boring their lives were without each other.

It was a healthy competition. It kept their friendship interesting. Neither of them got along very well with many kids at school because no one could out up with their bold, obnoxious, I'm-better-than-you-and-don't-even-try-to-deny-it personalities. Franny had Robin, and Nick had Snug, but in reality (though both would die a thousand deaths before they admitted it) Franny and Nick needed each other. He stuck up for her when Puck pulled her hair in class, and she helped him with his math homework. Sure, they fought just as much as they talked, but they loved each other, and that was obvious to anyone around them.

"Come out come out wherever you are!"

Nick was getting closer, and Franny didn't know how long she could keep still. Her legs were cramping and her lungs ached from holding her breath for so long. But she would not cave.

Then finally, "Nick! Franny! Come home and wash up for dinner!"

"Yes mom!" Nick turned to go back home.

Franny leaped out from her hiding place. "Ha!" She pointed a finger in Nick's direction. "You gave up! I win."

"No! I was just pretending!"

"Were not!"

"Was too!"

Franny huffed and stormed off to her house and Nick did the same. "You're a cheater and a liar, Nickolas Bottom!"

"You're a baby and a loser, Francesca Flute!"

They parted, screaming insults over their shoulders, swearing their friendship was over. But both knew, tomorrow they'd go back. They always went back. Their lives just would not be the same if they didn't.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 8}

Dianna sat in the rich black dirt, her eyes wet with tears. She clutched the carousel horse to her chest and tried to take her mind off all things important. But she couldn't. What had happened was like a knife through the heart and she knew, no matter how hard she tried to travel back to her childhood, or forget the things that had just gone on, she never would. She was not getting married that day. And that realization was going to be the death of her.

She always knew it was going to end this way. When Roger kept pushing the date back or making up excuses not to help plan the ceremony, she knew, in her heart, that he never really intended to marry her. He was a politician, and therefore, he was a snake. He'd used her for publicity votes and then, upon winning the election, cast her aside like a useless rag doll.

They were supposed to be wed that afternoon. But he had taken her aside that morning and explained that things just "weren't working out between them." She said nothing in response. She just turned on her heel and ran and ran, leaving him to deal with the confused wedding guests on his own. She didn't stop running until she knew no one could see her and then she collapsed and started to weep. Only when she calmed down enough to look up did she see the carousel horse.

It sat there, on the side of the path all by itself, filthy and alone. How it got there or where it came from, she didn't know. It reminded Dianna so much of herself. And so she crawled over and snatched it up and hugged it to herself while she shivered in the cold. She rocked herself gently back and forth, still crying, trying to find some sort of light at the end of the tunnel or other comfort. She found none.

That was where Andy and Sarah found her: half asleep, with tear-stained cheeks and pale white skin, murmuring to herself that she would be fine. They picked her up and brought her home where they fed her and tried to convince her that Roger was a worthless git, that she deserved better than him. She just nodded and looked away. Maybe they were right, maybe not. But she'd taken a blow to the heart that day and she knew that no matter what comfort or kind words people tried to bring her, she would never be the same again.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 7}

Jennie rocked slowly back and forth, fighting back tears. "How could they not like me?" She wondered aloud. "I did everything right!" She sniffed and looked up at the Anderson mansion. Her vision blurred. She looked down and sniffed. It was not supposed to happen this way.

"Jennie!" Drew raced across the lawn to her side but stopped when he noticed her expression. "You heard us talking didn't you?"

Jennie said nothing, but looked up at her boyfriend with tear-filled eyes. He sighed and sat on the ground by her swing. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She choked out. "Gosh, why can't I do anything right?"

"Jennie . . ."

"No, Drew! You know it's me. It's always been me. I don't understand. It's 1953! Shouldn't men be allowed to choose girls for themselves by now?"

"Of course we are-"

"And your parents just don't get that! I try so hard. I dressed up, I answered all their questions politely, I helped clear the table after lunch. What is so wrong with me?" She choked as the tears spilled over her cheeks.

Drew reached up and gently grabbed her hand. "There's nothing wrong with you." His voice was tinged with both love and sadness. "They're just skeptical because you don't come from a rich family like I do. I think they're afraid to let me grow up, seeing as I'm their youngest." He paused and looked up into her face. "But you're my favorite, Jennie. And I'm keeping you."

Jennie smiled in spite of her tears. Drew rose to his feet, grabbed the ropes of the swing in his hands, and leaned down so his face was right in front of Jennie's. "You wanna get an ice cream?"

Jennie laughed and nodded and walked off with her hand in Drew's. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. She had the best man in all of California. The Anderson's approval or not, everything was going to turn out fine.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 6}

Sam ignored the sound of the phone ringing as he violently splashed paint onto a canvas. "This will show her." He huffed. "If she doesn't understand how I feel after this than she must be heartless." He stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth and cocked his head debating where to add paint next.

The phone rang again breaking his train of thought and he picked it up with frustration. "Hello!" He barked into the mouthpiece.

"Sam?"

He rolled his eyes at the feminine voice on the other side of the line. "What do you want, Jessie?"

"I just thought maybe we could talk-"

"You thought wrong!" He cut her off. "I told you, we're over. I made a mistake. A big one and I'm trying to fix it."

"She'll never believe you . . ."

"Well I'm going to try anyway!" He hung up on her for the seventh time that weekend and picked up his brush again. He took a deep breath. "Where was I?"

He was painting the picture of the place where he and Kait had shared their first kiss - the top of the Ferris wheel on the boardwalk. He'd made a huge mistake by asking Jessie to tutor him. When Kait showed up she'd jumped to the worst conclusion and she didn't let him explain before she stormed out of his life. She wouldn't answer her phone or texts, she dropped him on Facebook, and any time she saw him at school she just skated around him.

Well now it was May - a week before prom - and he intended to win her back. He knew she didn't already have a date because she was determined to fly solo, so he still had a chance, however minute that chance was. "There!" He smudged a few more colors on the canvas. "Perfect!" He wiped his hands on a towel and then sat down to draft a note to Kait.

Meet me under the boardwalk after school. I have something I want to show you.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 5}

"Heather! Heather where are you?" Reece raced around the plot of land she'd been living on for a year and a half. "Where is that child?" Her little second cousin (twice removed on her mother's side) had taken a liking to hiding from Reece - and she was good at it. Reece looked up from where she'd been searching through the bushes as she heard a car door slam.

Aaron jogged to her side. "Have you fond her yet?"

Reece sighed in frustration. "Does it look like I've found her yet?"

Aaron said nothing, just nodded sharply and raced over to the barn while Reece continued screaming Heather's name. The tall, smart music theory major had developed a connection with the little girl. He liked her and she liked him and they got along very well.

"Heather?" He whispered as he neared the door of the old wooden structure. "It's me, Aaron. Please come out?"

"Why?" A small blond head peeked out from behind one of the barn doors. "Why do I have to come out?"

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief and crouched to her level. "Because, Sweetie," He spoke gently. "Reece is worried sick about you."

"What do I care if she's sick?" Heather huffed. "I don't even like her."

"You don't mean that . . ." Aaron paused trying to think of a way to lure her out. "Tell you what. If you come out with me and show Reece that you're okay, I'll take you into town to get ice cream." He knew Reece wouldn't be happy about the bribery technique, but he was desperate.

This proposition seemed to intrigue the little girl. "Just you and me?"

Aaron nodded and crossed his heart. "Just you and me."

Heather seemed to contemplate his offer for a few moments before she poked her head further out the door and looked around. Then, upon deciding that it was safe to step back into the world, she exited the barn and grabbed Aaron's hand. "Okay." She said. "That will be just fine."

And That's All She Wrote {Day 4}

He was always a strange boy. No one really understood him. And perhaps that was because no one really cared to understand him. He had always been different. While everyone else his age ran off to a festival or get-together, he stayed, alone, and wrote about dragons.

He knew quite a lot about dragons. He owned one. Except, nobody really knew that he owned one. It was a secret, as was the rest of his life. He didn't like to be bothered so no one bothered him. He spent his time with his dragon, writing, and since he didn't seem to want attention, no one gave it to him. But maybe that was the problem.

He didn't like to be alone. He never told anybody, but inside he longed for just one true friend. No one knew, so no one did anything. They just let him be, because they assumed that was what he wanted. But nothing could have been farther from the truth.

He disappeared, one year ago yesterday. No one knew where he went, or why. Some say he was taken by thieves in the night. Others say that he grew wings and left because he wanted to. No one really understands why. And perhaps that is because no one really cares to understand why. He will forever remain a mystery. No one will ever know.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 3}

Adiadni took a breath and smoothed her hair down. She didn't want to do this but inside she knew she had to. She'd fallen in love - with a man who wasn't her betrothed. And on the day that was supposed to be her wedding day she was going to tell her parents, her betrothed, and the rest of the kingdom that she would not be married. At least not to a man she didn't love. Her hands shook as she reached toward the handles of the palace doors and prepared to step outside.

"Adi, you can do this!" She tried to convince herself. "You must do this. For Uritus." She closed her eyes and pictured the man she left behind to be here. She wanted him, and though she knew that might never happen, she had to try. She grasped the handles of the doors and flung them open. It was time.

And That's All She Wrote {Day 2}

Meg and Morgan had stayed awake all night. It was only when the sun first peeked over the horizon that they realized they were exhausted. "Morg!" Meg mumbled. "Wake up."

"I can't!" The dark haired girl mumbled. "We can't keep this up, Meggy. We're going to have to accept it. I'm leaving."

"You can't!" Meg slammed her fist against the table with as much force as she could muster. "We've gone on a hunger strike, we've stayed up all night long, we've even braided our hair together! You are not moving. And if you have to, I am coming with you!"

Morgan sighed. "I don't think my mom will understand. Even if we do stay awake until she gets up . . ."

Meg reached over and grabbed her friend's hand. "Just a few more hours, okay?"

Morgan half smiled and squeezed Meg's hand back. "Okay."

And That's All She Wrote {Day 1}

Okay so I am starting this new writer challenge thingy: And That's All She Wrote. It's gonna be totally awesome!

Addison took in a sharp breath and held her hand over her mouth. She regretted the words the instant they escaped her lips. Sure Nick had been a jerk. Sure what he said what totally out of line and he needed to grow up. But what she said was worse and she wished she hadn't. "Nick!" She yelled after him as he turned on his heel and ran down the street. "Nick I'm sorry!"

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. He spoke no words, but the look on his face said everything. He raced away to who knows where and Addison sank to her knees. She buried her face in her hands and silently began to cry. She wished she could take it back. More than anything, she wished she had never said it in the first place.

Concerning the Show I Will Never Get to See

Tonight is closing night of Aaron Tveit's most recent musical, Catch Me If You Can. I am so depressed that I will never get to see it. This is for not only Aaron, but also the rest of his beautiful cast. Break a leg tonight, guys! Make me proud.

Good Mood

I'm in a good mood today. Why? Because I met my new cast last night and they are everything I dreamed they would be. They're spunky and bold. Hilarious and entertaining. Friendly and extremely easy to get along with. I love them.

Our first rehearsal was last night and it wasn't as much a rehearsal as a get-to-know-each-other-by-climbing-on-each-other's-backs-and-wrestling-each-other-to-the-ground-and-playing-games-during-which-you-can-get-a-concussion. And I am very proud to say that I escaped with only a rolled ankle. Feel free to applaud at any time.

We have another rehearsal again today and I am so excited! I can already tell that we are going to be as close (if not closer) than my last cast was. And my last cast was like family so that's saying a lot.

I'm modeling my character after Sharpay Evans from High School Musical. You have no idea how it has been my dream to play Sharpay. I'm a bit of an attention-hogging diva myself so I think it will work well. I'm spending all my free time watching Saved By The Bell because my director wants me to model my costumes off of Kelly's. Yay.

In conclusion, the guy playing my prom date is shorter than me, I met yet another person who loves Psych, and theatre people are violent. I am so excited. This is gonna be totally awesome.