𝘚𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘙 ⁽ʲ ᵐᵒˡⁱⁿᵃ⁾

𝘛𝘞𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘠-𝘚𝘐𝘟

We're playing the Orpheum.

We're playing the Orpheum.

We're playing the Orpheum. This was all the circled through the Elise's mind - they'd somehow managed to pull it off, and if this was their unfinished business (which she was 85% certain it was,) then she'd actually be able to hug Julie again. To apologize to her sister, to unpause her life. And while she would miss the boys, as if they were a physical piece of her heart that would be leaving, she knew that this was the best possible outcome for them. She was happy that they may have a chance to find out what's on the other side of it all.

She hadn't been there when Julie got the call - she'd been trying to her best to avoid lingering around her. It felt like a violation of Julie's privacy, and it made her heart ache to a degree that Elise could only stand in the tiniest of doses. She wondered if Julie could sense her there, or if the subtle frowns and sudden freezing mood were coincidence.

They'd already wrapped up their last rehearsal before The Phantom's most important performance ever - and though she hadn't exchanged any personal words with her girlfriend, Elise found comfort in the knowledge that her and Julie could at least continue to spend a few moments really together. Reassuring nods, eye contact, uncontrollable smiles. Things were somehow impossibly looking up - or maybe she was just finally giving in to optimism. But either way, being on the bright side of things was a new and exciting alternative to Elise's typical pessimism. And she had to admit, she was enjoying it. Not only was she traveling to the other side of the rainbow - she'd actually found it first!

But right now, Elise was paying her twin a long overdue visit. While she and Willie were driving down the freeway like madmen yesterday, Julie was telling Carrie everything as she had promised. According to her, it hadn't exactly been easy to convince her of the straight up truth. But with a google search, and the showing of a Sunset Curve CD, Carrie understood everything. She'd even found out about her father's fraudulence, which Elise wished she could have been there to help her through. It wasn't an easy discovery, but the burning pain eventually would shrink into a mere ache. Somewhat.

Somehow, in the presence of her half-dead sister, the blonde just seemed happy she was near.

From the depths of her closet, Carrie managed to find a white board and a singular bright pink dry erase marker. Julie had apparently texted her that Elise would come be coming by soon, so she was not too entirely rattled when messy words were soon being scrawled on the board before her. It was those four simple words that Elise hadn't been able to get off her mind, and when she looked up at her sister, her face was more shocked than anything else.

"You're-" Her voice cracked, and she attempted to clear her throat. "Sorry, this is weird. You're actually playing the Orpheum? This isn't some joke?"

Elise chuckled slightly, adding a few exclamation points to the end to emphasize that this was in face true.

"Wow." Elise wasn't surprised to detect the tiniest bit of jealousy, which she couldn't exactly blame her for. But the overwhelming emotion on her face was glee, along with confusion, and small hints of fear and unease. All of which Elise felt too. "This is the unfinished business thing, right?"

She erased her neon words with her hand as best she could, and scribbled a yes over the smudges left behind.

Carrie's eyes shifted downward, previous emotions now replaced by sadness - a wistful concoction of past and new pain. "I miss you. I really hope..."

Her sentence dragged off, Elise swallowed thickly. "Me too," she spoke as she wrote the next three words.

I have hope.