(Chapter written by blackcharcoal!)
After Alana pulled the lever, the warehouse shone with a dizzying light. When she squinted, and let her eyes adjust to the newfound brightness, she looked at the projections behind her.
Baby pictures. Pictures that her parents had scattered around the house, baby pictures that were a clear attempt to be the shiny, happy Beck family. She got a chill down her back looking at them, thinking of hours of studying and rehearsing and memorizing stupid speeches and working to get her novel published, all the effort she put in to be the perfect daughter, the days of being what her mom dreamed of being when she was Alana's age.
How disappointed was she in Alana? Knowing that she died because she let herself loose?
She supposed it didn't matter. Especially not when the fortune telling machine, who had introduced itself as The Amazing Karnak (Alana preferred to call him the International Annoyance) went to introduce Alana, who was standing by, listening to him talk about her like she wasn't even there.
"Meet Alana Joyce Beck. Born December 22nd. Capricorn. The ambitious nature. From the time she was two years old and already reading, Alana's parents knew she was destined for great things. Alana's parents always wanted to shine, and with a child who was reading Harry Potter by age 7 and solving complex math equations by her sixth grade year, her parents saw a chance out of Uranium City. With the constant reminders of that, and a growing sense of panic and anxiety, Alana had her belief reaffirmed to her that she had to be the best. With her efforts to ignore her anxiety, and the feeling that she was never good enough, that's how Alana Beck became the most successful girl in town." And that was when Alana got her free will back, and she played with one of her braids. She took a deep breath in, and put on a picture perfect smile.
"Well, may I just start. I don't know where youwere made -" Karnak interrupted Alana, which led to her frustration growing. His eyes glowed, a faint, mint green light shining through the darkness. His robotic voice became flat.
"I was manufactured in Bangkok, Thailand. For queries, please dial . Would you like to change my language to Thai?" Alana's anger bled into panic, as Zoe and Evan started laughing.
"No! No, no, English is fine, thank you very much!" Just as quickly as it showed up, the mint green in Karnak's eyes faded, leaving Alana in the room illuminated by her childhood photos. "As I was saying! I don't know what it's like where you were made, but here? Playing games with people's lives on the stake? Super illegal!"
After that, Alana seemed to fidget with her hands.
"Students... colleagues... an ominous fortune telling machine. I had a whole speech prepared for this event, actually!" Jared and Connor stared each other down, and Connor clicked his phone off in intrigue.
"How the fuck could she have a speech prepared for this?" Connor muttered, getting Jared and Zoe to laugh. Alana gripped her hands into tight fists, and forced a deep breath.
"I had a speech prepared, but I think it may just be better if I speak from my heart. " Jared snorted, but when Alana glared at him, he gave a bright, absolutely sarcastic -innocent grin. Alana cleared her throat, and pasted her smile brightly. "I've known you all since preschool! I love you all! Connor Murphy, the bad boy with a heart of gold." Connor looked like he wanted to slap Alana for that. "Zoe Murphy, the resident good girl, the girl destined to get into Juilliard! And Evan Hansen, my best friend since, like, diapers! I'm pretty sure my parents truly saw you as their own kid, if I'm being honest. And sweet little Jared." Jared had a weird expression on his face at that. Almost like he was trying not to laugh in Alana's face.
YOU ARE READING
Dream of Life
Fanfiction(co-written with blackcharcoal on ao3) When Evan suggested they ride the cyclone, Alana was hoping it would be a distraction, a way to get them on track after losing the Kiwani's Choir Competition. To themself. If she had know it would lead them to...
