Love is Ours {See Final Author's Note}

Chapter Three

[Ramin]

After an unsuccessful date, Ramin trudged home. 

Mandy had been her usual nightmarish self.  She had reprimanded Ramin for being late and for the way his hair stuck up in some places and even for the way he walked.  She had been talking much too loudly, earning them several annoyed looks.

Only the streetlights illuminated the darkness as Ramin walked, and he could barely see patches of snow on the frozen ground.  As he neared his flat, he could feel himself growing angrier.

Why was he stuck with Mandy?  She certainly wasn't a pleasure to date.  He hadn't been able to find the courage to break up with her, because Mandy was like a teenage girl: she would make his life miserable if he left her.

Ramin sighed in frustration as he fumbled for the key to his flat.  When he finally got the door open and flipped the light switch, he was greeted with a wonderful surprise: no power.

"Ugh!" Ramin growled angrily.  First his problems with Mandy, and now no power.  The only bright spot in his day had been Sierra.

Though he'd known her personally for less than twenty four hours, he already considered her a good friend.  She had the ability to light up an entire room with her smile, and she would willingly quote The Anchorman with him.  

Ramin staggered around in the dark, trying not to knock anything over.  He made it to his room without causing any major damage, a fact he was somewhat proud of.  He felt around in his dresser drawer for a pair of sweatpants and quickly changed once he'd found them.

He hit his leg on the nightstand as he fell into bed, but no other damage was done.  After adjusting his position so he was comfortable, Ramin fell into an uneasy sleep.

[Sierra]

The next couple weeks of rehearsals went by smoothly, and Sierra was already excited for their show.  They hadn't yet moved to the Adelphi for rehearsals, but they planned to soon.

She and Ramin had been getting along well, and Sierra had gotten closer to Summer, Joseph, and Niamh as well.  None of Sierra's family lived in London, so she was glad for their company.

On Monday of their fourth week of rehearsals, Sierra arrived promptly at nine.  She set her bag down in the small dressing room she and Summer shared.  As much as she loved Summer, Sierra couldn't wait to have her own space.

She looked into the mirror to quickly fix her hair, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" She called, tying her ponytail with a black elastic as the door opened.

She was surprised to see Ramin enter.  He grinned at her and she gladly returned the smile.

"Hey, uh, Andrew wants the cast in the studio now." He told her.

"Oh, okay," Sierra replied, turning off the lights as she followed Ramin out the door.

They walked together in silence to the studio.  Sierra felt like she should say something, but the silence wasn't too awkward.  It was sort of...peaceful.  Like they could just enjoy each other's company.

Yet, Sierra still found herself confused.  She liked Ramin as a friend, but she didn't know how he felt about her.  Tam was a nice guy, but he certainly wasn't the type to quote The Anchorman with her, and, although he had done some small scale shows, he wasn't a well known actor like she was.  Not that his social status had anything to do with how she felt about him, but Ramin was an actor.  She and him had more in common.

Finally, they reached the studio, where Andrew was talking to Jack and a guy who's back was facing her.  The guy nodded and walked away, but Sierra couldn't see his face as he left the room.  She shrugged and took a seat beside Summer.

"Everyone here?" Andrew checked.  Sierra took a quick look around.  She didn't notice anyone missing.  No one said anything.

"Alright then, let's get started." Andrew said. He looked happily at them.

"The anticipation for this production is really overwhelming," he began.  "So we are going to be releasing a cast recording shortly after opening night, which means we will start recording next week." He announced.

A ripple of excitement traveled through the cast.  Summer let out a little squeal as Sierra giggled, nearly giddy.

She loved the music in the show, and she truly thought it lived up to the original.  She could only hope that their audiences would feel the same way.  A cast recording meant that people were excited, though, which was a very good sign.

"And also, a London theatre magazine wants Ramin, Sierra, Joseph, and Summer for a photo shoot, so I'll get those details out to you," Andrew nodded at his four leads.

Summer let out another squeal only Sierra could hear, and she blushed.  Photo shoots were fun, and she couldn't wait to do it with her three of her favorite people.

"One more announcement," Andrew held up a hand, indicating he wanted silence. 

"Our current Phantom understudy is unable to continue with the production for unforeseen reasons," Andrew began. 

Sierra could hear everyone shift in their seats, and realized that she had too.  Who would replace him after almost five weeks of rehearsals? 

"We held auditions a few days ago for a new understudy, and I must say we have a very talented man now covering the role," Andrew gushed.  Sierra was glad to hear that they'd found a replacement so quickly, and was eager to meet him.

"So, without further adieu, please welcome Mr. Tam Mutu to the Original London Cast of Love Never Dies!" Andrew led a round of applause as Tam stepped into the studio.

Sierra let out a gasp.  She quickly tried to cover her surprise, but she could tell that Summer noticed.

Tam met her eyes and smiled, and she did her best to return it.  As he looked at the rest of the cast, Sierra got a sinking feeling in her stomach that she knew wouldn't go away.