Dear Ellie

Chapter 5- Lucky

"Hey so today is the second day of auditions," I say to my phone as I record myself. I'm sitting on the hotel balcony waiting for my mom to get dressed so she can take me to auditions, "I'm really excited since yesterday went so well, so here's to hoping I don't embarrass myself too much!" I say and then press the stop button and put my phone in my pocket. I look out at the city, its awake and busy, I smile feeling an odd sensation of belonging. I've never really liked small towns or beach towns because they're so relax and spread out, more of a vacation spot then a home. But I love the city, I had been to LA a few times and I loved how fast paced it was and how there were so many people, I know it sounds like a nightmare to most people but I loved it.

"I'm ready!" I hear my mom yell. I get up from the lounge chair and go into the room closing the glass sliding door behind me.

"Alright lets go," I say looking at the time, 8:39. I look around and notice my brother gone, "Where's Vince?"

"Oh he's down in the lobby getting coffee he said he would meet us there so let's go," my mom says rushing me out of the hotel room. We make our way down to the lobby and I quickly spot a very tired looking Vincent slowly drinking coffee.

"I can't believe your awake this early," I say to him and he rolls his eyes making me laugh.

"Hardee Har," he says, "I'm only up because mom wants me to go sightseeing with her while you're auditioning, so this is basically your fault."

"What how is it my fault San Francisco is a beautiful city that mom wants to see," I laugh at him.

"Well if you weren't talented and had a Hamilton audition we wouldn't be here," he said making me smile. My mom then appeared and ushered us outside to the car and we headed to the auditions.

"Okay I'll be back at 5 to get you," my mom said as she pulled up in front of the building, "Break a leg!"

"I think what she meant was break their legs," Vincent said making me laugh and making my mom shake her head at us.

"Thanks guys I'll see you later," I say getting out of the car and walking into the building. I sign in and check the time, 8:58, perfect timing. I make my way down the hall to the room we were in yesterday to see a significant amount of people missing, maybe their all just late. I spot Jena who waves me over with a smile and I go and sit down next to her feeling the excitement in the room filling me.

"Hey your here!" She says as I sit down, I give her a confused look.

"Of course I'm here why wouldn't I be?" I ask confused as to why she thought I'd not come to a Hamilton audition.

"Well you know that there's ten people gone right?" She asked and I raised my eyebrows signaling for her to keep talking, "So we start with 40 people and after the first day 10 people are emailed and asked not to come back the next day, leaving 30 for the second day. After the second day they can email ten or less people asking them not to come back leaving an unknown amount of people for the third day which is casting day. They need twenty people since there are 10 leads and they all need understudies so usually they only get rid of 5 or so people after the second day." She explained, my eyes went wide and I quickly went into my phone to check my email to make sure I wasn't emailed, luckily I wasn't.

"How do you know this?" I asked putting my phone away and breathing a sigh of relief.

"My friend auditioned for Hamilton Chicago, she plays Eliza now but Lin told her how auditions work after they cast her," she said.

"Wait your friends with Karen Olivio?" I ask internally freaking out.

"Yeah we've been friends since collage," she said smiling.