Beyond These Stars

Chapter One

First day of try outs for this years school play of Dear Evan Hansen was upon us. Michael was setting up people's mics and getting the music ready. He saw the name next to preform. 'Ryan Moore, Requiem, Zoe Murphy' oh this would be a treat. Ryan's gotten any part she's wanted every since freshmen year. It was no question she would get this role.
The snobby person that was singing finally finished and Michael shut up their mic and turned on Ryan's. Something looked odd about her though. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked like she'd been crying. When the teacher asked her about it she just said "Hey, like Ben Platt had said, It's actually a really great time to sing after you cry, so let's get on with it huh?"
The teachers just nod there heads and she laughs a little bit. Michael starts the music and she sings with more emotion than he's ever seen. The song itself is sad but with her adding things and crying as she goes, he's in awe of how she does it.
Half way through of her singing him and another kid switch so Michael goes back stage to help Ryan with her mic after she's done singing and the kid goes to work the speakers. Ryan comes off stage in tears with people trying so comfort her but she just walks to the back room and shuts the door. Michael, being he has to get the mic, awkwardly follows her.
He stands in front of the door and knocks before entering.
Ryan looks up from the floor, wipes her face with her sleeve and gives a small smile.
Michael smiles back. "You don't have to be fake right now. You can be upset and cry if you need to. I won't tell anyone." He says. She laughs a bit.
"Thanks. But I'd much rather cry on my own. Why are you in here anyways" she questions.
"Oh yeah sorry," Michael says awkwardly. "I have to get your mi-" he's interrupted by Ryan's phone.
"Shit sorry!" She says answering it.
"Yeah.... I'm at school.... play tryouts.... I know I know I'm sorry I'll clean it all when I get home.... it will be.... I will... ok bye" she says and the slight smile she had on her face when talking to Michael drops momentarily but she plasters it on again.
"Sorry. You needed to mic right?" She asked. Michael nods his head. She takes the mic off and hands it too him.
"Thanks" he says with a smile, turning away.
"Wait!" Ryan says, making him turn back around, "I really have to go, so can you tell Mr. B that I left? And here," she hands him a price of paper, "that's my number. Could you tell me if I got the part?" She asked while getting her coat on and grabbing her bag.
"Uh, yeah sure... I'm Michael by the way, so you know who's texting you." He says putting out his hand. Ryan smiles and takes it.
"Ryan" she says shaking his hand. She pulls her hand back and runs out, waving to Michael as she goes. One thing's for certain. Michael intends to find out more about this girl who cried on stage.

When Michael gets home he is welcomed by a note on the fridge. Saying his parents went out for date night and there is left over Chinese food in the fridge.

He went up to his room and flopped down on his loft bed. His room had dark blue walls and was covered in posters and pictures. The floor was messy and was a dark brown carpet. He took a minute to just lie down and breath. Then he took out his phone and the piece of paper from Ryan.
Michael: hey. It's Michael. Mr. B said it was fine you had to duck out and he didn't know the casting yet but he thinks that you'll most likely get casted as Zoe.
He puts his phone down and shuts his eyes before gets a response almost immediately.
Ryan: Hi Michael! Thanks for talking to Mr. B for me! Also you seem chill and I don't really have friends but I REALLY need to get out of the house. is there anyway you could meet me by the park around the school?? You obviously don't have too!
Michael stares at the text dumbfounded. How could anyone, let alone Ryan, want to hangout with someone like him!? He was a nerd!
Michael: uhh.. yeah sure I guess?? I'll be there in like 10 minutes??
Ryan: Great! I'll see you there then!!

Michael gets up and changes out of his school uniform, then gets ready to go. Keys, phone, wallet, alright got everything! He walks to his car and turns it on and realizes he left the radio on when Dear Evan Hansen starts playing at full volume. He turns it down and starts driving to the park.
When he pulls up in front of the park he sees Ryan sitting in front of the swing, listening to music and sketching. He smiles to himself.
He turns off his car and makes his way over. He walks up behind her and kneels down.
"Whatcha drawin?" He asks making her jump.
"Ah!- oh wait it's you. Hi Michael! It's just the trees. It's no good anyways." She says closing the book and turning her music off, "So what's up?" She asks.
"Nothing. But I should be the one asking you that. Being you invited me out and everything." He says sitting.
"Right. Sorry about that. I jus really had to get out and didn't want to be alone. I don't really have any friends so I figured I'd ask the only person I had in my contacts!" She laughs.
"Hm. That's fine then," he says, "... hey how come you were crying so much when you were singing earlier?"
"Oh that?!" The says, as if it were nothing, "when I'm sad any sad song will make me cry. I could be sad about a fish dying and a song about a breakup would make me sob or an hour!" She says smiling.
"Hm that's kinda weird. But it makes sense I guess" he says laughing.
They talk for a short amount of time until the topic of collage comes up.
"I don't really know. I mean obviously everyone wants me going to something for theater, but I just kinda wanna go for art ya know? Sketching is really my thing." Ryan says flopping down on the ground behind her. Michael does the same.
"Yeah I know how you feel. Everyone I know says I should go for something computer related but I don't know. I really like photography and not to brag or anything but I guess I'm kinda good at it." He says.
Ryan sits up, "You do photography!" She says excited.
"Um, yeah?" Michael says unsure.
"Can I see some of your pictures sometime?" She asks hopeful.
"I mean I don't see why not?" Michael says. Ryan lays back down.
"My mom used to be a photographer. She was really good at it! But then she had me and my sisters and had to settle down. Obviously it was for the best. I don't know what would have happened if she kept traveling places." She says looking at the stars.
Her and Michael just stare up. Her mom. Michael had never heard anything about her mom from Ryan herself. Just things around school. As far as he knew she had a heart attack when she was a kid. He didn't wanna pry so it just let it go.
His thoughts are interrupted again by Ryan's ringtone.
"Shit. Sorry again," she laughs it off and her smile drops once again, "hi.... I'm out.. the par-... I did.... I'm sorry you never said I had to I'll do it as soon as I get home..... ok.... don't worry... I will... bu-....bye." She frowns and puts her phone in her bag before grabbing her stuff and standing, then plastering on another smile.
"Well as sorry as I am for dragging you out here and then dashing again I really gotta leave." She says as Michael gets up.
"Don't worry about it. And if you need to go that quick I can drive you if you wan-"
"NO!" She shouts interrupting him, "I mean, no. It's fine. I don't live far I can walk." She smiles again before turning away and waving goodbye to Michael again.
He sits on the ground, yet again dumbfounded by this girl that he swore, would be the death of him.

So where as with my last book I put one of these after every chapter this time I'm not??? I just wanted to explain that I was gonna put a song at the beginning of every chapter. Also the majority of the other chapters are gonna be a lot longer but this ones short just because I wanted it to be kinda short??? Ok bye