Ｌｕｃｙ Ａｓｔｏｒ
Ｉ'ｌｌ ｂｅ ａ ＭＯＮＳＴＥＲ, ｗｈｅｎ Ｉ ｇｒｏｗ ＵＰ⋯
ＷＨＥＲＥ cafe reve, a small hip coffee shop located near the main campus of barnaby prince.
ＷＨＯ anyone she runs into...
ＭＯＯＤ contemplative.
ＷＥＡＲＩＮＧ click.
✯
- xxxxxxＬucy Astor sat alone at a small table in Cafe Reve. She wore her school uniform with a lacy white blouse and thin black bowtie. Her legs were covered to the knees by white knee-highs, and on her feet she wore black mary-janes. The weather was warm, so Lucy itched slightly under the thick fabric, but she tried not to let it show. Her long, golden hair was pulled back into a French braid and hung lazily on her back. Her bag, currently a black-and-white striped satchel, sat by her feet. Inside it were textbooks and notebooks and school-required reading, but Lucy had no desire to do any of that right now. The beautiful muted greens of her school uniform skirt seemed to compliment the plush beige cushion on her seat. The cafe was located not two blocks from the main campus of her school, and she often came here by herself when she was feeling the need for a caffeinated pick-me-up. The scenery didn't hurt, either. The cafe was modeled after a Paris salon in the 1920s, Lucy's favorite era. A delicate chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the room, which was sunken in and surrounded by dark oak steps to get back up to the main level, where you could order your coffee and thumb through fashion magazines. The cafe's selection was impressive, ranging from Chinese teas to richly-flavored Arabian coffee. The walls were colored beige, with white moldings. Beyond the counter was a door. It supposedly led to the shop's storage area, but Lucy liked to believe it led to a speakeasy, where jazz would play and the lights would be low.
xxxxxxOn this particular day Lucy was feeling kind of odd. A strange presence had loomed over her all day, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by her peers. Lucy surrounded herself with fun people, and many didn't know her too well. To them, she was fun but sometimes elusive and aloof. But even so, they noticed that something was wrong with her. Lucy didn't even know what that something was herself...Lucy sighed and sipped daintily at her caramel coffee. Her eyes scanned the room for a familiar face. Strangely, the cafe was largely unknown to her classmates. Which was strange, considering its close proximity to school. Her golden eyes flicked towards the door as it opened. A tall woman in her mid-thirties walked in, looking like she belonged in a posh law firm. This was one of the nicer parts of Philadelphia, so she probably worked nearby. Outside, Lucy could see a black town car as it glided away and out of sight. Lucy turned her attention back to the woman as she walked confidently up to the counter. She ordered coffee. Black. Lucy scrunched her nose and took another sip of her own coffee. She had friends who could stomach coffee without any cream or sugar, but Lucy preferred sweet things. Indulgence. Fun.
xxxxxxToday was a Monday, probably the shittiest day of the week. The day before Lucy had lounged around, stretching her muscles and doing a little bit of dancing between going to the mall with her mother and practicing her songs for her vocal coach. All with a massive hangover. On that Saturday night, Lucy had gone out to a party at a friend's house. The girl's parents wouldn't be back until late on Sunday, so the teenagers were free to do as they pleased. However, Lucy was less than impressed with the turnout. Lacrosse-playing douchebags and their beautiful girlfriends played beer pong and laughed loudly between sips of vodka-and-punch. When Lucy went to parties, she tended to prefer the ones that had loud music and more than a wimpy Hawaiian punch cocktail. But still, Lucy tried to enjoy herself. She had worn semi-sheer thigh-highs with red shorts and a loose-fitting black tank top. The black lace of her bra had shown through and attracted the attention of some boys, but Lucy's smoky eyes told them that she was not about to lower her standards. They could loo, but if they tried to touch...
xxxxxxShe decided she needed to go home in the early hours of the morning. Somebody had punched a wall and now everybody was scrambling to cover it up. Her mouth had turned into somewhat of a grin when she saw the chaos. It wasn't her house, and she wasn't great friends with this girl in any case. And something else had pissed her off...some random girl had gone on and on about their school's upcoming musical. They would be doing Cabaret, the wonderful story set in the 1930s. It was one of Lucy's favorites solely for the setting and the music. Weimar Berlin was an era Lucy had always dreamed of visiting...and it drove her to work for the role of Sally Bowles. Sally was the less-than-talented singer in a sleazy nightclub called the Kit Kat Klub. Her story was rather tragic...but the role was glamorous, in a gritty sort of way. It called for an English accent, sexy costuming, and an emotional breakdown. Lucy knew she was capable of making the performance a triumph. But deep down, Lucy knew she was going to have to really fight for the role. At school, there was a lot of talent. But nobody worked as hard as Lucy did...she trained endlessly to further propel herself towards a career on Broadway. But yet, at school, she never got the recognition she deserved. Every single show she saw the role she wanted go to somebody else. At this party on Saturday night, some drunk b***h had gone on and on about how much Jacqueline Everett deserved the role...and that was when Lucy put on her leather jacket and called a cab.
xxxxxxJacqueline Everett had been a friend of Lucy's since before they both went to Barnaby Prince. Jack was an amazing artist and was there on scholarship. She was tall, tan and ridiculously photogenic. Somehow or other, she always managed to capture the heart of every director, and yet, she wasn't as talented as Lucy. Lucy had training and she knew how to use her voice properly. She had a strong, clear belt that could melt easily into a shimmering head voice. Jack, on the other hand, had a machine gun-like vibrato and no control over it. Her neck strained on every note like she was fighting strangulation or forcing something down her throat. It was really ridiculous. Lucy danced for hours each week, pushing her body through rigorous ballet classes and tap classes and jazz classes. The closest Jacqueline came to dance apparel was a pair of black ballet flats. Yet, Jack could work her spell and win every single time. It was admittedly a sore spot for Lucy, and whenever somebody mentioned her she had to fight the urge to completely trash her. That was what had upset her so greatly at the party. She needed this role so badly to prove to everybody exactly how talented she was. She would do anything for it.
