Let's Do The Time Warp Again (Part 2/9)
Title: Let's Do The Time Warp Again (Part 2/9)
Author: inanawfulmess
Rating: PG-13
Length: 18,750
Spoilers: Season 1.
Summary: There's something going on between Lea and Dianna that could lead to Glee being canceled. Can Rachel and Quinn help them work it out in order to save their own existences?
Author's Note: Well, here's my entry for the gleefsbigbang . Special thanks goes to my wonderful beta, jo_eva and artist, insidethetimes . It gets a little crazy, but I hope you enjoy!
Ryan Murphy was a patient man. As a child, he was the type to wait until Christmas morning to open his presents and not attempt a peak under the tree when his parents were occupied in another room. As he aged, he only managed to perfect the art. He’d waited quietly to hear back from networks about pickups, taken his time finding exactly the right person to cast in a specific role, endured rewrite after rewrite of certain scenes in order to get it just so. That being said, a certain Ms. Lea Michele was testing his patience.
“Just sign the damn contract, Lea,” he urged, rubbing his hands over his head and down his face. It’s no wonder I’m beginning to go bald when I have to deal with the likes of her everyday, he thought. For her part, Lea certainly appeared to have more patience than he did at the moment, sitting stoically in the leather chair across from his in a quiet corner of the Starbucks adjacent to the lot, eyebrows furrowed and a pout on her lips. Ryan sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time in the twenty minutes he’d been meeting with Lea. “Alright, fine. You win. Call your agent, I’ll go up another three thousand per episode.”
If it were possible, Lea furrowed her brows even further, the pout turning into a scowl. “I’ve told you, Ryan. It’s not about the money.”
“Then what is it, Lea? Please, enlighten me.”
“It’s about the way I’m treated, Ryan, I don’t know how many more ways I can explain this. It’s clear I’m not wanted here.”
“People worship the ground you walk on!” Ryan roared, standing up from his chair and soaring forward across the small table, his eyes even with Lea’s, staring deep into her soul. He took a deep breath and spoke quietly, “we’ve given you everything you’ve ever asked for, Lea. The producers, the network, the crew, we’ve met your every demand, made you comfortable, provided you with anything you could ever need. You are the star of this show, Lea, and it won’t work without you. The fans watch for you. The cast stays on for you.”
“The cast doesn’t care about me Ryan. I’m the talent, I come to work, act, sing. That’s it! They’re not interested in a relationship with me, not anymore! They’re too afraid of me to ask me to hang out with them on weekends, they’ve heard too much about my ‘diva reputation’ to even want to talk to me! I’ve known Jenna since I was eight, you know, and she makes it perfectly clear I’m the last person on earth she’d want to spend time with. Dianna…” Lea trailed off, quieting her voice. “Dianna and I used to be close, Ryan, and now she’ll hardly give me the time of day. I have to fight to even get her to look at me. It wasn’t like this before, not at all. Your show did this to me, and I won’t let it ruin any more of my relationships.”
Ryan sat back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his head once again. “Fine, Lea, you know what? We’re done having this discussion. You get your shit together. Either you sign on by the end of the month, or you’re gone. We’ll do Glee without you. Understood?”
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Dianna Agron did not watch a lot of television. Some people found it odd since she had always wanted to be an actress, but when she moved out on her own she hadn’t even bothered to buy one. She had her books, and her music, and her writing; she really didn’t need anything more to keep her entertained. The television was never missed. Until Lea, that is.
When Lea first moved into Dianna’s apartment, and, in turn, her life, she brought with her a whirlwind of energy, some decent vegan recipes, and a fifty-four inch flat screen TV.
Lea had since moved out and moved on, no longer spending cozy Friday nights at home with Dianna, curled up on their soft leather couch watching old black and white movies and sharing a pint of soy ice cream. Dianna knows, when she really thinks about it, that Lea wasn’t meaning to lead her on. The shorter girl didn’t understand that Dianna’s feelings went deeper than friendship and no matter how close they were, Lea was just a cuddly girl who liked to lay her head on her friends’ shoulders while they watched movies and occasionally wrap her arms around their waists. Lea didn’t think about Dianna as anything other than a close friend, and Dianna knew it.
So when the whirlwind that was Lea zoomed out of Dianna’s apartment as quickly as she zoomed in, she left behind nine months of memories, a sweatshirt that smelled like her, and her fifty-four inch flat screen tv. “It’s too big to move again,” Lea shrugged, waiving her arm at the television like it was no big deal. “Keep it, I’ll just get a new one.”
And so Dianna did, not because she felt the need to watch it a lot, but because when she missed Lea, when the apartment felt too big and empty and lonely, when she just needed to hear another voice, she’d turn it on and think back on those months she and Lea had spent together. And tonight was one of those nights - it had been a rough day at work, Lea had been miserable, Ryan had been impossible, scenes that should have been knocked out in three takes took at least a dozen. Dianna decided that it was a good night to curl up by herself on the couch and watch The Biggest Loser - it certainly wasn’t television at it’s best, but it was comfortable and inspirational, and that would have to do.
Dianna tuned the television in about ten minutes early, not sure she’d even remember the proper station number since she watched her television so infrequently. She found it quickly and easily, however, and listened to the end of some entertainment news program as she finished putting the clean dishes away from her dinner.
“Coming up next…” the announcer’s deep voice said, “news from the set of Glee. Who hates who enough to want to quit the show?” This caught Dianna’s attention, and she paused with a clean plate in her hands, cupboard door open. Furrowing her brow, Di glanced at the television in time to see a picture of her and Lea, arms around each other, with a cartoonish and jagged white line zigzagging down the middle, splitting her and Lea apart as though someone had ripped the picture in two.
Her heart beating faster, Dianna gently set the plate down on the counter before moving quickly into the living room to sit on the edge of the couch, fingers nervously drumming on her knees. They could be totally blowing things out of proportion, she realized, or making it up entirely. It probably even had nothing to do with her; they just used that picture for dramatic effect, wanted people to stay tuned. Dianna smirked, it sure worked for her.
She sat nervously through commercials for an energy drink, a local clothing store, a male enhancement pill, and an advertisement for an upcoming new sitcom series. Finally, the show returned with the promised Glee gossip.
“News today from the set of Glee. Who’s feuding? What does it mean for the show?” Dianna watched unblinkingly as the screen flashed to a behind-the scenes video that had been filmed the prior season, the cast laughing and joking together. “Sources confirm that young sensation Lea Michele will no longer be singing and dancing with the rest of the cast of Glee. In a not-so-private meeting with show head Ryan Murphy today, Michele refused to sign her contract for the next season, stating personal difficulties with fellow cast mates as the cause.” Dianna gasped in horror at the paparazzi shots of Ryan and Lea walking into the Starbucks on the corner of the lot, then sitting in a corner discussing something over a folder of paperwork. In another shot, Lea appeared to be getting angry, the photographer’s zoom lens showing her darkened eyes and curled lips. The pictures then changed again to video of an interview Dianna had done with Lea when Glee first began, the announcers voice imposed over the original audio. “And which cast mate seems to be the trouble? According to our sources, Lea’s feud with former friend and roommate Dianna Agron will prevent America from continuing to watch the cast it knows and loves. Michele refuses to work with Agron any longer, and will not be signing her contract unless Agron is kicked off the show.”
Dianna stared, mouth gaping, unable to move her eyes but wanting so badly to look away from the television. A feud? She’d been distant from Lea lately, yes, but a feud? Lea hated her? Her Lea? “That’s an interesting story, Bill,” the female host spoke, shaking Dianna from her reverie. “We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out. No news from Fox yet about which of the two lovely ladies will not be returning next season, but check our website for the latest breaking news. We’ll see you at the same time, tomorrow. Have a good evening, America.”
Part 3
Author: inanawfulmess
Rating: PG-13
Length: 18,750
Spoilers: Season 1.
Summary: There's something going on between Lea and Dianna that could lead to Glee being canceled. Can Rachel and Quinn help them work it out in order to save their own existences?
Author's Note: Well, here's my entry for the gleefsbigbang . Special thanks goes to my wonderful beta, jo_eva and artist, insidethetimes . It gets a little crazy, but I hope you enjoy!
Ryan Murphy was a patient man. As a child, he was the type to wait until Christmas morning to open his presents and not attempt a peak under the tree when his parents were occupied in another room. As he aged, he only managed to perfect the art. He’d waited quietly to hear back from networks about pickups, taken his time finding exactly the right person to cast in a specific role, endured rewrite after rewrite of certain scenes in order to get it just so. That being said, a certain Ms. Lea Michele was testing his patience.
“Just sign the damn contract, Lea,” he urged, rubbing his hands over his head and down his face. It’s no wonder I’m beginning to go bald when I have to deal with the likes of her everyday, he thought. For her part, Lea certainly appeared to have more patience than he did at the moment, sitting stoically in the leather chair across from his in a quiet corner of the Starbucks adjacent to the lot, eyebrows furrowed and a pout on her lips. Ryan sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time in the twenty minutes he’d been meeting with Lea. “Alright, fine. You win. Call your agent, I’ll go up another three thousand per episode.”
If it were possible, Lea furrowed her brows even further, the pout turning into a scowl. “I’ve told you, Ryan. It’s not about the money.”
“Then what is it, Lea? Please, enlighten me.”
“It’s about the way I’m treated, Ryan, I don’t know how many more ways I can explain this. It’s clear I’m not wanted here.”
“People worship the ground you walk on!” Ryan roared, standing up from his chair and soaring forward across the small table, his eyes even with Lea’s, staring deep into her soul. He took a deep breath and spoke quietly, “we’ve given you everything you’ve ever asked for, Lea. The producers, the network, the crew, we’ve met your every demand, made you comfortable, provided you with anything you could ever need. You are the star of this show, Lea, and it won’t work without you. The fans watch for you. The cast stays on for you.”
“The cast doesn’t care about me Ryan. I’m the talent, I come to work, act, sing. That’s it! They’re not interested in a relationship with me, not anymore! They’re too afraid of me to ask me to hang out with them on weekends, they’ve heard too much about my ‘diva reputation’ to even want to talk to me! I’ve known Jenna since I was eight, you know, and she makes it perfectly clear I’m the last person on earth she’d want to spend time with. Dianna…” Lea trailed off, quieting her voice. “Dianna and I used to be close, Ryan, and now she’ll hardly give me the time of day. I have to fight to even get her to look at me. It wasn’t like this before, not at all. Your show did this to me, and I won’t let it ruin any more of my relationships.”
Ryan sat back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his head once again. “Fine, Lea, you know what? We’re done having this discussion. You get your shit together. Either you sign on by the end of the month, or you’re gone. We’ll do Glee without you. Understood?”
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Dianna Agron did not watch a lot of television. Some people found it odd since she had always wanted to be an actress, but when she moved out on her own she hadn’t even bothered to buy one. She had her books, and her music, and her writing; she really didn’t need anything more to keep her entertained. The television was never missed. Until Lea, that is.
When Lea first moved into Dianna’s apartment, and, in turn, her life, she brought with her a whirlwind of energy, some decent vegan recipes, and a fifty-four inch flat screen TV.
Lea had since moved out and moved on, no longer spending cozy Friday nights at home with Dianna, curled up on their soft leather couch watching old black and white movies and sharing a pint of soy ice cream. Dianna knows, when she really thinks about it, that Lea wasn’t meaning to lead her on. The shorter girl didn’t understand that Dianna’s feelings went deeper than friendship and no matter how close they were, Lea was just a cuddly girl who liked to lay her head on her friends’ shoulders while they watched movies and occasionally wrap her arms around their waists. Lea didn’t think about Dianna as anything other than a close friend, and Dianna knew it.
So when the whirlwind that was Lea zoomed out of Dianna’s apartment as quickly as she zoomed in, she left behind nine months of memories, a sweatshirt that smelled like her, and her fifty-four inch flat screen tv. “It’s too big to move again,” Lea shrugged, waiving her arm at the television like it was no big deal. “Keep it, I’ll just get a new one.”
And so Dianna did, not because she felt the need to watch it a lot, but because when she missed Lea, when the apartment felt too big and empty and lonely, when she just needed to hear another voice, she’d turn it on and think back on those months she and Lea had spent together. And tonight was one of those nights - it had been a rough day at work, Lea had been miserable, Ryan had been impossible, scenes that should have been knocked out in three takes took at least a dozen. Dianna decided that it was a good night to curl up by herself on the couch and watch The Biggest Loser - it certainly wasn’t television at it’s best, but it was comfortable and inspirational, and that would have to do.
Dianna tuned the television in about ten minutes early, not sure she’d even remember the proper station number since she watched her television so infrequently. She found it quickly and easily, however, and listened to the end of some entertainment news program as she finished putting the clean dishes away from her dinner.
“Coming up next…” the announcer’s deep voice said, “news from the set of Glee. Who hates who enough to want to quit the show?” This caught Dianna’s attention, and she paused with a clean plate in her hands, cupboard door open. Furrowing her brow, Di glanced at the television in time to see a picture of her and Lea, arms around each other, with a cartoonish and jagged white line zigzagging down the middle, splitting her and Lea apart as though someone had ripped the picture in two.
Her heart beating faster, Dianna gently set the plate down on the counter before moving quickly into the living room to sit on the edge of the couch, fingers nervously drumming on her knees. They could be totally blowing things out of proportion, she realized, or making it up entirely. It probably even had nothing to do with her; they just used that picture for dramatic effect, wanted people to stay tuned. Dianna smirked, it sure worked for her.
She sat nervously through commercials for an energy drink, a local clothing store, a male enhancement pill, and an advertisement for an upcoming new sitcom series. Finally, the show returned with the promised Glee gossip.
“News today from the set of Glee. Who’s feuding? What does it mean for the show?” Dianna watched unblinkingly as the screen flashed to a behind-the scenes video that had been filmed the prior season, the cast laughing and joking together. “Sources confirm that young sensation Lea Michele will no longer be singing and dancing with the rest of the cast of Glee. In a not-so-private meeting with show head Ryan Murphy today, Michele refused to sign her contract for the next season, stating personal difficulties with fellow cast mates as the cause.” Dianna gasped in horror at the paparazzi shots of Ryan and Lea walking into the Starbucks on the corner of the lot, then sitting in a corner discussing something over a folder of paperwork. In another shot, Lea appeared to be getting angry, the photographer’s zoom lens showing her darkened eyes and curled lips. The pictures then changed again to video of an interview Dianna had done with Lea when Glee first began, the announcers voice imposed over the original audio. “And which cast mate seems to be the trouble? According to our sources, Lea’s feud with former friend and roommate Dianna Agron will prevent America from continuing to watch the cast it knows and loves. Michele refuses to work with Agron any longer, and will not be signing her contract unless Agron is kicked off the show.”
Dianna stared, mouth gaping, unable to move her eyes but wanting so badly to look away from the television. A feud? She’d been distant from Lea lately, yes, but a feud? Lea hated her? Her Lea? “That’s an interesting story, Bill,” the female host spoke, shaking Dianna from her reverie. “We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out. No news from Fox yet about which of the two lovely ladies will not be returning next season, but check our website for the latest breaking news. We’ll see you at the same time, tomorrow. Have a good evening, America.”
Part 3