Songs series - Uptight (Everything's alright) - Julyberry
Pairing: Rachel/Cassandra
Rating: T
Words: ± 1000
Disclaimer: nothing is mine
Note: I posted the first part as a drabble on tumblr…then I wanted to continue it a bit more, and here we are. Thanks to myxe for the help.
“Thank you.”
“I told you, I do it for everyone who gets an audition.”
“Really?” Rachel propped herself up on her elbow. “You do this”-she let her eyes roam all over Cassandra’s naked body-“with everyone?”
“Shut up, Schwimmer.” The dance teacher pushed her elbow from under her, making her fall back onto the bed.
“You called me Rachel before, in the dance room,” Rachel pointed out.
“My bad. Won’t do it again,” Cassandra retorted dryly. “But seriously, it’s a NYADA tradition.”
“So you always make students think that they messed up, and then that they need to have an impossible routine ready for the next day because you moved their midterms to 6 in the morning, thus making them stay up all night to rehearse, before revealing that it was all an elaborate ruse to get them to their surprise party?”
“No. That was just because I love messing with you,” Cassandra replied with a smirk after Rachel ended her rant.
“You’d think dating a teacher would have its advantages. Why am I even dating you?” Rachel huffed.
“You mean, apart from the mind-blowing sex?”
.
It had been years since she left NYADA, without graduating. After she got the role of Fanny, the amount of work she found herself burdened with made it impossible for her to continue school. Sometimes she regretted it, but more often than not she was happy about her choice. That role launched the beginning of her career, earning her a Tony nomination the first year, before she had actually won the award the second. After three and a half years she left, ready for new experiences that came in the form of a one year production of West Side Story and then an offer to star in the long-awaited movie version of Wicked.
She left NYADA, but she learnt in that single year more things she had ever learnt during the entire time she attended high school. And some of those more important lessons came from Miss Cassandra July.
Cassandra made her realize that she couldn’t deal with harsh criticisms, especially pointless ones uttered just to hurt her, just relying on the consolation that it was hate spewing from envious, less talented and ‘inferior’ people. But sometimes the criticism came from people who were ‘superior’ to her in age, experience and even talent, and you had to deal with them. She learnt to turn the criticisms into constructive and helpful ones, while ignoring everything else.
Cassandra once told her that NYADA was a family, and that while they would have killed each other to get roles for themselves, they would also celebrate either other’s successes. And then she taught her that the actual business environment was nothing like NYADA, because they would kill to keep you from getting the role, even if they had no chance of getting it themselves, just because they didn’t want you to have too much success. That’s why Rachel was mingling at the party with colleagues and producers, actually standing in a circle with some of them, all the while playing it cool about the fact that the man in front of her was the producer she was on the verge of signing a contract for a new, original play with.
“Oh God!” a blonde actress dramatically gasped.
“It’s Crazy July,” another one muttered.
Rachel calmly took a sip from her drink.
“I can’t believe they allow her to teach.”
“What’s her subject? Failure 101?”
Chuckles went around. Rachel refrained from rolling her eyes, but was grateful that nobody seemed to remember she had Miss July as her teacher and enquired about that. Another confirmation of NYADA being a true family was that while her year-long stunt at the school was a known fact, not a word leaked about her clashing with Cassandra, or even about the teacher’s treatment of her.
“I can’t believe she’s even allowed to step foot in here.”
“Thank God she doesn’t have her cane with her, or then we’d have to worry,” one said, and they continued jesting maliciously.
Rachel remained silent. Cassandra had taught her to pick her battles, to fight only the most important ones and the ones she knew she would win as well as to not defend other people if it would come to her own disadvantage. That wasn’t a lesson which Rachel followed religiously like others, but she could see the merits. Like at that moment, when it just wasn’t worth it.
“They probably made her leave it in the cloakroom.”
“She’s moving towards us,” someone frantically whispered, interrupting the derision fest.
“Cassandra!”
The blonde dancer raised an eyebrow at the loud greeting.
“We were just talking about you,” another actress said, as insincerely as the first.
“All bad things, I hope.” Cassandra smirked.
“Only the worst.”
Cassandra let out a chuckle at the shocked and betrayed expressions of the gossiping group at Rachel’s response.
“Good, I wouldn’t want my reputation to be sullied,” the blonde said, seemingly satisfied.
“Don’t worry,” Rachel reassured her. “The world still thinks you beat students with your favorite cane.”
“I would never mar it like that!” Cassandra gasped melodramatically. “It was a precious gift.”
“I know, considering I bought it for you.”
“Rachel, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?” a question interrupted them, and Rachel could see the audience of their banter was confused and, not understanding what was going on, wanted to move on to another subject.
“I’m having some friends over.” Rachel’s smile became more genuine and less for show at the thought.
“Oh joy,” Cassandra murmured.
.
“So they’re actually coming,” Cassandra stated once she and Rachel were left alone.
“You knew they would. They just needed to confirm they could make it.” Rachel looked at her.
“One could always hope,” the blonde muttered.
“Stop it. I know you like them.”
“I tolerate them, there’s a difference.”