"I can't do the show tonight," Pippa announces, flopping down on the couch in their dressing room.
"Oh no! Pippa, are you sure?" Jazzy asks.
"I just can't. It's already been too much for me."
"Alright, well, I guess I can go on," Kaitlyn says, wearily. "I think that Carleigh requested the night off to go visit with one of her college friends or something."
"Thank you so much, Kait," Pippa says.
"Go tell Lin," Jazzy says, ushering Pippa out the door.
Lin is in his own dressing room, and is just going through his notes from the show, since he didn't perform today. Brett went on instead. Lin needed a break.
He is really stressed about Lana. He can't help but wonder if she was this much trouble in all of the shows she has been in.
"Lin?" Pippa says, timidly knocking on his door.
"Yeah?" he groans.
"I need to take tonight off. I can't get any better if I have to keep pushing myself."
"Oh no! Pippa, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. My stomach and head just hurt."
"Alright. Tell Kaitlyn that she's going on. Also tell someone to change the sign outside so that it says 'The role of Eliza Hamilton will be played by Kaitlyn Knox'. I don't want people to be misled."
"Okay. Thank you so much Lin."
"No problem. Get some good sleep tonight."
Pippa thanks Lin one more time, and then heads back over with her friends, where she curls back up on the couch and is asleep before anyone knows it.
"Well, Kait, it looks like you're going on with Brett tonight," Jazzy says, raising her eyebrows and smirking.
"Oh my gosh, I am," Kaitlyn realizes, panic-stricken. "What should I do?"
"What do you mean?" Jazzy asks, confused.
"I can't kiss! I'm going to have to kiss him onstage!"
It takes everything that Jazzy has to not laugh.
"That's what you're worried about?" she asks.
"Yes! Is it wrong of me to worry?"
"Well, I mean, I guess not, but I'm sure that you'll do fine. You are playing a character, remember? He doesn't expect it to be perfect."
Kaitlyn realizes that Jazzy has a good point. On the other hand...
"But if he thinks that I'm a bad kisser, then he will never want to go out with me!"
Jazzy rolls her eyes.
"You are blowing this way out of proportion. Kait, guys don't overthink these things like we do. You're going to be wonderful, and adorable, and you and Brett are going to get married someday, alright?"
Kaitlyn laughs.
"Thanks Jazzy."
Soon, Lana comes back into the dressing room, and the girls realize that it's time for them to get back into their costumes for the second show. They all help each other into their corsets, and put on their dresses from their. After doing their hair and makeup, they're ready, which is good.
"Five minutes to places!" they hear someone call.
"You've got this, Kait," Jazzy assures her friend, and they all head out to the stage.
"Hey, Kaitlyn," Brett says, coming up to the girls. Jazzy immediately walks away, giving the two some privacy.
"Hey, Brett," Kaitlyn says, looking down at the ground.
"You look gorgeous," he tells her.
"Thanks. You too. I mean, you look handsome," Kaitlyn blushes. She mentally slaps herself for being so awkward.
"You're going to be so great as Eliza tonight," Brett says, overlooking Kaitlyn's adorable, in his opinion, blushing.
"Thanks. So are you," Kaitlyn says.
Before they know it, Axel is pushing through them to go onstage to start the show.
"Here goes nothing," Brett whispers, as he makes his entrance.
Soon, it's Kaitlyn's turn to make an entrance.
The lights are so bright that she can't see anyone in the audience that isn't in the very first row. It's relieving for her, actually. She can't help but think about how many eyes are on her, though.
"Don't mess this up," she thinks to herself as she begins to sing.
"When he was ten, his father split full of it, debt ridden..."
After the number is over, she runs offstage and has to change for 'The Schuyler Sisters.'
"Kait, you're doing so well!" Jazzy squeals, as they're both fidgeting with the ties on their dresses.
"Thanks," Kaitlyn tells Jazzy.
'The Schuyler Sisters' goes pretty well, and before anyone knows it, it's time to do 'Helpless.'
Also known as the number in which Kaitlyn has to kiss Brett.
"You've got this," Jazzy whispers to Kaitlyn just before they go on. Smiling to show her thanks, the girls all head on, and Kaitlyn sings through the song, almost flawlessly.
"No turning back now," Kaitlyn thinks, as she leans in to kiss Brett.
It goes so much better than she expected. It's really nice, actually. She can't help but yearn for it to happen again, but without the characters. Brett and Kaitlyn, not Alex and Eliza.
Just as they're pulling apart, both of them with hearts in their eyes, Kaitlyn feels someone bump into her from behind.
Oh gosh. Not now. Please.
She loses her balance and starts to trip. It seems to happen in slow motion, like in the movies.
At the last possible minute, Brett catches her in his arms.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kaitlyn sees Lana running off stage.
She badly wants to break character and yell at Lana, but knows that she can't.
"What is she doing?" Brett whispers, while standing Kaitlyn back up in an upright position.
"I have no idea," Kaitlyn replies.
They look down at the pit, where the conductor is mouthing that they are skipping through 'Satisfied.
They've never done this before, but Kaitlyn gets where they are coming from.
Ugh, Lana is such a jerk sometimes.
When Kaitlyn and Jazzy go backstage to change, Lana is nowhere to be found. They can only hope that she makes a reappearance before her next entrance.