The long (well, not really) awaited cast party! Huzzah! I'm going to have fun writing this. I have had fun writing this!

Chapter 4: Drink With Me

George sighed as he slammed the door of the car and stalked up the steps of the big white house out in the country. He ignored the laughs and shoves of his companions who he had driven. He had absolutely no interest in good humor. No interest in a party. He knocked on the door, not noticing his shoulder being jostled by Alan as Kenneth shoved him. "Cut it out, man! That's my good looking side!" Kenneth snickered at him.

The door was opened by a short, black haired woman. "Hi guys! I'm Rachel." She stepped aside. "C'mon in, there's a good crowd here already." George smiled at her and walked inside. Yes, there certainly was a crowd there already. With distaste, he noticed Alex and Janet drinking wine and laughing with Tom. Behind him he heard,

"Helloo, Rachel," Kenneth grinned. "You look lovely tonight. It was so nice of you to be hostess to our crazy little party tonight."

Rachel giggled. "No problem, it was my pleasure. I wanted to meet the friends Evette always talks about."

He heard Kenneth and Alan follow him into the house were the party was in full swing. "God, you flirt with everyone," Alan complained quietly. Kenneth laughed. George found himself drawn to the 'happy and radiant couple'.

"Hello Alex, Tom," George lifted a hand in greeting. "Janet, right?" Janet nodded to him, her eyes wandering across the room.

"Hey, George. Stars was fantastic tonight. I was scared throughout the whole show 'cause you seemed like you really wanted to kill me!" Alex laughed and raised his glass to George. George couldn't smile, couldn't even look at Alex for the moment. George noticed that Janet hadn't said anything to him. She seemed bored by his presence or something.

"I assure you I did," he replied, his voice cold. At his last word, he forced himself to look at his rival. Alex faltered in his smile, then tried to brighten it again.

"Yeah," Tom added, clapping George on the back. "That was one hell of a performance you had tonight, Newman. I really felt the passion Javert had to capture Valjean. It was incredible! And Stars! Your focus has been so much better these past few days. It was like you were entranced with the heavens and what they contained. Phenomenal!"

"Thank you sir," George smiled. "Yeah, I did feel very in character tonight."

"In character? You were bloody Phillip Quast up there!" Tom laughed and wandered away, leaving Alex staring at George. George ignored him. He was watching Jenia across the room as she laughed with Morris and Evette.

~*~*~

Melina ignored her mother's farewell as she shut the car door and walked up unto the porch. She would have preferred to have ridden with Isabelle, Jenia, and Tammie, but her mother had insisted. At least she looked nice. Mel went over her outfit as she waited for the door to be open. Tailored, blue striped shirt, khakis, black high heels, well done makeup, silver necklace that she'd stolen from her mother. Yes, she looked good.

The door opened and sounds of the party streamed out. "Hey there!" Ugh, Mel hated that greeting. So young. "You must be the girl playing Young Cosette." Yeah, 'cause there's only one young girl in the whole show. Melina didn't offer the woman a smile.

"You must be Rachel, Evette's friend."

"Yup," the lady grinned. "Come on in. There's food on the table in there and drinks on the counter. The pool is out back, through those doors. In fact…" Rachel strode down the hall to where everyone was gathered. She raised her voice. "Hey guys! Let's move this party outside on the porch. It's so nice out there and the pool's out there too so whoever wants to swim can." There were murmurs of assent and a few groans (which were ignored). Rachel and Evette began carrying out the food and drinks as the partiers filed out to the porch. Mel followed them.

Isabelle whooped and pulled her dress, revealing a bikini. She ran and dived into the round pool. She came up laughing and shaking water from her face. "The water's great everyone! Come on in!" Hecter sauntered up to her, his hands in his pockets.

"Lord girl, you're silly."

She laughed on. "Silly yourself!" Isabelle grabbed his forearm and yanked him into the pool. When he stuck his head up he was blowing water out of his nose and glaring at the girl. She cackled and rocked back and forth. Isabelle clutched at a nearby pool float. "Oh my God, you look so funny, scowling at me like that with water dripping down your nose!"

Feeling sour, Mel peeled off her shirt and pants. She made her way, silently, through the shadows of the porch. She was in no mood to be noticed by anyone. With a scowl, she focused on the pool. Curse Isabelle in her pretty bikini and with her shapely legs, sprawling on that raft as she splashed Hector with water. The two laughed uproariously, her laughter turning into a shriek as he flipped her off the float into the water. Ugh. Melina glared at the couple. So happy, frivolous, happy, perfe-

"Ahh!" Mel screamed as her leg sunk down. Looking down, she quickly grasped the situation. The pool sat on the ground with the porch built around it. There was a small gap at this end between pool and boards which Melina's foot had slipped through. Growling mentally, she tugged at her leg, but she had sunk through to her knee. "Dammit," she muttered. There were tears of frustration and embarrassment welling behind her eyes. She heard laughter. That must be someone laughing at her in her predicament…Or it could be someone having a good time.

"Melina? Are you okay, sis?" Jenia bent down to look at the short girl, kneeling on the deck. "I thought I hear you cry out…"

Lina crossed her free leg over the stuck one, smiling widely, sprawling back on the deck. "Me?" She shrugged. "No. That ws Ponine and Nardier over there." Mel laughed and pointed. I must not cry. I must not loose my smile. I must not panic. I must not show my panic.

Jen straightened up and smiled at the couple, Eponine bashing Hector over the head with a kickboard. "Yes, that are adorable. I usually disapprove of dating in the cast, but those two are just aww…" She clasped her hands to her mouth. "Are you going to swim?"

Melina did her best to look casual. "Oh, I might. I haven't made up my mind yet. What about you?"

Jenia glanced over her shoulder. At Jeremy probably, Mel thought bitterly. "Hmm. I dunno. Maybe, it depends…Well. I should probably get back to Morris. He was trying to show me something he said was impressive." She rolled her eyes. "Show offs, aren't they? Guys, that is." The pretty actress laughed and strolled back across the porch. With her disappearance, Melina began tugging at her leg again. Curse it. It was. Still. Stuck! Why me? Why not one of the other girls who would laugh and have a dozen guys trying to help them get out.

"Good Lord? Melina are you stuck there?" Sighing, Mel looked around. It was Evette.

"Well, yeah. What does it look like?" She was irritable. This wasn't the party she'd imagined. The one where she'd act suave and make Jeremy's jaw drop open. This seemed to be the one where she was the comic relief.

"Wait there a second, sugar," Evette replied, turning around. Well, where could Mel go? "Rachel," she called. "Rachel, do you have a screw driver?"

"Sure, hon," Rachel walked closer to her friend. "Why do you need it?"

"Melina got stuck in your damned porch!" Evette giggled. "We need to amputate." Melina glared at her.

"Oh!" Rachel giggled and rushed inside. A few moments later, she came back with an electric drill. "All right, we'll have you out in just a sec, hon." She began to unscrew the screws from the boards nearest Mel's knee. At the noise, Alan, Kenneth, and Jeremy floated over.

"Damn, how did you manage that, Mel?" Kenneth guffawed. "Why would you want to get your leg stuck in a porch?"

Mel, lips pursed, sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I did it for kicks, Kenneth. It was all in fun."

"It's no use, Mel," Alan shook his head. "He doesn't get sarcasm."

"Almost done!" Rachel announced cheerfully.

"It's nice that you're handy with tools, Rachel," Kenneth grinned. Rachel looked up and smiled. For God's sake. Finish the job already, Melina raged in her mind.

"Doesn't that hurt, Melina?" Jeremy asked.

"Being stuck here?" Mel asked, wishing he'd used her nickname. "Not too much" she replied with martyr-ly spirit.

"That was crazy of you to do that, Mel," Kenneth shook his head. He was laughing again. Mel blushed. Couldn't he just lay off? They'd been over this already.

"There we are!" Rachel told Melina, patting her shoulder. "You're free, little one!" Hurriedly, Mel wrenched her leg from the small hole Rachel had made by pulling the boards up a little. As she ran into the house (scooping up her clothes), she heard the sound of the drill as the hostess began replacing the screws. She flung the door shut, running up the stairs. She began peering into the upstairs rooms. There must be a bathroom somewhere…Behind the fourth door, she found a small sea green room which she hurled herself into. Mel perched on the closed toilet and the tears came. She sobbed for a few moments before wiping her eyes and going over to the mirror to look at her face. It was terribly tearstained so she splashed water on it. After washing her face, she began pulling her clothes on. She strapped her high heels on and wiped her face one more time. Melina dug into her pocket and pulled out two tubes. Mascara and lip gloss. She applied it carefully again, reviewing what had happened that evening.

It wasn't that bad. If she could just go back out there and show that she could have a good time. Laugh and talk with her fellow cast members. It couldn't be that hard. Swallowing her apprehension, she opened the door of the bathroom and strode out. With confidence and poise. She would make that boy wish he hadn't ignored her for so long. She tossed her hair.

Well. What happened to poor Melina has happened to me. I was at a cast party with exactly that kind of pool. I just slipped down. It was embarrassing. Though not as bad as Mel's experience. Most of the cast were inside and the guy who I thought was God's lovely gift to our production wasn't there yet. Anywho.