Hey! Okay, so this is Sonny/Chad amazingness, coming atcha! Reviews make me happy (: and for it, I might let you steal Sterling from me for a while xD

SUMMARY "So .. this is really it?" -- When 'So Random' gets axed, Sonny thinks it's all over. But things look up when she gets an audition, but there's a catch. Her love interest is played by none other than Chad Dylan Cooper. So why is she so excited? Sonny/Chad.

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Broken Strings

You can't feel anything ;

"So .. this is really it?"

Sonny could feel the lump arising in her throat as she looked upon the empty prop house. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and looked around at the equally distressed faces of Tawni, Nico, Grady and Zora.

"No," she choked out at last, a tear threatening to fall, "it – it can't be!"

"Sonny .." Nico reached over and patted her hand and she looked down at the ground.

"We knew this was coming," he continued.

"Why so fast?" Sonny mumbled into her sleeve.

So Random was over. They'd been officially axed, not enough viewers for the station to carry on producing and shooting the show. Now, the dream was over. Sonny had thought this was it. She'd make her big break into Hollywood and never go back to Wisconsin and doing stand-up at her school talent show, eating moldy chocolate mousse at lunch everday. Sure, she'd made mistakes during her career so far – but making it longer would surely just heal those wounds? But, plainly, the company didn't care about her personal feelings. They didn't care that this was breaking her heart, to see the stage lights cut down, the sets put away, the props sold. And what about her mom? She'd been so gung-ho for Sonny to make this her everything. They'd left Wisconsin, took her out of school .. But for what? She let out a sob. At least Nico and Grady and Zora and Tawni had something else. They'd been doing this for years, they could get any job they wanted with a single audition. She sighed and relaxed as Nico held her, and felt Tawni's warm hand reach for hers.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," she whispered. "So much."

"Yeah," the rest of them chorused.

So it was really over.

---

"To Mackenzie Falls, and to me, Chad Dylan Cooper!"

"Huzzah!" the rest of the cast of Mackenzie Falls chorused just as the So Random cast piled in for their last lunch at the café, before they did their last ever episode of So Random, and said goodbye for the last time. Sonny tried not to let Chad see her red eyes as she walked swiftly through, but she could feel his scrutinizing eyes on her, and it wasn't pleasant.

She tried to keep it together as Brenda slammed some kind of meat on her plastic plate and held in her sob as they sat in silence for the whole lunch time, just contemplating thoughts.

"Guys," she started and they all looked up and she felt herself flush, her eyes moist. "I think .. I mean .. tonight, it's got to be special. Our best show yet."

"Oh, give it up Sonny!" Tawni suddenly snapped at her. "It's over. So Random's over. We're having one last show before they boot us off stage three for good, 'kay? We don't need reminding that the reason we're being axed in the first place is because of you."

The whole café was silent, and Sonny felt the tears trickle down again. Abruptly, Tawni got up and ran out of the café angrily, with Nico following her.

"Sonny – " Zora started.

"I just wanna be alone, alright?" Sonny whispered to herself, and Grady and Zora left silently. She didn't care that Chad was watching, that the whole café was watching. She just wanted to cry. Just cry until she had no more tears to cry.

She let herself slump into her arms. This was it. Mackenzie Falls had won. They'd officially beat them. Great.

"Sonny?"

Chad, she thought in her head. She didn't want a mocking session. Not now.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what's happened, but, we all saw it coming, right?"

She lifted her head and stared at Chad with the blackest glare she'd ever had. "Shut up."

He smirked at her, "Calm, Sonny. The rain's passed. You'll get another job."

"I don't want another job!" she snapped at him, rubbing angrily at her eyes, trying to vanquish any tears. "Just, leave me alone, Chad."

He seemed to think about this for a while, before drawing up a chair beside her. "Every show ends sometime."

"But why so soon?"

"It's been two years, Sonny."

"Mackenzie Falls has been running for four years," she remarked, pitiful.

"Well, it's a drama. In drama you get plots. In comedy you get .. sketches, and .. well, everything stops being funny sometime. I guess."

Sonny looked at him, expecting a smirk, or at least a grimace, but he was looking at her earnestly, blue eyes shining.

"I think that's the most selfless thing you've ever said to me," she murmured and a small smile played on his lips.

"I'm not all prep school blazer and no heart, Sonny."

She managed a smile half grimace and he touched her cheek in a sudden moment of spontaneity and she stared at him before he removed his hand, flushed. What he didn't know is that his touch sent electricity down her skin.

"You're a good actress. A great one, Sonny. Things'll pick up, promise," he ducked his head, not used to giving compliments out.

"You've been through this before?"

"Well, uh .." she looked at him defiantly and he sighed. "Sure. Yeah. I have."

At least he lied fluently, and it did make her a tad better, seeing Chad squirm under the spotlight would make anyone feel better. He smiled awkwardly and made to get up.

"Chad, wait."

He looked at her, waiting.

".. Thank you."

"Anytime."

---

Pre-show jitters were normal, but this was different. Sonny was on edge about everything, paranoia overtaking. Even just forgetting one world or coming in at the wrong time was sending shivers own her spine and seeing Tawni was making it worse, even though the blonde has apologised profusely for breaking out on her.

Everyone steered clear of each other, just re-memorizing lines and rehearsing by themselves. Everyone was stiff, they weren't playing it up, their laughs were fake, actions minimal. It wasn't comedy going on, it was torture.

The first sketch went badly.

"Hello there! Bang. It's Adam. Adam Collins! Bam! You? Me? Us? We gonna do some talking, yeah? Yeah! Yeah? Bam!" Nico was practically yelling in Sonny's face, trying so hard not to lose it. But Sonny had lost it already. She simply stared at him blankly, and then out at the audience.

"I – uh .. you .. I mean .."

"Sonny?" Nico whispered to her. But the tears were flooding already and the audience was silent.

"I'm sorry, I just can't .."

The second sketch was too cheesy, too funny to be funny. The rest were stiff, Grady being the only one putting any effort into the sketches, and Sonny was so broken she was breaking into tears at any given moment. The final goodbye was the worst part of the show.

"This being our last show," Grady told the audience, "we're all a little .. uh, emotional. We'd just like to say .. thank you Marshal. For always helping us. To the producers and crew and directors and .. yeah. Just everyone. To my wonderful co-cast members, who are amazing and I love you all. And .. to you guys. Our audience, our fans. You mean a lot to us. Thank you guys. This is our last goodbye."

"Wait!" Sonny found herself saying. "Before .. before we go, I'd just like to say to you all .. thank you. For this opportunity. I've never been on television before and this is just so amazing. Really, really amazing. Thank you."

An eruption of applause, and Sonny could even see a few crying audience members and bowed off down stage. She ran immediately to her dressing room and buried her head in her hands.

Abruptly, her phone rang. "Meet me outside, honey."

She ran into her mother's arms without a second thought. Crying into her chest and taking in the familiar smell was all that needed to calm her down. "I .. I'm just going to miss it so much."

"I know, baby, I know. You're a strong girl. Just pick up the pieces and everything will be fine."

---

"Mackenzie Falls? Seriously?"

"I know you have this 'rivalry' with them but – "

"It's not just a rivalry! It's more than that! It's all cut-throat and insane, mom. You don't know. I can't just go against So Random and join the cast of Mackenzie Falls!"

"Not Mackenzie Falls, honey. I was just talking about that boy you used to like back home in Wisconsin?"

Sonny reddened. She'd been calling herself Mrs. Chad Dylan Cooper back then.

"What about him?"

"He's in this new drama and he referred you to audition. Up for it?"

"I .."

"It's hot, honey!"

"Mom," Sonny flushed.

"Seriously! It's a romance between these two kids from different backgrounds, kind of like Romeo and Juliet. But he – Chad – plays this guy called Coby Jackson from a private school, kinda snobby, jackass, that kinda thing. But you'll play Etta Morley, from a public school, just getting by, in love with music, just like you, hon! I really think you could do this, Sonny. I really do. Now, are you up for it?"

Sonny paused. "Sure. Why not?"