Confessions of a Teenage Broadway Star

20 » ❝Take Me Back To Manhattan❞

"New York's the town for me."
- Take Me Back To Manhattan, Anything Goes

CONFESSION NUMBER TWENTY: Parker's leaning against the stage door (the one with the sign that says "Spontaneous musical numbers ahead: be prepared to know all lyrics and choreography" on it) when Scarlett arrives for rehearsal at exactly eight o'clock, as she does every day.

         An instant smile breaks out on her face when Parker practically leaps to his feet upon sight of her, grinning contagiously. "Well, you're particularly smiley today," she remarks, folding her arms across her chest in mock suspicion. He only beams at her, his hands folded behind his back. "Any reason why?" she asks as innocently as she can, attempting to subtly make her way round behind him to see what he's hiding behind his back (because he's Parker, and he's almost always hiding something, and usually not very well).

        This therefore resulting in them chasing each other around in a circle like dogs to their tails, until Scarlett finally grabs hold of what he's got in his hands and smiles, triumphant, waving the envelope in the air. That'll show him.

        She narrows her eyes doubtfully when she notices her name written messily across the front of the envelope, but can't hold back a smile. "Parker, my birthday was a week ago, I told you no more presents-" she laughs.

        Parker only flashes a grin in her direction. "Fine, you got me - but it's not only for you," he explains, holding his hands in the air in mock surrender. "This one's for both of us."

        "Huh?" Scarlett looks unconvinced.

        Parker simply smirks, looking particularly pleased with himself. "Just open it."

        After a few seconds of exchanging uncertain looks, Scarlett finally caves and starts to tear at the envelope (with little success, as she usually tears off little bits until the envelope opens, because she never could figure out how to open those things without making a mess). "So what are you doing here, anyways?" she asks distractedly, in the midst of tearing at the envelope.

        "I heard Mrs. Levine ask you to come in early to talk to you, and figured I'd catch you before class starts to give this to you," he explains, leaning his elbow against the wall as he watches her rip pieces of paper mindlessly.

        Scarlett looks up at him playfully. "Had to catch me before class starts, huh? Man, this must be serious," she says teasingly, elbowing her best friend. "I didn't get another parking ticket, did I? Because I've already gotten three others this month-"

        "It's not another parking ticket - wait, you got how many this month?"

        "Oh look, the envelope's open."

        To Scarlett's surprise, there's no letter in the envelope. Being Parker, he typically went all out when it came to gifts, especially when it came to his friends. She never really understood why he paid so much attention to the little things (ever since their car ride in the rain, he'd started to act different around her) but she appreciated it nonetheless. The only thing that bothered her slightly was the fact that ever since the day of car ride, Parker was beginning to act stranger and stranger - and she had no idea why.

        So when she opens up the envelope, the last thing Scarlett expects to find inside are two airplane tickets to New York City.

        "They're for winter break - April, Audrey, Peyton, Alex and Chase all bought some too. I just thought it would be more fun if it were a surprise," Parker explains, his words speeding by faster than Scarlett is capable of taking in. "We've all been saving up for a while to take a senior trip, and my folks have a place we can stay at in the city-"