What if We Rewrite the Stars?

Act 19: This is Me:

After having a conversation with Jenny, Phineas rushed to the door, stopping Lettie, Tom, and the rest from going into the party. "Mr. Phineas... Lord, that lady can sing!" Lettie exclaimed while the others nodded, agreeing with her. 

"I know," Phineas said, glancing back to the room, while he held the door, so no one could see them.

"Think she likes a man in uniform?" Tom smirked at Phineas.

"I'm sure she does. Okay, what are you doing here?" Phineas asked, looking back up at Lettie. "You got a show in an hour, okay?" He continued to ask them.

"That's enough time for us to have at least three drinks, right?" Lettie asked him when she went to walk in, but Phineas stopped her. 

"No, no, no. Lettie!" He said, making her stop.

"What?"

"It's very crowded in here, okay? And I can't have you mingling-- guys! Who's gonna pay admission if you're out there for all the world to see? Okay? Have a great show." He said, closing the door in Lettie's face. "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast... Jenny, America may not know it yet... but they are going to love you." Phineas said, on the other side of the door, making the whole group look sad and confused. 

Phineas gave them a family, of people who understand each other. But now, he is just like everyone else. He was embarrassed by them. Only wanted them to make him money. How foolish could they be?

"I am not a stranger to the dark..." Lettie sang, when she looked down, holding back tears. "Hide away, they say. 'Cause we don't want your broken parts. I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars. Run away, they say. No one'll love you as you are. But I won't let them break me down to dust..." Lettie continued to sing when she was turning to walk back the way that they came from."I know that there's a place for us, for we are glorious." She continued to sing when the others went to follow her. "When the sharpest words wanna cut me down. I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out." She turned around, looking at each and every one of them. "I am brave, I am bruised. I am who I'm meant to be. This is me." She walked through the crowd of them, heading towards the entrance to the opera, where many of the high society people were.

"Look out 'cause here I come. And I'm marchin' on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen; I make no apologies. This is me." She sang, with much more power in her voice, while the others walked behind her.

They walked into the room, full of people judging them. They looked nervous when they were whispering and looking disgusted at them. 

"Another round of bullets hits my skin..." Tom sang, grabbing onto Lettie's hand, when they continued to walk through the party, while everyone split to the sides, looking at them. "Well, fire away. 'Cause today I won't let the shame sink in." He continued to sing when they moved to the middle of the room.

"We are burstin' through the barricades. And reachin' for the sun." Lettie sang, leading the way to the front entrance.

"We are warriors!" The others sang proudly.

"Yeah, that's what we've become. (Yeah, that's what we've become.) I won't let them break me down to dust. I know that there's a place for us. For we are glorious! When the sharpest words wanna cut me down. I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out. I am brave, I am bruised. I am who I'm meant to be. This is me!" They sang, heading through the crowd of rioters, who were protesting outside of the circus.

"Look out 'cause here I come. And I'm marchin' on to the beat I drum." They sang, during the performance, when Anne and Amelia joined them on the ground, singing in front of the crowd. 

"I'm not scared to be seen. I make no apologies..." 

Amelia looked up to the window part that was Phineas's and Phillip's office area. She looked up, meeting his sad expression. She sighed to herself, following her mother's advice. She looked confident, despite the feeling of wanting to go hide in her room. "This is me." She continued to sing with the others, looking at him, looking more hurt than anything, before she looked away. She did not see him walk away from the window, but he could not stand to see her hurt. Especially since he was the one to hurt her.

"And I know that I deserve your love. There's nothing I'm not worthy of. When the sharpest words wanna cut me down. I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out. This is brave, this is bruised. This is who I'm meant to be... This is me. Look out, 'cause here I come. (Look out, 'cause here I come.) And I'm marchin' on to the beat I drum. (Marchin' on, marchin', marchin' on.) To the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies. This is me. Whenever the words wanna cut me down. I'll send the flood to drown 'em out. (I'm gonna send a flood. Gonna drown them out.) This is me!" The performance ended as the crowd cheered.

~886 words