Fic: Life is a Cabaret [PG]
Title: Life is a Cabaret
Rating: PG
Summary: Written for vm_redux. Veronica tries out for Neptune High's production of Cabaret with an unexpected spectator.
Spoilers: 1x08 and maybe the Jekyll and Hyde musical
Word Count: 1187
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Shamelessly pimping my love of Jekyll and Hyde once more.
~~
“Hi, Veronica,” Meg smiled, surprised to see her at the audition for the school’s production of Cabaret.
“Hi,” she smiled back. Veronica couldn’t really believe she was there, originally she had been there to support Meg but then she found herself wanting to keep the promise she had made to her father so many times. To do something normal teenage girls do. Like trying out for a school play.
“You’re trying out?”
“Yeah, my dad will be thrilled to hear about it. I just figured it’d be a way to kill some time, maybe get out of biology for the day, just be normal, you know,” Veronica went on. In truth she liked being the center of attention, when it was on her terms, and lord knew she was used to wearing masks, performing, acting, doing what she had to do to solve a case. Now hearing about the auditions she’d had some old, long-buried dreams reawakened. She missed being in school plays. To be under those lights. The last time - well, she tried not to think about it. Not since her very own wizard had betrayed her.
“Veronica Mars,” the teacher called.
“That’s my cue,” she sighed to Meg.
“What song would you like to perform?” the woman asked her.
With a deep breath, Veronica answered, “Someone Like You.” She knew the woman would know it, most anyone would if they were casting for a musical, school production or otherwise. It was a song, also, that had been closer to her than most (even if trying out of Cabaret would have warranted “Bring on the Men” instead).
Still it fit to her, Jekyll and Hyde, her daily life in some ways. Nearly everyone she knew had proved themselves to be two-faced. Polar opposites from the side the rest of Neptune saw. She thought of her mother, of Jake Kane, her thoughts of the local sheriff were the most vivid.
The Wizard of Oz had been the last play she had performed in. She had been Dorothy, of course. He had been in the audience, front row, right next to her parents. That should have been her first clue that she wouldn’t get out of seeing him today.
It was business that had brought Lamb to the high school. Another student had been caught with drugs in their locker. It seemed this one had been dealing, hence why he had come along with Sacks this time.
They had been passing by the auditorium when Don heard Veronica’s name called. Naturally his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He let Sacks lead the kid out of the school and told him to wait for him outside.
Veronica hadn’t even gotten through the first verse before she saw him walk through the open doorway. She froze for all of a second at the thought he was there to arrest her, but instead he only leaned against the doorframe and she could see that he was content to just watch her. That made her nervous, but it only made her singing stronger. She wanted to prove his presence wouldn’t shake her, would affect her in the least. Not like he would have wanted.
She did think for a second that he could be remembering that fourteen-year-old whom he had helped learn her lines and memorize the songs. She couldn’t have known then just how much she really had missed her Scarecrow the most of all. The Don Lamb he had been before Neptune had turned upside down, that was.
His thumbs tucked into his utility belt, his blues on her, he tried to shut out those old memories and instead focused on her song. He had heard it maybe once or twice before, but hearing the conviction in her voice as she sang about loneliness, about being trapped in the past, of having secrets she wished to share, wishing for someone to share a new and better life with, he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit responsible. Not guilty. No. Don Lamb never felt guilty for anything. Of course he had also become quite the liar so there was a good chance that was just another in a very long line.
Veronica hadn’t originally wanted to focus on him as she sang. Especially not when it was technically a love song. One from the perspective of an actual ‘girl of the night’ who had fallen in love with the wrong man. The man who would later be responsible for her demise, no less.
Come to think of it, this song was becoming more and more fitting. And inside she was kicking herself for it even as she belted out the tune. Someone to love, right. She’d had someone to love, she’d had a life to love. Now Duncan was gone and her life had forever changed. And she was looking at one of the main reasons why.
Neither was going to admit defeat and look away first if they could help it. So that left Veronica with only one choice. To continue staring at him even as she finished the song. Which of course just had to end with the implication that she would feel alive if someone like him loved her.
Admitting defeat wasn’t something Lamb enjoyed, but he couldn’t stay after that. It had become too much, which he guessed had been Veronica’s plan all along.
Love her? Yeah, that had been hard enough to avoid when she was fifteen. At sixteen she had betrayed him, turned on him just because he didn’t take her father’s word as gospel. Now at seventeen she had already humiliated him once in the last few months, back in that courtroom and now he had this to deal with. That damn song would be in his head for the rest of the day along with a swell of questions that wouldn’t leave him be.
Had she really meant her words? Was that why she had chosen that song? Did she really want him to love her? Did that mean she still loved him? Was it really just a song to her? If she meant it for someone else then why hadn’t she taken her eyes away from his?
Make that questions both were being plagued with after he had left.
Veronica had to admit she could have chosen another. Granted most of the songs from Jekyll and Hyde, especially those for the women, were duets but she could have chosen “Bring on the Men” and feed into what most already thought of her or “No One Knows Who I Am” which was just as true for her as “Someone Like You.” But she had been pulled to the latter, she feared asking why.
Either way this was sure to be a dangerous game. The questions wouldn’t go away and eventually they would have to talk to each other again. Exactly what would be said, or admitted, they were afraid to find out.
I guess it’s true what they say. Life is a cabaret, Veronica thought to herself as she watched Meg take the stage a moment later.
The End
Rating: PG
Summary: Written for vm_redux. Veronica tries out for Neptune High's production of Cabaret with an unexpected spectator.
Spoilers: 1x08 and maybe the Jekyll and Hyde musical
Word Count: 1187
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Shamelessly pimping my love of Jekyll and Hyde once more.
~~
“Hi, Veronica,” Meg smiled, surprised to see her at the audition for the school’s production of Cabaret.
“Hi,” she smiled back. Veronica couldn’t really believe she was there, originally she had been there to support Meg but then she found herself wanting to keep the promise she had made to her father so many times. To do something normal teenage girls do. Like trying out for a school play.
“You’re trying out?”
“Yeah, my dad will be thrilled to hear about it. I just figured it’d be a way to kill some time, maybe get out of biology for the day, just be normal, you know,” Veronica went on. In truth she liked being the center of attention, when it was on her terms, and lord knew she was used to wearing masks, performing, acting, doing what she had to do to solve a case. Now hearing about the auditions she’d had some old, long-buried dreams reawakened. She missed being in school plays. To be under those lights. The last time - well, she tried not to think about it. Not since her very own wizard had betrayed her.
“Veronica Mars,” the teacher called.
“That’s my cue,” she sighed to Meg.
“What song would you like to perform?” the woman asked her.
With a deep breath, Veronica answered, “Someone Like You.” She knew the woman would know it, most anyone would if they were casting for a musical, school production or otherwise. It was a song, also, that had been closer to her than most (even if trying out of Cabaret would have warranted “Bring on the Men” instead).
Still it fit to her, Jekyll and Hyde, her daily life in some ways. Nearly everyone she knew had proved themselves to be two-faced. Polar opposites from the side the rest of Neptune saw. She thought of her mother, of Jake Kane, her thoughts of the local sheriff were the most vivid.
The Wizard of Oz had been the last play she had performed in. She had been Dorothy, of course. He had been in the audience, front row, right next to her parents. That should have been her first clue that she wouldn’t get out of seeing him today.
It was business that had brought Lamb to the high school. Another student had been caught with drugs in their locker. It seemed this one had been dealing, hence why he had come along with Sacks this time.
They had been passing by the auditorium when Don heard Veronica’s name called. Naturally his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He let Sacks lead the kid out of the school and told him to wait for him outside.
Veronica hadn’t even gotten through the first verse before she saw him walk through the open doorway. She froze for all of a second at the thought he was there to arrest her, but instead he only leaned against the doorframe and she could see that he was content to just watch her. That made her nervous, but it only made her singing stronger. She wanted to prove his presence wouldn’t shake her, would affect her in the least. Not like he would have wanted.
She did think for a second that he could be remembering that fourteen-year-old whom he had helped learn her lines and memorize the songs. She couldn’t have known then just how much she really had missed her Scarecrow the most of all. The Don Lamb he had been before Neptune had turned upside down, that was.
His thumbs tucked into his utility belt, his blues on her, he tried to shut out those old memories and instead focused on her song. He had heard it maybe once or twice before, but hearing the conviction in her voice as she sang about loneliness, about being trapped in the past, of having secrets she wished to share, wishing for someone to share a new and better life with, he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit responsible. Not guilty. No. Don Lamb never felt guilty for anything. Of course he had also become quite the liar so there was a good chance that was just another in a very long line.
Veronica hadn’t originally wanted to focus on him as she sang. Especially not when it was technically a love song. One from the perspective of an actual ‘girl of the night’ who had fallen in love with the wrong man. The man who would later be responsible for her demise, no less.
Come to think of it, this song was becoming more and more fitting. And inside she was kicking herself for it even as she belted out the tune. Someone to love, right. She’d had someone to love, she’d had a life to love. Now Duncan was gone and her life had forever changed. And she was looking at one of the main reasons why.
Neither was going to admit defeat and look away first if they could help it. So that left Veronica with only one choice. To continue staring at him even as she finished the song. Which of course just had to end with the implication that she would feel alive if someone like him loved her.
Admitting defeat wasn’t something Lamb enjoyed, but he couldn’t stay after that. It had become too much, which he guessed had been Veronica’s plan all along.
Love her? Yeah, that had been hard enough to avoid when she was fifteen. At sixteen she had betrayed him, turned on him just because he didn’t take her father’s word as gospel. Now at seventeen she had already humiliated him once in the last few months, back in that courtroom and now he had this to deal with. That damn song would be in his head for the rest of the day along with a swell of questions that wouldn’t leave him be.
Had she really meant her words? Was that why she had chosen that song? Did she really want him to love her? Did that mean she still loved him? Was it really just a song to her? If she meant it for someone else then why hadn’t she taken her eyes away from his?
Make that questions both were being plagued with after he had left.
Veronica had to admit she could have chosen another. Granted most of the songs from Jekyll and Hyde, especially those for the women, were duets but she could have chosen “Bring on the Men” and feed into what most already thought of her or “No One Knows Who I Am” which was just as true for her as “Someone Like You.” But she had been pulled to the latter, she feared asking why.
Either way this was sure to be a dangerous game. The questions wouldn’t go away and eventually they would have to talk to each other again. Exactly what would be said, or admitted, they were afraid to find out.
I guess it’s true what they say. Life is a cabaret, Veronica thought to herself as she watched Meg take the stage a moment later.
The End