Last weekend, I closed HAIR. It was actually the most difficult closing of my entire life as a theatre-involved woman. In the closing number "Let the Sunshine In," I had a senior moment during my solo and broke down. I actually broke. I fell to the floor and messed up my knee pretty badly. The entire finale was a mess of excruciating tears and heaving sobs as my emotional friends and I took our last bow together to close one of the best experiences of our lives. We then had a beautiful cast party and a trashy/shameful sleepover at one of the tribe's house. It was the epitome of hot mess, but we had fun (and all paid the price by getting incredibly sick... that was bound to happen with or without the sleepover though).
The minute HAIR came to an end, my life took a downturn. I went into a mini-depression. I got sick, sulked in my bed for hours, and didn't do anything. I missed the show incredibly, lamented to myself over a falling out with a friend, and sulked in my non-college-bound lump of a body.
Looking into the video chat screened eyes of one of my best friends who was just offered one of the best scholarships in the nation, I said "Please, Mark. I just need to get into college."
Suddenly, the wind changed. The clouds actually moved away from California. The SUN SHINED liked we'd begged for four consecutive shows.
Friday: After my sickness causing a late wake-up call, I arrived at school. I sat through my classes. I hung out with friends. I went to a CHEER End-of-the-year party, where the girls wrote me a card and made a "Pin the Pom Pom on the Captain" game. After watching the picture-perfect, flawless sunset with some of the sweetest girls and the best coach in the world in a jacuzzi by the beach, I zoomed to my Pookie's birthday dinner. We laughed and ate delicious pasta. I then zoomed home. These are the events as I remember them:
- Mama Calfas: You are sick. No computer time, you need sleep.
- I illegally sneak onto my computer and see an e-mail with the words "Dear Applicant,"
- I start to shake when I see the signature from one of my top choice schools.
- I frantically type in my information.
- Congratulations, Caitlyn. Welcome to UCLA.
- I run- no, FLY- across the house in hysterics.
- I scream the news to my mom.
- I break down crying, as does she.
- My entire family is in a group hug around me and I've finally gotten into college for Musical Theatre at the school my parents met at.
- I'm probably getting a degree in my passion from one of the best universities in the country?
Needless to say, there was not much sleeping that night. More telling all of my friends and smiling to myself for hours.
Saturday: I woke up late, refreshed and thrilled from the previous evening's happenings. I take a looooooong shower and a joy ride with the top down after receiving my plastic driver's license in the mail (the picture was overexposed and gross - whatever.). I get my Starbucks and my Noah's and enjoy a beautiful day and my ideal breakfast. I have a great singing lesson, even though I'm sick and can't really sing at all. I wallow in my joy for a few hours and watch T.V. My mom basically says I'm a free woman now that I'm in college. We are excited to get our relationship stress-free. I go to coffee with TAMER and we catch up. I realize how much I miss him and every other outside-of-Chadwick friend. I go and see RENT with my director and some cast-mates. It's great. I come home and go to sleep with a smile on my face... again.
Sunday: I wake up early, JUMP in the shower, and throw on some clothes and makeup. I fly to Starbucks and Noah's to get my fix of espresso and speed to Chadwick for an all-day rehearsal for RENT. My singing voice is finally coming back, and I spend the day with some of my favorite people for eight hours. EIGHT HOURS. One of which, Molly, plays JoAnne, my lesbian lover in RENT. My pet name for her is Pookie in the show. People congratulate me on UCLA and I can't help but feel like I'm glowing. I get some Yogurtland with Mark and Pookie and drive home with the top down and enjoy the beautiful California weather and my beautiful life. I go home and laugh with friends on AIM and Facebook for literally five hours. I plan hilarious get-togethers for Spring Break. I sleep again, smiling, after watching Jude Law, my celebrity SUPERcrush on SNL.
Monday: Senior Ditch Day. I ditch school and wake up at 10 am. I jump in the shower and rush over to the Original House of Pancakes. After delicious chocolate chip pancakes, I go to Hannah's house, where I dip my feet in the pool and immediately go to my house to get my swimsuit. I lay out with some senior friends that I have yet to get to know extremely well, but this made me realize how rushed everything needs to be. I get the first pang of summer and the first pang of leaving all in one tanning session by the pool. I get a call from Mark, and we go shopping, to Jamba, to a little impromptu dance rehearsal, to his house, and then home. I shower and fail to study for my Art History test until 12:00 am.
I love my life.
