tagging: @crhqstarters
where: outside the lima playhouse theater
when: before rehearsals
While life hadn’t exactly been derailed by any means, Davis was finally starting to feel a touch of stability in his life. Things were good with Gigi, things were good with Vocal Adrenaline, and now things were spectacular since he had been cast of Melchior. Was it a crock of shit that he had been double cast for the lead? Not at all. That was show biz, baby - but was it pathetic that he was sharing his well deserved limelight with Julien Schuester? Absolutely. However, now that their almost natural rivalry was being put to the test in a different kind of way, Davis had never felt so much of a drive to nail a public theater performance. He had to be the best. He had to be better than Julien.
For that, Davis was situated in front of the Lima Playhouse Theater, leaning against the building as he read over his lines. Spring Awakening was not a favorite production of his, but for the next month, it was everything to him. He would learn his lines inside and out if that’s what it took to embarrass Julien for his performance next month. However, it started becoming all too clear that he wasn’t alone outside. Rehearsals weren’t for another 20 or so minutes, but he always had enjoyed the cold… maybe now was the time to start “playing nice” like his stepmother had preached to him so many times. Turning his head, Davis laser focused his attention on the person near him. “So, who are you playing?” He barely had the strength to lend a friendly smile in their direction before he was dropping it and staring expectedly at them. Davis might not have had the best reputation in Lima, but he had never been a quitter and he wasn’t about to start now. “Melchior,” he stated with a certain amount of cockiness to his tone as he waved his printed lines in front of him. “Wanna like, I dunno, rehearse lines before we go in?” It felt disgusting to be this nice, but he needed to do it.
💫
When Margot hadn’t even been called back for Wendla or Ilse, she knew something was awry. It was no secret that Bryan Ryan had it out for her, but she’d sang the shit out of her song. And what had she gotten in return? A non-singing part. She’d been cast as the Adult Woman. It was the biggest slap in the face. If Bryan Ryan’s goal was to knock Margot down a peg though, he’d always fail. She knew her worth and she knew better than to let the small minds of small town community theater directors get the best of her.
Adult Woman was not ideal, but she would find a way to shine. As the Adult Woman, she was going to have to portray an array of characters—some emotional, some comedic. She would deliver and then some. Because that was what Margot did—she excelled. She turned obstacles into opportunities and this would be no different. As she approached the TIbideaux Theater with her head held high and her shoulders squared, Margot had every intention of marching into the auditorium and being the best ‘Adult Woman’ Lima had ever seen. However, just as she reached the door, she locked eyes with none other than Davis Goolsby and was suddenly weak in the knees.
“Hello Davis,” she said in response to his question, doing her best to seem unaffected by his presence. As she leaned up against the wall beside him, she crossed her arms to shield herself from the cold and shrugged. “Adult Woman,” she stated begrudgingly, shaking her head ever so slightly as she tried not to let the anger she’d worked so hard to quell resurface, “but congratulations on Melchior.” A pause as she looked at him. “There’s no one better for the role.” At Davis’ request to run lines, Margot quirked a brow and shrugged, “sure.” Truth be told though, she didn’t want to run lines. She was more interested in how Davis was feeling about the whole production. “But before we do,” she began, staring up at him and flipping through the pages of her script, “how are you feeling about the double cast?”
Margot Stanley was on high alert all week leading up to the Lima Players Newsletter announcement. She knew they always announced the spring musical around this time of year and after the Canaries tragically lost at regionals, she desperately needed a win. She needed a moment to shine.
Of course, with Bryan Ryan at the helm of the production, that would be nearly impossible to do. At least for her.
Hypothetically speaking...if Margot had a dart board hanging up on her closet door with her enemy’s picture on it...and that’s a big if...the picture in the center of the board would definitely be a headshot of the washed up musical theater director. Hands down.
Margot was a star. She just was. She could out-sing the girls at her school and she was willing to bet she could out-sing the Broadway babies too. Unfortunately though, according to Bryan Ryan and society at large, Margot didn’t have “it.” Star quality. Leading lady potential.
Every time she heard those words, it felt like a stab in the heart. What did those girls have that she didn’t? It wasn’t talent. It wasn’t professionalism. It wasn’t adaptability and it wasn’t even likability (they were all kind of bitches for the most part). No one needed to name what those girls had that Margot was missing. All you had to do was look at them.
Margot refused to be shamed into the background. So fine, she didn’t look like them, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She wouldn’t be knocked down. So, after not even a moment of deliberation, it was decided.
When Bryan Ryan announced that the musical would be Spring Awakening, Margot knew instantly that she’d be going for Wendla Bergman.
“Hello,” Margot greeted as she walked confidently to the center of the TIbideaux Theater stage, “I’m Margot Stanley and today I’ll be performing ‘she used to be mine’ from the musical Waitress, as well as Sasha’s monologue from Ivanov by Anton Chekov.”
Before she’d made her way on to the platform, Margot had politely smiled at Bryan Ryan and handed him her resume and headshot, as was customary. Their relationship was strained for obvious reasons. On most days, she took her losses in stride. After all...there were no small parts, only small actors. But sometimes...sometimes she lost her cool. She didn’t like having outbursts, but Bryan knew how to push all her buttons until she eventually blew her lid off. And every time she did throw a fit, he looked at her with the most smug expression, like she was proving his point.
She pushed all of those thoughts aside. If she wanted to nail her audition, she couldn’t spend all this time thinking about everything stacked against her, including Bryan Ryan’s opinion. She needed to let her talent speak for itself.
After handing the accompanist the sheet music for her song, she gave him a quick nod and took a deep breath. Standing with her chin up and her shoulders squared, Margot opened her mouth and softly sang the intro of the song.
Although the song choice was not perfect for a character like Wendla, anyone with half a brain could draw the parallels between the lyrics of the song and the changes Wendla undergoes throughout Spring Awakening. Her loss of innocence, her loss of self. Although the genres were different, Margot believed her song captured the essence of what Wendla would’ve been or would’ve thought had she survived.
As the song built to its climax and Margot belted out the words with unwavering power, she knew for a fact that she was killing the song. If all it took to nail an audition was singing a song flawlessly...she would’ve snagged the lead. Easy.
But alas, that wasn’t all it took. Once she finished her song and proceeded to perform her monologue, she did so with all the confidence she could muster. Each time she caught a glimpse of Bryan Ryan’s unimpressed face, she faltered slightly, but for the most part? She performed the shit out of Sasha’s monologue.
Her audition came to a close as quickly as it had started. After uttering the final words of her acting piece, she held her position for an extra beat, and then relaxed her shoulders. “Thank you for your time,” she uttered, giving the director a tight lipped smile before she made her way off the stage and back out into the world.
She couldn’t be sure that the odds would be in her favor, but she did know one thing. She’d given it her all. She’d given it what she could.
Candy was probably on top of the world right now – even if it seemed impossible a few weeks ago, especially when Vocal Adrenaline had surprised them, but New Directions had won at Regionals. After all, it wasn’t that hard especially when the Canaries had been ridiculous enough to do yet another country set list and she couldn’t even remember what the Hoosierdaddies had done, but she knew that it wasn’t at all good. And the cherry on top of the cake? She was throwing a party to celebrate the victory. Candy had told everyone to show up at 9pm, which was something that never happened – people would only start showing up at a later time, which was something that would usually happen at parties. However, she was taken by surprise when she saw someone walk in her house, raising an eyebrow as she started making her way down the stairs towards the girl – she recognized her from the Canaries, but she had no idea who she actually was. “Someone’s early.” Candy commented as she approached the girl and took her hand, shaking it as she heard what the other had to say. “Thank you. Everyone keeps saying that I’m a mafia baby, but people just don’t understand that selling pianos actually makes a lot of money.” Candy admitted with a small smile, as she looked over at Margot, listening to other compliment what she had to say about her cover of ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’. “Oh, thank you so much. I can’t say the same thing about your set list… Country has been dead for thirty years now, everyone knows that, I’m sorry. But I’m sure that’s Aubrey’s fault… Or Amber, I can never get her name right.” Candy admitted, raising an eyebrow as the other asked about Nationals – to be fair, she had no idea what they were going to do, especially since they had just won. “I’m afraid that’s top secret… Plus, I can’t be sure you’re not a little spy for Vocal Adrenaline or the Warblers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Crawford was full of hags trying to get it on with gay Warblers. No offense.” Candy said with a small chuckle.
💫
“I’m a virgo,” Margot stated simply, “punctuality is like...kind of my thing.” Her fake smile grew as they firmly shook hands, and then softened once they let go of each other. The more Candy spoke, the more internally shocked and incensed Margot became. This was the leader of the girl group they’d lost to? It made no sense. She knew Wendy Williams was unhinged, but she didn’t think she’d be this unhinged. God, this was an endless nightmare. “You don’t say,” Margot replied a little too sweetly, even though it was evident by the size of this house that mafia money was definitely involved and not just some failing piano business.
All was fair until Candy decided to tear into the Canaries’ set. There was little Margot could do to hide the disdain on her face—for Aubrey, for country music, for this entire situation. “Aubrey,” Margot said curtly, correcting Candy, “and you’re right. Country is totally dead. We won’t be doing country sets anymore though, I assure you.” Perhaps Margot was speaking prematurely, but at this point? She would tear down Aubrey by herself if she had to. There was no way she was going to suffer through another colossal embarrassment like this one.
Margot let out a fake laugh at Candy’s assumption. “That’s rich,” she said as she scrunched up her nose, “but those teams couldn’t pay me enough to spy for either of them. My allegiance is with the Canaries and the Canaries only.” It was obvious that Margot wasn’t going to get anywhere with Candy. What she needed was to be alone with Jazmine Evans or Julien Schuester. It was clear they were the real brains behind this operation. “No offense taken,” Margot said, although she would definitely remember that comment, “but so! Tell me! What’s the source of all this...crazy tension between your team and Vocal Adrenaline? It’s a little barbaric, honestly, but my interest is piqued. Do tell.”
WHO: @candymotta & margot stanley
WHERE: the motta mansion
WHEN: saturday, 2/6, evening
Margot Stanley did not frequent parties. She’d never smoked weed, she’d never been drunk, and she’d never broken her curfew. Some people could liken that to her being a ‘square,’ but truth be told, Margot was just disciplined. What good would being an alcoholic teenage burn out do her? None. Exactly. So, she steered clear from those types of situations and kept her eyes on the prize—her future. However, after placing second at regionals and hearing about Candy Motta’s post-regionals party, she knew she had to make an appearance. The Canaries’ loss at regionals had done a huge blow to Margot’s ego. It was humiliating enough that they’d lost, but to lose to the New Directions of all groups? Sure, had it been Vocal Adrenaline, she would’ve understood on some level...but McKinley High? With their knock off girl group that couldn’t even exist independently because of a lack of funds? It was embarrassing. Horrifying, even. But she had a part to play now and she was a great actress. If her and Gigi were going to overthrow Aubrey and become the new Canaries captains, it was in her best interest to somewhat befriend the captain of the Troubletones. So, at 9pm on the dot, Margot parked her car in front of Candy’s mansion and entered the extravagant home. She was clearly the first to arrive, which was part of her plan. “Candy,” she greeted, fake smile plastered on her face once the girl came down her stairs to the foyer, “I’m Margot. I go to Crawford Country Day.” She extended her hand out for a firm handshake. “Your home is so beautiful...and your rendition of ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ today was inspired. Congratulations on your win. You deserved it.” Such a lie, but she kept up the act. “I’d love to hear all about your plans for nationals, if you have the time!”
Miles wasn’t nervous. There was no way some regional show choir honky tonk was going to make him nervous. However, it would have been false to say he didn’t want to win. Everyone on New Directions was expecting him and his sister to help them win this stupid thing. Every fiber of his being wished he was performing with the Rolling Tones and he wasn’t going to be parading around on a stage in Ohio, but it was too late for that. It was a small tradition he had. To show up early to the building and truly survey the stage. Although, he wasn’t impressed by anything in this part of Ohio, or truly any part of Ohio, as he strolled through the empty seats in the auditorium if he closed his eyes, he could imagine he was anywhere else. That was becoming a staple in his life. Squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible and transporting himself mentally to anywhere else in the world. At this moment, he imagined that he was at Carnegie Hall, preparing for a performance with the type of audience that he deserved. He didn’t know what toothless buffoons were going to be cheering him on from these polyester seats, but he knew that they weren’t his type of people. His eyes peeled open as he heard the auditorium door open, figuring it was time to start getting things set up. He let out a sigh when he noticed it was just some girl. One of those Hartford County Harpies or whatever they were called. “Hello there,” he greeted, letting his signature delightful smirk spread across his face. “Coming to get a good look at the stage?” He questioned with a shrug of his shoulders. “You know, before you have to accept defeat later on in this same auditorium.”
💫
After the absolute travesty that was tying with the New Directions at sectionals, Margot wanted nothing more to take home the gold at regionals and finally disprove this misconception that the Canaries weren’t worthy opponents. The Canaries were good...they certainly had potential to be great...but under their current leadership? She wasn’t feeling all that confident. Regardless of her personal opinions about Aubrey, she woke up on Saturday ready to swallow her doubt and make do. Like any good warrior, she showed up early to get a feel for her arena. She had a solo to perform and, although she trusted that she could draw tears from her audience in any setting, she didn’t want to be even slightly thrown off by a spotlight that was too bright or a creaky seat. Margot arrived to the venue and politely greeted the staff before pulling open the auditorium doors and taking in the sweet scent of that first place regionals trophy. Margot basked in her day dream for all of five seconds before she heard the voice of one Miles Pearce. Her eyes shot open as she cautiously walked down the aisle towards where he was standing. “Hello Miles...” Margot greeted curtly, offering him a tight lipped smile before she planted her feet beside him and stared at the stage. “Yup,” she said, stealing a glance up at him before she trained her gaze on the platform in front of them once again. If she wasn’t all jacked up from the impending competition, she probably would’ve been a little more nervous about talking to Miles Pearce. Margot worshipped Harmony just as much as she worshipped Rachel Berry. She was standing next to the offspring of a literal Broadway legend. But Margot didn’t believe in nepotism. Her respect had to be earned, and Miles hadn’t earned it yet. Neither had his sister. At his comment, she let out one dry chuckle. “You talk a pretty big game for someone who just had to be shipped out of the city for getting arrested,” she noted, shrugging up at him with a feigned innocent smile, “I read the Broadway blogs. I heard all about your little party. How...degrading.” A sigh. “It must be pretty unfortunate to go from a powerhouse group like the Rolling Tones to...well...” Margot glanced at Miles up and down, grimacing slightly at his show choir attire, “this.” She crossed her arms and shrugged, “but break a leg out there. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I mean that.” She didn’t.
Xan wasn’t a big shopper. He wasn’t a big ‘outside’ person in general. But Margot inviting him shifted his perception. Xan didn’t have a ton of friends…but Margot was probably at the top of his short list. “I think that pop song the girls sang was pretty hot. Sometimes I think the New Directions would be better off if they just did the whole lady power thing like you guys….girls.” He said with a smirk. As much as he loved Joey, it would take a lot for Xan to muster up a genuine compliment for the New Directions. They were simply too chaotic in his eyes. “Secretly…” he said before looking around. “I really hope you blow them out of the water at sectionals.” He said with a nod.
💫
As they walked through the mall, Margot mindlessly sipped her coffee as Xan spoke. She wouldn’t have described the number as ‘hot,’ but to each their own. It wasn’t until he suggested that the New Directions pivot to being a girl group that her eyes went wide and she stared at her friend in both shock and disgust. “Xan,” she cut in, shaking her head and nearly halting in her tracks, “don’t wish that on us. There can only be one powerful girl group and it’s us. They can continue being a rag tag group of misfits or like...whatever their brand is.” She shuddered at the thought of another girl group. The horror. Margot had admittedly not been expecting Xan to root for the Canaries openly, but she smiled smugly when he did. “I won’t tell,” she promised, gently nudging him as they resumed walking, “have you heard anything about their set list? I mean, I’d be shocked if they managed to put something together at all. I’ve obviously been following the drama of them losing Ivy St. James, somehow gaining the Pearce twins, and then of course, Vocal Adrenaline physically assaulting their rivals. It’s barbaric. All this sabotage is making me feel like i’m on the real stage moms of Westerville.”
LIVING IN ABOUT A MILLION DIFFERENT STATES didn’t have a lot of perks, but one was meeting just about every variety of person there was. it was like an unreliable encyclopedia of stereotypes lj could reference every time she ran across someone new. for instance, the moment she accidentally bumped this girl’s shoulder and her response was ew, lj knew she was dealing with a grade A snob. turning to look at her ‘victim’, lj gathered this girl probably came from money, and thought the world was entitled to her stupid opinions. in other words, this stranger was probably going to be insufferable.
her assumptions were quickly proved correct as margot issued her unsolicited advice. chuckling at her, lj widened her eyes and held her hands out, “woah, someone’s wound tight huh?” she said casually, “ruby fuckin’ killed it. love that bitch.” lj commented, not really taking the tips to heart. were they irritating? sure. but not in a world shattering way. more like, a cat scratch that’s a few days old kinda way. lj also wasn’t one to really care about show choir, so as margot forced a smile, the blonde cringed a little, “shit margot, it’s just show choir. i think we sound pretty alright.” a shrug, “you on the other hand, you gotta loosen the fuck up my friend.” she explained, fishing around in her bra as she did, “wanna go smoke?” lj asked, triuamphantly wiggling around the joint she’d just plucked from her bra. she was 90% sure the girl would say no, but hey, there was nothing better to do! “i think you’ll like it.” a pause, “and everyone you know might fuckin thank me for it.”
💫
“Yeah...obviously,” Margot said about being wound up tight. How could she not be? Look at where she was. This roller rink was a cesspool straight out of a low budget horror movie from hell. It was intolerable, as were the people in attendance. A sigh. The things she subjected herself to in the name of show choir. As this girl continued to rattle off about the mediocre performance that had just opened up the night, Margot stared with knit brows and an overall snooty expression. Never in her life had she been more grateful for Heidi Anderson and her booster. This fundraiser, if one could even call it that thanks for Vocal Adrenaline, was a disaster.
It’s just show choir. Margot audibly scoffed at this sentiment. “Yeah, to you,” she corrected, looking back at the Troubletones that seemed a little too pleased with themselves given how lackluster their performance had been, “and it shows, by the way.” Clearly, these girls didn’t take this seriously. Good. This was better for the Canaries and their chances in the long run. Margot didn’t need to stick around. She had said what she wanted to and it was obvious that in terms of her competitors, this girl was not someone she needed to worry about. Ready to walk away, Margot flashed her forced smile once again, but was taken aback by this blonde girl shoving her hand into her bra and manifesting a cigarette or something. “Excuse me?” Margot asked in disbelief, staring in disgust, “what is that?” Upon further inspection, she took a step back and scoffed. “Is that marijuana? You know smoking that kills your brain cells, right? And you never get them back?” god, these public school kids were doomed, “I’ll pass.”
if there was a will, there was a way. and if there wasn’t a will? well, gianna stone would fucking find it. gigi knew she was the best singer on the canaries, not to mention the best looking, best leader, and all-around biggest asset. gigi also knew that she had bided her time long enough. she had waited patiently, quietly even, in aubery’s shadow, perfecting her own craft for her inevitable time in the spotlight. as far as gigi was concerned, aubrey was just keeping her seat (or microphone) warm.
it wasn’t lost on gianna that margot had been so quick to suggest being captain of the canaries after taking down aubrey. daft. that was the word margot had called her, but as gigi sat on her suggestion longer, she couldn’t help but think margot was the one being daft to think she’d be a suitable choice to lead the canaries to a nationals win. as fate would have it, it was at that very moment of thinking about margot that gigi heard her annoying voice screeching her name. “margie,” she replied cooly, the edge to her voice evident. as margot suggested a conversation about the coup and slid into the seat across from her, gigi nodded and eyed her cautiously. “you’re right,” she began, leaning forward and head tilted to the side, her voice a whisper to match margot’s. “i don’t like you. you’re annoying, entitled, and you literally never shut up,” gigi held margot’s gaze for a minute before adding on, “but i guess you’re kind of talented.. and if you tell anyone i said that, i can promise you that you’ll regret it.” the last thing she needed were the canaries to think she’d gone soft. “i’m listening, stanley. what do you have in mind?”
💫
Margie. Ugh, disgusting. It took everything in Margot not to snap at the hideous nickname that she had definitely not given herself. She had to keep it together. All her anger and annoyance towards Gigi could be funneled into her next performance. She’d reel in her emotions now and unleash them during a powerful ballad later. Obviously. As Margot sat, shoulders squared and chin up, listening to Gigi list off the reason why she didn’t like her, she was unaffected. She didn’t need basic blonde girls to like her. One day her opponent’s looks would fade and all she’d be left with would be her piss poor attitude and mediocre at best talent. Margot knew a thing or two about the long game—she’d been playing it her whole life. She’d collect her coin eventually, but for now? It was in her best interest to not make a foe out of Gianna Stone.
“Call me annoying and entitled or whatever, but don’t lie to yourself,” Margot insisted, voice steady, “I’m not ‘kind of’ talented. I am talented. Anyone with functioning eyes and ears can see and hear that. You look stupider when you try to act like it’s not true.” There was a reason why Margot and Gianna were the two people besides Aubrey being featured at regionals. The sooner the blonde stopped acting like that was some fluke, the smoother this partnership and transition of power would be. “You and I need to be a united front. I know you have Nicolette and that screeching parrot Heidi on your side at all times, but quite frankly, I’m not interested in hearing them echo your opinions. This coup is about you and me getting this team on the right track for nationals.” She sighed and crossed her arms, finally relaxing her posture and leaning back in her seat. “I think we need to call a secret council meeting next week. We should probably do it on Monday after rehearsal so that right after regionals, regardless of the outcome, we tell Aubrey she’s been voted out.” A pause. “Have you put out any feelers to see how the other girls feel about blindsiding her like this?”
Margot and the Canaries had made the decision to show up to rinky dinks for the New Directions fundraiser under the guise of being supportive. In reality, she was there to scope out the competition. After watching the absolutely lackluster performance of a Jessica Simpson classic, Margot was actually feeling pretty confident about Crawford’s odds at regionals. There was only room for one successful girl group in the show choir circuit and it was clearly not the Trouble Tones.
Margot skated to concessions and put a dollar in the tip jar—her one act of charity for the day—and was on her way back to the rink when her shoulder collided with someone else’s. “Ew,” she muttered on instinct, brushing her shoulder off and glancing up at the girl who looked like she had just come straight from a lord of the rings larping session, “watch it.” It took her a second, but she quickly registered that this person had been part of the performance (albeit back-up). “Wait a second,” she said to herself, a lightbulb dinging in her head, “you’re part of the glee club, right? I’m Margot. I’m on the Canaries.” She stuck out her hand to firmly shake LJ’s. “A little tip,” her second act of charity for the day...not that LJ had asked, “but you should tell that girl with the black hair that she was pitchy. The Trouble Tones are sounding a little trouble tone deaf.” She topped off the helpful advice with a forced smile. “That one’s free.”
WHO: @angel-alexanderr & margot stanley
WHERE: the north hills mall
WHEN: thursday, 1/28, after school
Margot didn’t go to the mall to shop. She went to sit in the Lima Bean and swap show choir secrets with her peers and occasionally drop by the record shop to browse artists and dream up set lists that Aubrey would never allow her to perform. Aside from rehearsing and training and performing, fantasizing was Margot’s favorite activity. She usually opted to go to the north hills mall alone, but this time she had brought Xan Puckerman along for company. “So...what did you think of that fundraiser last night?” she asked with a quirked brow as they walked through the mall with their Lima Bean drinks in hand, “now that you and Joey Hummel-Anderson are officially an item, I know you’re probably going to refrain from slander, but I just want you to know that this is a safe space. No need to be cordial with me. My lips are sealed.”
WHO: @davisgools & margot stanley
WHERE: the lima bean
WHEN: wednesday, 1/27, after school
Making the trek to Lima on a weekday was not Margot’s idea of a good time, but today was a special occasion. It was the day of the very small-town chic rinky dinks fundraiser for the New Directions and she’d be damned if she missed out on scoping her competition, especially if there was going to be a performance. The fundraiser wasn’t until 7pm, so Margot had some time to kill. There weren’t many places in Lima that she liked to hang out around, but there was one place where she was always sure to bump into an acquaintance or two that could provide her with some intel.
When Margot let herself into the Lima Bean, still decked out in her Canaries uniform, she did a quick scan of the place. It didn’t look like anyone she knew was in there until...bingo. Her eyes landed on the tall, handsome and dreamy Davis Goolsby. She straightened out her posture and marched towards the line, stopping at his side. “Hello Davis,” she said with a smirk, looking up at him with a raised brow, “fancy meeting you here.” It was actually more common than one would think. “I assume you’re gracing Lima with your presence to attend that train wreck of a fundraiser later, right?” a sigh, “great performance on Monday, by the way. It was very...inspired.”
WHO: @giannastone & margot stanley
WHERE: crawford country day library
WHEN: wednesday, 1/27, day
Being a hard ass was in Margot Stanley’s blood. She knew it, her teammates knew it and hell, even her acquaintances knew it. She made zero effort to hide it. Why should she? Hard asses got things done and Margot liked being an overachiever. Getting things done was hard though with a leader like Aubrey at the helm of the Canaries. She made it impossible to execute any of her genius ideas. If only the other girls had functioning brain cells under all of their blonde hair dye and actually listened to her. Maybe then the Canaries would actually have a win or two under their belts.
Margot needed a win...but unfortunately, she didn’t have the social pull to make it happen herself. She wasn’t “liked” or “popular” or whatever. She needed an ally...and as much as it pained her to admit, Gianna Stone was her key to nationals. They hadn’t gotten off on the best foot in the Canaries group chat, so Margot needed to try a different approach. Spotting Gianna in the library at a table in the conversational area, she straightened out her posture, hooked her thumbs through her backpack straps, and stuck her nose in the air as she walked towards her. “Hello Gianna,” she greeted curtly, pausing at the end of the table before she took a seat across from her only real competition at Crawford. “We should talk.” she lowered her head and whispered, “you know, about the coup.” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening before squaring her shoulders again and clasping her hands in front of her on the table. “I don’t like you,” she started, “and I know you don’t like me. But we’re the only shot the Canaries have. So if we’re going to do this together, we need to be on the same page.”
[BEANIE FELDSTEIN, F, SHE/HER] who’s that? oh it’s {MARGOT STANLEY}. i hear they’re {17} and a {JUNIOR} at {CRAWFORD COUNTRY DAY}, have a voice like {SHOSHANA BEAN} and are part of {THE CANARIES}. they’re known to be {+AMBITIOUS, +TALENTED} and {-SELFISH, -JUDGMENTAL}. some people say they remind them of {a strict schedule, a loud mouth, show tunes and power ballads, never letting them see you cry, and always speaking your mind}. only one way to find out! [ria, 26, pst...smh]
BASICS
Full Name: Margot Marie Stanley
Nickname: N/A
Birthday: September 16
Age: 17
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Hometown: Westerville, OH
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Grade: 11th
School: Crawford Country Day
Occupation / Activities: Student / The Canaries
LIKES/DISLIKES
LIKES: being the best, strict schedules, accomplishing a goal, working smart, sutton foster, musical theater, opportunities to showcase her talent, people magazine’s ‘sexiest man alive,’ attention, praise, romance, tea (the drinking kind),
DISLIKES: rejection, being undermined, sports, high school, body shaming, social hierarchies
TL;DR BIO
Margot Marie Stanley is the daughter of notorious choreographer Dakota Stanley and suburban local Monica Lerner-Stanley. While her parents are technically still married, their marriage is...non-traditional to say the least. Dakota resides in Los Angeles where he takes many male lovers while Monica remains in Westerville, taking care of Margot and engaging in affairs of her own. It’s an arrangement that works for them, even though Margot hates it. Margot has a one track mind and her sole goal is to finish high school and book a one-way ticket to the big apple where she will pursue her Broadway dreams with a vengeance. In the meantime, she will continue bulldozing her way through community theater productions and trying to take over the Canaries so that maybe they can actually win for once.
FULL BIO
Margot Marie Stanley is the daughter of notorious choreographer Dakota Stanley and suburban local Monica Lerner-Stanley. Monica was the definition of someone who peaked in high school. In her hay day, she was popular, she was beautiful, and boy could she dance. After high school, she went to college for dance where she met Dakota while he was teaching a seminar. They had a whirlwind romance but ultimately, they went their separate ways. Years later, by chance, Dakota was back in Ohio for a dance competition and they reconnected. At this point, Monica was a hasbeen. Still beautiful and still a joy to be around, but her life hadn’t amounted into much at all. She was working as an administrative assistant at Howell Dentistry by day and a Breadstix waitress by night. But something about her charmed Dakota and now that he was older, he was ready to settle down.
Monica and Dakota got married and shortly after gave birth to their first and only child—Margot. Monica’s parents were always skeptical of the marriage and relationship because...well...anyone with eyes could see that Dakota was clearly gay. Monica, desperate to be loved and to have a family of her own, had overlooked the obvious signs and had chosen to be with the only man who had ever promised her commitment. Overtime though, the truth came to light and the couple was faced with an important decision: divorce or...stay together. It was the 21st century and weirder things had definitely happened. So, choosing the non-traditional route, Monica and Dakota decided to stay legally married for Margot’s sake (and for tax-purposes), but they opened their relationship.
Dakota moved to Los Angeles where the dance industry was booming and kept a long list of young, up-and-coming gay men as company. He called them his “business partners,” but Margot knew a sugar baby when she saw one. Monica, on the other hand, kept her affairs more low-key. She stuck to online dating and never saw the same man twice, but the revolving door of lovers that came through their house did build a little bit of resentment in Margot.
When it came to her parents, especially her mother, Margot often felt like the adult. Her mom was a mess and her dad was emotionally awol, so it was always up to her to pick up the pieces when things got complicated. Sometimes she wished they would just get a divorce so she wouldn’t have to dodge questions about them and make excuses for why her dad was in LA while she and her mother were in Westerville, OH. She wished they would just get a divorce so both of them could get a shot at genuine happiness.
Dakota and Monica didn’t see it that way though. Sure, their marriage was void of love, but they got to share the one thing that mattered to both of them the most: Margot. Even though they were separated, both Dakota and Monica considered Margot to be their greatest creation. Dakota poured money and resources into his daughter, enrolling her in dance, singing and acting lessons from an early age. Dakota Stanley made stars and winners and he’d be damned if his daughter wasn’t one of them. Monica, on the other hand, saw her daughter as a best friend. They were a team and no matter what happened, she believed they would be okay as long as they had each other.
Despite being a longtime choreographer for Vocal Adrenaline, Dakota Stanley would’ve rather died than send his own child to a public school. Monica never would’ve been able to afford tuition for Crawford Country Day on her own, but with Dakota’s money, it was possible and then some. On top of all the workload that came with attending one of the top high schools in Ohio, Margot’s schedule was packed with lessons that took place outside of school. She worked with top choreographers and highly sought after vocal and acting coaches, all with the intent to train her for her destiny—Broadway. Ever since she was a little girl, her father instilled in her the desire to be a star. When she got a little older and it became obvious that she had talent, Dakota poured a hefty portion of his expendable income into resources for his child. Monica, having shared some of those dreams when she was younger, supported Margot fully...although she feared her daughter would one day be disappointed.
Margot didn’t share her mother’s fears. Sure, she appreciated the concern, but she was going to be a star. It was as true as the grass was green and the sky was blue. She had worked hard for it her entire life and all that effort wouldn’t be for nothing. It couldn’t be. Up until Margot was about thirteen, she moved through the world confidently and with an unmatched certainty about her future. It wasn’t until her audition for Young Cosette in a Lima Player’s production of Les Miserables in the eighth grade that she got her first taste of rejection. Bryan Ryan, an unforgiving community theater director, had not been shy or kind when he told her that she didn’t look like a star and then promptly handed the role over to Kenna Giardi.
The comment and subsequent loss cut Margot like a knife. Luckily, she was strong and she still believed in herself. She didn’t need some washed-up, wannabe theater legend telling her what she looked like or what she could be. However...the further she got from that incident and the less she snagged lead roles...the more she feared that he’d been right. The theater community was small in Ohio and she quickly learned who the power players were. Because of this, it wasn’t lost on her that she didn’t look like Kenna or Gigi Stone or Ivy St. James. But she could sing circles around them all and she was a better actress by a landslide...at least in her eyes.
Each time Margot didn’t get a role she wanted, she became a little harder and more jaded. She just had to get through high school. Maybe her small town in Ohio couldn’t see her for the star she was, but New York would. People that mattered would, and as far as she was concerned? No one in Ohio mattered, especially not the girls she was in constant competition with. Margot’s superior attitude didn’t aid in her making friends, but who needed friends? Certainly not her. So Margot kept to herself. She auditioned and participated in the Lima Players productions as they came, she went to her lessons, and she did what she could do make sure she was a featured soloist for the Canaries. She was outspoken and bold and never shied away from giving her unsolicited opinions because as far as she was concerned, she knew best. If only the Canaries would just listen to her...then maybe they’d have an actual shot at earning a nationals title.
