Chapter Text
.°•+ October 2024 +•°.
Angela's been missing Damien. Ever since she turned him down, she's barely seen or talked to him. He's also been busy working on several voiceover projects and conventions. But she can't help but think that he's also been avoiding her. Coincidence? She thinks not.
But the less she sees him, the deeper her feelings get for him. She realized a couple weeks ago that she wants to take the risk and be in a relationship with him. She took some time to really think about it and made the conclusion that she wants him. She knows Damien's here today so she decides to talk to him about it after work.
She waits outside of the studio and when she sees him walking by, she seizes her chance. "Okay, let's do this," she mutters under her breath. "Damien!" she calls out. He turns around and says, "Oh, hey Angela."
'God he's so cute,' she thinks distractedly. She shifts her focus back to the task at hand: asking him out. "So, you know the saying, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'?" "Yeah..." "Well, that sorta happened to me. The less time I spent with you, the more I wanted you. I changed my mind; I want to take that risk. Do you want to go out with me?"
There was a pause from Damien before he says, "Gosh, I'm really flattered. Thank you, but I can't. I just got into a relationship a week ago."
Her heart sinks when she hears that. 'A relationship? Already? It's only been three months..." She pulls herself together before saying, "Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know." "Yeah, I'm really sorry Angela." "It's fine, don't worry about it. I guess I'll see you next shoot week," she says. "Yeah, I'll see you next shoot week."
She turns around and briskly walks to her car. She fumbles with the keys as she gets inside. She puts her head on the steering wheel and starts to cry. "God damn it! I'm too late... I guess three months isn't that short of a timespan." She continues to cry until she feels comfortable enough to drive home.
~.*+ 1 week later +*.~
Courtney invites the Smosh cast to a karaoke bar and Damien is there. Angela tries to ignore him throughout the night by sitting in between Amanda & Chanse and going to the bathroom when he sings a song. She is enjoying herself despite her fresh rejection. Until... she isn't.
It starts when a young man sings the acoustic version of Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away".
In another life
I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world
In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were
The one that got away
The one that got away
Maybe she is a little tipsy, but she cheers louder for him than anyone else so far. "Relatable, relatable..." she mumbles under her breath. She doesn't even care that Amanda and Chanse were looking at her.
Next up is a pair of twins that sing "Collapsed" by Aly and AJ. She isn't familiar with this song so she looks at the lyrics behind them. Big mistake.
Why did I let you go?
You're too good to be true
I messed it up, and now I don't know what to do
We ran in circles and wasted time
From right to wrong
From right to wrong
If I knew that you were mine
I wouldn't have wasted time
I wish I could erase the past
Now it's all collapsed in my lap
She starts to get a little teary-eyed but quickly wipes her tears away. She finds it interesting that people sang songs about a missed opportunity twice in a row. 'There's no way there'll be another song like it,' she thinks.
And yet she was wrong. The next woman does a powerful rendition of "Someone Like You" by Adele and it hits Angela a little too close to home.
I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you
Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light
I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it
I had hoped you'd see my face
And that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over
She couldn't even get through the entire song without crying. "Sweetie, are you alright?" Amanda asks. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just need some fresh air, I guess," she says as she rushes to the exit. She can hear Amanda tell Chanse, "Just leave her be. She'll tell us when she's ready."
Once she's safely outside, she sits on a bench and bursts into tears. Normally she wouldn't cry in public, but she'll make an exception this time. She doesn't care if people are staring; she just needs to let the emotions out.
"Angela?" she hears someone call her. She turns around and sees it's none other than Damien, the one person she doesn't want to see. "What?" she utters as she wipes away her tears. "Is everything alright?" he asks her gently. All she wants to say is, "I'm fine, now go away," but something keeps preventing her from saying those words.
After a bit of struggling, all she could muster was: "No..." and went back to crying. A few seconds pass before he asks, "Is it because of me?" She slowly nods and says in between sniffles, "I'm upset because I want you but I waited too long to decide that." "Yeah, I'm so sorry for the bad timing, but there's nothing I can do about it," he explains. She responds, "I know but it doesn't hurt any less."
"Can I hug you?" he asks. She nods and he envelops her; it's warm and comforting. If only she could be the one to receive these hugs forever. "You'll always be special and a good friend to me," he tells her. "...thanks," she mutters. "Do you want me to stay out here with you until you feel better? Or would you prefer if I went back inside?" he asks. "You can go back in. I'm gonna stay out here a little longer," she replies. He nods and reenters the bar.
As soon as she calms down, she goes back inside and heads straight to the bathroom to fix her makeup. Once she comes out she walks over to Chanse and Amanda to tell them that she needs their help with a song. She then puts her song in the queue and waits. When she gets called up, she drags her best friends to the stage with her. They get on stage and Chanse starts the song:
Alright, alright. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Now everyone give it up for the maid of honor: Angelica Schuyler!
Angela takes a deep breath and starts to sing (with Chanse and Amanda):
A toast to the groom!
(To the groom! To the groom! To the groom!)
To the bride!
(To the bride! To the bride! To the bride!)
From your sister
(Angelica! Angelica! Angelica!)
Who is always by your side
(By your side! By your side!)
To your union
(To the union! To the revolution!)
And the hope that you provide
(You provide! You provide!)
May you always... (Always)
Be satisfied
The audience is enjoying the performance. During the "rewinds", Chanse and Amanda start interpretive dancing in the back, which erupts into laughter. Angela laughs too and goes back to singing:
I remember that night, I just might
Regret that night for the rest of my days
I remember those soldier boys
Tripping over themselves to win our praise
I remember that dreamlike candlelight
Like a dream that you can’t quite place
But Alexander, I’ll never forget the first
Time I saw your face
I have never been the same
Intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame
And when you said “Hi,” I forgot my dang name
Set my heart aflame, ev’ry part aflame
This is not a game…
Chanse sings Hamilton's parts as Angela continues to sing Angelica's. She does her best with the rap portion of the song:
So so so—
So this is what it feels like to match wits
With someone at your level! What the hell is the catch? It’s
The feeling of freedom, of seein’ the light
It’s Ben Franklin with a key and a kite! You see it, right?
The conversation lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes
Ev’rything we said in total agreement, it’s
A dream and it’s a bit of a dance
A bit of a posture, it’s a bit of a stance.
She's doing surprisingly well on the rap; maybe it's the adrenaline she's currently feeling. Eventually Amanda comes in to sing Eliza's part. Angela keeps singing the rest of the song. She catches Damien's eyes and gets a bit choked up as she sings:
But when I fantasize at night
It’s Alexander’s eyes
As I romanticize what might
Have been if I hadn’t sized him
Up so quickly
At least my dear Eliza’s his wife;
At least I keep his eyes in my life…
But she keeps it together throughout the rest of the song. By the end, she sees Damien leave; Amanda and Chanse both wave to him. She waves as well as she sings the final lyrics:
And I know
She'll be happy as his bride
And I know
He will never be satisfied
I will never be satisfied