Epiphany
Based on my favorite scene from La La Land and the song "Mia and Sebastian's Theme"
By: Meghan Coley
Mia stared at the man across the table, his phone conversation a flurry of sentences foreign to her ear.
Her date, Greg, and the date of the phone-man looked at him amiably as he finished his call. They continued their small talk over their drinks as Mia looked on, her smile obviously strained.
Outside of the Rialto theater several blocks away, Mia’s date, Sebastian, awaited her arrival anxiously. He checked his watch and deduced that she wasn’t coming.
The lady at the ticket booth who had, in a way, been waiting with him threw up her hands as he signaled that he would be seeing the movie by himself.
Mia’s wine glass was being refilled at the exact same moment that Sebastian admitted defeat. She couldn’t help looking at the glass with growing anxiety, knowing that she wasn’t where she really wanted to be. She watched Greg sip his expensive white wine, still making small talk with the other couple. She had lost the subject of the conversation and stared on, feeling herself slipping into a dreamlike state.
Then she heard it. Soft piano music, unmistakably lilting and familiar. That melancholy melody from the dark club that had started it all.
She doubted it for a second, looking around the table for her companion’s reactions. But they were still talking, seeming not to have heard anything at all. She turned her head to look at the tables nearby but found similar results. Laughing to herself, believing that she surely couldn’t be the only one noticing, she peered up at a speaker on the wall. The music only grew louder and the voices of the people around her faded to white noise in comparison.
She knew in a single moment that the song was for her. Whether she was imagining it or not, it was some sort of sign, calling to her, telling her that she had to go. Understanding settled over her freckled face as she continued to stare at the speaker. She shook her head ever so slightly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Greg as she stood to her feet. He looked at her in confusion as she pushed in her chair, grabbed her handbag, and headed for the door with a small smile on her face.
She sped up her step, suddenly overcome with excitement. Bursting through the door into the cool night air, the music of the restaurant swelled in her heart. The melody pushed her forward and laughter bubbled up inside of her. She began to run as best she could in her heels, unable to remember the last time she had felt so giddy.
She turned a corner and raced into the street, not a car in sight. As if from a dream, dainty pink rose petals fell from somewhere behind her. Or maybe they were loose leaves from the trees. Maybe this whole night was just a dream.
Inside of the theater, Sebastian had made himself comfortable in a chair towards the middle of the room. He looked back over his shoulder one last time before turning towards the screen.
Not a moment later, Mia walked past him down the aisle, neither aware of the other. She marched up to the slightly raised platform in front of the screen and looked out into the crowd. The projection of the movie danced across her face, blinding her.
Sebastian looked up and lifted his eyebrows in surprise to see Mia standing there, dazzling in an emerald green dress. He quickly stood to his feet, but she was already looking at him, her eyes wide. He smiled sheepishly as she made her way back down the aisle. He pushed down her seat for her and she sat as he settled next to her. Still smiling, neither would look at the other as they fixed their eyes on the screen.
By: Meghan Coley
Mia stared at the man across the table, his phone conversation a flurry of sentences foreign to her ear.
Her date, Greg, and the date of the phone-man looked at him amiably as he finished his call. They continued their small talk over their drinks as Mia looked on, her smile obviously strained.
Outside of the Rialto theater several blocks away, Mia’s date, Sebastian, awaited her arrival anxiously. He checked his watch and deduced that she wasn’t coming.
The lady at the ticket booth who had, in a way, been waiting with him threw up her hands as he signaled that he would be seeing the movie by himself.
Mia’s wine glass was being refilled at the exact same moment that Sebastian admitted defeat. She couldn’t help looking at the glass with growing anxiety, knowing that she wasn’t where she really wanted to be. She watched Greg sip his expensive white wine, still making small talk with the other couple. She had lost the subject of the conversation and stared on, feeling herself slipping into a dreamlike state.
Then she heard it. Soft piano music, unmistakably lilting and familiar. That melancholy melody from the dark club that had started it all.
She doubted it for a second, looking around the table for her companion’s reactions. But they were still talking, seeming not to have heard anything at all. She turned her head to look at the tables nearby but found similar results. Laughing to herself, believing that she surely couldn’t be the only one noticing, she peered up at a speaker on the wall. The music only grew louder and the voices of the people around her faded to white noise in comparison.
She knew in a single moment that the song was for her. Whether she was imagining it or not, it was some sort of sign, calling to her, telling her that she had to go. Understanding settled over her freckled face as she continued to stare at the speaker. She shook her head ever so slightly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Greg as she stood to her feet. He looked at her in confusion as she pushed in her chair, grabbed her handbag, and headed for the door with a small smile on her face.
She sped up her step, suddenly overcome with excitement. Bursting through the door into the cool night air, the music of the restaurant swelled in her heart. The melody pushed her forward and laughter bubbled up inside of her. She began to run as best she could in her heels, unable to remember the last time she had felt so giddy.
She turned a corner and raced into the street, not a car in sight. As if from a dream, dainty pink rose petals fell from somewhere behind her. Or maybe they were loose leaves from the trees. Maybe this whole night was just a dream.
Inside of the theater, Sebastian had made himself comfortable in a chair towards the middle of the room. He looked back over his shoulder one last time before turning towards the screen.
Not a moment later, Mia walked past him down the aisle, neither aware of the other. She marched up to the slightly raised platform in front of the screen and looked out into the crowd. The projection of the movie danced across her face, blinding her.
Sebastian looked up and lifted his eyebrows in surprise to see Mia standing there, dazzling in an emerald green dress. He quickly stood to his feet, but she was already looking at him, her eyes wide. He smiled sheepishly as she made her way back down the aisle. He pushed down her seat for her and she sat as he settled next to her. Still smiling, neither would look at the other as they fixed their eyes on the screen.
All Text Copyright (C) 2023 Meghan Coley