Page 110 of This is Me

What I Need

Brad had told me that after his audition, he would have to wait around to hear what the results would be and that I could leave if I wanted. While I wasn’t going to stay sitting in a stuffy theatre for who knows how long, I wasn’t going to leave until I heard the news. So, quietly getting up from my seat as the director called for the next dancer, I made my way toward the aisle and to the exit, where, once out it, I was met with a warm, mid-December breeze.

Kicking at a few loose rocks on the ground, I looked at the surrounding neighbourhood that was bathing in the orange glow of the sun. It was quite a quaint little place, and the theatre was tucked away into a beautiful, quiet corner. I could easily get lost, looking at the sunset over the houses. Listening to distant sounds and letting calmness overtake me.

That would be the case if a certain someone wasn’t on my mind.

Walking aimlessly around the outside of the theatre for close to thirty minutes, I could no longer resist the urge to message Leroy. Maybe it would help me get him off my mind.

At first, messaging him was weird. While we had started speaking again at school, that communication hadn’t made it to texting, due to us being unsure of… well, pretty much everything. Our current relationship was extremely complicated, and we wanted to take it slowly. One step at a time.

Both of us seemed to be treading on ice with each message we sent, the more we spoke, the less awkward it got. The more it seemed like things could go back to normal.

I told him about Brad’s audition and how I thought he had done really well, and Leroy started telling me some of the things that I had been missing out on when sitting with Cooper and Trent. Like, how Andy and Carly had been talking a lot more and getting closer, even though Blaire and Leroy had been warning him against it.

They did have a point. Carly had broken Andy’s heart once before. It had not been pretty.

Continuing to walk back and forth in the parking lot, Leroy told me that he had to go, and we said our goodbyes. Thankfully, not long after, Brad sent me a message telling me to get back inside.

Feeling my heart in my throat, for no apparent reason other than feeling anxious for Brad, I walked through the entrance and into the lobby where Brad was waiting for me. “How did you know I was still here?” I asked, walking over to him, trying not to look at the cute male dancers that surrounded him.

“I looked out the window and saw you,” Brad answered smoothly, which made me a little uneasy. Why was he so calm?

“I didn’t realise you could see out of those,” I said, looking over at the windows, which were heavily tinted on the outside, but easy to see through on the inside. “Huh.”

“Anyway… I got it,” Brad said suddenly, and I turned back to him.

“Are you serious?”

“He is,” the cute guy who had gone on stage before Brad answered with a smile as he patted Brad on the back.

“That’s awesome!” I almost yelled, pulling Brad into a hug, before quickly pulling away and readjusting myself. “We never speak of that hug.”

“Of course,” Brad smiled and turned to the cute guy who still had his hand on Bradly’s back. “Cody, this is my brother, Peter.”

Oh, Bradly, you fuck.

“Hey, Peter! It’s nice to meet you,” Cody said with a smile, holding his hand out. Begrudgingly I took it. It was warm and very sweaty.

“You, too, Cody,” I responded, returning his smile, before shooting Brad a glare.

“So, you came to support your brother?” Cody asked as if the answer wasn’t obvious.

“I sure did.”

“That’s sweet.” Cody moved a little closer to me as he dropped my hand, and my stomach replicated the movement, and I could feel my face heating up. Why was he moving closer to me? And how did he smell so good?

“Well, you know what they say,” I said, moving back a little bit and making a mental note to get Bradly back for this.

“No… what do they say?” Cody chuckled, flashing me another smile.

“Supportive brothers are… good ones,” I made up on the spot and mentally cursed myself.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before.” Cody laughed, and I saw Brad give me a questioning look, which I returned with another glare.

“Well, it’s pretty common—you just mustn’t listen to people very often.”

“I don’t know… I’d like to think I’m a pretty good listener.”