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When Avery and Dennis get to the big confrontation scene tonight, Dennis flails so much that Avery must physically dodge his gesturing—which gets a big laugh from the audience. Dennis doesn’t seem to hear them, and instead falls to the ground after his monologue about losing hisfiancée. This is not in the script, nor has it been rehearsed. Avery is supposed to exit at the same time as Dennis, but after waiting for a few seconds, he gingerly steps over Dennis—another laugh—and the stage crew goes to blackout to give Dennis cover to crawl offstage.
Avery figures the confrontation has ended, but when the show is done, Dennis storms over in a barrage. Avery can’t tell if he’s still in character or not, until Dennis snaps, “That was the work of anamateur! How dare you! This might not mean anything to you, but this is my future you’re messing with, and I donotappreciate it.”
Liz Macy, standing nearby, says, “Whoa, Dennis. You need to chill.”
Dennis turns on her then. “I do not need to chill! It’s the rest of you who need to wake up. I’m the only one here willing to give it two hundred percent. And the audience notices.”
“They certainly do,” Emerson Crane, who has a bit part as the butler, murmurs.
Dennis either doesn’t hear this or ignores it.
Avery is tempted to repeat it…but then he sees that Dennis is legitimately upset. He’s been made to look bad in front of a Saturday-night crowd.
“Look,” Avery says, “I’m sorry. I was improvising to get the laugh, but there was probably another way to recover. It won’t happen again.”
His conciliatory tone is not returned.
“It better not!” Dennis proclaims. Then he storms off in the same way he stormed in, a storm without an eye.
—
Avery reenacts thisscene for Ryan later that evening, in Avery’s bedroom.
“You amateur!” Ryan chides, laughing, when Avery is done.
They are hovering in the middle of the room, conscious of the fact that Avery’s parents are still up, still walking around, and could poke their heads in at any minute to suggest it’s bedtime. Avery dares to throw his arms around Ryan’s waist, smiling. Ryan does the same.
“What are we doing?” Ryan asks. “Dancing?”
“Swaying,” Avery replies. “We’re just swaying.”
Their arrangement is loose at first, then draws closer.
“Well, hello,” Avery says.
“Howdy, pardner,” Ryan says. He has no idea where that comes from. But it makes Avery smile some more, so it must be a right thing to say.
The door is open. Ryan can’t believe that Avery isn’t aware of that, or that he doesn’t care what his parents mightsee.
Avery rests his cheek against Ryan’s chest, hears his heartbeat, the music beneath the sway.
“I don’t want to leave tomorrow,” Ryan says quietly.
“You’ll be back,” Avery answers, not opening his eyes.
“I know.” Ryan takes a deep breath, and Avery can feel it, the rise and fall. “But still, I wish I could stay.”
—
The next morning,Avery’s parents make such a big breakfast that Ryan assumes more people are coming to join them.
“We’ve got to celebrate the grand finale!” Avery’s dad says as he delivers a plate of waffles to the table.
“Do you mean we’re celebrating my accomplishment or the fact that you never have to see the play again?” Avery asks.
“Both!” his mom and dad chime out at the same time. Then all three of them crack up.
Ryan tries to remember the last time he laughed with his parents. He knows it has to have happened; his parents aren’t ogres or robots. But it’s like he lost their natural laughter as soon as his hair lost its natural color.
