AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ryan thinks for a second, then says, “His hair is pink. What’s the pinkest flower you’ve got?”
—
Gearing up forthe final performance is strangely emotional for Avery. He’s gotten used to being Laurent LeFevre, and he’s not ready to stop being him for a couple of hours each day. But more than that, he’s gotten used to this new supporting cast in his life. It’s hard to imagine not seeing them after school every day.
He’s certainly not the only one feeling this way—there’s some hugging, a few tears. The only one not succumbing to the fits of prenostalgia is Dennis, who has locked himself into a stall in the boys’ bathroom so he can “fully find” his character and “block out the childish distractions” backstage.
Before the curtain goes up, Mr. Horslen gathers everyone together and tells them to have fun out there—and, with the predictable exception, they do. The lines zing and the body language zags, garnering more laughs than ever before. Avery’s having a blast…except when he has to share a scene with Dennis, who has all the lightness of a tank and all the humor of a sinkhole.
Avery tells himself to not let it get to him. And it doesn’t, not really. Not until the confrontation scene. Perhaps mindful of his fall during the previous performance, Dennis comes on strong, spitting out his lines and acting like Laurent’s theft of Lucius’s beloved is the most egregious betrayal since Judas puckered up.
“How can you just stand there as my love flashes beforemy eyes?!?” he wails. Then he pushes forward, getting in Avery’s face. “How.” Pointing accusingly. “Dare.” Thrusting the finger forward. “You!” Jabbing Avery in the chest.
This sends Avery reeling. He is sick of Dennis and his raging bullshit. He is not going to stand in front of an audience including his boyfriend and parents and let some asshole poke him in the chest. If Dennis wants to improvise, so be it.
“You need to calm the fuck down,” Avery spits back. “You need to stay away from this family because we all hate you. Betty Lou was never going to marry you. Youexhausther.”
There is some laughter, and a few of the less gentle people in the theater applaud. Dennis looks for a moment like he’s going to deck Avery, right there in front of the audience. But instead he stomps off before his final lines.
“Betty Lou!” Avery calls out. “The coast is clear!”
Kim Elias comes onstage, and she and Avery pick up the scene.
He hopes no one can see how much he’s shaking.
—
Ryan wants tocheer—as far as he’s concerned, Avery’s just stolen the show. The second Dennis poked Avery so offensively, Ryan could feel himself tense, and could see Avery’s mom and dad tensing in the seats next to him. Only when Avery pulled back could they let out their collective breath. And then Avery cut Dennis down to size with a fewsentences. Suddenly Ryan’s enjoying himself…until he realizes that Avery’s parents aren’t laughing or applauding, and that the collective feeling before has now unraveled, and what they’re feeling isn’t the same as what he’s feeling. He’s proud of Avery, but they don’t seem to be.
Luckily, Dennis’s character isn’t in the final scene. Ryan wouldn’t particularly want to see this play ever again, but at the same time he feels almost nostalgic about the fact that this is it, the end of the run. Everyone onstage seems to feel it, too, delivering their lines with more feeling than they deserve. When they get to the last line—Baby Winston taking his first steps and waddling offstage, with Lavinia Stranglehold calling after him, “Don’t forget…your shoes!”—half the cast members are grinning and half have tears in their eyes. The standing ovation begins even before the curtain falls. When it’s time for the proper curtain calls, Dennis and Avery are as far apart as can be, Avery delighting when he gets a raucous chorus of whoops for his bow, and Dennis acting completely unfazed by the cheers that greet him, too. The ensemble bows once, twice, three times, and then, when the curtain falls for the last time, the audience can see them turn to each other for hugs and congratulations and the throwing of wigs as if they were graduation caps.
The drama teacher makes an announcement that to avoid too much congestion in the hallways, friends and family will be asked to stay in their seats to wait for cast members to emerge from backstage.
“Well, that was…something,” Avery’s dad says to Avery’s mom.
“A little too improvisational on all fronts,” Avery’s mom comments. She looks around the theater for a moment. “I don’t see Dennis’s mom. Otherwise, I feel I’d have to go over and apologize.”
“Yeah, I hope she missed this performance,” Avery’s dad says.
Ryan wants to defend Avery—after everything that’s happened in all the performances, what Avery did was practically self-defense. But the notion that Dennis’s mom could have been in the audience keeps his mouth shut. It’s not like he wants to pick an argument with Avery’s parents, anyway.
The seats between Ryan and the aisle have been vacated, and now a girl his age is shuffling sideways toward him.
“You’re Ryan, right?” she says when she arrives.
Ryan wants to ask,Do I know you?But he also doesn’t want to be rude, so he just says, “Yes.”
“I was told to look for blue hair, and you were the only candidate,” she says. “I’m Hannah. Liz’s girlfriend? She’s the one who played the aunt? I came alone, and Liz and Avery texted me to say to look for you, because we’d all be going to the cast party together. Maybe they didn’t tell you?”
“No, but that’s awesome. I don’t know anyone else here besides Avery’s parents. Do you know Avery’s parents?”
Hannah leans around Ryan and says, “Hi, Avery’s parents!”
Ryan is about to attempt further introductions, but there’s a commotion as a few of the performers come out onto the stage in their street clothes, jumping down into the audience to entertain their admirers. Avery and Liz come out together and head straight over. Hannah practically jumps into Liz’s arms; Ryan, meanwhile, reaches under his seat and holds his odd pink bouquet out to Avery.
“What are these?” Avery asks.
“Snapdragons!” Ryan replies. “An applause of snapdragons.”
