Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a fab new musical and I recommend checking out the plot and the music!
"Jamie, hurry up! We're going to be late!"
"Patience Pritti, perfection takes time! Can't go to a reunion looking like a mess now, can I? It's all about style, grace and a fabulous face!"
The sound of Pritti's frustrated (but fond, he's sure) sigh travelling through the bathroom door, Jamie smiles as he dabs on the last bit of concealer. He might have taken a bit longer than he meant to, his array of products commandeering the small space somewhat, but it's all for a good cause. This is a special night after all and Jamie has people he wants to impress. With a final pop of his glossed lips, Jamie opens the door for the big reveal. At first, Pritti's eyes widen and an appreciative smile graces her face but it falls almost instantly.
"Please don't tell me my bathroom's covered in glitter."
Jamie pouts. "I promise I'll clean it up when we get back. Now, tell me, what do you think?" He twirls and begrudgingly, Pritti's smile is back. Not only does Pritti have the patience of a saint but this outfit is a new favourite of Jamie's. He has on very chic, tight, black trousers, a shimmering, billowing blouse and a blazer lined with glitter that does indeed match the newly added sparkle in his hair. Mimi Me might be the glitter girl but Jamie likes to shine too.
"Gorgeous Jamie but if you wouldn't mind, can we get going?"
His suggestion of being fashionably late falling on deaf ears, Jamie follows Pritti out to her car. He can't blame her for not being that excited. Truthfully, the only reason Jamie is, is because he wants to show to them what he's accomplished so far; let them know he didn't just stop at Legs Eleven. Pritti coming…well, that was likely due to the worry that had been veiled behind the excitement in his voice when he'd mentioned going. Counties may separate them now but Pritti has remained, and will always remain, Jamie's best friend and she won't let him revert back to the 16 year old kid who hid insecurity behind false bravado.
"I wonder who's going to be there," Jamie muses as he straps himself in. For him, at least, it had been a rushed affair. Between filling in for Regina Fong, negotiating time off and making travel arrangements, he's ended up knowing very little apart from Bex was the one organising it and it was supposedly taking place in a 'luxury manor house'.
"According to Facebook there should be around fifty coming. I know Fatima won't be there, it's Badi's birthday."
"…Badi?"
"Her son Jamie. You know, I always thought you were just trying to cheer me up when you said I was the only one you kept in contact with."
"It's not my fault," Jamie defends quickly, "I've just…picked up a lot of Facebook friends and twitter's dead…"
Pritti sighs. "And I suppose you do live so far away now. How's London treating you?"
"Good," Jamie replies. "Couldn't see myself living there forever but it's where the business is. I told you about my new modelling job, right?"
"You did," Pritti nods. Her lip curls upwards slightly, "And about Adam. How did things turn out with him by the way?"
"I decided he wasn't the one," Jamie says, nose turned upwards. "He would have been the Hugo to my John and I've always said I'm not going down that path, no matter what. Or, at least, not for longer than one night."
"Please, no details Jamie."
Grinning, Jamie says, "Don't worry Pritti. I'm not going to corrupt that little ace brain of yours."
"Asexual doesn't mean…stop teasing me Jamie, I'm driving!"
Grin softening to a content smile, Jamie draws the conversation to Pritti, giving her the opportunity to vent about the annoying consultants she worked with. She's just finishing her tirade on leery eyed Phil when they pull up to the manor, hidden in the countryside. While it does look nice, luxury might not have been the word he'd use to describe it. Quaint seemed a better fit.
But even so, it doesn't mean it can't be chivalrous.
"Your arm, madam?" Jamie asks once Pritti's locked the car and though she rolls her eyes, she loops her arm around his. He can feel a slight tremble run through her and he gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. She gives him a grateful smile before he opens the door.
"Oh look, it's Jamie…and wow, Pritti! You look stunning!"
"I would have thought we both deserved a wow," Jamie playfully complains as Bex comes to greet them, an unfamiliar man following close behind. A bewildered expression crosses his face when he gets a proper look at Jamie and while perhaps it's not the admiration he prefers, it's definitely better than some of the looks his androgynous style has gathered in the past.
"I'm so glad you guys came! Pritti, Jamie, this is my partner Charlie. He's the one who actually inspired me to throw this reunion. And Charlie…well, you know all about them."
Jamie preens a little and Charlie's laugh is threaded with a hint of nervousness. With his fancy suit and well-groomed face, suddenly the choice of a manor house makes a bit more sense. "Yeah, it sounds like your prom was a lot more exciting than mine."
"Oi, Jamie, Pritti. Good to see you two!"
Much to Charlie's apparent relief (which is a shame because Jamie always enjoys a bit of harmless teasing), Syed calls them over and soon, Jamie is drawn into conversation after conversation and with each one, the small threads of tension he'd been holding dissipate. He learns that pretty much no one else is doing what they'd wanted to at 16 but, apart from Mickey and his far too wide smile, they all seem happy regardless. And it does help that all of them are excited to hear what Jamie's been up to.
Showing that Charlie hadn't been able to pull all the shots, there's a finger buffet set out and a primary school-esque disco area. The childish of it all is a nice break from the harshness of the club lights and it's also a relief not to be dancing with fake boobs. Despite, for once, not clawing to be centre of attention and instead laughing along as Cy and Levi have a dance battle, Jamie can still feel eyes on him. Though the neon strobes reflecting off the pound shop disco ball make it initially hard to tell, when the lights hit him there's no one else it can be.
Once he's let Pritti know he's stepping off for a breather, Jamie heads over to the drinks station, pretending to inspect what's been left. He pours himself some lemonade (he's not about to make two messes in Pritti's bathroom) and then casually wanders over to where he's stood, his thumb quickly tapping against his phone. It's a cute attempt to pretend he hasn't just been ogling Jamie.
"And you said I wouldn't recognise you Dean Brown."
Dean starts and Jamie leans against the wall, taking a small sip while he recovers.
"Jamie…hi."
Dean had always unfairly been the fittest boy in their class and the 10 years have done nothing to change that. While his body might not be one that hits the gym all that often, he's not let himself go the way a vindictive 16 year old Jamie had hoped he would. In fact, with the loss of puppy fat and longer hair, he's become even more Jamie's type but at least now, seeing that Dean clearly hadn't come looking for a fight, he feels less guilty appreciating him.
"So c'mon, tell me about your life. That's why we're all here isn't it? To show off what we've accomplished despite the odds? What's your story Dean?"
In a move so uncharacteristic of the boy who would defensively spout off the first retort that came to mind, Dean hesitates. He takes a short inhale and puffs out his chest, staring Jamie in the eyes. "I grew up. You were right. I was either going to end up the lowest or the low or I could get off my arse and do something about it. Prom…that ended up being one of the best nights I'd ever had and after that, when I found out I'd failed most of my GCSEs, I realised I'd really fucked up. I'd fucked up badly and I had no one to blame but myself. Maybe my parents too, a little, since they'd made coming out harder than it needed to be, but mostly myself. So…I did change. I worked a bit, earnt some money while I figured out what I wanted to do and now…now I'm a councillor. I help kids who've got no one to talk to…who take out their own insecurities on the easiest target."
Throughout Dean's tale, Jamie's teasing smile had fallen. He tries to recover it as he lightly says, "You know, that almost sounded like an apology," while inspecting nails he knows wouldn't have chipped so soon.
"It wasn't," Dean says, but before Jamie can put his armour back on, he adds, "This is. I'm sorry Jamie, for everything. For the names, for trying to get you banned from prom…for kissing you."
"Well, it's not like it was my first," Jamie says, a tad too quickly because the thing is, it actually had been. Well, there'd been that one boy on holiday when was fourteen but he hardly counts a peck of barely touching lips that had only served as a goodbye. Dean's had been his first with intent. He'd been angry for a long time, even after prom, that he'd lost his kiss to someone like Dean but seeing the man Dean has become, softens the memory.
"It doesn't matter. It was a really shit thing to do. You didn't deserve any of what I said to you and I'm just sorry it took me that long to realise it."
"I didn't just take it sitting down, remember," Jamie points out but Dean's still not done it seems and rarely has Jamie ever felt so thrown off.
"I talk to a lot of kids and I know what the kind of stuff I did can do. And not many kids get to talk to their bullies, get that kind of closure. Honestly, that's pretty much the only reason I'm here Jamie. For you. For you to say whatever it is you wanna say to me. I'll take it."
Jamie silently regards the man in front of him. He might not have changed that much physically but he has gained a maturity Jamie doesn't think he himself has achieved. He still has that same look of stubbornness, the same slight pout of his lips, but he's no longer using it to fight.
Jamie had truthfully thought that if Dean were to show up, it would be to brag about his amazing corporate job just like Harry. To hear Dean was a councillor for kids who only showed up because of Jamie…
To put it simply, it was sweet. Jamie had been flirted with many times, as both Jamie and Mimi, but it had always come from the suave or intoxicated men, the kind who wanted to sweet you off your feet for one night of bliss and not stick around. Jamie had given into them a few times but only when they were pretty enough and he knew exactly what he was getting into and wanted it too.
Once upon a time, Jamie had wondered what might have happened if things had been different. If Dean hadn't been closeted and so angry. Seeing the kind of person he's become, those fantasies no longer seem so stupid and it both thrills and terrifies Jamie that Dean could be the sort of person he could fall for.
But right now, that isn't important. Jamie shifts away from the wall, standing taller, and notices the way Dean stiffens in preparation. He considers making this just as big and grand a speech as Dean had but in the end, all that comes out is;
"I forgive you."
Jamie is no longer the boy who holds onto his demons so tight they claw scars into his skin. He's Jamie New, 26 years old, with a stable drag and modelling career and no plans to stop dreaming. He's a man who can let go of his past in order to look forward to his future and he's not about to stop someone else from doing that too.
Dean's chest collapses and a confused expression forms on his face. "You do?"
"I do," Jamie says firmly. "What happened was 10 years ago and you've done more than most would to try and make up for it. I respect that Dean."
Dean blinks in bewilderment. While he might have said he came for Jamie, it's obvious he also came for himself. Guilt could be a heavy burden and he hopes that Dean's has been lifted now, at least a little bit.
"Thanks Jamie, I…just thank you."
At this point, Jamie could just say goodbye and never think about Dean Brown again. That, however, is no longer the appealing option it once had been. Jamie's always been good at sniffing out opportunity and this feels like one too good to let slip by. He's only heard the bare bones of Dean's story and he wants more and so, he says, "I'm in town for a few more days. If you happen to be sticking around too then do you fancy maybe getting a coffee some time?"
For a second, he thinks he's broken Dean. He's wearing the exact same expression he'd had when Jamie offered him that fateful dance. Then, he reboots and says, "Uh, I'm actually living nearby still. I'm free Tuesday, if you are?"
"My last day here, sounds perfect. Gimme your phone."
As if on autopilot, Dean passes him his mobile and Jamie types in his number. He adds a winky emoji on briefly before deleting it. Best not to scare him off just yet.
"There," he says, passing it back. "Text me and we'll sort something out." Out of the corner of his eye, he spies Miss Hedge trying to sneak by and there's another person he needs to have a little chat with. Jamie leaves Dean with a genuine smile, confident that their story isn't done just yet.
In fact, they might be starting a whole new chapter.