The lights came back on and Matthew took a deep breath walked threw the swinging doors onto the movable set with a bowl of flower and other props in his hand. He places the bowl on the table and took the prop jugs out of the flower bowl and put them on the shelves behind the counter.

Alfred looked to Arthur and said, "Good luck," quickly and quietly in his ear.

Arthur looked at him one last time, replying, "Thank you. I'll need it."

With the exchange over with, the upperclassman of the two left the safety of the curtains and back on the stage.

Matthew was making up things to do to set up while waiting for Arthur to get to his spot, such as sharpening a pair of butcher knives.

Mr. Edelstein watching for the right time to move on into something other than the repeated measures.

When Arthur got onto the main part of the stage he stepped up to the removable scene, knowing Matthew would pretend not to see him. He then tugged on the sleeve of the other leading blonde's dress.

Mr. Edelstein took this as his sign to tell the orchestra to move on, and motioned for them to do so.

The blonde in the dress sharply turned to him and made an over dramatic gasp and almost screamed his line. "A customer!"

Arthur turned and began to walk away and Matthew ran after him and hugged his arm to keep him from leaving.

Wait!
What's your rush? What's your hurry?
You gave me such a -
Fright, I thought you was a ghost!

Matthew tried keeping his actions in beat with the tempo of the beats, finding it harder when on stage. He moved one of the chairs from against the fake wall to next to the counter.

Half a minute, can'tcher sit!
Sit you down, sit!

Matthew moved Arthur to sit in the chair forcefully. After getting the blonde seated he went and got a prop pie covered in flower from the bowl. Just as he was about to give the pie to Arthur he pretended to notice some sort of bug scurry across the floor.

Did you come here for a pie, sir?
Do forgive me if me head's a little vague -

"Ugh! What is that?" Matthew stomped his foot on the ground to simulate the stomping of a bug.

Threw out all this, Arthur is looking around, looking like he wasn't sure how to take all this in at once.

But you think we had the plague!
From the way that people
Keep avoiding --

Matthew dashed back to the flower bowl and pretended to smash more bugs. "No you don't!"

Heaven knows I try, sir!

Matthew looked at his hands and made a face, whipping his hand on his dress. "Ick!"

Arthur was watching curiously. As the later of the two snapped his attention back to the elder, continuing as if nothing happened.

But there's no one comes in even to inhale!
Right you are, sir, would you like a drop of ale?
Mind you, I can't hardly blame them!

Matthew handed Arthur the pie and leaned on the counter, watching Arthur who was listening quietly.

Mind you, I can't hardly blame them!
These are probably the worst pies in London!
I know why nobody cares to take them,
I should know,
I make them,
But good? No!

The worst pies in London,
Even that's polite!
The worst pies in London,
If you doubt it, take a bite!

Everything went silent while Arthur took an imaginary bite and pretended to gag. Matthew went over to the cooler designed to look like a vintage ale container and started to pour water into one of the beer mugs he brought onto the set in the flower bowl. He continued, almost as if talking to himself.

Is that just disgusting?
You have to concede it!
It's nothing but crusting!

Matthew finished filling the mug and walked back over to his co-star, handing him the water. "Here drink this, you'll need it, for the worst pies in London."

Arthur took the water and sipped it while watching the dressed up blonde walk back behind the counter and pick up a rolling pin, and started beating a lump of dow with it in time to the accents in the music.

And no wonder with the price of meat
What it is
When you get it
Never
Thought I'd live to see the day
Men'd think it was a treat
Findin' poor
Animals
Wot are dyin' in the street!

Arthur made a face of disgust, not sure he liked where this was going, but Matthew continued despite the look, beating the counter with the rolling pin.

Mrs. Mooney has a pie shop!

Does a business but I notice something weird.
Lately all her neighbors' cats have disappeared!
Have to hand it to her -
Wot I calls
Enterprise
Poppin' pussies into pies!

Arthur pretended to look around awkwardly. Matthew nudged him with his elbow, going to pick up a knife next.

Wouldn't do in my shop!
Just the thought of it's enough to make you sick!
And I'm tellin' you, them pussycats is quick!
No denying times is hard, sir
Even harder than the worst pies in London!

The underclassman started cutting up the doa to fit into a pie pan, having already gotten one off of the shelf behind him.

Only lard and nothing more -
Is that just revolting,
All greasy and gritty?
It looks like it's molting,
And tastes like...

Arthur examined the prop in his hand. Matthew noticed this and abandoned the pie all together and moved a stool over by the other blonde.

Well, pity
A woman alone,
With limited wind...

Matthew sat down for a moment in the stool, but within a few seconds shot up again like a mad woman, completely disproving the 'limited wind' part of the lyrics.

And the worst pies in London!
Ah, sir, times is hard,
Times is hard!

The currently more tired of the two moved back behind the counter for what seemed like the thousandth time and stabbed the very center of the pie. Arthur was still watching the prop in his hand as if it would grow legs and crawl out of his hand. Matthew sighed. "Drop it and spit it out, dear. There are worse things than that, down there."

Arthur turned to the side and spat out the water that was in his mouth, dropping the prop as if it had bitten or burned him, chugging what was left of the water in the mug.

Some of the audience chuckled at the scene, but quickly quieted.

"They're doing so well. Neither one has messed up yet." A messenger said to Ms. Héderváry to which she nodded in agreement.

She didn't takes her eyes off the stage for a moment. "The audience is laughing as they should have. Whatever Alfred said to Arthur really seemed to calm him down. Where is that boy anyway?" She asked the boy.

"Doing whatever it is he does. I'll be sure he's ready for when his scene comes us, as well as the twins, Francis, and Gilbert." He replied.

The teacher glanced at him. "Make sure that's the case. If I wasn't confident with your sense of time management, I would have had you go find them."

The messenger smiled slightly. "I'll take that as a complement." With that, he left to go get things in order.

Thank you for reading. As promised, I have managed to get another chapter up on a Friday. This was one of the longest chapters I had to write so far. I enjoyed the messages I have gotten so far. I am very grateful to all those who have used there precious time to read something of mine. Let me know how I did or what I can improve on. I'll try having another chapter posted at the same time next week.

Thanks again and don't forget to tell me what you think.