Thanks for R/Ring you guys! Especially those of you that give me feedback!
I die without you: haha! "Rent" fans for life! (Plus, 'Without You' is a great song too, 'Finale B' and 'Take me or Leave Me' are my favorites)
BLiberalQuestionAuthority: Techie pride! Yeah. We brought a fridge into the theatre and put a padlock onto it so that the actors can't steal our drinks. An entire fridge of Bawls Energy Drink? It's insane. Cherry coke? I should try that.
I watched them walk out of the theater. They were out of ear shot, so I couldn't listen. I just watched them. I was leaning against the door, they had passed right by – but neither had looked behind them so neither noticed me. I watched them leave through the back door.
In my attempt at a cool, collected exit – I hadn't grabbed my backpack. It kind of would have ruined the flow to run across the stage and grab it and then exit smoothly. I try not to look rehearsed in stuff like that – but you do have to realize one has to go back for things like backpacks eventually.
I slid into the theater and glanced toward the stage. All the actors had left, but some of the stage crew were setting up.
"Oh, is this backpack yours then?" A heavy set girl pointed to where my backpack had been carelessly caught.
"Of course it is Amanda, it's the only bag big enough to keep all those condoms." Kristen's voice came from above.
I looked up and she hopped down gracefully.
"Where were you?"
"In the light portals." She made a face. "What, do you think that the light techs only flip on and off a light switch?"
I actually had no idea what a light tech did, so I deferred. "Um, thanks." I grabbed my backpack and slid it over my shoulder.
"Oo! An actor. What shall we do with him?" I think his name was Pat, he had a fro. A white boy with a fro. I had to smirk at that again.
"Tie him up and eat him." Nick, the red head, shot me a teasing grin.
"But of course." Another came in from the wings. He was wearing a tool belt and carrying a power drill. I got a chance to look at what he'd been doing. A false door was standing in the middle of the set and he had been making the hinges move back and forth. Who knew?
"Shuddup carpenter." Pat turned and picked up a stage light from the floor and ascended a ladder to climb it.
I had moved slightly to leave, but laughed gently. In all the posh circles I run around in, I'd never run into these theater kids.
There's something about Chilton that's very sitcom. There's a lot there I like, the party scene, the easily-controlled drama etc. But that comradeship isn't there. Cliques are clans in friend form.
"There's kind of an ongoing battle between the set crew and the light crews and sound crews." Kristen explained dryly as she started to sweep some sawdust off the stage. "But as set crew is the best." She shot a look to the other techies, "it doesn't really matter."
"Yep." Pat glanced over at me. "Hey Tristan, do you know why the sound techies say 'test one, two?"
I grinned. "Why?"
"Because if they could count to three they'd be a light tech." He roared contentedly at his own joke and I had to smile a little.
"And same for set crew!" Nick agreed jovially.
"Ah Contrair." Kristen, donning her tool belt, "On three, we lift."
I watched the buzz of activity around me and didn't feel very cool. It wasn't that these kids had money or popularity, I'd never even seen half of them before. But they really didn't seem to care.
"So what's the deal with Sean Curtis?" I swallowed my pride and asked. "
They laughed.
"Because she's fresh meat." Amanda began threading a needle and adding ratty patches to a denim jacket.
"He picks a new girl every show." Pat began slowly, glancing at the others for confirmation.
"Basically he's the theatre version of you." Nick shot airly.
It kind of sucked that he was right. I didn't even get to be judgmental.
"Well, yes and no." Pat frowned. "At least with a jerk like you." He smiled wryly at me, "girls know what they're getting into. You never pretend to want a long distance relationship or stuff like that. Sean Curtis, Sean, however, makes a girl think…" He trailed off and glanced at Amanda.
She looked up from her sewing and shrugged a shoulder "He's never seen her before, she's pretty. And he likes the chase. He picks up the new girl at every show." Amanda glanced up where Kristen was creating a false door. She didn't look back.
"I see."
"A big star's sincerity is like the ultimate pick up line." Kristen said tersely, still not turning to face us. "And who can say 'No' to a guy that can serenade you with "Music of the Night"?" She stood slowly and walked behind the door where I couldn't see her.
I looked around, but no one met my eye contact. I didn't know why yet, but I knew then that Sean Curtis was a bigger jerk than I knew.
We were sitting at the bus stop waiting for my bus. He was waiting for me under the explanation that there are "so many serial rapists around Chilton!"
"So, how'd you get into drama?" I had made the mistake of asking.
Fifteen minutes later he hadn't taken a breath so I just leaned back against the advertisement of Krispy Kreme donuts and listened to everything from vocal lessons by someone famous and dance lessons by someone famous. Famous, famous, famous. What is it with this world and everyone thinking they can be SO DAMN FAMOUS?
Why does everyone want to be famous?
He was still talking, but I stopped listening and waited patiently for my bus.
"Well, wuddya think?"
Shoot. I'd missed the question. I blinked and he stared intently at me, waiting for my response.
"Well, what do you think?" I managed slowly.
He launched off in another tirade against the actors union and I let out a breath.
He was so boring. So scripted. I felt like I was on a dumb talk show. He was a walking infomercial of himself. Adorable, talented and dull. The triple threat…
"I'm surprised I haven't gotten to know you until now." He said, after wrapping up an in depth explanation of how his stage name is going to be Sean J. Curtis because someone else famous is named Sean Curtis and in the actors union no two actors can have the exact same name.
WHERE IS MY BUS?
"Well, I like my alone time. And I don't live around here really so I'm not part of the…thriving social scene."
The door of the school behind us opened and Tristan jogged out. He slowed down as he passed us, but instead of stopping, he just loped casually to his car, slid in, and drove away.
"Maybe he'll stop bothering you." Sean smiled at me.
"Yeah…" I looked after his headlights, confused, "maybe."
Authors Notes: Hey guys! Well, I'm back, so hopefully I'll be updating much more frequently now that it's summer.
Thanks especially to Emily, i die without you, tangozgirlscount, Kat86, Lov23, and BliberalQuestionAuthority for the helpful feedback! And thanks everyone who commented,I wouldn't write here without you guys.
Question: I know that the techies aren't in the show and they're kind of just my characters, do you guys mind? Or should I make them a lesser character?
