hello there! hope you all are enjoying your summer vacation.
i'll just get along with my chapterly apology now. SORRY GUYS.
you've all been so great with this story, and i do feel really bad for updating like once a month.
this chapter goes out to Brianna, Mo, gallaghergrl, Sophie, FathInMe (you review so much, i feel like i should know your name), fkglhfd, and pleasedontleavemealoneagain for reviewing.
also, i'd like to stress that i obviously do not own the works of william shakepeare. and the discriptions of the USF (you'll figure out what that is when you read further) are based on my experiences on going to the one in ashland, oregon. so sorry if it's not right and you have a wild urge to correct me. by all means, do so.
DAY O7.
Utah was a beautiful state, filled with stunning scenery and the bluest skies Massie has seen so far on this trip. She had already snapped a few pictures from out the passenger side window of the Jeep, but the same point of view only went so far. She was itching to get out of the car and see Utah by foot, but Derrick wouldn't have it. He was antsy to get some distance between them and the small town in Colorado they spent a few hours at the previous day.
Massie quickly spared a glance in his direction. He looked stoic, his dark eyes shielded by classic Ray Ban shades as he stared at the road ahead. This boy she was traveling with was having a strange effect on her, but she couldn't place whether it was positive or negative. She couldn't seem to think straight around him anymore.
Trying to ignore how aware she was to his presence, Massie brought her attention back to the small lit display screen in her lap. She hadn't been the most vigilant about documenting every moment, but she was happy with the few she did get. She flipped past snapshots of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, miscellaneous landscapes and buildings, and one of her holding up her Foo Fighters record courtesy of Derrick. But she lingered on another picture way longer than the rest.
As it was taken by a five-year-old, the subject was slightly crooked. But it didn't stop Massie from smiling immediately at the sight of it. The sunflowers were bright in the background, the yellow popping behind the pair of people standing in front of them. Massie gave herself a once over, noting how her toothy grin perfectly masked the discomfort she remembered feeling at that moment. And Derrick, being a head taller than she, seemed to dwarf her form. An arm was slung over her shoulders, with the other rested in the pocket of his shorts. And his grin seemed much wider and genuine than hers did. Massie realized she never saw it on his face that often.
Looking over at his face, kept with its neutral expression, she came to the conclusion that she'd like to see it on his face more often.
The boy had a nice smile.
[ ]
Noon rolled around, and with it came a lengthy break to eat lunch and make good use of the public rest stops. Massie sat on the back of the Jeep's bumper, leaning on a box adorned with 'Room Shit' in scrawled sharpie. She picked at the sticker on her apple, observing Derrick.
As he was currently digging through the remains of their food in the cooler, he didn't seem to notice her watching him. At least, she hoped he didn't. Or maybe she did. It could put a stop to all this weird and totally out of character staring she's been doing lately. So what if he has a nice jaw line and gorgeous eyes. His toned arms weren't all that great, either. And that stupid olive shirt popped against his tan skin in such a typical California way.
He was definitely not… unfortunate looking.
"What's something you've never told anyone before?" Massie spit the first question that popped into her mind just to shut up the sudden flow of admiration for Derrick's features.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be something I've never told anyone before, would it?" He inspected a half eaten bag of Lays. "But thanks, anyway, Dr. Phil."
Giving a small roll of the eyes, Massie looked over at him. "I didn't mean like 'skeletons in the closet' secrets. Just trivial things," She waited for him to say something else, but all was quiet from his direction. "Alright, fine. The first time I got an 'F' on a test I cried."
Derrick looked up, mouth cracked open in a smile. "Are you serious?"
She was smiling now herself. "Dead- I bawled. Your turn."
"Well," He took a seat next to her, unfurling the top of the chip bag. "I once stole a pack of crayons. On accident."
"That's a lame secret," She teased.
"It's all I could think of!" He retorted.
"I used to want to be a veterinarian when I was younger."
"Really? I wanted to be a spy, like the James Bond type."
Massie crinkled her nose, trying to imagine Derrick in a tux gripping a pistol. "Yeah, I don't see you as they type to heartlessly kill people. You aren't that much of a dick."
"I could, if it was for the good of the world," He stated.
Looking at him for a beat of silence, Massie tried to gage his seriousness. "No you wouldn't."
His shoulders rise in a half-hearted shrug. "If you say so. I do believe it's your turn now."
Massie grinned, and looked down at her lap while she thought. "Um, Claire and I kept a time capsule buried in her yard with pictures and letters we wrote to ourselves when we were younger."
"Why is that a secret?"
"Because someone could dig it up and read all about our thoughts. Like who we hated, who we liked… stuff like that."
"You know, I think I'm going to dig that up when I return to New York. Thanks for telling me about it. Uh, I lied about my first kiss when I was ten."
Massie laughed. "Why?"
"I guess I thought it was cool to be kissed at ten. And sometimes I wish I had been, considering how my first kiss really went," Derrick's brows furrowed. "She was wearing braces, and things got... weird."
"I never had my first kiss until I was in high school," Admitting this, Massie looked down again.
"Was that you're secret?"
"Yeah, this bitch named Olivia Ryan thought anyone who hadn't been to second base by the 10th grade had deformalities. She was so surprised that other girls weren't as slutty as she was, so I just remained mum about the subject," Massie took a sip from her water bottle. "But yes, that was my secret. Your turn again."
"When we went to Disneyland back when I was eight, I was scared of the man dressed up as Pooh."
"I thought Kemp was an annoying little shit when I first met him." Massie froze, realizing she just partially insulted his best friend.
But to her surprise Derrick was laughing. "Don't most people?"
[ ]
The sun was hung slightly lower in the sky now, its rays reflecting off the tops of the cars on the road with them. Massie fidgeted in her seat. She was getting antsy, as they hadn't left the car since their stop for lunch miles back. But Derrick was adamant in sticking on the road; he wanted to be in Las Vegas tomorrow by noon.
Flipping through a Utah tourism guide she picked up at the rest stop, Massie started longingly at the descriptions of the various activities and attractions the state had to offer. Breathtaking national parks, historic sites, salt flats... and Derrick was missing it all. And then, Massie eyes came to rest on a particular featured event. Referencing the map, she saw that the city it was in was right on their course.
Hell, it was worth a shot.
"So you know how we've been in this car all day, and you've been downright refusing my requests to stop somewhere to do something?" Massie asked him casually, not looking up from the tourism guide.
"Oh, Jesus," Derrick sighed, like he already knew the words about to come out of her mouth.
Massie ignored him. "Well, there is this town farther west down the interstate, and it has this festival with plays and other performances-"
Derrick cut her off there. "Play?" His vocals are slathered in skeptism and mockery. But Massie paid this no mind.
"Yes, Derrick, plays. A centuries old pastime that is still highly renowned by anyone with a brain. It actually sounds pretty fun. And you know your butt is sore from sitting."
Derrick's mouth purses slightly. "So let's say we were to stop at this place. And I'm not saying that we are," He gets this out quickly, seeing Massie's obvious rise in excitement. "But hypothetically speaking, what kind of festival is it?"
Massie paused. "It's a, uh… Shakespeare festival."
"A Shakespeare festival." He repeats, void of emotion.
"Yeah," Massie watches his expressions carefully, trying hard not to let her gaze linger on the tiny dimple forming at the corner of his mouth as he thought. "Oh, come on. I'm sure it's not half as bad as I'm sure it sounds to you. Besides, some theater exposure wouldn't kill you."
Derrick exhales deeply.
"Please?" Pleaded Massie. "I'll never ask to stop again."
He briefly turns to her, his face bright with apprehension. "I'm pretty sure I've heard that one before."
"Derrick, please." He was caving- she could tell.
Exhaling a sigh, his mouth slowly spread into a small smile. "Alright, we'll go."
Grinning now, Massie reached over and rested her hand on his upper bicep. "Thank you. You won't regret this."
She sensed him tense under her touch almost instantly. Awkwardly, Massie drew her hand back.
Clearing her throat, she pulled out her phone. "Right. Um, I need to call the box office and see if they even have two tickets left."
Massie dialed the highlighted number with shaky hands.
[ ]
The exited off the interstate about two hours later. Cedar City looked to be a fairly small town, and in honor of the Shakepeare festical the main street was adorned with red banners graced with a lion.
Derrick parked the Jeep on the street a block away from the address Massie recived on the phone. He seemed neutral about the whole thing, whereas Massie was excited to actually do something.
"What play is it?" Derrick asks, falling into step next to her as they neared a crosswalk.
"I think the lady at the box office said it was A Midsummer Night's Dream, but they rotate out three plays every night so I'm not positive," Massie said.
"This isn't like a modernized version, it is?" Derrick sounds disappointed. "Because I never seemed to get the hang of the old-English he wrote in."
"Then I guess it's lucky for you that I studied Shakespeare as a sophomore- specifically A Midsummer Night's Dream." Massie shot him a smile as they crossed the small, two-lane street. "I can translate it for you."
"Yeah, lucky me," He smiled back, his teeth looking more bright than normal in the evening light.
They rounded the next corner, and came upon the epicenter of the entire Utah Shakespeare Festival. A courtyard filled with the waiting crowd opened them up to a gift shop, costume museum, and the theatres themselves. One building in particular stood out to Massie- it was tall, decked out in replica old-English siding, and just beyond the outer walls Massie swore she saw the peaks of towers.
"Oh wow," She breathed. "I hope we're seeing it in that one. Now quickly," She gathered her camera from the depths of her bag. "Photo op!"
"Seriously?" Derrick sounded similar to that of a middle school boy with an overbearing mother.
"Yes," Massie backed up to get a better shot. "Now say cheese!"
In protest, Derrick crossed his arms over his chest. Massie took the picture anyway. "That's a keeper."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go get the tickets now," Derrick suggested, head craning around for the box office.
"Fantastic idea. Thank you for your contribution, Watson," Massie spied the 'Box Office' sign above a door on the other side of the courtyard. She stalked past Derrick and headed straight for the door.
—
"Hello," Massie said brightly.
The lady behind the counter looked to be about in her late forties, with grey streaks scattered throughout her ponytail. She looked up from the computer she stood at, and was able to return the peppy behavior Massie threw at her. "Hi. Welcome to the Utah Shakespeare Festival."
"We have two tickets for tonight's show under 'Massie'."
The smile remained on the lady's face as she typed away at her computer. "Oh, yes," She opened a drawer and revealed two tickets. "I believe these are yours. Enjoy the show!"
"Thank you," Massie turned back towards Derrick (who had hung back to let Massie do her thing), holding the tickets a loft like a medal. "And here you are, good sir."
Derrick gently took his ticket from her, face impassive as he took in her attempt at an English accent. "Are you going to talk like that for the rest of the night?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Then how come you aren't stopping?"
Massie smiled, leading him back out to the courtyard. It was nearing seven o'clock, and it looked as if people were starting to mill into the large theatre Massie had been admiring earlier. She quickly checked her ticket. "Yep, just as I suspected. We are seeing the bard's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Now come along, Sir Derrick! The night is nigh, and lest we wish to miss this momentary, um, engagement, we'd best get on our merry way!"
Derrick stares at her with apprehension. "You're a dork."
Laughing, Massie shushes him. "Come! Let's away."
He follows her to the theatre entrance shaking his head, all the while with the smallest smile on his face.
—
The Adam's Shakespeare theatre was truly a sight to behold. As its design was based off of The Globe theatre, Shakespeare's very own, it had a fixed two story layout. Its interior design mirrored that of the outside and had rows and rows of seating. But Massie's favorite feature was the lack of roof.
From her seat next to Derrick on the balcony, she had a great view of the sky (which was currently a bluish-purple color), and the slowly appearing stars. And the night was comfortably warm, with the smallest of breezes fluttering by every so often.
"So, need me to fill you in on what this is about?" Massie asked Derrick.
"Is this the one where they both kill themselves in the end?" Derrick offers up, leaning closer to hear in order to be heard over the house chatter. "Because that's the only one I know."
Massie smiles, "No, that's Romeo and Juliet. This one is about two girls and two boys, who are for the most part in love with the wrong people because of a fairy King's revenge on his wife gone amiss."
"Sounds thrilling."
"Mhm," Massie nods. "And there's also a man who's head gets turned into a donkey's."
"Oh," Derrick shifts in his seat. "Well, if I fall asleep you should most definitely wake me up. Wouldn't want to miss all of this excitement."
She opened her mouth to retort, but the lights dimmed around her and the buzz of the audience heightened before dying out completely. Instead she shot him a look before turning for the stage.
And Massie was swept up in the Athens-based tale of love and loss. She laughed at the antics of Bottom and his crew of actors, sympathized with Helena for her unreturned affections, and even slightly swooned at the dedication displayed by Lysander. She had always been interested in plays and storytelling at a young age, and tonight proved to be no different.
About a half an hour in, as King Oberon shares his plan of humiliation with Puck, Massie reminds herself to check Derrick's reaction. She had expected to see him half asleep, but to her surprise he sat alert in his seat. His gaze was steadily fixed on the stage below, and looked so into it Massie felt herself breaking out into a smile.
Intermission came shortly, and by that time the darkness of night had settled in.
"Need anything? " Massie asked Derrick, referring to the snack bar a floor below. "I think they sell hot chocolate."
"I'm fine," Derrick sighed.
A sudden gust of wind sent chills down Massie's spine and evoked a shiver. She wished she had brought a coat, or at least worn something warmer than a simple laced crop top.
This didn't exactly go unnoticed by Derrick. "You cold?" He asks with genuine concern.
"Uh, nope. That was a… spasm."
"Liar. Here," Derrick pulled off his North Face fleece pull over, leaving himself in just his olive t-shirt. He handed it over.
Massie looked at him skeptically "You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"I don't want you to freeze on my account-"
"Massie, put on the damn jacket."
She complied without any further complaints. Though it was large, it was still warm with his body heat (a thought that had a strange affect on her). And it smelled good, a mixture of his cologne and the essence of the night air. "Thank you," She said softly.
"Yeah," Derrick turned his gaze quickly, and Massie watched as his eyes settled on the sky. "Oh wow. Look at the stars."
She followed suit and titled her head upwards. It seemed like there were thousands of them, even in the low lighting of the theatre. Massie tried to take as many of them in as she can. "Wow. Think you can find the Big Dipper?"
Derrick laughs. "I wouldn't know where to start."
A bell rang from somewhere nearby, signaling the end of intermission. And as the theatre refilled, Massie and Derrick didn't break away from the sky above.