Down the Rabbit Hole Chapter 14 – Roles
A/N- Now that Rave's perception of Edd is that he is interested in doing drag, he will be using female pronouns occasionally when they are alone together.
With the auditions over, the three boys went into the lobby to wait for Rave's mother to come pick them up. She was due to arrive at one and it was now only twelve forty-five, with time to wait they took a seat on a bench by the door. "Are you children waiting on your mother?" the three of them look up and Edd sees the older African American woman standing in front of them with a sweet smile upon her face. Ms. Ritta Divine only stopped and asked because she has seen so many children in her life that have been tossed aside by their parents for being who they were. If the three angels before her answered the way she feared they would, she would offer to give them a ride to where they were staying, which was probably in some condemned building, but stop off to get them a bite to eat at McDonalds along the way. At least then they would know that there are people in the community who would help them if they needed it, and that they were not alone. And once she has earned their trust, try and help them find some place to stay that was far better than the one they were currently living in.
"Yeah, she should be here any minute," Rave answered.
"Good," her smile deepened, at least these three were well taken care off, "You three take care now," and she steps out the door giving them a wave goodbye.
As they continued to wait a voice struck their ears and the three of them looked out of the side of their eyes toward the hall it was coming from. Roxy was walking alongside Ms. Barr, talking excitedly, trying to sell herself as the best choice, "I'm a natural fem-fatal and the only girl who applied for the part."
"That won't guarantee you the part Roxy," Ms. Barr looked exasperated with the girl.
"You can't honestly be telling me that your considering that boy for the part," Roxy was looking put off by the idea of being upstaged by Edd.
"Obviously, you don't know your history Ms. Van Rockin," Ms. Barr put down her clipboard on the counter and signed out that she was done with the gym for the day then turns back to Roxy. "Back in the Elizabethan era woman were strictly forbidden by law to perform on stage, so men had to naturally fill these roles. So, it is not unheard of for a boy to play a girls role in a Shakespearean play, on the contrary it is as natural as breathing for these parts." Quickly turning back to the counter and grabs her belongings and addresses Roxy one last time, "But if you will excuse me dear, I have other things I must do today," and quickly walks away. As she passed the three boys on the bench she gave them a small bow of her head to acknowledge them, then walks out the door, quickly followed by Roxy who didn't act as though she had seen them.
"Jesus Christ, what a bitch," both Rave and Edd laugh at Kevin's obvious statement about the girl, "What? She is." As he was looking toward the door and wiping a tear off his cheek from laughing, Rave sees his mother pull up to the curb outside and motions for the boys to follow him. Climbing into the car they started their long drive home, each one talking about their hopes for the play, which included the hopeful exclusion of a certain blonde haired girl.
Arriving back in the sleepy little hamlet of Peach Creek, they dropped Kevin off at his house and Rave insisted that Edd stay the night again at his place. Getting a quick change of clothes from his house and letting Betty Jo know where he would be, he jumps back into the car to join his friend for another night. Going into the boy's room and baring his preteen cousins once again from entering, which was comedy gold for Edd as the two boys fought with their older cousin to be included, the two friends settled down to talk. His two cousins storming off down the hall to their mother yelling that it was their room too.
Turning on his radio and hitting play on a CD the Ramones I Wanna be Sedated started to come through the speakers. Flopping on the bed, Rave breathed out as he rubbed his eyes, "God what a long day." Propping himself up on his elbows he looks across the room at his friend who was sitting upon the bottom bunk that his two cousins sleep in, "It's going to be so much fun doing this with you, you're going be the perfect leading lady."
Edd did his best to hide his excitement at that statement, but a little still showed through, "We still don't know if I got the part."
"Oh, we nailed it," Rave had a very confident smile upon his face, "Though I had to admit I was a little nervous, but only for a second."
"I know you were concerned that I was going to ruin your chance and I'm sorry that I made you worry."
Edd spoke the truth, but Rave wasn't going to say that, "Oh no girl, I was worried that Roxy's mother had done some underhanded dealings to get her that part. But by the way the director was acting toward her as they left tells me you definitely got it."
"You think so," Edd was still unsure, the fear that we all suffer from, even the confident people, that we won't get the thing we desire was plaguing his mind.
"I know so," he plops back down flat on the bed, "So don't worry about it."
"If you say so."
"Worrying will only give you wrinkles," popping back up quickly Rave goes to the closet and pulls out a small black case, "Hey, let me do your make up."
"What," Edd nervously laughed out with a smile that matched his tone.
"Come on, it will be fun," he pulls a small mirror on a stand out as well and sits on the floor, motioning for Edd to join him. Edd reluctantly complied with his insistent request, sitting with his legs crossed upon the floor across from him. "I've been watching this video I got on how to do proper drag make up," he opens the case and pulls out a very thick tube that resembled lip stick, "It was very, educational," he said sarcastically and uncapped the tube. Turning the nob at the base the contents of the tube comes out in a stick and was the same shade as Rave's skin tone. Draping a towel across Edd's lap to catch the excess powder and pulling the beanie of his head, he begins, "Don't worry, it's going to seem like a lot of fucking makeup, but it will all wash off," seeing the concern fill Edd's eyes he adds, "Trust me."
With Rave's Italian heritage he was a few shades darker in skin color then Edd was, making him look like a totally different person when he looked at himself in the small mirror after the three different shades of foundation and powder were applied to his skin. "I don't know Rave, this isn't looking right."
"Trust me Edd," he said as he picked up the eye shadow, "The finished product will take your breath away, now hold still." Pulling out a brush he begins applying the lighter color first, applying it over the eyelid up to the ridge of his brow, "Have you thought of a name yet?"
Edd played dumb, "What?"
"A drag name," Rave prodded further, but Edd was still hesitant, "I'll tell you mine," he leans in closely and whispered, "Wanda Symone Dickson." Edd just cocks a brow at him, and Rave wasted no time in telling him what he meant by it, "It's word play, Wanna see my dick son."
"Ah you are awful," Edd laughed and smacked one of Raves hands that was make a gesture to say, wasn't it obvious.
Rave barely kept ahold of the compact in his hand, readjusting his grip he dabs the brush in the next color he begins applying it, using his finger to blend it in, "Now your turn." Edd was still hesitant, "I told you mind, now fucking spill it darling."
Edd couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped his lips with the mild change in Rave's demeanor along with the new little pet names. Either it was the happiness of being allowed to see a part of the boy that he kept hidden from others at school, including his friends, or the fact that Edd was now feeling like he could truly let his hair down around him. "Alice," he said softly.
"Hmm, what was that, I can't hear you," Rave put his hand to his ear and turned his head toward his friend as he spoke.
The door swings open and Angelo and Geovanni rush into the room laughing at the fact that they knew they were going to piss Rave off by intruding. "Get the fuck out of here you little assholes," Rave seethed as he dropped the makeup in Edd's towel draped lap, picking up a pillow he throws it at them, then chases them out of the room again.
Edd could hear one of them yelling down the hall as they ran for it, "Mom, Rave's putting on makeup again."
And their mother replying as Rave slams the door shut, "Boy's, what did I tell you about bothering your cousin when he has company."
Plopping back down in front of Edd, Rave was noticeably irritated as he picked up the makeup again, "I can't wait till we get our own damn place again."
"You love your nephews," Edd said trying to calm him down just a little so he wouldn't beat his face to death with the brush in his hand.
"I know I do," he sighed out and was calming down just a little, "But is it too much to fucking ask for just a little privacy."
"But you will miss them when you're gone."
"It's probably going to be a minute before that happens anyways, Mom's only in her second year of nursing school now, and helping out at the winery when she can so she can put me through school." Rave's dreams of having his own room seemed so distant right now, but he would keep his chin up and make the best of what he had now. A knock at the door this time and Rave puts the compact and brush down roughly as he stood to answer the door, "What do you want now you little pricks?"
Swinging open the door he sees his mother standing there with the cordless phone in her hand, "James Castellanos you watch your fucking mouth," his mother admonished him harshly, "Here," she hands him the phone, "You have a phone call."
Taking the phone, he walks back into the room, his mother closing the door roughly behind him, putting the phone to his ear he could hear a woman chuckling on the other end, "Hello?"
She clears her throat and addresses him, "Yes, Mr. Castellanos?"
"This is he," he recognized the voice and his nerves were on fire with anticipation.
"This is Tina Barr, we met earlier today at the auditions."
"Yes, I remember you."
"Good, I was wondering if you and your friend Eddward would be able to attend rehearsals on the weekends and Wednesday evenings?"
He was certain that what he was about to say would end their carrier in the play before it even begun. "Weekends shouldn't be a problem, but the weekday might be since we are still in high school and live an hour away."
"I thought it might be," he could hear the disappointment in her voice, "But I really want the two of you for the leads, the chemistry you have with each other is perfect for the parts."
"I understand, and thank you for the offer, but school comes first, with my mother anyway, I hope you understand." He was ready to just end the call right then and there, his disappointment was crushing that this one road block would keep them from participating in the play, and the leads no less.
"Hold up, I'm not retracting my offer just yet," a glimmer of hope enters Rave's eyes at her words, "I live down that way, about twenty minutes outside of Peach Creek, so would you all be able to make it for a short rehearsal, let's say on Tuesday's and Thursday's?"
"Absolutely, we can do that," pulling the phone from his ear he exclaims, "Holy shit, we got the parts Edd." The smile upon his face was so big that it hurt Edd's face just to look at it, "Thank you, thank you, we won't let you down."
"I imagine you won't Mr. Castellanos," he could hear the smile in her voice, "Now if you will give your mother back the phone I'll give her all the information she will need, and how to find my house."
"Sure, one minute," Rave says then runs out of the room hollering, "Mom, we got the leads," several times as he tracked down the woman in the house.
Edd just sat in the room on the floor, becoming well aware that he had what felt like half an inch worth of makeup on his face. It was another fifteen minutes before Rave reentered the room to find his friend still sitting where he left him, Edd had been to self-conscience to go out and find him to see what was taking him so long. Apologizing with a light chuckle, as he was still giddy from the good news they had just received, he sits and finishes the job as the two of them discussed all that Ms. Barr had told him over the phone. He informed Edd as he put the finishing touches on the makeup that Kevin would be joining them for these rehearsals, having gotten one of the parts as well.
Pulling the mirror to where Edd could see himself clearly, he says, "Say hello to Alice." Edd examined himself, though the makeup was by far not anything like what a natural woman would wear, he had to admit the shading made his features look more feminine, it was a shadow of what he hoped to become later in life.