Chapter 20: You Were Right
SATURDAY NIGHT
"Well Arnold, it's finally here." Gerald said, referring to the play.
"Yeah, I'm really excited about this!" Arnold replied, as the two of them stood back stage.
"Of course you are."
Ignoring his friend's remark, Arnold looked across the stage to see his girlfriend in her beautiful gown. As she wore a strapless gold dress that flowed down to the floor, with her hair styled as it was the night they ate at Chez Paris, he thought to himself Maybe pink's not the ONLY color she looks great in.
Interrupting his thoughts, Gerald asked "You think Stinky's got his lines straight?"
"He better! I didn't spend all night picking out a replacement outfit for myself just to see him blow it on stage!" Rhonda exclaimed.
As Rhonda was becoming angry at the thought of being publicly humiliated, Mr. Simmons walked over. "Okay class, this is it! I'm anxious to see the new ending you've all put together for the play! I'm sure it's very special and will bring the audience to tears. Curly, no improvising!"
The class then took their positions as Mr. Simmons walked out on stage to introduce the play "Good evening. Thank you for coming out tonight to see this very special performance by our eighth grade students!
The play is a Shakespeare act called A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play takes place in Athens. Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is planning his marriage with Hippolyta. As a result, he is planning a large festival. Egeus enters, followed by his daughter Hermia, her beloved Lysander, and her suitor Demetrious."
After Mr. Simmons description of the play, he took his seat and was happy to see the first four acts of the play had gone quite well (thanks to no longer having chocolate boy).
Then came the fifth act, as he sat nervously in his seat saying to himself "Please don't be bad. Please oh please don't be bad."
Lila and Curly entered the stage together as the audience listened to Curly confess the truth about the spell he had put Lila under.
"You wicked man! How could you cast a spell on me?"
"What I did was wrong, but we're together now!"
"Not anymore we're not!"
Lila stormed off as the two exited the stage to bring in Eugene, Sheena, Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Phoebe.
As Eugene confronted the young romantic couples, he said "You pretty lovers are lucky to have met us where you did!"
"Come rest before the ceremony!" Sheena added as the four of them followed into the temple.
The young lovers exited the stage as Stinky and his group of (what were intended to be play performers) began approaching the temple.
"Come! The Duke is expecting us!" He insisted as he allowed them to walk ahead, before being pulled aside by Lila.
"Whoa! What are you doing here?"
Staring at him with pleading eyes, Lila began to explain "Oberon confessed the terrible spell he put on me. I realized then even in a dream, what I felt for you was the happiest I've ever been! Come with me and my fairies. I'll teach you our magic!"
"Well, okie dokie then!"
The two of them move to a new scene, played in Titania's home in the forest, where Rhonda is waiting as one of her fairies.
"These flowers of which you see are for love and sleep. Use them carefully."
"I reckon I'm gettin' the hang of this here magic!" Stinky said.
"That sounds just oh too perfect! Come, let's try it out! I have a song for Theseus at his wedding!" Lila explained as she took Stinky back to the temple.
There the scene showed Arnold, Gerald, Phoebe and Helga sleeping in a room given to them before the wedding. When Lila and Stinky arrived to see them there, she said…
"Oh dear! They look exhausted!"
"I reckon they don't sleep too good!"
"Now's your chance to use your sleeping spell!"
"Okie dokie then!"
After mixing up his sleeping flowers with the love flowers Rhonda had given him, Arnold awoke to see and fall in love with Helga. As Gerald did with Phoebe.
The next scene showed Eugene and Sheena awaiting the arrival of the four young lovers, to start the ceremony."It's time for the ceremony my love! Go get the...Ow! I'm okay!" The audience laughed as Eugene stood back up.
"They're on their way."
Moments later, the four arrived to see Eugene and Sheena with puzzled looks on their faces.
"What's this now? Have you switched partners?"
Looking at Helga, Arnold explained "My lord, after careful consideration we came to a conclusion her father was right about our love."
"And what about you two?" Eugene asked, looking over at Gerald and Phoebe.
"She thinks she is not beautiful, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
After accepting their new proposals, the scene turned back to Stinky and Lila.
"I reckon I messed things up bad."
"It's okay my love. Everyone is happy. Now come watch me sing a song for the duke."
Once the play was over with the three couples being wed, the audience clapped and tears were brought to Mr. Simmons eyes.
Gerald then turned to his best friend and said "Well buddy, we did it."
"I knew it would turn out well!" Arnold said, as he turned to look at his blushing girlfriend.
Seeing her stand there in her beautiful dress as he thought about the wedding scene they had just finished together, he couldn't help but say to her "You were right."
"About what football head?" she asked, cocking her brow.
"Your picture was better."
Helga began to blush fiercely as she thought back to what she had drawn. A picture of her and her beloved standing together in the temple, being wed as Demetrius and Hermia. A fantasy she one day hoped would be a reality.
THANKS FOR READING
PLEASE REVIEW