The next day, Ben had called me up for an audition to an upcoming play. I
didn't know what to do. I thought about the consequences. Without Joey,
who'd help me if I mess up again? Who would say my lines and comfort me
when I'm down and cheer me up with dumb jokes? Then, I thought that if I
did a play alone, I might be able to deal with Joey's death. So of course,
I said yes.
* * *
That afternoon, I borrowed Yami's car and drove to the theatre a few minutes early. I found Ben in the empty theatre, setting up folding chairs and a couple of tables.
"Mai, hi," he said, "Right on time. The others will come in a few minutes."
I sat down and picked up a script and look through it." What's the play?" I asked.
"The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg," Ben replied," Not exactly Shakespeare, is it? Oh, Mai.before the rest of the gang gets here.I want to talk to you about something." He sat down across from me." I almost didn't call you for the audition. I wasn't sure how you'd feel trying out for a play Joey was supposed to be in-"
"Oh," I said," No.I want to do it."
"You know, I heard about it on the radio," said Ben, "About Joey. Only I didn't think It was the same Joseph Wheeler. Hell, you hear about traffic fatalities all the time, don't you? You never think it's going to be someone you know. It was a drunk driver, wasn't it?"
I flipped through page after page of the script," Yeah," I said. "Yeah it was a drunk driver."
"God, when I think about the career that boy had ahead of him.."
"Yeah, I know," I said," I know."
* * *
Abut 30 people showed up at the audition Ben called 2 or 3 at a time to read for him; everyone else studied their scripts or just got together in small groups to talk. I felt a little out of place. Besides Ben, the only other person I knew was Kathy-the-toothpick, and I just couldn't bring myself to go over there and hear yet another "I'm sorry he's dead" speech. I ended up sitting in a quiet spot on the side of the stage. I opened the script and tried to shut out everything and concentrate on what I was reading.
"Kathy!" I heard someone call. I looked up. This guy jumped onstage and sat down next to Kathy. He had a script in his hands. "What part are you reading for?"
"The crying princess."
"I'd like to try out for the male lead, but I know that guy'll get it; he always does."
"What guy?"
"That guy that does plays here now and then. Joey something."
"God, you didn't hear about that?"
"About what?"
"He was killed right after Christmas."
"Shit, are you kidding?"
"No, I'm not kidding."
"You sure we're talking about the same guy? Joey something, right? That tall guy with the messy blonde hair and has that green jacket?"
"Yeah, Joey Wheeler."
"Jesus, what happened?"
"Killed by a drunk driver."
"Christ.maybe I have a chance at the lead after all."
I looked down at my script. The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg. Suddenly the whole thing seemed pretty stupid. I stood up. I wasn't going to run out like I had in Mrs. Klein's class. I made myself go over to Ben.
"Ben.I think this is a little too soon for me," I said," Would you call me for the next play?"
"Oh.sure, dear. I'll call you. Take care." I turned around and took a short cut through the backstage area. I pushed open the stage door and clanked down the same steps Joey had that night we did the play together.
I got in the car and started it. On the way to the game shop, I spotted a small red car up ahead. I couldn't even tell if it was a Honda, but I had to find out. I had to see who was driving. I did a totally insane thing: hit the accelerator and took off after that car like I was Alice going after the White Rabbit. I broke the speed limit all the way to Domino. When I got close enough, I saw that the car wasn't a Honda, it was a Maxima. The driver wasn't Joey, just some girl my age who flicked her hair away from her face as if she didn't have a care in the world.
When I pulled in the front of the shop, I took a good long look at myself in the review mirror.
"You," I said," are crazy."
* * *
I had trouble sleeping that night. I got out of bed and went down stairs and turned on the t.v, but all I could find was a bunch of depressing news and the Women's Championship Wrestling .
"I thought I heard you up," someone said. I turned and saw Yugi. He sat down next to me on the couch." What happened at the theatre today? You didn't say much when you came back."
"God, I must've been crazy.I don't know why I thought I could just go out there like nothing's happened and try out for some dumb play."
"It's going to take awhile, don't you think?" he asked.
"I guess. Yeah." I sighed.
He leaned closer to me, "Do you want to talk about it?"
I looked away, "I just want to sit here for a little while."
He picked up the remote, "How about some company, then? What's on t.v?"
"Women's wrestling."
"I don't think we're that desperate!" Yugi laughed as he put down the remote," Why don't we play a board game? How about Monopoly?"
I glanced at the tired figure before me, "You don't have to stay up with me, you know."
"Friends are supposed to stay up with their insomniac friends. It's a law."
I smiled, knowing what a good friend Yugi was. "Thanks, Yuge."
He placed a board game on the couch and started to set it up. "No problem. What are friends for?"
* * *
I didn't know then, but that was just the first of sleepless nights for me. And my friends were always there. As soon as I got out of bed, some weird type of friend radar would activate and one of them would come to me.
They took turns. On Mondays, it was Yugi, Tuesdays it was Tea, Wednesdays it was Tristan, Thursdays it was Bakura, Fridays it was Yami, Saturday it was Kaiba, and Sundays it was Serenity.
They wouldn't let me sit alone and watch t.v. Instead, they read to me, played games, and work on puzzles. I liked the crossword puzzles the best because I was getting better at them each time As Bakura put it at 3 in the morning:" You may not be getting any sleep but your vocabulary's really expanding. What's a 3-letter word for a flightless Australian bird?"
I pulled the curtains aside and stared out into the night." Emu," I said.
* * *
Sorry this part was so short! I just wanted you to get a sample of how Mai's friends are helping her recover. I'm working on Part 3 for Ending 2 now and I'll probably finish ending Ending 1 once I get around to it and start on Part 3 for Endings 2-3 and then finish them when I finish the ending for Ending 1. (* gasps for breath* Isn't this totally confusing or what?) As you might've noticed, I spaced for Part 1 and 2 because (a) It hurts everyone's eyes (yes, it hurts the authors eyes too @_@) (b) I'm extremely bored and (c) I do not have a clue about what other things I should put in Part 4 of Ending 1. But for now, Part 3 for Ending 2 is biding my time before I have to stress about what should and could happen in Ending 1. I'm also working on a new fanfic about Joey and Mai since it seems like I'm pretty good at those kind of fics. If you know anything else nice Mai's friends can do or want to add stuff in Part 3 of Ending 2 (Ugh, writing this takes too long!), you know what to do! Thanks! ^-^
* * *
That afternoon, I borrowed Yami's car and drove to the theatre a few minutes early. I found Ben in the empty theatre, setting up folding chairs and a couple of tables.
"Mai, hi," he said, "Right on time. The others will come in a few minutes."
I sat down and picked up a script and look through it." What's the play?" I asked.
"The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg," Ben replied," Not exactly Shakespeare, is it? Oh, Mai.before the rest of the gang gets here.I want to talk to you about something." He sat down across from me." I almost didn't call you for the audition. I wasn't sure how you'd feel trying out for a play Joey was supposed to be in-"
"Oh," I said," No.I want to do it."
"You know, I heard about it on the radio," said Ben, "About Joey. Only I didn't think It was the same Joseph Wheeler. Hell, you hear about traffic fatalities all the time, don't you? You never think it's going to be someone you know. It was a drunk driver, wasn't it?"
I flipped through page after page of the script," Yeah," I said. "Yeah it was a drunk driver."
"God, when I think about the career that boy had ahead of him.."
"Yeah, I know," I said," I know."
* * *
Abut 30 people showed up at the audition Ben called 2 or 3 at a time to read for him; everyone else studied their scripts or just got together in small groups to talk. I felt a little out of place. Besides Ben, the only other person I knew was Kathy-the-toothpick, and I just couldn't bring myself to go over there and hear yet another "I'm sorry he's dead" speech. I ended up sitting in a quiet spot on the side of the stage. I opened the script and tried to shut out everything and concentrate on what I was reading.
"Kathy!" I heard someone call. I looked up. This guy jumped onstage and sat down next to Kathy. He had a script in his hands. "What part are you reading for?"
"The crying princess."
"I'd like to try out for the male lead, but I know that guy'll get it; he always does."
"What guy?"
"That guy that does plays here now and then. Joey something."
"God, you didn't hear about that?"
"About what?"
"He was killed right after Christmas."
"Shit, are you kidding?"
"No, I'm not kidding."
"You sure we're talking about the same guy? Joey something, right? That tall guy with the messy blonde hair and has that green jacket?"
"Yeah, Joey Wheeler."
"Jesus, what happened?"
"Killed by a drunk driver."
"Christ.maybe I have a chance at the lead after all."
I looked down at my script. The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg. Suddenly the whole thing seemed pretty stupid. I stood up. I wasn't going to run out like I had in Mrs. Klein's class. I made myself go over to Ben.
"Ben.I think this is a little too soon for me," I said," Would you call me for the next play?"
"Oh.sure, dear. I'll call you. Take care." I turned around and took a short cut through the backstage area. I pushed open the stage door and clanked down the same steps Joey had that night we did the play together.
I got in the car and started it. On the way to the game shop, I spotted a small red car up ahead. I couldn't even tell if it was a Honda, but I had to find out. I had to see who was driving. I did a totally insane thing: hit the accelerator and took off after that car like I was Alice going after the White Rabbit. I broke the speed limit all the way to Domino. When I got close enough, I saw that the car wasn't a Honda, it was a Maxima. The driver wasn't Joey, just some girl my age who flicked her hair away from her face as if she didn't have a care in the world.
When I pulled in the front of the shop, I took a good long look at myself in the review mirror.
"You," I said," are crazy."
* * *
I had trouble sleeping that night. I got out of bed and went down stairs and turned on the t.v, but all I could find was a bunch of depressing news and the Women's Championship Wrestling .
"I thought I heard you up," someone said. I turned and saw Yugi. He sat down next to me on the couch." What happened at the theatre today? You didn't say much when you came back."
"God, I must've been crazy.I don't know why I thought I could just go out there like nothing's happened and try out for some dumb play."
"It's going to take awhile, don't you think?" he asked.
"I guess. Yeah." I sighed.
He leaned closer to me, "Do you want to talk about it?"
I looked away, "I just want to sit here for a little while."
He picked up the remote, "How about some company, then? What's on t.v?"
"Women's wrestling."
"I don't think we're that desperate!" Yugi laughed as he put down the remote," Why don't we play a board game? How about Monopoly?"
I glanced at the tired figure before me, "You don't have to stay up with me, you know."
"Friends are supposed to stay up with their insomniac friends. It's a law."
I smiled, knowing what a good friend Yugi was. "Thanks, Yuge."
He placed a board game on the couch and started to set it up. "No problem. What are friends for?"
* * *
I didn't know then, but that was just the first of sleepless nights for me. And my friends were always there. As soon as I got out of bed, some weird type of friend radar would activate and one of them would come to me.
They took turns. On Mondays, it was Yugi, Tuesdays it was Tea, Wednesdays it was Tristan, Thursdays it was Bakura, Fridays it was Yami, Saturday it was Kaiba, and Sundays it was Serenity.
They wouldn't let me sit alone and watch t.v. Instead, they read to me, played games, and work on puzzles. I liked the crossword puzzles the best because I was getting better at them each time As Bakura put it at 3 in the morning:" You may not be getting any sleep but your vocabulary's really expanding. What's a 3-letter word for a flightless Australian bird?"
I pulled the curtains aside and stared out into the night." Emu," I said.
* * *
Sorry this part was so short! I just wanted you to get a sample of how Mai's friends are helping her recover. I'm working on Part 3 for Ending 2 now and I'll probably finish ending Ending 1 once I get around to it and start on Part 3 for Endings 2-3 and then finish them when I finish the ending for Ending 1. (* gasps for breath* Isn't this totally confusing or what?) As you might've noticed, I spaced for Part 1 and 2 because (a) It hurts everyone's eyes (yes, it hurts the authors eyes too @_@) (b) I'm extremely bored and (c) I do not have a clue about what other things I should put in Part 4 of Ending 1. But for now, Part 3 for Ending 2 is biding my time before I have to stress about what should and could happen in Ending 1. I'm also working on a new fanfic about Joey and Mai since it seems like I'm pretty good at those kind of fics. If you know anything else nice Mai's friends can do or want to add stuff in Part 3 of Ending 2 (Ugh, writing this takes too long!), you know what to do! Thanks! ^-^