The next morning, Marian walked into the dining room only to find Ben
standing on a chair, setting something up to the ceiling.
"Ben, what are you doing?" she asked, seeming confused.
"Shhh. Why do you always have to be an early bird? You'll ruin the entire thing," he whispered.
"If this is something for Michael, it's stupid..." she sighed, a hand up to her head.
"Nonononono!" he protested as she was speaking. "It's not stupid, even if it is for the king of stupidty. The funny thing with him is that he mixes up stuff all the time."
Smith walked in and saw the scene.
"What's going on?" he asked, arms out.
"Ben's being his usual idiotic self, as usual," replied Marian.
"Marian..." Smith started.
"Call me Annie," she said.
"Annie. What are you doing at the concert?" wondered Smith.
"I know enough piano to play. I'm better with tenor saxophone," replied Marian.
Zachary walked in and looked at Ben on the chair in disbelief.
"Benjamin, what's this?" he demanded, arms out in front of him.
"It's none of your beeswax," answered Ben, continuing to work.
Zachary shook his head.
"You're impossible. You always have been," he whispered, putting a hand over his eyes.
He couldn't stand it any longer and walked out of the room. Smith and Marian watched him leave.
***
The next day, Zachary hurried to catch up with Michael.
"Michael I'm serious. Don't think that every single thing is Benjamin's prank. Please, don't expect anything. If you do, something terrible will happen. If anything should happen tonight, take it seriously Michael," he strongly cautioned him.
"Don't worry Zach, nothing's going to happen tonight," reassured Michael.
"Believe me when I say that if you don't take tonight seriously, somebody's going to get hurt and it won't be pretty," Zachary told him, holding onto Michael's collar.
"Alright, I'll be careful. Yeesh," Michael replied, pushing Zachary's arms away.
He was obviously angry as he walked away, grumbling.
Smith walked up behind Zachary.
"Does this happen a lot?" wondered Zachary, sighing.
"All the time," replied Smith.
***
Later that evening, Zachary and Smith walked into the dining hall.
"It's wonderful! Who did the decorations?" wondered Smith.
"Marian did. She has a great touch with that sort of thing," Zachary told him.
He looked around a bit before noticing where Michael, Ben and Marian were sitting.
"Smith, I'd like you to go over with them. I'd feel better if somebody was keeping an eye on Marian," Zachary told Smith.
"Alright, what're you doing?" replied Smith.
"I'm waiting for the man to come. I know when he's coming. He'll go up on stage right after Marian plays the piano and I just went up to tell some jokes," Zachary explained. "If the younger me doesn't believe the older me, I may have to stop the crook 'myself'."
Smith nodded and walked over to the trio.
"Hey Marian, how're you doing?" asked Smith.
"I'm nervous but fine," she replied.
"Why?" wondered Smith, now curious.
"I'm going to audition for the lead role tomorrow. If I get it, I'll be starring in my major role. It'll be exciting," she replied with a smile.
"What will happen if you don't get the part?" he asked as Michael and Ben walked up onto the stage.
"If I don't get it, my boyfriend and I will struggle even more to find work. We're having enough trouble as it to make ends meet," she explained, looking at him with sorrowful eyes.
Smith looked over at the older Michael before looking back at Marian and smiling.
"I really hope you get the part. I think you'd really portray the part," Smith told her.
TBC...
"Ben, what are you doing?" she asked, seeming confused.
"Shhh. Why do you always have to be an early bird? You'll ruin the entire thing," he whispered.
"If this is something for Michael, it's stupid..." she sighed, a hand up to her head.
"Nonononono!" he protested as she was speaking. "It's not stupid, even if it is for the king of stupidty. The funny thing with him is that he mixes up stuff all the time."
Smith walked in and saw the scene.
"What's going on?" he asked, arms out.
"Ben's being his usual idiotic self, as usual," replied Marian.
"Marian..." Smith started.
"Call me Annie," she said.
"Annie. What are you doing at the concert?" wondered Smith.
"I know enough piano to play. I'm better with tenor saxophone," replied Marian.
Zachary walked in and looked at Ben on the chair in disbelief.
"Benjamin, what's this?" he demanded, arms out in front of him.
"It's none of your beeswax," answered Ben, continuing to work.
Zachary shook his head.
"You're impossible. You always have been," he whispered, putting a hand over his eyes.
He couldn't stand it any longer and walked out of the room. Smith and Marian watched him leave.
***
The next day, Zachary hurried to catch up with Michael.
"Michael I'm serious. Don't think that every single thing is Benjamin's prank. Please, don't expect anything. If you do, something terrible will happen. If anything should happen tonight, take it seriously Michael," he strongly cautioned him.
"Don't worry Zach, nothing's going to happen tonight," reassured Michael.
"Believe me when I say that if you don't take tonight seriously, somebody's going to get hurt and it won't be pretty," Zachary told him, holding onto Michael's collar.
"Alright, I'll be careful. Yeesh," Michael replied, pushing Zachary's arms away.
He was obviously angry as he walked away, grumbling.
Smith walked up behind Zachary.
"Does this happen a lot?" wondered Zachary, sighing.
"All the time," replied Smith.
***
Later that evening, Zachary and Smith walked into the dining hall.
"It's wonderful! Who did the decorations?" wondered Smith.
"Marian did. She has a great touch with that sort of thing," Zachary told him.
He looked around a bit before noticing where Michael, Ben and Marian were sitting.
"Smith, I'd like you to go over with them. I'd feel better if somebody was keeping an eye on Marian," Zachary told Smith.
"Alright, what're you doing?" replied Smith.
"I'm waiting for the man to come. I know when he's coming. He'll go up on stage right after Marian plays the piano and I just went up to tell some jokes," Zachary explained. "If the younger me doesn't believe the older me, I may have to stop the crook 'myself'."
Smith nodded and walked over to the trio.
"Hey Marian, how're you doing?" asked Smith.
"I'm nervous but fine," she replied.
"Why?" wondered Smith, now curious.
"I'm going to audition for the lead role tomorrow. If I get it, I'll be starring in my major role. It'll be exciting," she replied with a smile.
"What will happen if you don't get the part?" he asked as Michael and Ben walked up onto the stage.
"If I don't get it, my boyfriend and I will struggle even more to find work. We're having enough trouble as it to make ends meet," she explained, looking at him with sorrowful eyes.
Smith looked over at the older Michael before looking back at Marian and smiling.
"I really hope you get the part. I think you'd really portray the part," Smith told her.
TBC...