AN: Hey guys! So, this is my entry for the BTR Plot Adoption and Writers Support Forum!
Heads up: I'm Torah-observant (long explanation), but I wasn't raised Jewish. I celebrate Hanukkah but this is only my second year doing it so I guarantee I messed some stuff up here. I also ommitted some things for time, and the story is a very abridged version. I used multiple websites as sources, so I'm sorry if I messed anything up. No disrespect intended.
I had hoped to get this up for Hanukkah but as usual, that didn't happen XD.
Anyway, enjoy! And please go check out the other entries for the challenge!
"Wait a second," Kendall says holding a hand up. He's straddling his desk chair, leaning on the back as his brow furrowed. "Your mom's what?"
James is near tears, his hand shaking as he runs it through his hair. "She says I have to drop out of the play. It's on the fourth night of Hanukkah so she says I can't do it."
Kendall stands now, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall by his bedroom window. He gives James a curious look. "But. . .you've done shows on the Sabbath before, haven't you?"
The taller boy nods. "And the Sabbath is more important," he argues. "Hanukkah isn't even a high holiday, so I don't see why she cares so much!" He lets out a bit of a sob, wiping at his eyes. "I can't quit, man. Mrs. Marcella will kill me! She'll never cast me again!" He glances at the clock on Kendall's nightstand, frowning and grabbing his school bag from where he'd tossed it haphazardly onto the floor when he entered earlier. "I'm sorry, we're gonna be late."
"No, it's okay," Kendall assures him, grabbing his own bag as they head into the hallway and down the stairs. "I mean, are you sure she meant it? Maybe she was just in a bad mood today."
James shakes his head dejectedly. "She meant it. She said I have to tell Marcella first thing after school today, and I've got to go home straight after."
They leave the house, walking down Kendall's driveway and heading down the street to their bus stop, where they'll eventually board to meet Carlos and Logan.
The other two boys are briefed on the situation by Kendall during homeroom, when James leaves to do one of his usual hair touch-ups. They are just as confused as he is, and even Logan offers no helpful solution because he doesn't even know what the problem is. They dread their rehearsal; Mrs. Marcella is a ridiculously kind, middle-aged woman who adores the arts. James is her shining star at their school. She won't be pleased.
Their rehearsal is one of their first run-throughs of the entire show. They had spent a grueling eight hours at school on Saturday for a tech rehearsal, and tonight they will be adding costumes, as if Kendall needed more stress as the stage manager. It's a coveted position and he's thrilled at the chance to prove himself; or at least, he was before James' mom-drama.
But, to his surprise, there is no explosion before Marcella calls "places." James does not exit a weeping mess and the rehearsal is not called off. No, Marcella calls "places" and the students gather in their respective positions, and James takes a seat in his make-shift Grinch house as if he's supposed to be there.
Carlos suddenly appears next to Kendall in his Who costume (he's only an ensemble member, which is painfully ironic considering his character doesn't have a single line and Carlos cannot physically shut his mouth long enough to get through a scene). He is visibly concerned, which does nothing for Kendall's nerves. "He didn't get a chance to talk to her," he explains. "What do we do?"
Kendall shrugs, not intending to do anything since the show is in three days and there is no way James could drop out if he wanted to. They'd have to sort Mrs. Diamond out later; right now, they had a show to get through.
Later came much sooner than Kendall would have liked, however.
Mrs. Diamond must have immediately guessed why James was not home within an hour of school being let out, because she storms through the auditorium's back doors barely halfway through the show. Logan (fully confident he'll never be able to live down his role of Cindy-Lou) is skipping across the stage to his "father" (a seventh grader who is way too tall) when Marcella calls "cut" and turns, confused, to look at Brooke.
Brooke, for what it's worth, doesn't scream at anyone or tell Mrs. Marcella that she'll ruin her life. She quite uncharacteristically exchanges quiet, tense words with their teacher before turning to James, who is standing awkwardly on the side of the stage.
"James, we're leaving now," she says firmly.
It isn't nearly as harsh as Kendall expected her to be, but James immediately complies, giving him an apologetic glance as he makes his way down the stairs to the floor. His mother puts a firm hand on his shoulder and leads him out, and neither look back as they exit.
The room is eerily quiet as several students emerge from the wings, confusion written across their faces. They look to Marcella for answers, and the woman rubs a hand tiredly across her forehead. "We're finished for tonight, guys," she says sadly. "Go on home."
It's still daylight when Kendall enters the lion's den the next day, walking tentatively down the hallway and stopping at the kitchen door.
James' father had answered the door (odd since he doesn't live there anymore and even more so considering he and James' mother will likely murder each other if they were ever alone together), apparently leaving in quite a hurry. He lets Kendall in without question, whispering, "Save yourself while ya can, kid," before booking it out to his car. Kendall chuckles nervously.
Brooke Diamond, tall and domineering, has her back to him as she pours a cup of coffee. He clears his throat awkwardly. Brooke sighs heavily. "If you're looking for your dignity, Andrew, you left it in a motel in East Duluth."
"Uh, hi Mrs. D."
Brooke whirls around, nearly drenching herself in coffee as she stares at him. "Oh, Kendall!" she gasps, mortified. "I'm so sorry. Where did he go?"
"Oh, he-he left. He let me in."
She rolls her eyes. "Coward. You chase him with a frying pan one time and he never gets over it." Seeming to push the thoughts out of her mind, she turns with a firm but pleasant smile back to Kendall. "What can I do for you, honey? James is at a voice lesson right now."
"Oh, I know," Kendall answers. "I just. . . I came to see you, actually."
"Oh!" She sits at the kitchen table, patting the space in front of her and gesturing for him to do the same. "Then what can I help you with?"
"Uh. . ." Kendall hesitates. "I um. . .I came to talk to you about the play."
An unreadable look crosses her face, but she keeps the smile. "Yes?"
"Um. . .well, look I know it's on the fourth night of Hanukkah and everything, but won't you let him do it? He's done stuff on Hanukkah before, and on the Sabbath, and you never minded." Her face doesn't change, and it only makes Kendall feel more awkward. "James loves theatre, Mrs. D. And we don't have time to replace him. Marcella wants Logan to do it since he's the only one that can memorize that fast but Logan's terrified, he can't do it. And-"
Brooke holds up a hand, and he immediately quiets. "Kendall, honey," she begins. "I sympathize. I do. But I'm not budging on this, nor do I really feel it's your place to ask me to. I'm James' parent here, not you."
"I know that," Kendall insists, because he really isn't trying to be disrespectful. "But this means so much to James. Why can't you see that? It'll crush him if he can't do it."
"You think I can't see it?" Brooke argues, beginning to get angry. "He's my child, Kendall. I'm only doing what's best for him."
"But this isn't what's best for him! It's just a play, why is it such a big deal?!"
Brooke falls silent, lowering her head and staring at the edge of the table as if she isn't sure what to say. She eventually takes an uneven breath and raises her eyes to meet his. "It's just a play. It's just a house. . . It's just a star, right?" She rises and begins to pace slowly. "You know, my great-grandparents' families were forced out of Russia by the Tsar when they were children. They settled in Germany, and. . .my great-grandmother later died there. Kendall, we've had almost nothing to call our own in the past. We couldn't live in certain places. We couldn't do certain things or hold certain jobs. The only things we had were our laws, and our traditions, and our holy days. Those are ours, and they will always be ours. They, and Him," she pointed upward, "are the only real constants we have."
She sighs heavily, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't mind if James participates in pageants or goes caroling or spends Christmas with you boys. We celebrate Christmas with his father. But I do mind when it teaches him that our beliefs don't need to be respected as much as yours, or that they come second. I can get past not seeing any Hanukkah decorations around town or in your school. I can get past listening to only Christmas songs at your choir concerts. But I cannot allow him to be in a Christmas play on a day that's holy for us. I can't, Kendall. That goes against everything I believe."
Kendall can think of no appropriate answer, and he remains silent until Brooke nods towards the foyer. "I'm sure your mother will be expecting you, sweetie," she says quietly.
It's a polite way of telling him to get out, and he can see he's upset her, so he complies, bidding her a good night and hurrying out into the cold afternoon air. He immediately takes out his phone, opening a group chat that consists of only Carlos, Logan and himself.
Meet at my house in ten. I have a plan.
"As you can see the cell's mitochondria. . ."
Mr. Hartfield drones on, distracting Kendall's already distracted glare at the clock. He can't afford to waste a moment, and he quietly begins slipping his notebooks into his backpack as the clock counts down to the end of the day. 15 seconds, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2. . .
The bell chimes, and Kendall flies out of his seat at a speed that could rival Superman. He takes off down the hall, dodging past students as they begin to fill the corridor and surround their lockers. He makes it to James' class just as the brunette is exiting the room, and he grabs his forearm in a tight grip as he yanks him into the hallway that leads to the auditorium.
"Ow! Kendall, what the heck?" James chuckles, nearly tripping before he gets his feet under him. "My locker's the other way, man."
"Did you hear?" Kendall says in what he hopes is a convincing tone. "They moved the show up. It starts at four o'clock."
James' brow furrows (and Kendall inwardly cheers, thinking maybe he isn't such a bad actor after all). "What? Why?"
The blonde shrugs, turning into the backstage corridor. "Beats me."
"Kendall," James tugs him to a stop, eyes nervous. "I still can't do it, even if we're done by sunset. My mom's gonna kill me."
"Your mom's not gonna kill you. And you're the only one that can do the Grinch anyway. Logan won't and the play will be a bust without you." Kendall puts his arms on the taller boy's shoulders. "Just. . .trust me on this man. It'll be fine."
James chuckles lightly, giving a relenting shrug. "If I'm grounded for the rest of middle school, don't say I didn't warn you."
Kendall smiles, pushing him towards the large bathroom the boys in the play use to change. "Now, go get dressed. I'll be back in a second."
"Where are you going?"
"I just have to. . .check on something." He gives James a reassuring smile and dashes off, hurrying down the stairs that lead to the auditorium's side door. He finds Logan already inside, peering up at the ceiling.
Kendall joins him, stopping and glancing up before tentatively calling, "Jenny?"
Jenny Tinkler peers over the railing of the catwalk two stories above, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, guys!" she calls, waving enthusiastically. She nearly loses her balance but quickly rights herself.
"Jenny, how's it coming with the set?" Kendall asks, half afraid of the answer.
"It's great!" she answers. "I've got it all strung up behind the other stuff so no one can see it! It'll be a surprise!"
Logan winces, biting back a sarcastic remark. "Can we see?"
She nods again, dashing off to the small control box out of view that operates some of the higher drops for the stage.
Logan turns to Kendall, glaring. "We've got Jenny Tinkler in charge of a set hanging from the ceiling!"
Kendall shakes his head. "It'll be fine," he reassures him, adding a less confident, "probably," under his breath. "All she has to do is push a button. How can she mess that up?"
A large, colorful piece of cloth suddenly falls from the ceiling, several wires accompanying it before a large pipe completes the group. It hits the stage with a clang, bouncing a bit before rolling to a stop.
"Don't worry I'll fix it!" Jenny yells from the catwalk.
"Doing great Jenny!" Kendall calls encouragingly, grabbing Logan's arm and heading towards the door. His cellphone buzzes in his pocket, and he quickly removes it.
In transit. Asset obtained.
He laughs audibly at the over dramatic text from his mother, and he gives Logan a confident smile. "It's show-time."
The show goes very well, although James has to avoid his mother's death stare as she sits angrily between Mrs. Knight and Katie. He asks Kendall why she's here when she was so adamant he drop out, and Kendall shrugs, suggesting she's merely had a change of heart. James doesn't buy it, but Kendall doesn't mind.
They go out for curtain call, and the audience begins to mill about. The boys wait until most of the students have changed out of their costumes before Kendall exchanges a look with Logan and Carlos. He nods. They hurry off to rally the other students, and he makes his move.
"Ladies and gentlemen," comes Kendall's voice as he emerges from the wings. He has the headset hooked up to the speakers, so he catches the audience's attention almost immediately. "We, um. . . We're actually not done," he admits, chuckling awkwardly. "You're getting a two-for-one deal tonight so feel free to sit back down." Most of them obey, though a few remain standing, giving him odd looks.
"So," he continues, "Every year we do something like this, and every year it's really fun, and a lot of people like it. But. . ." He hesitates. "Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Some people celebrate Kwanza, some people don't celebrate anything. . ." He risks a glance at Mrs. Diamond (all the while praying her eyes don't kill him on the spot) but her expression is unreadable. "And some people celebrate Hanukkah, which. . .today happens to be the fourth night of it."
He locks eyes with James in the wings, his eyebrows raised but a hint of a smile on his face. "That's the whole reason we moved the show up a few hours tonight. Having our show later this evening gave some people an unfair choice. Hanukkah starts at sundown, and anyone who celebrates wouldn't have been able to come tonight." He smiles. "But I bet a lot of you didn't even know that, did you?" A chuckle. "It's okay. We didn't either. And it turns out there are a lot of things that none of us knew about Hanukkah, and you know what? That's not right. We're all friends here. We should know about each other. We should be involved in each others' lives." He glances to stage left, where Carlos stands, and then to the right, where Logan and a bemused James are, before turning back to the audience. "So, that's what we're going to do tonight." He locks eyes with the students at the back of the auditorium, and the lights suddenly go out. The audience murmurs. There is a bit of shuffling onstage.
"175 B.C.," comes Kendall's voice through his microphone. The lights slowly come up on an ancient village. Characters mull about, performing their daily routines. A few students are dressed as soldiers, while most are dressed in typical peasant clothing. "Jerusalem is under the control of Syria, led by the ruthless Antiochus IV."
Logan emerges from the wings, dressed as a king. He wears a harsh expression on his face.
"Antiochus prohibited the practice of Judaism," Kendall continues. "He murdered the Jewish priests who opposed him, and ordered his men to slaughter pigs on the temple's altar, desecrating it."
"One day, a priest named Mattityahu was instructed to make a sacrifice to a pagan god." A student dressed as an old man comes forward in front of a small altar, while another child posing as a soldier motions towards the set piece, frowning as the "old man" shakes his head. "Mattityahu refused, and he and his sons fought the soldiers and any Jews that supported them."
Here, the Jews fight and conquer the guards.
"They retreated to the mountains," the group moves across stage to an area decorated with mountainous scenery, "where Mattityahu's son, who came to be known as Judah Maccabee, took over as leader." Carlos comes forward, looking quite heroic as the boys around him pat him on the back and look to him expectantly. "He and his brothers rallied the Jews to fight against Antiochus' army, and they did."
Carlos gives a battle cry, and he and the Maccabees rush across stage, meeting a group of soldiers entering similarly from stage left. There is a terrific fight (with fencing looking about as real as they can manage with cardboard swords) until many on both sides lie "dead." The Maccabees, with Carlos at the front, stand victorious.
"The Maccabees defeated Antiochus' forces," Kendall continues, "and reclaimed Judea as their own. Judah Maccabee and the other priests immediately set to work rebuilding and rededicating the temple, but there was a problem. According to Jewish law, to rededicate the temple, the menorah inside had to be kept burning at all times, and there was only enough oil left for one night. The Maccabees ordered the menorah lit and rushed to find more oil. . .and something amazing happened."
Here the lights dim, and a seven-branched menorah inside the Temple set is shown to be lit. The students around the stage all stop, eyes fixed on the light.
"The menorah remained lit for eight days, enough time for the Maccabees to find more oil. The Maccabees praised God, and from then on, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, was a celebration of a wonderful, wonderful miracle."
The lights dim, and the students (aside from Logan and Carlos, now dressed in their normal attire) exit the stage. A table with a hanukkiah is pushed to center stage.
"Each night, a candle is added to the hanukkiah," Kendall explains, "going from right to left." Logan demonstrates, placing four candles one by one on the right side. "An additional candle called the shamash, or 'servant' candle, is used to light the others." Carlos holds up another candle, which will eventually stand in the center branch. "All of this," Kendall continues, entering from stage left and approaching the boys, "begins promptly at sundown." He glances at his watch. "Which I believe is right about now." They all turn to the right, looking to James. Kendall smiles, holding out a matchbook from the table. "James?"
There is a palpable silence as James comes forward slowly, taking the book from Kendall's hand and striking a match. He lights the shamash, and slowly begins lighting the candles. In the audience, Kendall can hear an older woman praying quietly to herself in Hebrew. A few other voices, hearing her, join in.
Several rows back, in the center seats, Brooke does too.
The room is stunningly quiet once the candles are lit, and the boys remain in place, staring as the flames even out and stand straight. No one speaks.
Eventually, a man in the back stands and begins to clap slowly. Others join in, until most of the audience is on their feet. The other students come out from the wings, taking their bows as the boys do the same. The curtain gradually falls, and the sounds of the audience grow muffled behind the cloth.
The boys turn to James, who has his head down while wiping a hand across his eyes. "Jay?" Logan asks quietly. Have they upset him?
James looks up, eyes watery. "You guys didn't have to do that," he says, a smile forming even as he struggles not to cry. "You didn't. . .no one does that. We're used to it."
"But, that doesn't mean you should be," Carlos winces. "Was it bad? Because I told Logan he couldn't write a script to save his life but neither can I so he was the best we had, and Kendall was too busy organizing-"
James bursts out laughing. "No, no no! It wasn't bad! Trust me, I've been in enough versions at my synagogue to know. This was actually pretty good. The set didn't fall down so that's already a step up."
Kendall and Logan share a look, but say nothing.
Carlos is giddy. "Oh, good! We weren't sure if we should tell you in case you wanted to be Judah Maccabee, but we figured it would be okay if I was since Logan was going to be Antiochus and all he had to do was sit there and scowl, and he already does that all the time anyway, so- Ow!"
"I don't scowl all the time!"
"Yes, you do!"
Logan stalks off in pursuit of a teasing Carlos, and James follows, laughing. Kendall smiles and is about to follow as well before the sound of heels clacking on the stage make him turn.
Brooke Diamond approaches him, her face unreadable as she hurries across the stage. Kendall winces. He was so sure she'd like their little production, but now he's not so sure.
"Mrs. D., we just-" he's abruptly cut off as pulls him into a motherly hug (the first one he's ever gotten from her, actually) and simply holds him like that for a bit. He's already up to her shoulder, but he doesn't particularly want to hug her like a "bro" so he awkwardly lifts his arms and more or less just sets them on her shoulders as she continues the gesture.
Eventually she pulls back, wiping a tear away and looking at him kindly.
"It wasn't perfect," Kendall eventually spits out. "We didn't really understand everything, and-"
"But you tried," she says simply. "Sweetie, that's all I ever ask for."
He smiles, and she smiles too before adopting her typical serious look. "But if you ever tell anyone I hugged you like that, I'll make your career miserable, whatever it may be."
He laughs, knowing (hoping) she doesn't mean it.
"You boys should come over," she continues, gesturing to the lit hanukkiah. "We still have to light ours. And I don't think you've ever spent a Hanukkah with us."
Kendall shakes his head. "We haven't."
"Well. . .no better time to start than now."
Hanukkah Sameach! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
God bless and much love,
—downtonabbey15