Stan shifted in his seat, leaning past Craig to look towards the small bulletin board for what was probably the tenth time since they arrived. He bit his lip, casting a look towards the hallway, hoping in that moment Mr. Mackey might appear. His nerves were causing a small gust of wind that was making Bebe and Kyle's curls bounce around their head.
"If you're that worried about the results, why don't you just go find Mackey?" Craig droned and Stan's eyes snapped back to him. The wind ceased.
"Because if I didn't get the part then I'll look like a fool asking," Stan responded. He picked up his fork and begin poking at his mashed potatoes, never bothering to actually eat it.
"I'm sure you got it," Bebe said, smiling reassuringly. "Which part did you try out for?"
"Romeo," Stan mumbled.
"Wow, the lead. That'll be a big part to play, but I'm sure you've got it," Kyle added hastily, seeing the frown on Stan's face. "Do you know who's tried out for Juliet?"
"Every damn girl in this school," Craig said, rolling his eyes. "They're all looking forward to that onstage kiss."
"Well they'll be disappointed when they discover it's you," Bebe said, pointing a fork with a piece of chicken dangling at Stan. He chuckled softly and sighed.
"There, there," Craig said, patting his head and Stan cocked a brow.
"I prefer you didn't pat me like a dog in public," Stan said, glaring up at his much taller counterpart.
Craig opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Kyle pointing towards the hallway. Stan whipped around so fast he felt a crick in his neck. Rubbing it furiously, he watched Mr. Mackey pintack the results right next to the upcoming bake sale notice.
"Aren't you going to go over?" Craig asked.
"No, I have to wait until at least a few others go up first," Stan responded, looking around the lunchroom. "I can't seem too eager."
Craig snorted. "I doubt anyone here is as anxious as you," he said, but soon enough, students began to slowly make their way over towards the sign, including Butters, Donnely, Kenny and Scott Malkinson.
"I didn't know more people from the team tried out," Bebe said.
"Why didn't you try out?" Craig asked Bebe "You're well known for your dramatics."
Bebe scoffed, brushing her thick blonde curls over her shoulders and glancing sideways at Kyle. "If you must know, I missed the tryout day for Juliet," she said loftily as a blush begin to appear on her face and Kyle's face.
Craig wrinkled his nose in disgust as Stan said "Oh man, it would have been perfect if you were playing Juliet. I know you and kissing you would be like kissing nothing."
"Thanks Stan," Kyle said lowly, as Bebe chuckled.
The group looked over as Kenny plopped down besides Kyle, smiling happily at them.
"What's up?" Kyle asked.
"You're now looking at the school's new Mercutio," he said, proudly jabbing a thumb at his chest. "I can't wait to tell Damien. He won't give a shit, but I like telling him happy news. It always brings him down."
"And people think Stan and Craig are the odd couple," Kyle said. "Did you see who else was cast?"
Kenny smiled, shaking his finger at the group who all raised their brows in confusion. "First off, Damien and I are not a couple. We are merely bedroom fanatics. Second," he emphasized as Craig showed signs of wanting to interrupt. "I did see the rest of the cast. Red is playing Juliet."
"She's not bad looking," Kyle said and Bebe turned to face her boyfriend, brow raised behind her thick curls. "I meant for someone Stan has to kiss. I mean better Red or Heidi then Lisa Burger."
Bebe smiled, kissing Kyle quickly in the cheek. "It's fine hun. You can make a list ranking all the girls in the school if you wanted. I'm still the one you'll come crawling to."
"Well I'm done with this conversation," Stan mumbled, looking away while Bebe and Kyle stared googly eyed at each other. He got up from his seat and taking a deep breath, made his way to the piece of paper.
"Goff lwuck," Craig called through a mouthful of food.
He reached the board; the words Tryout Results of Romeo + Juliet were large and bold and beneath it were a list of names in regular print. He didn't have to look down much further to see the name Romeo, followed by several dotted lines towards a name. Stan gasped and then let out a noise of excitement.
"I'm betting he got it," Kyle said, leaning past Kenny to see Stan nearly skipping his way back.
"Well there you have it. I got the part," Stan announced happily, sitting back down.
"Who else is in the play?" Kyle asked. "Besides you, Kenny and Red."
Stan shrugged. "I didn't look at the whole list. Michael, you know, one of the goth kids, got a part and it looks like Butters is my understudy."
"Cartman is mine," Kenny added. "He might have actually gotten my part if he hadn't gone off script."
"Well anyways, we'll find out more later today. After school is the first rehearsal," Stan said.
"So soon?" Bebe said, looking mildly surprised.
"Oh yeah, Mr. Mackey takes his plays very seriously," Craig answered. "How about I meet you outside your last class and we can head there together."
Stan smiled, a tingling of excitement at his accomplishment surged through him and suddenly Kenny found himself being lifted off the ground then crashing down.
"Sorry Ken," Stan said embarrassingly as Kenny got back into his seat. "I got excited."
Kenny waved his hand, brushing away Stan's concern. "It's fine. Damien does it to me all the time, but it's usually when I am annoying him."
"Well we should bring Damien around more often," Craig drawled and Kenny stuck his tongue out at the taller boy.
The rest of their conversation was cut short by the sound of the bell. Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Stan gave Craig a brief kiss before setting off to European History class with Kyle.
It seemed like he had just blinked and already Stan was standing on the stage, dressed from head to toe in a ridiculous, frilly costume.
"Now listen, I don't know how many times I've given the speech before, m'kay, but it needs to be said" Mr. Mackey began, slowly pacing the stage. "I take this job and the plays here very seriously. Most of you know me from your elementary school days. I left because no one there could ever give me a goddamn performance that could captivate an audience, m'kay. And I see you there Pete M about to say something. I don't give a fuck what age you are. When I demand the very best, I better get better than your best."
The cast looked nervously at each other, wondering briefly if their enthusiasm for the play had just been completely stomped out.
"I picked you lot because out of all the sad and fucking pathetic try outs I had to sit through all week, you stood out the most," he continued. "That's not saying much because some of you still really suck. You just didn't suck as hard, m'kay. So don't think for one second what you gave me last week is what I want."
He walked down the steps towards the rows of seats and plopped down in the second row. "Now, we are going to start off with the balcony scene. It's one of the most important scenes, m'kay, and it'll give me time to see you two's chemistry." He pointed to Stan and Red who looked nervously at each other. "Let's get to it."
Moments later, Red was standing in a small tower built by the set department. Her usually straight red hair was lightly curled with a flowered headband and she was wearing a long, flowing white gown. She smiled down at Stan.
"Lights!" Mackey called and Stan could make out Craig and Tweek in the lighting booth moving about. "And action."
Red leaned against the edge of the balcony, intertwined with fake vines and leaves. Stan cleared his throat.
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief," Stan said with a carrying whisper as Red continued to stare dreamily across the stage. "That thou, her maid, art far more fair—"
"Cut!" Mackey yelled and Stan and Red turned to face him. His elbows were resting on his thigh, head buried into his palms as he whispered quietly to himself.
"What?" Red called. "We can't hear you, Mr. Mackey."
"We are going to try again from the top and Stan actually fucking try this time, m'kay?!" he yelled back. Stan opened his mouth to retort but remembering advice from Craig earlier, snapped it shut. "Action."
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and —" Stan recited sure enough he sounded perfectly fine but the slam of a fist on an armrest told otherwise.
"God damnit Stan!" Mr. Mackey shouted, "Why aren't you getting this? You're acting like she's just some fucking chick walking down the street. She isn't just the most beautiful girl in the room. She's the most beautiful girl in your whole world so fucking act like it! M'kay?!"
"I'm trying!" Stan snapped back, growing agitated.
"Well try again and... action," he said.
Exhaling an annoyed huff, he spun back around to face up at Red who looked unnerved at this point.
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the—"
"Cut!" Mackey called again.
"What is it this time?" Stan asked exasperatedly.
Mr. Mackey got up from his seat, making his way over to the edge of the stage. "I don't care if you have to pretend Red up there is Kyle," he began.
"What!" Stan yelped "Gross!"
"Or whoever else you are raw doggin' in the fart box with, m'kay, but right now, in this auditorium, she," he pointed up to Red who shifted uncomfortably "is the one fucking person you care about! Now let's do this again!"
He returned back to seat and again called action.
Giving himself a little shake in an attempt to control his rising anger, Stan repeated the first three lines once more. Surprisingly, there were no interruptions this time and he proceeded further past any line he'd been able to reach before. As he continued to recite the lines, trying his hardest to sound and appear head over heels in love with Red, he could make out noises from Mackey. The constant "ugh" and "tsk" was growing steadily more annoying but he pressed on.
Suddenly, the group of other actors let out a shout of surprise, as one of the curtains caught fire out of nowhere. Then Red let out a terrified scream, as the balcony she was on came crashing down and she landed awkwardly on the stage in a heap.
"Oh fuck," Stan whispered and rushed over to Red's side. "Red, fuck, I'm so sorry."
"I think it's broken," she whimpered, clutching her ankle. Her face was pale white and pain stricken.
The rest of the cast made their way over.
Donnely leaned down, pressing a hand to her ankle and she yelped. "Yeah, you landed on it weird. Come, we should get you to the hospital." He lifted one arm over his shoulder and Kenny scrambled to grab the other arm.
"Red, I'm really sorry," Stan pleaded watching Donnely and Kenny helping her up. She tried to throw him a dirty look but it only resulted in another pained expression.
When Red was finally made as comfortable as possible and an ambulance was on it's way, Mr. Mackey turned his attention back to Stan.
"Stan," he said softly, sounding almost calm this time. "I chose you because out of all those who came, you made a very, very good impression, m'kay. I don't know where that's gone. Maybe it was beginner's luck. But after today's performance and catastrophe, it doesn't look like you'll be getting any better."
"Mr. Mackey, please. I know I can do this. I promise you," Stan said. "I really need this."
"And I really need you to get your fucking act together, Stanley, whatever your fucking middle name is, Marsh! Your abysmal performance could improve, m'kay, but what about this little problem you have? I can't risk my cast getting injured when you feel angry or scared or whatever fucking teenage emotion you're having!"
Stan bit his lip, past the furious councilor and the pane of glass, he could see Craig watching him sadly. Stan knew every word Mackey was saying was right. He let his powers get the best of him, never trying to master and understand them. Instead, simply viewing them as a side effect of what he was, of what he had become so many years ago, when he was young and foolish. He had enough though. It was time he stopped allowing his contaminated part to rule his life.
A/N: Mr. Mackey based off the episode Tooth Decay and a hint of Mystery of the Urinal Deuce