Due to an unforeseen delay (life, motivation, nanowrimo, etc.) I wasn't able to get this chapter out to you any sooner. I was gonna try to put out two chapters at once but that was also supposed to come out on Thanksgiving and it's the middle of December, so I've decided to stop overpromising to myself and just write.
On opening night, Wendy snuck backstage afterward with roses. While all the other thespians got swarmed by their proud relatives, Cary and Wendy stole a moment behind the curtain.
"You were incredible," Wendy said, wrapping her arms around Cary's neck.
"Thanks! I was so nervous."
"No one could tell, it looked like it came naturally to you."
"Well, we all worked hard to make it look that natural." Everyone except for Jasmine Reed, but that wasn't important now. "Come on, we should go congratulate Thompson, he was super nervous too and he killed it."
"Oh we will, but this might be our only chance to spend any time together after one of your shows. I mean, my brothers are coming to the show tomorrow and our friends are coming Saturday so it's not like I'll have many chances to makeout with a mischievous fairy."
Cary was very tempted by that offer but one thing stuck in his mind like a thorn.
"We should tell them. You know, about us."
"My brothers? It isn't any of their business."
"No, our friends."
"I don't know if I'm ready for that," Wendy admitted.
"We don't have to rush into anything, I just think we'll feel so much lighter once they know."
"Maybe. I don't know."
Wendy was clearly nervous, so Cary gently kissed those nerves away.
"We'll be okay, no matter what."
"You're right, Feathers. Just give me more time."
"Take as much time as you need."
Reassured, Wendy grabbed Cary's hand and pulled them out to the lobby.
Duncan was an old pro at posing for cast photos and receiving compliments, but Thompson had never received this much attention in his life and seemed uncomfortable.
He relaxed a little when Cary and Wendy rocked up, no longer holding hands.
"You were phenomenal," Cary gushed.
"Uh, thanks, so were you."
"You were like a whole other person up there," Wendy said. "It was pretty cool."
"That's the fun part of acting, you get to be somebody else for a few hours," Thompson said, still a little flustered by the praise.
Duncan threw an arm around him then. "Yeah, it's fun to be a different person for a while, but I like who you are off the stage even more than on the stage."
Thompson changed the subject so that he didn't melt right then and there. "Did you get roses?"
"Oh, yeah! Aren't they pretty?" Cary didn't mention that Wendy got them for her, deciding to let Wendy choose whether or not to claim ownership over the action.
Wendy said nothing.
"They are pretty. Very fitting for a glamorous trickster," Duncan said, already planning on getting Thompson his own bouquet.
Cary grinned, no one had ever called them glamorous before.
"Oh, I think Soos and Abuelita are waiting for me, I should go. See you guys tomorrow!"
Soos was beaming when Cary made their way over.
"I filmed the whole thing for Stan and Ford. You were incredible."
"You were very good," Abuelita agreed.
Cary did an exaggerated bow, still giddy. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, I'm too fired up."
"Hmm… Sounds like you need ice cream," Soos said.
Abuelita may or may not have rolled her eyes a little, but she didn't chastise Soos for spoiling Cary, not on Cary's big night.
While they were on their way to the store to pick up a tub of ice cream, Soos remembered something even more exciting than dessert.
"Guess what?"
"Did Gompers eat the merchandise again?"
"No, Melody got off work so she'll be staying with us all next week instead of just Wednesday and Thursday." Melody had been invited to join them for Thanksgiving kind of last minute, but all of them were looking forward to it.
"Wait, really? That's awesome!"
"And she'll be here in time for your play tomorrow."
Cary beamed. She hadn't gotten to spend any time with Melody since September, so it was exciting to finally get some quality time with her possible future sister-in-law.
"I can't wait."
Midsummer's second night was just as dreamy, if not slightly better now that the performers weren't as nervous.
During intermission, while Wendy and her brothers were getting overpriced snacks, Manly Dan and Soos struck up a conversation, which quickly drifted to Thanksgiving.
It was then Soos realized that Manly Dan's plans for the holiday were about as slapdash as his own. That was when the scheming began.
"My abuelita is going to cook more food than the four of us can eat, maybe we could celebrate together," Soos suggested.
"Hmm…" Manly Dan was still wary of Cary's witchy abilities, but Wendy had promised that Cary was getting a hang of them. And merging their family Thanksgivings would be a good olive branch to show that Manly Dan trusted Wendy and Cary as much as he could.
Still, he had stipulations. "I'll host, you cook?"
If he was gonna invite a part-time monster to Thanksgiving he wanted to be in his own home with access to his own axes. Not that he imagined he'd need them, but better safe than sorry.
Soos grinned, "Sounds like a plan."
Manly Dan didn't get a chance to tell Wendy before the end of intermission, so they told Cary and Wendy after the show, when Cary was done getting mobbed by adoring fans.
Cary was already feeling overwhelmed in the best way from the thrill of performing, now he was simply elated.
"We're going to have the best time!" Cary said, grabbing Wendy and shaking her a little.
Wendy laughed.
"Yeah we are, Feathers."
"Good job up there, Cary," Manly Dan said, sounding a little stiff.
"Thanks!"
"Your costume is kind of dorky," Wendy's brother Kevin said.
Wendy jabbed him with her elbow.
"What? It is!"
"Well, I think it looks whimsical," Melody said. "And you were excellent up there."
"Cary just transforms on stage," Wendy said, unable to hide her affection.
Manly Dan thought about the other times Cary transformed, but he didn't say anything.
"See you tomorrow, okay?" Wendy said, squeezing Cary's arm.
"Don't forget about the afterparty, Duncan said you could come, and Thompson is going to ask about the others."
"Can't wait," Wendy said, resisting the urge to lean over and kiss Cary on the cheek. Not while her brothers were right there.
Though Cary had been pretty restless on Thursday, they went straight to bed after the show on Friday. After all, Saturday was the most important performance. And, even more importantly, the afterparty.
"Don't forget that I'm going to Duncan's after the show," Cary reminded Soos at breakfast.
"Right."
"And I'm spending the night."
Soos nodded and fist bumped Cary.
Melody raised an eyebrow. "Who's this Duncan?"
"Oh, you saw him, he played King Oberon."
"Mm-hm. Do you like him? You two had a lot of chemistry on stage."
"Oh!" Cary frowned. "No, he's just a friend. I don't know why people always assume two people are together just because they get along."
"Sorry, Cary, I didn't mean to make any assumptions."
"It's okay, anyway-" Cary was about to mention Wendy, but then she realized Wendy might want a say in that. "-I'm into someone else. It's not important. Thanks for breakfast, see you tomorrow!"
Cary had promised to help Duncan and Duncan's mom set up for the party before the play. It was supposed to be a potluck, but according to Duncan most of the time only the host made any food so preparing was an all day affair.
"Why isn't Thompson here?" Cary asked, as she helped Duncan prep homemade pizza bagels.
"Ohhh, yeah, about that. My mom and his mom aren't super keen on us spending the night together, so we had to put in the work to convince them. I said I'd help with the party and Thompson is running errands all day."
"And that convinced them?"
"Almost. We have one more ace up our sleeves, too."
"What's that?"
"You. They don't think we're gonna get in any trouble if we have a third wheel."
Cary laughed.
"Happy to be of service, Dunc-man. I'm sure you'd return the favor."
"In a heartbeat."
"So, your mom knows about you and Thompson?"
"Yeah of course. I think she knew I was gay before I did."
"And Thompson's mom knows too? And she's okay with it?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Thompson's a nice lady. She's making buffalo chicken dip for the potluck."
"Wendy doesn't want to tell a lot of people about us, but I think more people would be chill about it than she thinks."
"Well, you can't rush her. Everyone comes out in their own timing."
"Yeah. I just don't want her worrying about that kind of thing. It's really stressing her out."
"Thompson's pretty stressed, too. But we're taking it one day at a time and, gradually, he's gotten more comfortable being out."
"I'm sure Wendy will feel that way eventually. She's coming to the party tonight…"
"Don't worry, we won't third wheel," Duncan smirked.
Cary threw their head back and laughed.
"Thanks, man."
"You ready for the final performance?"
"Oh, sure, but if Jaz fumbles her line again I'm going off book and strangling her."
"Yeah, well, you can't be in next year's show if you start a fight on stage."
"Bummer."
Fortunately, Jasmine didn't mess up any of her lines, so Cary didn't have to resort to violence. In fact, the whole show seemed to go perfectly, except for once when the lighting crew missed their cue and Cary had to perform half a monologue in the dark. But the show must go on, so Cary embraced the darkness and kept going.
Soos and Melody hadn't come to this one, deciding to stay in and have date night, but Cary was still mobbed by people after the show.
"Don't forget about us when you're on Broadway," Nate teased.
"I think I'm more of a local theater kind of guy," Cary said, "but if I ever win a Tony I'll thank each of you individually."
Tambry looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, definitely stick to local theater. You do have more talent than most of this town, though."
Cary beamed, since that was the nicest thing Tambry had ever said to him.
"Where's Thompson?" Robbie asked.
"Oh, I think he and Duncan had a surprise for each other."
"Lame," Lee said, but you could tell he didn't mean it.
"Oh, Feathers, I have a surprise for you too," Wendy said suddenly, catching Cary's eye and winking.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's by your locker."
"Okay, let's go."
Wendy practically dragged Cary into the secluded hallway, making Cary very curious about what was in store.
"So, what's the surprise?" Cary asked.
"No surprise," Wendy admitted, "I just wanted to steal you for a few minutes."
Cary leaned in instinctively, and soon they were kissing like they had rehearsed this. And neither of them missed a cue.
Unfortunately, in the dim hallway lighting, both of them forgot they weren't the only people in the scene.
"Hey, Wendy! Thompson said we could come to the party-" Lee and Nate stopped in their tracks, gawking at the lovers in stunned silence.
Wendy pulled away and stumbled back, horrified, Cary stayed frozen in place.
It took only moments for Nate to whip out his phone and start texting their group chat.
Lee grabbed his arm, shooting Wendy and Cary one more glance.
"We'll give you some space," Lee said, looking flustered.
Cary reached for Wendy's hand. "Well, the cat's out of the bag."
Wendy didn't take Cary's hand.
"I'm going to go talk to them."
"And tell them what? That we weren't kissing?"
"I don't know, I don't know… I'll see you at the party, okay?"
"Okay. Everything is going to be okay."
"Yeah, I know," Wendy said, not sounding very convincing.
Wendy was getting a ride with Thompson and the others, Cary was riding back with Duncan.
Cary and Duncan spent their car ride distracting themselves by speculating about what next year's musical would be. Wendy spent her car ride explaining.
"When did this happen?" Lee asked.
"Are you official?" Nate added.
"Yes. And it happened on Fright Night."
"Glad me getting maimed really put you in the mood," Lee said, crossing his arms.
"It wasn't like that. Cary saved my life."
"How long have you been gay?" Nate asked.
"I'm not gay I'm bisexual. And it's none of your business." Wendy tried to keep cool but she was pretty stressed out.
"Were you gay the whole time you were dating Robbie?" Lee asked.
"Bisexual. And no. Or yes. I don't know."
Thompson knew better than anyone why you'd stay in the closet but still he asked, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I didn't want you guys being weird about it!"
Tambry put down her phone. "Wen, the only person being weird right now is you. Take a deep breath and remember that we're your friends. We're cool, yeah? No one is upset you didn't tell us, and no one is going to say anything to anyone else."
Wendy was still anxious, but Tambry's words helped her calm down a little.
"Yeah, it's cool, Wendy," Nate said, offering a tentative smile.
"You and Cary actually make a weird amount of sense," Robbie said.
"And now we know why Cary kept rejecting me," Lee said with a grin.
"Yeah, dude, that one was a real mystery," Nate snorted.
Wendy sat back, a little dazed, while her friends started talking about which Black Friday deals they'd be waiting outside the mall for. She didn't really know how to feel. This had been so important, so terrifying, and her friends had already moved on to Call of Duty.
"I need to talk to Cary…"
Unfortunately, Cary was inaccessible, deep in an argument with her theater rival, Jasmine Reed.
"There's no way we're doing Mary Poppins next semester."
"Scared you can't cut it, Caryn? It's okay, not everyone can sing."
Cary snorted. "At least I can act."
"What did you say? I don't take shit from ensemble bitches."
"I don't know if you noticed, but I had a bigger role than you."
"Beginner's luck."
Wendy couldn't get in the middle of that mess, so she drifted away, trying to find her friends, who were mostly preoccupied by the party. Lee and Nate were attacking the potluck spread, and Tambry was filming the theater fight, while Robbie started his own argument with the DJ who refused to play any songs that weren't musical numbers.
So, finally, Wendy went to stand by Thompson.
"You really were very good. All three nights," Wendy said, trying not to feel awkward.
"Thanks. And sorry I was weird about you and Cary. I'm happy for you, really. I was just surprised."
"You weren't as weird as Lee," Wendy said. "Don't worry about it."
"Actually… I wasn't even surprised that you and Cary were together. I just thought you would tell me. 'Cause we're in the same boat."
"I know, I was just scared."
Thompson nodded, leaning against the wall.
"I get that. I didn't want to come out, either. Our friends didn't give us much of a choice, did they?"
"No, they didn't."
"It worked out, though. Thankfully."
"Yeah, it did."
"I told my mom, too. She was mostly cool about it. She just doesn't want me having sex until I graduate."
Wendy laughed. "Reasonable. That was pretty much what my dad said, too. I haven't told my brothers yet, but now I'm thinking maybe I should."
"Up to you, Wendy."
"Yeah, it is. I didn't get to choose when to come out to you guys, but from here on out… I get to decide." Wendy looked past Cary, still squabbling with Jasmine.
"Excuse me, Thompson, I need to talk to Cary."
Thompson nodded encouragingly before going to find his partner. Wendy made a beeline for hers, right as the fight was heating up.
"That's enough, Feathers, I need to talk to you."
Jaz smirked, thinking she had won, before Wendy added, "It was nice to see you finally learned all your lines after the third night, Jasmine."
Cary was too distracted to appreciate that devastating burn but she would be cackling about it later.
"Are you okay?" Cary asked, when they'd ducked into the kitchen for some privacy. Ms. Wright was there, but she was too busy mixing punch to pay attention.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Our friends took it better than I thought they would. And Lee's probably done pursuing you."
Cary laughed. "Probably."
"I was thinking… Maybe I should tell my brothers. Then everyone important to me will know and I won't have to keep worrying about all this."
Cary took Wendy's hand, and this time Wendy didn't pull away. "If you're sure, Wendy, go for it."
"I'm gonna sleep on it, but I'll keep you in the loop."
"Is it alright if I tell Melody? I don't want her to keep thinking I'm straight."
"Is anything really straight if you don't have a gender?"
"Huh. I guess not."
"But yeah, go for it. If Soos trusts her then so do I."
"Come on, let's go stop Robbie from taking over the stereo," Cary suggested.
"Good idea." And they walked back into the party hand-in-hand.
The end credit scene is Cary, Thompson, and Duncan watching A Midsummer Night's Rave, a movie I have unfortunately not been able to get my hands on.
Also so sorry that Wendy and Cary keep getting outed by accident. That's the last time I'm pretty sure.
