The Joys of Popularity.

Although the current generation of Warblers would be aware of Sebastian's new role by the end of the day on Monday, the alumni would have to wait until graduation day itself arrived to discover his new status. In the mean time, his talk to an assembled audience came along. He was shocked, but at the same time humbled and gratified to discover that virtually the entire school had gathered to hear him speak; however, for the first time ever in his life, he had to admit to a severe bout of stage fright just before he was due to step up to the podium. He put that down to the absence of a curtain; that, and the fact that for the first time in a long time, he did not have a character to hide behind. The last time he had been on stage as himself, he had been the lead singer of the Warblers, and then he was backed by a group, and had been able to hide his persona in the smart Dalton uniform. He wished now that he had taken the option to begin his talk in the darkness of the start of the song Hello!

As he closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths, he felt a draught, and moments later a familiar voice. "I never had any wish for a solo in all my time with the Warblers for the exact same reason as you are panicking now; it scared me, the whole idea of being front and centre, the focus of all the attention, so exposed to the world. However, after all of your Broadway success, it should not be bothering you… So, today you are playing the role of a former theater star, now retired, and invited to relate the story of his life to a group of possibly cynical people with only a passing interest. The character's name is Sebastian, and he is in his late fifties…"

"I will stop you right there, Seth. I am far too young to play such an old part!"

"But you are an actor, and there is stage make up. Aren't you supposed to be able to portray any part, inhabit the character?"

"I guess, but even with make up, such a part might be a stretch for me to be believable."

"If anyone can do it. It's the one and only Sebastian Smythe! Now, be careful, or you will miss your cue. In fact, I think that they are ready for you now. Break a leg!"

It would be a triumph, of course. From the resounding applause the very second that he stepped out onto the stage and towards the lectern that had been set up for him, success was guaranteed. The musical interludes were perfection, the Warblers giving a hysterical performance behind him; his nephew pulled off the long, sustained "Hello" as beautifully as Thad had done back in that theater, and the applause was truly thunderous afterwards. The photos that he had supplied to Thad to illustrate his career all came up at precisely the right moments, and he talked at length about his famous co-stars, and how humbled he had felt when he had been asked to perform for, and then meet, Queen Elizabeth II…

"The first time that I met her was a complete surprise, and set up by that well known artist, and Dalton alumnus, Jeff Sterling-Duval, and in many ways, that was the best way for it to happen. I was scared, but it is true what they say; she has a remarkable ability to put people at their ease. I guess that it comes from years of practice, and is something that she learned throughout the course of her life. Let us not forget that she has met most of the leading figures in the world since the end of the Second World War. During her reign, which began in 1952, she has met every serving President of this nation, with the exception of Lyndon B Johnson. To be asked to give a command performance for her, with the great and the good of the British acting profession watching in the audience, can only be described as the high point of my career. Now, for all of the Harry Potter fans out there, here is a little picture from that night…"

There were appreciative noises from all around the room as the photo of him with Dame Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Dame Julie Walters and so many others was shown. That moment was then tempered as Sebastian realised that they had now reached the point that he was dreading. He had agreed to do a Q & A session, and even though Thad had vetted all of the questions in advance, there was still the chance that someone would change their question and ask something he did not wish to answer. However, his fears proved groundless; as ever, Dalton boys stuck to the rules…

The fact that Thad had also been streaming Sebastian's talk on the Warblers' Facebook page meant that the appreciation did not just come from within the room. Those there gave him a standing ovation when he finished up, and God, he realised how much he missed audiences then. Reading the comments online afterwards, he laughed to see that the alumni had agreed that it was his best performance to date, although some joked that the script had seemed a little bit forgotten at times… He laughed at that, and vowed that he would get his own back the following week on graduation day…

He did so by chatting away as normal with them all, and then, when they entered the auditorium, he hung back to walk in alongside Thad, bypassing the usual seat that he took with them all, and sat next to Thad in the staff seating. That raised a few eyebrows at once amongst the others, and he heard whispers passing between them as to what was going on, and what could explain his seating choice. It stopped abruptly when the ceremony began, and the applause that each young man was given as he stepped up to graduate was as loud and genuine as ever…

Then, as the ceremony came to its conclusion, Principal Lefevre stood up at the lectern, and there was hush. "Before we end today, I have an announcement to make. Mr Thad Harwood, who has been tireless in his work with our beloved Warblers, has decided that he must step back from his role as faculty advisor to the boys. We thank him for all he has achieved in his time in that role, the trophy cabinet groaning with the evidence of his work. His replacement has already been found, and we thus welcome a new member of staff to the faculty, someone who will be solely dedicated to the role. They are here today, and it is with the greatest of pleasure that I ask you all to welcome Mr Sebastian Karofsky-Smythe to the staff here…"

A second of stunned silence was followed by loud applause, nods of approval coming from every corner of the room. All agreed that it was an inspired choice, as it served two purposes. It would guarantee the continued run of success for the school's choir, and it would also give the man in question a new purpose in his life, something that those that knew him best had realised he had been lacking for a while…

Sebastian had anticipated that he would be the centre of attention when the alumni gathered after the graduation ceremony, and he was not left disappointed. Every one of his closest friends came over to wish him well as soon as they had the chance. Trent was the first to do so, and having done so, the Washington staffer made his way swiftly over to where Thad was standing away from the group, smiling broadly. "I am going to say that the tiredness excuse is only about 20% true; in fact, I believe that this is just a grand but worthy scheme concocted to prevent Sebastian going crazy out of boredom."

Thad chuckled, then in a whisper replied, "There were never any flies on you, Trent. I might have run the idea by Dave first, and he agreed that the role he has now would be the one thing that he would agree to do at Dalton - to start with at least…"

"So your long term plan is to seduce him into the world of teaching? Good luck on that one!"

"I happen to know that there will be a vacancy for a drama coach in the next few months, and I am certain that our actor will not be able to resist the challenge of helping to direct the drama club's production of Hamlet, given how well known his own version of that show was. It should be a slippery slope after that into running a masterclass for those that are interested in pursuing a career in drama, and before you know it, drama will be one of the options of study offered by the English department…"

"You underestimate him; he is not that much of a pushover. He will see through that little plot in an instant…"

"If I can keep the pretence that he is only doing it to help out going for long enough, I will have him hooked. In any case, you did not see how his whole demeanour altered when he took the faculty advisor role, or how his face brightened when he was applauded after his talk last week. He misses performing more than he will admit, and he also misses the adulation."

The post graduation lunch was its usual bright affair, and then, with the toffee apple pudding demolished, those that had known Seth best made their way out to the school driveway to board a bus that would transport them the short distance to the corner of the school's grounds that now housed a growing memorial to the young man in question. Thad did not go with them, as he had witnessed the building's progress almost every day, and so the party found themselves entrusted to Skylar. There were fluorescent vests and hard hats to put on, and that let them all know that the building was no longer just a sketch on the architect's pad…

What they saw when they arrived impressed them all. The hard landscaping was done, and the foundations were entirely in place, with the whole ground level also constructed on one of the wings. After a safety talk from the site manager, they were allowed to step inside that part of the building, and into what would be the corridor off which all the rooms would be located, and from there into what would be one of the rooms. It was still in its rawest form, but the dimensions were generous. Cabling and pipework was clearly evident from the unplastered walls, the latter letting them know where the various items would be in the wet room, and where the kitchenette would be located,. They were also able to look out of the hole in the wall where the French doors would be, leading out to an outside space with views over the river.

"It is just as it should be," said Ethan, breaking what had been a long silence. "The room is large, the location attractive, and although most of the work is still to be done, I can see that it will also be a quiet space. It isn't overlooked at all, and that gives the necessary privacy that people will crave. You have done us all proud with this, Skylar."

Skylar nodded, his cheeks colouring, then lead them all out of the room and along to what would be the communal space, before guiding them back outside. He acknowledged all of the praise that he was given, but they all knew that their opinions mattered little to him; only those of a certain angel would have any influence on him.

They returned to Dalton in time for the annual final performance by the graduating Seniors. That was a jolly affair compared to the one last year, when minds had been elsewhere. It was the old mix of inappropriate songs, sung in costume rather than blazers and ties. The theme was Broadway, a tribute to the incoming faculty advisor; the performances included numbers from shows such as Hamilton, The Lion King and Chicago, with All That Jazz being given the Warbler treatment, the Seniors wearing only their blazers, ties and shorts that left nothing to the imagination. A guard was posted on the door to ensure Mrs Carmichael or anyone else of a more staid disposition did not enter…

With that over, and more appropriate attire restored, the incoming council performed, the new Head Warbler admitting that Sebastian had helped them in preparing the number. The piece that they had chosen was Moses Supposes from Singing in the Rain, and the tap dance rhat they performed in it was perfect, which made Thad smile as he had been the one to coach them in learning how to do that type of dance.

Then the day was at its close, and the alumni headed for home. Before they left, Sebastian took the time to remind them all of the date of his Tenth Anniversary party, only feeling a little wistful as he watched those from New York go that he was not with them that year. Thad saw that, and strolled over to join him. "If you aren't in a rush to get home, come and join me and the Carmichaels for afternoon tea. They are expecting me, but I am sure they would love to see you too."

Sebastian checked his watch, and replied, "I will just check in with Mrs Carr, and if everything is okay at home, then I would love nothing more than to accompany you…"

Over the next few weeks, Sebastian would become a regular visitor to Dalton Academy once more. He was no stranger to the school, of course, but it felt very different being there as a member of the faculty. He found that he needed to learn a different set of rules, and a whole new set of procedures that he had not even been aware of a decade or so earlier as a student. Then, if the fire bell rang, he just had to get up and leave; now he had to ensure that he knew exactly who was in the Senior Commons with him at all times, and be able to conduct a roll call. That was simple compared to the processes for dealing with a random shooter; that left him chilled to the bone, and all that was thanks to him being there three afternoons a week!

He also had to learn how to deal with any problems that a student might come to him with in confidence. The training for that was conducted by Thad, alongside Jeff's cousin Dylan, and it was during that discussion that something was pointed out to him that he realised was obvious. "There is every chance that one of the students will come to you over us, as you aren't a teacher. The ladies in the school admin office have been approached more often than the two of us together, as have the kitchen staff. Given that most people here also know your back story, how closely you were involved with the whole Hunter affair, they might that you would be more empathetic than us," Dylan said, and Thad nodded.

"If they come to me, I will refer them to you," came Sebastian's quick reply.

"Eventually, yes, but you need to listen first. If you don't, then you might make the whole situation a lot worse," said Thad. "Generally the boys are very happy here, but sometimes life at home hasn't been great, and that is when they need a friendly ear to listen to them."

"Well, I can certainly sympathise with that," admitted Sebastian. "Things are good in my family now, but back in my youth… I can certainly deal with that sort of stress…"

Then there was the final prep for his tenth anniversary party to finalise. It was turning into a much bigger deal than he had initially planned, as he had suddenly realised at the end of April that there was something that he had heard nothing about. He therefore made a phone call, having arranged a time with the recipient in advance. The call began in the usual way, with small talk about life, and their respective children, and then Sebastian came out with it. "So, you are aware that it is my tenth wedding anniversary in less than three months; a celebration of my drunken wedding in a chapel in Vegas, not that it wasn't the best decision and the happiest day of my life nonetheless… However, it now occurs to me that you, Trent, married the love of your life a few days earlier, so I'm just wondering where my invite to your celebratory bash was…"

There was a brief silence, and then Trent replied. "I know, but you forget that it also means that it is a decade since Séamus and Becca married as well. They have been planning a celebration for that, and work is so full on for us both, so Rory and I both agreed, reluctantly, that we would not have a party of our own. We might have one for our 25th Anniversary, as that is much more significant."

Sebastian chuckled, and replied, "Well, the problem there is that it will also be their Silver Wedding as well, and you will have the exact same issue! In some ways, marrying the day after them was a long term error!"

"I've never been that big on parties anyway," said Trent.

"Okay, so here is what is going to happen, and I will accept no arguments. We are going to have a joint tenth anniversary party, the four of us, just a little late in the case of you and Rory. Everyone will already be coming here, and the guests lists will be pretty much the same, just with the addition of your closest family members as well. I am assuming that Rory's formidable nana will be flying over?"

"Sebastian," Trent began, "it is very kind of you to offer…"

"…and even kinder of you to accept!" said Sebastian, before his friend could decline. As for the man in Washington, he knew then that there was no point in arguing or saying anything else, still, he would have an interesting chat with Rory later…

Sebastian's conversation with Dave that night was of equal interest, but thankfully his husband was in full agreement with him. "It doesn't seem right that they were not going to celebrate their own marriage, when they deserve a party just as much as Rory's brother and his wife. All it means for us is a few extra guests, a second cake and a system to ensure that any gifts we are all given don't get mixed up! Of course, it also sets up a meeting between Rory's nana and your 'Aunt' Bette, assuming of course that the latter can make it…"

"She sent an RSVP before I even sent out the invites," replied Sebastian with a laugh. "Mrs Carmichael has offered to provide her with a bed for the night at their place at Dalton. I mean, the hotels around here are okay, but having a star like Bette on the premises would be too much for even the best ones in Columbus, let alone Westerville. Another plus is that Dalton is private, and finally, she always said that she wanted to see it someday; now she can, with Mrs Carmichael as her guide."

"Well, if that is settled, all we need to do now is ensure that everyone else will have a bed for the night," said Dave, Sebastian nodded, and smiled - he was already working on that task as well…

Before the party there was, however, another event that had the circle of friends glued to their television screens. They had all become used to Sam playing the affable single gay father Darrin in his sitcom, which had seen its popularity increase as time went on. The world loved Sam Evans as much as they all did, finding him the perfect package of looks and personality, and the rest of the cast was just as likeable, especially the young lady that played his daughter. The fan base had all been demanding for some time now that he needed to find a long term boyfriend, as the series of short lived romances he had had so far had left them feeling sad for the character.

They had all latched on to an actor that played one of his co-workers, but Ms Kudrow had refused to give in to them, not even countenancing them having so much as a one night stand. "There have been shows in the past where the producers have given in to the opinion of fans on social media, and abandoned the long term planning that had influenced their casting decisions. These changes were successful at first, but then long term problems appear, and changes are made which renders the plot unbelievable and full of holes," she had said in an interview.

A few days later, and discussing the topic, Sam had stated that he agreed with her. "I think that it would be awful for the actors involved too, thinking that they knew where things were heading and then having the rug pulled out from under their feet."

"I agree, and Adam is too nice a guy to ever do that to," Lisa replied. "We can, however, have Adam's character come in as an old friend of the man that the fans all like so much…." Sam nodded, knowing the way that the plot would go well in advance; the co-worker that they all loved so much would try to pin a fraud that he was committing at work on Sam's character, and in the end, it would be Adam's character that would provide the crucial evidence to show that Darrin was innocent of all the charges…

Of course, the night of his character's first appearance was a show night for Adam, and thus the episode in which he first appeared went out whilst he was on stage, meaning that he could not watch it live. He was quite pleased about that, as it was never easy to watch yourself perform on a screen. Lawrence was also at work, so they had agreed that they would watch it together when they both reached home. Adam took his bows, then headed to the dressing room as usual, the rest of the cast and crew all respecting his request that he did not wish to know what the reaction had been to his character on social media. They would all look the moment that he left the building though, and so he hastened to the exit as quickly as he could.

He left via the front doors that evening, to avoid the small crowd that always waited for autographs and selfies, and who might spoil his embargo for him. He headed for the subway, wearing his cap low over his face, so as to avoid being spotted by anyone whilst his character was fresh in their minds. Even so, as he left the station at 14th Street, he was convinced that someone heading in did a double take as he passed, then pulled out their phone to check. He found Lawrence waiting for him outside his apartment door, and after greeting each other warmly, they headed in. They prepared food and drinks before settling down in front of the screen of Adam's laptop to watch the episode. He did not appear on screen until 5 minutes before the end of the show, which had them laughing as ever throughout. And then, there he was, playing himself in so many ways, and turning Darrin's head at once…

Then it was over, and Adam waited for Lawrence to speak. "Well, if they haven't all fallen in love with your character already, they soon will. I guess I am going to have to get used to being stared at when we go out too, as there will be some that will assume that you are cheating on poor Darrin with me…"

Adam smiled, and agreed, "Yeah, that is going to be an issue no doubt, and it will get worse as time goes on. There was an actress back home in Britain, who became so associated with being the wife of one particular actor through 19 years in successive sitcoms that her real husband was subjected to abuse when they went out together. When the actor died, she received dozens of sympathy cards on the loss of her husband. When Dame June Whitfield eventually passed away herself, the first person mentioned in half the obituaries was that actor…"

"As long as the majority of the world accepts that you and Sam aren't a real life couple, I will be happy," answered Lawrence. "Now, are you ready to brave social media? I can look on my own if you would rather not…"

"What if we snuggle up together and I just watch as you scroll through it? That way I can hug you all the closer if they are being horrible…"

Lawrence had no issue at all with that, but he was confident that all he saw would be good and positive, and he was proved correct. The audience had noticed the look that Darrin had given him, and they all agreed with the character's first impression; Adam's character Clive was hot. They tried to ignore the more explicit and rude comments about what Darrin and Clive should do together, until they both read one, looked at each other's face, and burst out laughing. The overall consensus was positive, and the opinion of everyone they knew would be the same. Adam just hoped that all the attention on social media would not cause problems for him and Lawrence in the long term…

The storyline that would develop between Darrin and Clive would leave the audience enthralled, not that their relationship would actually go anywhere until the duplicity of Darrin's colleague would finally be revealed in the season finale, which aired just days before the anniversary party. The previous episode had been less light hearted than normal, as it seemed that all that Darrin had worked for and achieved was about to be taken from him. Thus the whole nation it seemed tuned in to that last episode of the season, in which to their relief the truth came out, albeit in the most hysterical and, at times, slapstick of ways. The fraud was exposed through a series of comic co-incidences to Darrin's friends and family, but in the end, it was Clive that held the key….

That lead to the final moments, when Clive told Darrin he had revealed his friend's deception for two reasons; firstly, because he had come to realise that Darrin was not his friend's first victim, and at least two other people had fallen prey to him before; and secondly because he had fallen for Darrin, his daughter, and all the madcap people that surrounded him, and wondered if they could possibly try dating…

The audience was left with their mouths open, and then shouting at their television screens as Darrin said nothing, before spouting a whole list of increasingly ludicrous reasons why they shouldn't be together in a million years. And then he had stopped, burst out laughing, then leant forward and kissed Clive… That caused his mother and daughter to fall out of the nearby closet that they had been hiding in the whole time…

Social media went wild in approval, and the article that appeared on the Vogue website just minutes after the show finished in which Adam talked about his feelings on the storyline, and how his casting in the show was changing his life already, added to his growing fame. The Playbill was updated at Mary Poppins, and on occasion, Adam would find himself being mobbed by fans as he walked through the streets to and from the theater. He found that his relationship with Lawrence was strengthening though, and when he was out with him, the younger man proved more than able to handle those that could not separate fact from fiction….