Jade Awakening

The Great Ping Pong Scam

Cat tried to tell me something earlier today but kept getting interrupted by the bell or teachers calling us to attention. I told her to just find me after school if what she had to share was that important.

It was Monday, and I forced Robbie, Andre, and Beck to stay in the Black Box even though we didn't have rehearsal today. Beck stayed willingly – the other two thought that that was because he had to since we were dating, but it was because he knew I wanted to maximize my time with my friends. I still hadn't told anybody else that I was leaving – I didn't want any kind of attention that would make people feel sad or sorry for me. That would be too uncomfortable. If I would ever tell them, it would be after we ran the show. My last contribution.

I disguised our hangout as an extension to our rehearsals. We all sat in the audience's foldable chairs and Andre had his guitar. He strummed on it aimlessly at first, but unconsciously began to play a melody from one of the show's songs, "Left Behind."

Naturally, the other three of us jumped in to sing along.

A shadow past, a shadow past

Yearning, yearning for the fool

It called a home

All things he never did

Are left behind

The "he" in this song refers to Robbie's character. We sing this song after Moritz dies of suicide, speaking on behalf of his want of return to a better time. But now all the things he wanted to do are "left behind."

My case wasn't quite so serious, but there were many things I wished to do that will get left behind once I go to Northridge. All things will be left behind right here.

We gave ourselves a small round of applause for our impromptu singing.

"I love that we all immediately knew what song that was," Beck laughed.

"I think I could identify any song from this show in less than a second," Andre said. "It's all been drilled into my brain for months."

"True. I think I can speak everyone's lines from memory," I added.

"How about we say some random lines and have each other try to guess which character's line it is?" Robbie suggested.

We looked at each other and nodded, it sounded like an easy enough challenge. I held onto my Jet Brew coffee and looked to the ceiling to think of a good line. But Beck was quicker.

"Tomorrow, I'm bringing scissors."

"Oh come on, that's easy," I said. "That's my character. Act 1, scene 7, right before we find out Martha gets beaten by her father – my turn! Ummm... 'And now we must eat of the bitter fruit. He has shown himself utterly corrupt.'"

I could tell by Beck's face that he already knew the answer, but gave time for Andre or Robbie to get there. The two of them running through their memory to figure it out.

"Is it one of the headmasters?" Robbie asked.

"That's what I thought," Andre echoed. "But I don't think it is."

"It's Herr Gabor," Beck answered. "My character's father says that in Act 2 – scene 6? – when it's found out that I wrote the explicit essay that gave Moritz 'atheist' thoughts."

"Darn it! I knew that," Robbie said. "Okay, how about this one–" we were all anticipation, eager to be the first one to name the character. I took a sip from my coffee and listened intently. Of course, as soon as Robbie started reciting the line, he would be cut off.