Dionysia

11

Bright lights, scarlet-red leather seats, and decorative golden walls were lined up in Denny's view. Together, they formed a mesmerizing, escapist picture that he desired for so long. This was what theater and dance were all about, where rehearsal and practice were key in creating an artistic image in Denny's mind.

To be honest, he was paying more attention to the play now than what his three other business partners were talking about.

It was another dull day, a Monday, where Halloween Weekend and their plan were creeping closer to fruition. So, the four held a meeting at Dixon Hall, where shows run by Tulane and its students took place instead of the library. Mason couldn't always book the fifth-floor room, and the theater was an open and public space where they could communicate via the Dionysia group chat.

But it wasn't just the play that gave Denny a giddy feeling; he'd made a decent living so far from working at the construction site as well as the business. After Mason calculated and distributed each of their shares for Friday and Saturday night, the total amount of cash or e-money that Zeta Psi received was $7800. According to Freddie's "contract " with the frat, they took 75% of the total and Dionysia got 25%. Denny figured this was because Zeta Psi thought they were risking more, giving them more leverage in deciding a fair but beneficial earning from the Swampwater Special.

Even so, 25% of that share equaled $1960 in total. Because Mason wasn't involved, Denny along with Freddie and Caroline made around $650 each for just one weekend. Better yet, this was just the first time the Swampwater Special was introduced to Tulane; who knew how much they'd actually make once Halloween came around? This meant they had to be extra careful and preparatory so nothing would interfere with their money-making.

And so, Denny added that share from the business to his construction job's wage, putting almost every penny into Martin & Sons. Reconstruction of the marina took time and lots of money, factoring in the destroyed sewer and power lines, parts of the docks, and maintaining the licensed tugboats affected by Ida. Denny's money wasn't nearly enough to bring Martin & Sons back to its natural state, but Louis was grateful nonetheless.

Louis was more satisfied with Denny's workload at Marcotte Construction. During the past month, he hadn't done anything to screw up, even with the pressure of his advisor. Still, he could sense that Mister McFarland's employees were mild-mannered with Denny and Carter, a favoritism that wasn't shown towards the other workers. But again, it was part of Denny's luck that always seemed to balance out his unfortunate circumstances. As long as that balance lingered, everything would return to normal just as it was before Ida.

At least, that was what Denny hoped.

For now, Denny was absorbed in two things, Caroline and the play before him. Caroline hadn't spoken a single word to Denny ever since her surprise kiss in the elevator, not even showering him a glance while they were in the theater. Disturbed and confused from the ordeal, Denny was still trying to figure out whether that kiss was real or fake. Nothing had changed with the couple so far, besides their excitement for Halloween.

Conversely, the play shown right now was more interesting than Denny expected. It was called "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane," which represented the name of the college. The story characterizes the life of a porcelain rabbit, who is tossed at sea, has many self-discovering journeys, and reunites with a girl named Abilene at the end. Or, that was what Mason explained to Denny before the thing even began, spoiling the entire plot.

But Denny could tell the students were immersed in the play, putting their efforts into designing and acting. It was enough to pull him in, as he related to Edward Tulane the porcelain rabbit. Emotions poured into Denny's soul as Edward was conflicted about the feelings of love. After all his trials and tribulations, the rabbit felt he was not worthy of love or loving and that it was not necessary.