The Summer that Changed Everything

Chapter 11: Tiny Vessels

      Teddy and Chris met up one day at Teddy's house to recite lines. He thought it would have been easier to read with friends instead of strangers he didn't know. Chris told me that he went to the audition and he had to read out in front of a bunch of snot nosed prep kids. The teacher actually had the nerve to ask if, "he was trying to be bad at it." Chris said: "No. It just comes naturally."

"Alright." Teddy thumbed through his booklet that Chris gave him. He read his line flatly. Chris took a puff of his cigarette and blew out the smoke in the air. He put it down next to him on the front step and stood there along the banister. Teddy still reading worse than Chris did at the audition—turned another page. But Teddy couldn't help to make a mockery of his lines, especially when he had to read the part of the girl. He couldn't stop laughing or over emphasizing this voice at the girl scene's that he had to read off to Chris.

"Come on, man. Come on." Chris looked annoyed. "Do you know I only have 3 weeks to memorize this stuff?" Chris sat down on Teddy's porch and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. He placed the spring play's booklet between him and Teddy.

"Listen, Chris, Newman couldn't even make this shit work." Teddy told him.
"Look, I didn't write it, okay?" Chris said.

"No, but you're the one who's gonna make a jackass out of himself in front of the whole school." Teddy said.
"I don't have a choice." Chris shook his head, disappointed in himself. "It's either this or I get expelled."
Teddy placed a hand on Chris's shoulder.
"You know I'm just bustin' on you, right? I'm gonna be there opening night, front row, and you could count on it. With tomatoes." Teddy said.
"Thanks, man." Chris smiled.
"No problem." Teddy said.
Vern and I walked into Teddy's front yard now.
"So how is the acting going?" I asked.
"It's great." Teddy told me. "I think Chris is on his way to the red carpet. His next gig will be the Mickey Mouse club."
"So I can feel up Annette's tits." Chris joked.
Vern walked over and picked up the booklet next to Chris on the porch step.
"Is this the script?" Vern asked. He started reading it. I looked over his shoulder.
"Oh, my gosh... Does this suck?!" I exclaimed.
"Tell me about it." Chris said.
"Too bad they didn't pick Gordie to write the play. I bet it would have been better than this crap." Vern said.
"I don't know, Vern. I am not that good at it. You're my only critics anyway, so I don't know if that counts for much." I told him.
"No Vern, is right." Teddy said. "It would be awesome. You could make a play about Lardass!"
Chris chuckled at the idea.
"So he can throw up all over himself and then the audience will get so sick and throw up all over each other?" Chris asked.
"Preciously! It would be a Broadway hit!" Teddy said. "I would so pay to see that!"
We all laughed.
"Yeah. That would be pretty awesome." Vern agreed.
Teddy's mom was making lunch and asked if we wanted to join her. Vern was the first one in the door. Chris and I walked in the house together.
"Gordie, do you know anyone that's good at all of this acting stuff?" Chris said.
"Well, I know Lennie is taking theater. Maybe she can help you." I offered.
Chris took a deep breath.
I knew that he and Lennie still weren't on speaking terms. Chris was still oblivious to why Lennie was even mad at him in the first place. I thought about telling him about the incident in the hallway, but Lennie told me not to mention it to him.
"Yeah that's a long shot. She's barely talking to me." Chris said.
"She'll get over it. And it can't hurt to ask. Do you want me to ask her for you?" I asked him.
"Nah-it's alright." Chris said and shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

After lunch Chris walked down the block. He had his bag over his shoulder and a blue booklet in his hand. He stopped by Lennie's chain linked fence and hooked his fingers through them. Lennie was sitting in her swing, looking down at her feet. She looked up and noticed Chris standing there. He opened the gate and walked in. Chris put his bag on the top of the slide.
"If you are looking for Gordie, he isn't here." Lennie told him.
"Why would I go to your house if I am looking for Gordie?" Chris asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. He walked behind her and started to push her on the swing.
"So how have you been?" He asked.
"Fine. So what do you want?" She asked as she placed her feet along the ground so Chris couldn't push her anymore.
"I uh..." Chris was hesitant for a moment. "Well, I thought we could run lines together or something. It's embarrassing running lines with Teddy and he makes a joke out of everything anyway."
Lennie swung herself out of the swing and landed on her two feet.
"He makes an ugly girl you mean?" She asked looking back at Chris from over her shoulder.
"Pretty much." Chris chuckled.
"Well, I don't know how much help I can be. I mean according to you, I'm not your type. You just might have to put a bag over my face and pretend I'm someone else."
At that moment Chris realized why Lennie was, so upset with him.

"So this is what you're so pissed over?" Chris ran a hand through his hair. He walked around the swing set. "Lennie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to overhear that. But you have to understand that when I'm with the guys at school things are going to be different. You can't be offended by what they think."
"It's not about what they think, Chris. You're the one that said it." Lennie reminded him.
"Lennie, please don't take it the wrong way." Chris told her. "I said I wasn't interested in being your boyfriend. I never said I wasn't interested in being your friend. I wouldn't know the first thing about being someone's boyfriend anyway."
"Well, apparently you don't know the first thing about being someone's friend either." She told him. She goes to walk away and reached the front porch.
"Lennie, please." Chris pleaded with her. "Don't just turn away like this." He followed her. "Not after everything we've been through. You and Gordie are seriously like my bestest friends. I can't stand it when either of you are upset. And who gives a shit what I or what anyone else thinks about you, anyway?"
She faced him on the front step. "Well, just make sure when you talk smut about me to your friends I'm not there to hear it." Lennie said.
"Skin it." He told her.
"And you can do me a favor, if you are going to act—save it for your audience." Lennie added.
"Skin it." He told her again.
She took a deep breath.
"Ok, Fine." Lennie said.
She put her hand out and Chris took her hand in his.
"So are you going to help me?" He asked.
"I guess." She said. "Just let me tell my father before I invite you in."
"Alright." Chris said and he sits down on the swing. "I'll wait here."

Lennie's father slammed the refrigerator door and walked over to the sink.
"I don't want him here. Chris Chambers is dangerous and a bully. I don't mind you hanging out with Gordie and his friends. I let you. But there is no reason for you and Chris to be hanging out by yourself."
"Daddy, I am only helping him with his lines for the school play." Lennie told him.
"Yeah and Gordie's father told me why he was chosen for it in the first place." Her father said. "He also told me about the time he stole the milk money from school."
"And Gordie told me that he gave all of it back." Lennie told him. "Dad, come on. Don't you trust me at all?"
"Well, it's him I don't trust, not you." He reminded her. "You're not a thief and you don't smoke on school grounds."
"Daddy, please." Lennie pleaded with him.
"Fine. I'll be right in my office if you need anything. Any crap goes on that I don't like, he is out of here." He warned her.
Chris was sitting there on the swing. His play booklet was folded in the front pocket of his pants.
The front door creaks open. Lennie sticks her head out.
"Hi." She said.
"So, you gonna keep me out here all afternoon or what?" He asked jokingly.
"Come on in." Lennie smiled.
The two bump arms as he entered. "Sorry." Chris mumbled.
Lennie shuted the door.
"You brought an extra booklet, didn't you?" Lennie asked.
"Yeah it's in my back pack." Chris told her.
Ace and Eyeball walked up from the basement. Eyeball smiled at his brother, saluted him and then exited the front door behind Ace. Chris looked at the ground uncomfortably. Alice handed Chris a plate of homemade cookies and a glass of lemonade.
"Thanks." He smiled.
Lennie came down the steps.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Yeah. Let's go." Chris said.

It turned out that Chris was turned down for the part anyway. The theater teacher had a rehearsal. Chris recited his lines and she said that she couldn't have him make a mockery of his play. It wasn't that Lennie didn't help him or anything like that. Acting just wasn't his area. So the part was handed over to a football player named Buddy Calhoun.

"So what does this mean?" Chris asked.
"It means you're not in the play." Buddy told him. "Go home."
"Listen, I don't care that I'm not in the play or anything like that. I know I can't act for shit. But it's not that I didn't try. If I go home, Mr. Katz will think that I Fuc- (pardon) my French messed up on purpose." Chris said.
"Mr. Chambers it's not our problem that you were caught smoking. Please exist the auditorium." The teacher told him. "Please mamn, I really tried my hardest. I didn't mean to let you down. Lennie has been trying to help every day and night. Just ask her."
Lennie who sat in the auditorium as well stood up to face the teacher.
"Mrs. O'Rourke. There has to be something for Chris to do. I mean... don't we need someone to give out costumes or programs or something?" She asked.
Mrs. O'Rourke thought a moment.

"Well, that's true. Fine, Mr. Chambers. We can always use some help with straightening out back and you can give out programs on the day of the play. That should count for something." She rose her nose at him.
"Thank you." Chris thanked her.

I sort of felt bad for Chris. It must have sucked trying to appear so desperate to these people who obviously didn't care about him or want him in the play. He said that he didn't care about it though. It was fake.
"Yeah this whole thing is bullshit." Chris said as he leaned up against the wall. "This whole acting thing. If I'm not getting paid for it, then I don't give a shit, not that I'd be that good at it anyway."
"Well, you tried your best." Lennie said.
"So I guess I won't need any tomatoes." Teddy replied.
"Well, not for me... but I sure like to see Buddy Calhoun hit with a few on the way out."