Virgin Queries

5. Theatre

“Aug, what am I doing backstage?” Paxton asked, standing as close to the wall as he could manage.  He didn’t want to be in the way of other students running back and forth, swapping costumes, or applying a last minute touch up of dirt.  August smiled and adjusted the long black slacks he wore.

“Two things,” he began, holding up his finger and picking up his script from the prop table.  Paxton watched him read over it for a second before he let his eyes fall to the props.  There were all types of fake food, including – but not limited to – apples, bread, steak, grapes, and pie.  They looked real enough to eat and he realized how hungry he really was.  A blonde in a pink princess dress looked at him.

“Was that you or me?” she asked nervously.

“Me,” he admitted.

“Good.  I’m about to go on, and I don’t want him to hear my stomach growling.”

“Alright,” August said finally, looking up from his script.  “Two things.  First, how’s your reading coming?  Find anything interesting out about sex?”  Paxton thought over everything he read and smiled embarrassedly at the first fact that popped into his mind.

“Well, yeah.  Apparently penguins can be prostitutes.  The females will bang single males in exchange for rocks and stones for their homes.  They don’t sleep with any boy penguins in a relationship though, otherwise that boy’s girlfriend will get pissed off and beat up the prostitute.”  August laughed a bit louder than he should have and received a hissing shush from the male lead of the play.  He looked at Paxton and rolled his eyes playfully.

“That’s hilarious.  Penguin whores, man.  Now, the second thing.  I think I figured out how we can stop my mom’s next plan.  She likes to go around and get her petition signed.  She takes them from anyone and everyone.  What I was thinking was –“

“August, it’s about to be our cue,” said the girl in the pink dress, taking him by the arm.

“Damn it.  Okay, stay here.  I’ll talk to you when we get done with this scene,” August told Paxton, taking a deep breath and puffing out his chest.  When he heard the other actor on stage finish the last line and exit the stage, the two of them headed out on stage, taking a seat on the bench downstage right.  Paxton, curious to see what they were performing, picked up the script August had left on the table.  The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.  He’d never heard of that one.

From the highlighted segments, Paxton learned that August was playing Tranio, and the girl on his arm, Olivia, must have been Bianca.  Interested in seeing how the whole thing looked, Paxton quietly walked through the door next to the prop table and made his way down the hallway.  He circled around until he found the entrance to the studio theater and poked his head in.  On stage, August sat with Olivia, running his fingers through her hair and playing up the romance factor.  They sat side to side, reading through a book while other’s to the right spoke their lines.  Paxton reminded himself that it was stupid to feel a bit of jealousy.  This was all acting.

Excitedly, Olivia stood and looked back and forth between August and another boy who stood center stage.  “Tranio, you jest.  But have you both forsworn me?”

“Mistress, we have,” said August, his English accent audible.  It was pretty good considering he was from California, Paxton thought.  Olivia cheered and pulled August into a hug.

“Then we are rid of Litio!” she exclaimed.

“I’ faith, he’ll have a lusty widow now that shall be wooed and wedded in a day,” he said with a smirk.  Olivia clapped enthusiastically and jumped into his arms.