Misfit Theater Company (Wattys Winner 2018)

13. Break a Leg (Part 2)

I honestly just try to block everything out the rest of the day, even Patti's compliments on our scene at lunch, my embarrassment is taking up way too much space in my mind to let anything else in. Not just embarrassment, actually. Anger, too. I'm furious with Gina. She was mad at me for caring about my new friends, but I never intentionally hurt her, I was just trying to make space for Patti, Thatcher, and Moth alongside her. But Gina took it too far. She betrayed me and made fun of me.

The good news is that now my teachers are helping me like crazy with my classes. My English teacher shared recorded audio files of the reading assignments for me to listen to, and the science teacher printed out his lecture slides for me to use to study. In social studies, my teacher gave me a CD-ROM copy of the textbook with a feature on it that reads you the information. Thank goodness Mom has an old desktop computer at home, because I don't have anything that could have played it otherwise.

All of these "accommodations" as Mrs. Thomas called them help me study on my own tonight. But my phone keeps buzzing, distracting me from my work. I know it's probably Gina, so I ignore it, until finally, I get sick of it and pick up my phone from where I've left it on my bed.

My stomach drops. The messages are all from Thatcher and Patti. None whatsoever from Gina, which only sort of shocks me. When she has decided she's the victim, she won't apologize until you do. This will be a standoff of who can be the most stubborn between us, but I will not apologize. Not after today.

I read the message from Patti first, since it's the only one from her. Thatcher sent the rest, so I'll set aside some time to think about answering those.

Patti sent a text. It reads, "You seriously did a great job today for your first performance. I know Gina fudged it up, but don't even think about her. Our group is going to show theirs up, and then she'll come crawling to apologize. See you tomorrow."

Clearly Patti doesn't know Gina like I do. Me doing well in a scene is not going to make her apologize, but still... I appreciate the thought from Patti, so I respond, "Thanks. See you tomorrow." My phone helps me spell "tomorrow." That's one of those words I never get right. I always think there are two M's, not two R's.

Then I open the messages from Thatcher.

Thatcher Gorsky: Hey, what was up today? (4:13pm)

Thatcher Gorsky: Did I do something wrong? (4:15pm)

Thatcher Gorsky: I thought the scene went well. You did a nice job. Your friend was really rude, though. Is everything ok? (4:27pm)

Thatcher Gorsky: I'm really really sorry if I did something wrong. (5:01pm)

I don't know how to respond. He didn't do anything wrong. I like him. I like spending time with him. But I also don't want Gina telling people I like him, and then finding evidence that it's true. I feel like I need to distance myself from him right now, just until Gina cools down.

"Janie," my mom calls from downstairs. "Someone is here to see you."

"What?" I ask, not because I couldn't hear her, but because I don't know who it would be.

"Come downstairs," she says.

I slip my phone in my pocket and roll off my bed to head downstairs. It's probably Gina, I think. But when I can finally see who is standing in front of the door, I immediately adjust my posture and facial expression.

"Thatcher, hey," I greet him. I'm still wearing my black clothes from our scene today, but I've pulled my hair back in a messy bun and probably have big red marks on my cheeks and chin from rest my head in my hands.