To Kiss a Boy
Benjamin Cook and Joshua Burrage had been best friends since the beginning of time itself. They had been joined at the hip since the first grade when they were in their first show. The pair of thespians had done everything together, including coming out. Now was no different. They were walking to the open call for swings in the revival of Cats.
"I'm stealing Ben Fankhauser's warm up," Ben announced.
"Go and look it up the poor guy's head is spinning," Josh riffed in reply.
They walked to the audition room riffing that line, the line, as fancily as they could. After walking in, both boys gasped. Aaron J. Albano was the dance captain, and therefore, he would be auditioning them. "Joshua Burrage?" he called.
"That's me. Wish me luck. No, wait, don't do that." Josh said nervously.
"Break a leg! Just not a left arm." Ben replied, shooing Josh into the room. As Joshua walked in, he was shaking like a leaf. He took a deep breath and began to sing the song To Kiss A Girl from Run Far Away: A New Musical Adventure.
Oh, I'm no explorer. My vision's not great. I get tired when I run for too long. I still wake up groggy and go to bed late, and I guess it's been true all along. Ben popped into his thoughts and refused to leave.
Of all the world's secrets and mysteries, from here to the tiniest star, the greatest one is the simplest one by far.
To kiss a girl, Josh thought of kissing Ben and hold her his hand, no monster in the land can understand when you kiss a girl, and just like that, the stars you're looking at start to disband. Then they form a path, and if you follow them blindly, that's where you'll find she's gone. So kiss the girl, and hold her hand, He mentally prepared the riff, and travel on.
Josh finished that last note, holding it a little longer than needed. "Wow," Aaron remarked. "Now, could you send in Ben?"
Running out, Josh and Ben traded places. Benjamin had chosen a different song, Run Away With Me from The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown.
Let me catch my breath. This is really hard. If I start to look like I'm sweating, it's because I am. I'm not good with words, but that's nothing new. But, still, I have to explain what I want to do with you. With you. Run away with me. Let me be your ride out of town, let me be the place that you hide, we can make our lives on the go. Alabama heat-sign me up, he thought about the one trip they took to Alabama when they were twelve we'll be on the road like some country song, won't be long. Sam, you're ready, let's go anywhere. Get the car packed and throw me the key, run away with me. I'm not trying to make you a wife here, I'm not trying to tie you down. He felt the same way about Josh. I'm just trying to say that there could be a life here, a new one as soon as we The hardest riff to ever exist was about to begin, and he wondered how Josh's riff went. run. Just as soon as we run away. Run away, let me be your ride out of town, run away with me. California dreams, here we come! Romeo is calling for Juliet, ready, set, Sam, you're ready let's go anywhere. Say the word, I'm already there. Run away with me.
"Thank you." Aaron finished, calling in the next person, one of Ben's friends from Billy Elliot.
After everyone was done singing, it was time for the dance. Every boy still left once the first round cuts were made took out their dance shoes and put them on their feet. Aaron told everyone to go ahead and stretch, and as to not make the dance captain mad on the first day, they did as they were told. Ten minutes later, everyone was learning the Jellicle Ball. After thirty pirouettes and a toe-touch jump, the group was down to three: Giuseppe Bausilio, Ben, and Josh. "Congratulations on making it this far," Aaron began. "Now, I have one question: do you want to join our company?"
The three boys all chimed in with as many "yes" notes as they could.
"Great! First rehearsal's on Monday. See you there!" Aaron finished, kicking them out.
"Congrats! Oh, hold up, hi, Ben," Giuseppe said, realizing who he was. When Ben was Michael in the Billy Elliot tour, Giuseppe was Billy. Then, when Giuseppe left, Ben had taken over for the role of Billy. "Who's your friend? Is he the one who always was with us at, like, every stop?"
"Yeah," Ben answered. "This is Joshua Burrage, but everybody calls him Josh."
"Nice to meet you," said Josh.
"Okay, no offense, but I ship the heck out of you two," Giuseppe added.
Within fifteen seconds, all three boys were laughing. Everyone could tell they would become great friends. But for now, they were all too happy to join the "Feline Family".
The next week went by slower than a snail taking his sweet, sweet time. Monday seemed years away. Alas, it came. Day One of many on the road to the "Great White Way". "Alright," the director, Trevor Nunn, said. "Welcome to our company! Now, I know that this is most of your Broadway debuts..."
He went on, but not one person paid a cent of attention. Everyone was ready to start singing, blocking, choreography, and lines, especially Ben and Josh. Blue eyes met brown, and they both had an internal screamfest. They were ready for the Big Apple.
One week, two weeks, a month, and then four months of rehearsal flew by until it was opening night at the Neil Simon Theatre. Backstage, everything was happening. Wigs went flying, makeup was applied, Gypsy Robe awarded, and an accident happened. The ensemble's Rum Tum Tugger and Carbuckety both got very, very, hurt from the age old comedy punch of slipping on a banana peel. Apparently, Aaron had tried to throw it away, but it didn't make it in the trash can. When the news spread, Josh and Ben made eye contact.
They were about to make their Broadway debuts in the 2016 Revival of Cats.
Within the remaining fifteen minutes before showtime, both boys were in full costume, ready to go. Except Ben was not quite ready. He had high-functioning anxiety, and it was in full swing. He took heaving breaths and was obviously panicking. "Calm down, Ben," Josh said. "Hey, hey, hey, look at me. YOU WILL BE FINE!"
"No, I won't! I'm forgetting the choreography for the Jellicle Ball!" Ben exclaimed.
"Shhh. It's okay. Come on, we've gotta be in places." Josh calmly explained. Next thing they knew, they were backstage, ready to go. Josh looked into Ben's electric blue eyes.
And then he kissed Ben.
Lights went dim in the house, and the actors took their spots as the cats. Jennyanydots and Mr. Mistoffelees and Alonzo and Macavity were all ready to fly through the air. The show flew by, and the curtain call was soon upon the group. As bows were taken, makeup removed, and costumes shed, the boys kissed again and again, much to the delight of the cast. At the stage door, they came out to the world by kissing once more. All of the Billy Elliot fans screamed and cried because Ben was taken. Some people just cheered. Everyone, though, really wanted an autograph.
After they had escaped the stage door, Ben asked "What's this about for you? And, I don't mean Broadway. Am I kidding myself, or is there something here?"
"Of course there is," Josh replied. "You were my first boy crush, and I've not stopped loving you since, oh Lord, the third grade? I love you, Benjamin Tyler Cook."
"I love you too," Ben finished. "Joshua Michael Burrage."
The party came and went. As the night drew to a close, Ben leaned in to Josh's ear. "Thank you for the best night of my life. Everything that happened tonight was because of you. You got me into theatre. You helped me through that panic attack. I wouldn't be sitting here tonight, finishing my freaking Broadway debut, without you. "
Fireworks lit the sky on fire. Sparklers flickered around them, and applause filled their ears after a toast. Both boys took a sparkler and lit them. As a red burst flew into the air what felt like years later, Ben and Josh held out their sparklers and kissed one more time.
