" DOMINOS " + STENBROUGH

[24]

"goddamn it, jason, that's your cue," mrs. donovan says, sighing. she stands at the edge of the stage, watching as the cast runs through the fight scene between tybalt and mercutio, in which both die. she runs a hand frustratedly through her hair, her features falling with exhaustion.

it's their fourth time running this scene today, and no one can seem to get anything right. this is the last rehearsal before the show, and everything is going terribly. as of this moment, the play's mercutio can't seem to stay focused on when he's meant to say his dying monologue.

"crap, sorry, mrs. d," jason says, sitting up from where he lays sprawled out and dying on the stage.

"everyone, take five," mrs. donovan calls, and everyone goes backstage towards the dressing rooms to grab water, or look over their lines. "betty and stan, can i speak to you both for a minute?"

stanley uris can confidently say he has never been as tired as he is right now, under hot lights in heavy renaissance-esc costumes, courtesy of beverly and the other costume mistresses. he can also confidently say he hates tights, more than he hates cramming for ap exams, or sitting for hours at temple, or listening to richie talk. their rehearsals have been long all week, and being in tech meant running everything twice as many times. he and betty sit down at the edge of the stage in front of where mrs. donovan stands ground level, and stan can't help but notice betty doesn't look tired or worn down at all.

"you two have done more than enough to make this play as great as it can possibly be," mrs. donovan begins, stress leaking into every word she says. "i want your honest opinions on how you think this will go, because i trust the both of you to be honest with me. right now, it's a disaster, if you ask me."

stanley doesn't actually know how to answer that. because he doesn't honestly know how he thinks the play will go this weekend. but, apparently, betty does.

"we'll be fine, mrs. d. the play will run smoothly; all of your shows always go according to plan," she says. she seems genuine, like she actually believes what she's saying. "you know what they say, a good last rehearsal is bad luck."

mrs. d nods, takes a deep breath, and gives a smile.

"you're right, you're right. i'm just paranoid. you two can go take a break, and we're going to run the scene where romeo and juliet meet before i send you all home for the night and pray for a miracle on friday," she instructs, and stan and betty stand and walk backstage.

"you know, we haven't actually kissed yet. i mean, the last scene is barely a brush of the lips. but mrs. donovan always has us skip over the real kiss in the meeting scene," betty says, as they walk deeper backstage, actors and crew members bustling around them. "i know you've never done a real stage kiss sort of thing before, but i think, rather than be nervous, just imagine i'm a guy. and you'll be totally fine."

with that, betty smiles, claps a hand against stan's shoulder, and walks off to talk to lady capulet. leaving stan standing there in slight shock and utter confusion. he hadn't even been nervous, so why bring it up? he's kissed girls before, even when he knew he was gay. why should this be anymore difficult?

"so, who is he, then?" stan spins around, beverly standing there with her arms crossed over he chest and an eyebrow raised.

"huh?" she couldn't have overheard, she couldn't have overheard, she—

"i overheard betty tell you to imagine kissing a guy, and you've insinuated that you're gay in the past," bev says, with no malice in her words. stan swallows the lump in his throat. he doesn't want to be confronted with this. "so, who's the guy?"

"i don't know what you're talking about?" stan says, keeping his voice as level as possible. panic bubbles in his throat, swirling around his adam's apple and suffocating him. he can't do this, he can't do this, he can't—

"seriously? stan, it all makes sense, all that acting up there. there's no way you were really professing your love that passionately to betty. and there's no way you were just simply acting either. there's someone, a guy, who you see on that stage," beverly says. her eyes narrow slightly in concentration as she takes a step closer. like she's trying to figure him out.

stan takes a step back, feeling walls close around him. he notices that no one else is backstage.

"you've been acting kind of jumpy lately, with the whole 'lead in the play' thing. that has to be it, then. the guy, he's coming to see it. and he'll figure it out." stan's eyes widen. he can't be that obvious.

"n-no," he stutters, and beverly raises an amused eyebrow.

"stan, we're friends. you can trust me."

"i–"

"romeo! come to stage, please!"

"i-i gotta go," stan tells beverly, and begins making his way towards the stage, from which the lights peaking through the wings illuminate from, casting a glow across beverly's curious features, shining delicately against his fiery curls.

"it's bill." he freezes. how did she– "isn't it? it has to be."

he turns to face her, nerves slowly melting him into a puddle of desperation on the floor of derry public high school auditorium's backstage.

"no one ever looked at someone with so much love. not even me." she bites her lips briefly, thinking, crossing her arms. "it's him, isn't it?"

"stan!"

and he doesn't answer. he leaves. he walks onto stage, pushing through the few kids crowded right outside the wings, waiting to be brushed back in by mrs. donovan's commands, and stands beside betty center stage.

and they do the scene.

it takes everything in stanley not to cry after beverly's interrogation, as he professes a newfound love to juliet, and kisses her, and pretends to be someone he is not. the confident, cocky romeo montague.

but all stanley uris will ever be is a mess of uncontrollable emotions, who is left sitting in his car long after the final rehearsal has ended, crying over a boy he is too afraid to tell he has feelings for, and a girl who has pushed him out of his comfort zone far too fast.

——

here is an update FINALLY!! sorry for such the delay. it's a bit rushed, but like it's fine you get the idea of what's going on so

state exams for math started today, and from the moment i woke up my luck has  just been so terrible. today has genuinely been one of the worst days ever!!

BUT this weekend im going to dc for a school trip and i am SO excited, it's honestly the only thing keeping my going these days lmao

enjoy!!

- m