Misfit Theater Company (Wattys Winner 2018)

27. The Wealthiest Guy in the World

           

I finally bring myself to respond to Thatcher the next morning as I'm eating pancakes and vaguely answering my mom's questions about last night. She can never know anything about last night's encounter with the police. I won't allow her to, because if she ever found out that I got in trouble for loitering near a darkened park with a boy, I'd be the new age Rapunzel, locked away until her hair grew long enough to be rescued.

Janie Myers: Hey sorry I didnt reply last night. I fell asleep right away. (9:03am)

It doesn't take him long to respond.

Thatcher Gorsky: Last night was pretty crazy. I feel like such an ass for taking you there. I've been beating myself up all night for it. (9:04am)

Thatcher Gorsky: Let me make it up to you today? (9:05am)

Janie Myers: I have to work on our new script for Romeo and Juliet. Help me? (9:06am)

"Mom, can Thatcher come over and help me develop the script for our new one act?" I call from the dining room into the kitchen, where Mom is washing the pans from breakfast.

"I thought you couldn't write it yourselves."

My phone buzzes.

Thatcher Gorsky: Yeah! Want to come over to the shed? (9:07am)

"We can't, but now we're doing Romeo and Juliet, so we have to adapt it. Never mind, though, Thatcher said I can go there."

"I'd rather you work here," Mom says, stepping into the doorway with a mug of coffee. "Maybe he'll tell me more about the dance than you did."

I try to hide my anxiety about any possible questions she'd ask him. "Maybe," I say. Then I text Thatcher: "My mom wants us to work here. She might ask you questions about Snowball, but DON'T mention the police part at all or the park even."

Thatcher Gorsky: I'd never do that. My dad doesn't know either, but I'm going to have to pay the fine somehow. I'll figure it out. (9:08am)

Janie Myers: How much is it?? (9:08am)

Thatcher Gorsky: Don't worry about it. It's not much. I'll have it covered. (9:08am)

Thatcher Gorsky: So what time should I come over? (9:09am)

I haven't had a shower yet and I'm still in my pajamas, so I tell him to come by at 10:00am. I keep myself occupied with dishes, a shower, and a bit of makeup until he comes. That way I can't think too much about the embarrassment from last night or my fear that Mom will somehow sniff out the truth.

When he shows up at 10:00am on the dot, we get straight to business. I grab my mom's iPad, and Thatcher sets out his copy of Romeo and Juliet, which apparently, he owns outside of class. I've never asked my mom to buy any of the books we've read in school, because, well... they were school books. The books that you read in school are never good, or maybe I've just never read them well enough to understand why they're good; but I've never liked them. The first book I sort of liked was Romeo and Juliet, and that was only because of how Thatcher read the part. Catcher in the Rye, again, is only okay because Thatcher is helping me.

As soon as we are settled at the table with all the things we need to create the script, Mom comes out with glasses of water. "Would you like anything else, Thatcher?" she asks. "Did you eat breakfast yet? We have some extra pancakes left over that I could heat up." She takes a seat at the head of the table as she speaks.

"Thank you, Ms. Myers. I'm okay though."

"Okay," she says, and then, as if it were part of the same thought, she asks, "so how was Snowball?"