Monday: seven days to the National Championship
“Scar Face?”
“Hey Tracy...”
“Are you here to club me in the kneecap?”
“No. I know this is totally weird... but I wanted to say congratulations on your Best in Category trophies. I’m excited to see you dance again next week.”
“...Um... Okay. You too.”
“I just have the one ballet...”
“I never forget my competitors. Swan Lake. You beat me by a point again.”
“Well, I’m switching the song for nationals...”
“I didn’t know you could do that.”
“I don’t really know how it works...”
“Uh, Janie? Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
“Do you need to come in?”
“If you want me to go, I’ll--”
“It’s cool. I just... this is weird.”
“I should go...”
“Janie! I said you can come in. Do you, like, want a drink or anything?”
“How are things with Carter? I haven’t seen you since school got out...”
“Is that why you’re here?”
“What?”
“To laugh at me? He was a perverted douche-bag, Janie.”
“You broke up?”
“Yeah, we broke up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Bull shit.”
“You’re too good for him.”
“Oh... Well, I’m fine with it. If you want to go out with him--”
“He’s disgusting.”
“Totally. Are you sure you don’t want a drink or--”
“I need to talk.”
“Um--”
“My old friends don’t like me anymore. You live so close and I know you hated me before, but--”
“Shit, Janie. That was middle-school. We were kids. If you need to talk--”
“It’s my dad.”
“Aw, man. Is he still crazy?”
“It’s not that. Well, it is that... but it’s different.”
“Give me the scoop, girl.”
“I don’t think he can handle this show.”
“He seems okay. We see him working up there every night.”
“It’s too much. He needs to order these tents and he’s spending too much money on advertising to hire security guards and--”
“Oh, girl... Don’t cry or you’ll make me cry!”
“I--”
“Mr. Carmel is a mad genius. He’ll get it together.”
“He won’t. He’s writing me this song. He’s trying to get my mom back...”
YOU ARE READING
The Brandywine Prophet
General FictionSuburban life has turned William Carmel from a drug-fueled creative prodigy to a gentle husband and father. When the voice of God commands him to construct a million-dollar amphitheater on the hill behind his home, the budding prophet obeys and unle...
