Misfit Theater Company 2

7. Self-Reliance (Part 2)

I'm not sure how to feel. I don't want to be ungrateful that I got a part, because I truly screwed up the audition; but I also wish that I had a part with more scenes with my friends. I'll interact with them on stage, of course, but they will be pretending to sleep when I do. When I worked with Layla and Sean in class, we looked over our scenes, and at least it looks like I spend most of my time on stage with Sean. Unfortunately, it looks like Moth will actually be spending a lot of time with Layla, so I can look forward to his scenes with the fairies too.

But still... I'm not sure how to feel. Especially since Thatcher will be acting like he's romantic with Paige. I wish I had been cast as Hermia instead.

I take the opportunity at lunch to talk to Patti about it while Thatcher and Moth are in line for food.

"So... how do you feel about the cast list?" I ask.

"It's perfect, don't you love it? Aren't you so excited to be Puck?"

"Uh huh," I say, smiling. I hope it doesn't look too fake, because, again, I should be excited. "What do you think about Thatcher being Lysander?"

"He's going to be amazing. I tried to get him to be Demetrius, because of Paige, but Mrs. Permala wanted him as Lysander."

"Wait, what do you mean because of Paige?"

"Well, you know, because she used to like him."

"What? I did not know that she used to like him. When? How long ago?"

Patti looks at me with wide eyes. "She told me she told you."

"No, she absolutely did not."

Now I really don't know how to feel about the cast list, but there's a gnawing anger beneath my uncertainty and disappointment. Especially since I just started feeling positively about Paige and my possible friendship.

"Oh," Patti says, blinking twice. "She liked Thatcher last year before she left." She immediately sucks her lips back into her mouth as if trying to suck the words back in as well. "She told me she talked it out with you."

"Nope, that never happened."

An angry tingling starts in my chest, but when Thatcher returns to the table with his food, a different feeling takes its place: fear. What if Paige still likes him? What if she tells him and he likes her better than me? What if I lose my Romeo?

***Author Note***

I wrote the first part of chapter 7 before realizing I needed to add this little scene into the chapter as well, so here is an additional 400 word snippet of Janie sort of losing it over a bit of a twist with Paige! (Although I'm sure we could have called this.)

For readers in the future, at the time of this mini chapter's posting Taylor Swift just released "You Need to Calm Down" and obviously the internet is jamming to it. It's a perfect chorus for Janie who does need to calm down right now, because she's spiraling.

But more than that, it's a perfect song for PRIDE month too. I have written LGBTQ characters into many of my stories, because LGBTQ people are present in my real life too. I love them and I support them and I'm an ally, because people are people and love is love. It's no one's place to judge anyone else. I challenge you to read and write stories with LGBTQ characters in them, not just during PRIDE month, but throughout the year! I'm totally with TS-- haters need to calm down and keep the shade to themselves! No one wants to hear it!

Anyways, thanks for reading!