Misfit Theater Company 2

14. Clair de Lune (Part Two)

At lunch, it's time for our proverbial last supper until Patti returns, which may be a long time from now or a short time from now or never again. It all depends on Hollywood. Moth remains quiet about his own departure, which I'm not even sure if Thatcher knows about. How could I not have spoken to Thatcher about this already? Ugh, maybe we really are disconnected right now.

Moth and Patti sit beside each other on one side of the lunch table, with Patti sandwiched between her ex-boyfriend and her maybe possible future boyfriend Bryson, and Thatcher and I on the opposite side. It's the old Misfit Theater Company crew back together again. Plus Bryson.

We lift our drinks to toast to Patti.

"To Patricia," Moth says, "our eternal star of a friend, who never stops shining and will never stop shining, no matter where she is."

I smile thinking about how much Moth must truly admire Patti.

"May you find all the success you hope to find in Hollywood and may you always remember your misfits back here in Riverside."

"Cheers," Bryson, Thatcher, and I say.

Patti pushes a tear from her pink cheek. "I'll be back, this isn't forever, guys."

"We are going to miss you so much," I say. "No matter how much time passes without you here."

"Plus, you'll be busy there, I'm sure," Thatcher adds.

Patti pouts. "You guys are too sweet."

"Why don't you all come over to my house tonight?" Moth suggests, trying not to give away the surprise of Patti's going away party. "Remember that time we went to Janie's house and her mom made that banging dip and we danced in the dining room?"

Thatcher and I laugh in acknowledgement.

"I don't think I was there for the dancing part, but yes," Patti says.

"Man, I wish was friends with all of you last year," Bryson chuckles.

I'm still not sure about him, so I don't react to his comment.

"It'll be like that," Moth says. "Just a chill hangout with old friends. And Bryson, you can come too."

"Sounds fun," Bryson says. "What do you think, babe?"

I nearly spit out my water. Babe??

Moth's eyes nearly pop out of his head and he does his best not to let his mouth open too wide so that only Thatcher and I can see.

"Yeah, that'll be fun," Patti responds, not even addressing Bryson's pet name for her!

How much have those two been talking on the side since Sean's party?

Moth's initial look of delighted surprise fades to something more melancholy. Jealousy? Plain old sadness? Patti is a meteor of light and motivation for Moth, but for Bryson, she is just "babe," which seems to be enough for her.

"What time tonight?" I ask Moth to try to get him out of his momentary funk.

"7:00pm. Be there or be square, dudes," he says in his old chill voice. I know him well enough to hear that it's a mask, though. I'll have to check on him in science.

"Oh, I will be anything but square," Thatcher jokes.

"Yeah, I'll be a rhombus," Bryson jokes, chuckling at himself.

None of us laugh, but Patti smiles.

He clears his throat. "We will be there."

Lunch wraps up with the usual talk of theater-related things and of our classes, and then the bell rings. Thatcher and I walk to our next classes together every day, since they are in the same hallway.

"How about Bryson today?" he asks.

"So weird," I say. "But what was weirder was that Patti seemed to like it. Do you think that sort of stuff is what she wanted from Moth? That, like, babe stuff?"

He shrugs. "Moth can be sort of closed off, so maybe."

"What?" I am truly shocked. "Moth closed off? No way, he is such an open book."

"Really? He isn't really like that with me."

"Are boys like that with each other though? I feel like boy friendships are different than girl friendships."

"Nah, I don't think so, but since I don't have any deep friendships with other guys, maybe," he says, chuckling to himself.

"You and I still have a deep relationship, though, right?" I ask. "I don't want to be just a 'babe' relationship, I want the deep stuff too."

He laughs. "I don't know what 'babe' relationship means, but whatever it is, I don't think we are just that. I think we still have a deep relationship."

"I feel like we need to share more, be more connected."

"Is this about my comment this morning? It was stupid, I didn't mean it like that."

I shrug. "I kind of do. I miss you in theater. I never get to act with you anymore. Remember when we did the ten minute play? That was so fun and we bonded so much over it."

"Clarice, of course I remember." He smirks.

"I love you, but I really, really miss acting with you."

"Sean invited me to be on his YouTube channel with Emma. Come with me."

"Okay," I say, basically skipping beside him with joy. "I suck at that sort of stuff, but if you're there, I'm happy. When?"

"Not sure, but I will tell him we are down for it. Why don't we hang out before Moth's party tonight too?"

"Yes, please," I say, tugging at his arm like a little girl asking for presents from her parents.

He laughs. "Okay, okay, calm down, babe."

"Ugh, stop, no."

He stops outside his class to lean down and kiss my forehead. "I love you. Wait for me after school, we will walk home together."

"Of course. I love you too."

He gives my hand a squeeze before disappearing into his class.

Anxiety builds in my chest as soon as he leaves as if to stomp into my life and ask, "Did you really agree to be on a YouTube comedy sketch channel? What were you thinking?"

I was thinking that I'd take control over this situation that's been making me feel out of control. I was thinking I would do everything I could to keep my connection to Thatcher strong.

Oh my gosh, I think to myself, I am really proud of myself.

I just made sure Thatcher and I would keep swimming, and talking to him about it was as smooth and easy to follow as "Clair de Lune." I am a shark!

Today was a good day.