Sgt. Pat Brophy is a stern man. Things are not going his way, and at the forefront of his ever-growing list of problems is the imminent death of his wife, Susan. Will he ever learn to look at life in the same light again, or is he forever doomed to bask in a pool of his own regret and self loathing? Furthermore, will he ever love again? Find out in this Spiritual successor to the classic play and film "Arsenic and Old Lace.", which takes the source material and sheds the 'Comedy of Errors' style themes, and trades them in for a far more dramatic style.
Based on the play/film arsenic and old lace, Performed on the Clyde Moore Auditorium at Redmond High School, Redmond, Oregon, Spring 2019. This book is a direct sequel, beginning almost immediately after the events of the original story, but emphasizing some of the more minor characters and moving away from the original protagonists. Please read the authors note before the rest of the book, as it explains some differences between the original screenplay and the Redmond High School performance. Namely the changing of a few characters from male to female. This includes the main female interest, who is male in the original text.
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]