FicWad

“I don’t know why I let you talk me into this stuff,” Gerard said, grumbling, as he pulled into the theater’s parking lot on Thursday night.

“Because you love me,” I said.

“Not right now, I don’t,” he said, trying to find a parking space, since the lot was choked with cars.

“Or maybe you’re just bored, then,” I said.

“Let’s go with that.” He pulled into a space.

We got out of the car and headed up to the building.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “You look kind of pale.”

“I’m usually pale.”

“Paler than usual.”

“I’m fine,” he said, holding the door open for me. We walked in.

The lobby had been cleared of all its usual tables, and chairs had been set up in neat rows all across the room. Most of them were filled up by now.

A little boy bumped into my leg, then stared up at me.

“Sorry,” his mother said, apologizing for him, and led him out of the building.

“I’ll be right back,” Gerard said, and headed off in the direction of the bathroom.

I found some empty seats near the back and took one. I set my bag on the chair next to me to save it for him.

A skinny blonde dropped into the other free chair next to me, and her bag bumped my knee. “Sorry,” she said, then looked up at me. “Oh, I remember you.”

“Hi,” I said.

“What’s your name?”

“Alixz.”

“I’m Lindsay.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

We shook hands.

“Okay, I know it’s going to sound weird if I ask, but . . .” Her voice trailed off and she giggled slightly.

“What?” I said.

“Well, that guy you walked in with . . . I remember him from the audition, too. His voice was so . . .”

“Insane? Yeah.”

Lindsay nodded. “I can’t figure out if you’re dating or related.”

I laughed. “Neither.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Really? I figured it had to be either one of the two.”

I shrugged. “Well, it’s not . . . We’re just friends.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She grinned. “You guys are kind of cute together, by the way.”

“Shut up,” I said, and laughed. She laughed, too.

“I know! That’s what I keep saying!” someone said, and wrapped their arms around my neck from behind.

I turned to see what it was, and Evie’s hair grazed my eyeball.

It hurt.

“You can let go of me now,” I said, moving to cup my hand over my wounded eye. “You really should choose a less assaultive method of greeting.”

Evie laughed. “I’m so hyper right now,” she said. “I had, like, three Red Bulls today.” Lindsay and I stared at her in amazement, and she held her hand up. “Not even kidding.”

“You know those things are so bad for you,” I said, taking my hand off my eye and blinking it several times.

Evie rolled her eyes. “Someday, honey, you’ll realize your destiny of being a dietician and leave theater forever.”

“I was hoping for something cooler, like life coach.”

“Please.”

I shook my head. “Evie, this is Lindsay. Lindsay, Evie.”

They shook hands.

“Hey,” Lindsay said.

“Oh, my God,” Evie said. “Your nose is pierced. That is so cool. Did it hurt? I hear it hurts like hell. And then it gets infected, you know. I don’t know. That’s just what I heard.”

“It can,” Lindsay said, tapping the stud on her nose. “I mean, mine didn’t. But you just have to be careful to keep it clean until it heals.”

“But it hurts, right? Doesn’t it?”

Lindsay shrugged. “I didn’t really mind it. But that’s just me. I like the pain.”

“Obviously not for you,” I said to Evie. “You cry when you get a paper cut.”

“I do not! Well, unless it’s a deep one,” Evie said, and laughed.

“Forgive her,” I said to Lindsay. “She’s a normal human being when she’s off the crack.” I shook my head at Evie.

Lindsay laughed and shook her head. “You remind me of my cousin,” she said to Evie.

“Hope that’s a good thing,” Evie said, and cracked her knuckles.

“Yeah,” said Lindsay. “My cousin’s great. She’s like the little sister I never had.”

“I have a little sister,” Evie said, grinning. “She’s a freakin’ pain in the you-know-where.” Then she scowled and rolled her eyes.

Lindsay laughed.

“I have a brother, too! He’s over there.” Evie pointed across the room. Zeke was reading a bulletin board hanging by the main doors. I hadn’t even noticed him.

“ZEKE!” Evie shouted, then grabbed my wrist and waved it in the air.

“Evie!” I said, as my mouth dropped open and I smacked her arm.

Evie laughed hysterically as Zeke came over and sat down next to her.

“Hi, Alixz,” Zeke said.

“Hi?” I said.

Why is my life so humiliating all of the time? It’s like the universe is constantly trying to find ways to make me turn red.

Of course, Evie found this equally hilarious.

“Uh.” I needed to think of a way to divert this situation. “Lindsay, Zeke; Zeke, Lindsay.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lindsay said as they shook hands.

“You, too.”

I felt Evie flick the back of my neck. It didn’t hurt, but it was annoying, so I turned around and flicked her back.

“Ow!” she said, holding the spot on her arm where I’d popped her. “I swear to God. One day, I’m going to find out how you do that and get you.”

“Do what?” Zeke said.

“She flicks hard,” Evie said, showing Zeke the spot on her arm. A bright red spot had appeared on her arm. She glared at me. “You are such a bitch.”

I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “You started it.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Zeke said.

“No, it really hurts.”

“You cry when you get a paper cut,” he said.

I started laughing. “That’s what I said.”

Evie groaned. “I do not,” she said. “Gerard!” she said.

I turned. I hadn’t notice Gerard set my bag down on the floor and sit next to me.

“Okay, I bet Alixz pops you one all the time, doesn’t she?” Evie said.

“You could say that.”

“Hey!” I said. “The last time I did it was, like, days ago.”

Nobody paid that any mind.

“And doesn’t it hurt?”

“Ah . . . Not really.”

Evie and I gave him dubious glares.

And then I reached over and popped him one.