FicWad

Gerard and I each turned out to be in several plays, and all but two of them were together.

And then the white-haired man from the auditions wandered out from a back room and said, “Are Alixz Stevenson and Gerard Way here?”

Gerard and I looked at each other, and I raised my hand.

“Here,” I said.

“Will you both come with me, please?”

We stood up and headed over to him. He led us down the hallway into an office at the end of it.

“Have a seat,” he said, motioning to two chairs placed before a desk. He sat behind the desk.

Gerard and I took the chairs.

“I was very impressed with both of you at the auditions,” he said. “You’re both very talented.”

I resisted the urge to laugh.

“The reason I asked you to come here is because we’re doing a new show this year . . . A close friend of mine wrote this amazing little play, and we think you two would be perfect for the lead roles.”

Gerard and I looked at each other. His eyes were wide, almost like he was staring into the headlights of a car coming at him, and I was sure I looked like a lunatic, because I was about to burst out laughing any second.

Dear God, thank you for my cat, otherwise this would never have happened.

“Really?” I said. A squeal came out of me at the end of that.

The director laughed. “Yes. Of course, understand that you don’t have to. It’s completely optional.”

Gerard and I looked at each other again. And suddenly, I didn’t care if Gerard wanted to do it or not. I could do it without him.

Hopefully. I mean, what if the director took an all-or-nothing stance, and wouldn’t take me if Gerard said no?

I’d have to risk it.

“I’ll do it,” I said.

The director smiled at me. “Wonderful,” he said.

“Ah,” said Gerard. “Yeah. I’ll do it too.”

The director positively beamed now. “Great,” he said, standing up and shaking our hands. “I look forward to working with you.”

“You, too,” I said. “Uh, what’s your name?”

“Ben Dillon. Call me Ben.”

“Okay, Ben,” I said.

He opened a drawer and took out two folders full of papers, and handed one to me and one to Gerard. “These are the scripts,” he said. “The rehearsal schedule is in there as well. If you have any problems, let me know as soon as possible, because we’re going to need both of you here every time.”

I flipped open the folder and glanced over the schedule. I wasn’t sure if this was a testament to my commitment or lack of a life outside of theater, but I was available for all of it.

Just like I was for every other rehearsal I was going to have to have for the rest of the shows I was in.

I resisted the urge to sigh. “I’m free,” I said. “I’ll be here.”

“Me too.” Gerard closed his folder.

Ben smiled. “Great. I’ll see you two soon.”

“Bye,” we said, and left his office.

We walked out into the lobby and noticed that most of the people were gone. The few who remained were standing in clumps, talking to each other.

“What did that director guy want?” Evie asked. She was sitting where I’d left her, slouched in a chair and playing with her phone.

“Uh,” I said, noticing that Zeke and Lindsay were standing by the bulletin board across the room, talking. “Just . . . He wants Gerard and me to be in this one show.”

“What show is it?”

“I don’t know. Some play that a friend of his wrote.”

“Just you two?”

“I guess. I have to read the script.”

Evie grinned. Her eyes seemed to get darker. “Lucky,” she said.

Was she jealous? “I don’t know,” I said. “I might be playing a dying hooker or something.”

She laughed. “Doubt it.”

“We’ve got to go,” Gerard said.

“Yeah, sure you do,” Evie said. “You just don’t want to hang around here and wait with the rest of us whose parents have to come get us.”

“What about your car?” I said.

Evie shook her head. “Mom’s been using mine for months, ever since hers got stolen. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Uh, no.”

“Yeah. And then Dad’s using Zeke’s because his is in the shop.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s getting it back tomorrow, so at least I get something of my life back.”

“But it’s Zeke’s car, not yours.”

“So? You use Gerard’s car all the time.”

“No,” I said. “He just drives me places.”

“You make me sound like your personal chauffeur,” he said.

I shrugged. “I guess that’s kind of true, now that I think about it.”

“Please.” Evie snorted. “It’s only because you two don’t have lives outside of each other.” She slouched down even further and crossed her legs. “You guys are pathetic.”

“Maybe, but I’m not the one waiting for my mommy to come get me.”

“Low.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”