The Theatre Jock - Part 3

All characters are consenting adults (18+)

Mr. Cannon sat at his desk and spoke like he always did. It was a mechanical, monotonous sermon that had most of the class snoring after fifteen minutes. From my seat, I could see right out the window and into the classroom on the other side of the building. It was the same classroom where Lucas Alder sat, mindlessly tapping his pencil to the side of his head. He hadn’t noticed me yet, but I’d certainly noticed him.

“Austin, can you pay attention, please?” Mr. Cannon barked, and I jumped at my name, and nodded.

“Too busy dreaming about his new boyfriend” Butch sniggered from behind, and I shot him a scathing glance before turning back around.

They hadn’t let it go since I’d told them about working with Lucas. I couldn’t even imagine what they’d say if they knew that I’d kissed him. Not just because it was in the script, but because something wild came over me that afternoon, and nothing in the world could have stopped me from reaching over and kissing him.

The moments that followed were a blur. The two of us had sat there, frozen in shock, until the realisation dawned on me, and I quickly left. Lucas had called me back, but my brain had exploded with violently confusing thoughts, and I ran from his house without even getting my shoes.

“You gonna bail on us again today?” Gary asked, “because if you do, I’m pretty sure Coach is gonna’ cut you from the team”.

Baseball was the last thing I was concerned about. I hadn’t even thought about it since last week. Regardless, I needed to clear my head. “No, of course not” I whispered back, “I’ll be there”.

The entire team sat around the locker room as Coach Reynolds gave his weekly pep talk. It always intrigued me that the man refused to give the talk before or after we changed, and instead, waited until the entire team of eighteen and nineteen year olds were stripped down to our underwear.

“Standards have dropped, boys” he said, his eyes pouring over the half naked teens, “I don’t know what’s gotten into everyone, but we’ve got a big game on Saturday, and I don’t want to see laziness or carelessness, do I make myself clear?”

Everyone replied in unison. “Yes Coach!”

“And as for you, Brooks” he said, turning on me, and I rolled my eyes. “A little birdie told me that you’ve gone to the dark side”. A few people on the team sniggered, but I remained stone faced. “You’ve switched a baseball bat for a tiara is what I’ve heard”.

Gary and Butch squirmed either side of me. I didn’t need to ask the man who’d told him.

“I’ve no choice, Coach” I mumbled.

“Nonsense!” He snapped, “I won’t have any of my boys prancing around like little girls. Now you tell that Adelaide woman that you’re done, do you understand me?”.

I felt my face turn red as he chastised me, but what could I say? The entire team sat, staring at me, waiting for me to mess up and reveal my terrible secret. I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded.

“Yes, Coach”.

“Good!” The man clapped, “now get your asses dressed, we have some real training to do”.

The locker room came alive as Coach Reynolds slowly sauntered back out the door. Butch slapped my naked shoulder and smiled.

“Told you we’d get you out of there” he grinned, and although I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the throat, I forced a smile back, and we got to work.

“Tell her now!” Gary said, as we walked back from training, and happened to pass the drama room, where two girls were performing their scene in front of the rest of the class.

“No, they’re in the middle of scene six” I said, without thinking, and Butch and Gary stopped dead and howled with laughter. “No, I just mean… It’s just…” My face burned red as they continued to laugh, before they grabbed me and dragged me toward the door.

“Get your ass in there, man” Gary guffawed, “tell those freaks that you’re done with this shit”.

Before I had a chance to protest, Butch had kicked the door open, and both of them had shoved me inside. The entire room fell silent, and every eye landed on me. I briefly caught Lucas looking, but turned away. I hadn’t spoken to him once since that afternoon.

“Austin” Mrs. Adelaide said, looking both curious and furious, “you’re late”.

I could still hear the two dipshits sniggering behind me as the tiny little French woman scurried over to me. “You’re late, and you’ve interrupted scene six”.

That sent them over the edge. They both cried with laughter until Mrs. Adelaide gave them a look so vicious that it even hurt me. “What is the meaning of this, Austin?”

I swallowed a lump once more. I could feel the sweat on my forehead, and once again, I caught Lucas glancing over at me. Everybody in the room could hear me now, but what choice did I have? Gary and Butch were right there, and this would most certainly get back to Coach Reynolds.

“I um… I quit” I said, and winced as I felt actual pain in my heart. I didn’t want to quit. For the first time in my life, I was doing something that I wanted to do. Not what my dad wanted, or what my friends wanted, or what Coach fucking Reynolds wanted. I was doing this for me, and now it was over.

I waited for the woman to beg me to stay. I had a lead role, after all. I wanted her to demand it. I wanted her to tell me that she’d deal with Coach Reynolds, so that I could turn back to the dipshits, shrug and say “see, I told you!” Instead, Mrs. Adelaide nodded, turned on her heel and pointed at the nerdiest kid I’d ever seen in my life. He sat with his legs crossed, and when the woman pointed at him, he bounced to his feet. “You’re taking over for Austin” she said, and walked back across the room.

I gawped at them all. How could they just replace me like this? I considered shouting at the woman, and demanding an explanation. Did this kid even know the lines? I stood there, my jaw on the floor, and watched as Lucas scoffed and shook his head.

“See?” Butch said, slapping my back, “I told you it would be easy”.

I walked home on my own. I couldn’t listen to Butch and Gary for another minute, and truth be told, I didn’t want to return to my house and listen to my family, either. I didn’t want to be around anybody, because I had nothing to say to anybody. I felt empty and hurt, and weak.

Rain fell again. I didn’t mind; it felt quite apt given the circumstances, and so I stood against the wall and let myself become drenched in it. Maybe I was punishing myself for being such a walkover, or maybe I knew that at any moment, Lucas was going to turn the corner.

He noticed me as soon as he did, but he turned his head and kept walking.

“Lucas” I called out, but he ignored me.

“Lucas!”

Nothing.

“God damn it, will you just look at me?”

He glanced over and stopped in the street. The sky had grown dark over us, and the rain poured down both of our faces.

“What?” He asked sharply, and I scoffed.

“What?” I replied, “aren’t you gonna’ say something?”.

He shrugged. “What’s there to say?” He asked, “your friends told you to quit, so you quit”.

I felt a rush of anger run through me. Had he any idea what it was like to try to hide his true feelings?

“I didn’t want to quit” I snapped, “but what else could I do?”

I watched his beautiful face as he smiled. “It’s tough, huh?” He asked, and I cocked a brow. “Not being who they want you to be”.

My mind finally became silent as I considered the words.

“Now imagine that was the whole world, and not just your friends” he continued, walking toward me, his shoes splashing in the puddles below. “Imagine that everybody you know wants you to be someone you’re not. Imagine your friends, your family, your teachers. Hell, imagine even strangers want you to be someone else”.

He stood inches away from me, his hair soaking and his eyes narrow.

“Shit” I sighed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“You didn’t think” he finished for me. “I guess that’s my fault” he added, “I told you to stop thinking”.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you” I said, and we both stared into each other’s eyes.

“Don’t do this, Austin”.

“I can’t help it”.

The rain fell heavier now. It splashed down around us, whilst we stood there in silence. I wanted to reach out and grab him, just like I’d done in his house, but it felt like my body had become frozen in place.

“I bet my replacement won’t kiss as good as I did” I said, trying to ease the growing tension.

“I won’t know” he told me, “he’s only covering for you until you take your head out of your ass and come back”.

“I can’t come back” I said, even though the words hurt, “Gary and Butch will tell Coach”.

“Womp womp” he said, and shoved me back against the wall. “Stop being such a pussy, Austin Brooks”.

Lucas’ hand clutched the collar of my damp t-shirt. He twisted it around his fist, and seconds later, his lips pressed against mine, and I melted once more. His tongue pushed inside my mouth. His free hand held the side of my face, and our eyes closed as we kissed under the pouring rain.