Permanent Positions [2]

(Kyle)

It’s late. I can hear my joints cracking as I stretch and shut my laptop. “Finally,” I say, “It’s done.”

Ron is sitting on his bed with a literature book. “I knew there was a good reason I didn’t choose the science class,” he says. “My geeky, book-nerd brain could never grasp any of it.”

I laugh. “You got away from sciences, alright. But you’re in Lloyd’s class. Talk about the price you’ve paid. I’m ready for this insane nightmare to be over. Can we fast forward to tomorrow just to see what happens and come back to now and celebrate? I’ll sponsor the food; you get the drinks and the junk.”

“I didn’t sign up to help you, bro,” Ron reinforces. “That’s your problem to deal with. Malory isn’t the only one to blame for this predicament. Regardless of that situation, it’s mandatory for me to participate. The senior year drama students have to pitch in one way or another. I’m really curious about what play they’ve decided on for the production. And I wonder if I’ll be onstage or backstage. Maybe I’ll be a stagehand since there aren’t that many guys to help with heavy lifting. Who knows, anyway?”

“Roomie. What the hell is a stagehand? It’s like you’re speaking Greek to me.”

Ron rolls his eyes and drops to lie on the floor, tired and annoyed. “You know... I really am questioning why the hell the principal thought it was a good idea to make you the leading star –or or any star at all. Lloyd is a good actress and she’s actually in the drama class whereas you... you just don’t know shit.”

“You’re only contemplating over this now? I have been complaining about this all week. I’m shit at acting. I chose not to do drama for just that reason. But at least I know I can trust myself to do horribly at the auditions and the rehearsals. Hopefully the teachers will start panicking enough to give someone else the part the further along we get because they’ll obviously want the production to go well and I’m obviously not going to be the right fit to allow that to happen. I mean if they have any shred of common sense they’ll take precautionary measures and just forget about giving me the role to save the show. If they don’t, I’m convinced the production will turn out to be thoroughly chaotic. Especially if it’s involves both me and Lloyd. We all know how that goes.”

He sits up in realisation. “I’ve actually never seen you act. How do you know you’re bad at it? And about doing horribly at rehearsals... isn’t the point of this to rid yourself of a bad record? Don’t you want to do that? You should at least try, Kyle. Malory doesn’t seem too keen on the idea of acting beside you, but she hasn’t punched you into the floor yet. I’d say that’s a start.”

“Why are you siding with her?” I ask, defensively. “I was the one who agreed to do it first –and that squeaky clean record is the only reason why.”

“Then make the effort. You do want to do this for a good reason.”

I roll my eyes and scratch my head in irritation. “What if I fake an injury or something?”

“The show will go on. If they’re smart, the leaders will have an understudy for your character –if you do become a lead or have some other supporting role- waiting to jump in if you cannot make yourself available at some point or another. And I think that if you do that, you’ll be removed from your other groups anyway just like Beverly said she’d do. Do you want to risk not being on the swimming team or in the mechanics club or the tech club? Or whatever else you jump into from time to time? I don’t think there’s any way Bev is going to let you –or Malory- off the hook this time. I mean Malory did accidentally punch an innocent student trying to damage you. I heard the student’s parents were threatening to sue. I don’t even know who that kid was.”

“Damn... so that’s why Bev took such drastic measures,” I mumble. “This blows, man. I can’t risk getting removed from my groups. And I need that blank slate. I really do. Feels like there really isn’t a way out of this. Even if I’m stuck having to do this production, the point of it is to cooperate with Lloyd. Bev didn’t say we were going to be the leads for sure, but she did mention it. I don’t know if that’s the final decision or what. Even if we don’t get the leads we’re going to have to try to cooperate. Can you imagine that brat trying to cooperate with me? There’s no way that’s happening.” I pause. “I guess I should hold on to what I do have right now, though –which are my grades. I’ll still be smart. Won’t I? I’d still have my qualifications.” I slouch as I lean back into the chair. “I’d have something saying that at one point in my life I was good at something. That’s what awards are for, aren’t they? They remind you that, once, you were good at something. You were good enough.”

“Save the drama for the stage,” Ron says.

I turn to him in mock hurt. “Have you even met yourself?” I wheeze a laugh before my smile fades again. “In all seriousness, though, if that skeleton-head with a septum piercing does get the part, and I’m forced to comply, you know I’m not one to make excuses or give up without trying. I’ll take it seriously. It’s not that I won’t. I just don’t want to.”

I check the time again. My level of anxiety skyrockets. “I’ve gotta go.” I shove my belongings into my bag and head for the door.

“Hey don’t forget that in two months I’m gonna have my new ride!” Ron boasts. “You won’t have to worry about bumping into a serial killer on the way home at night anymore!” I hear him yell as I disappear down the staircase. I laugh.

Sure.