A Tantalizing Kiss

“Wrong, wrong, all wrong!” Stein yelled furiously as she stood up from her chair in front of the stage. Everyone froze in their position, staring at her.

What had we done wrong?

She pulled me forward so that I was closer to Emily than previously. Stein thought it was a good idea to have the understudies practice with each other for a rehearsal. Emily had been the understudy for Christine. While I had been looking forward to actually being able to act this time, I was disappointed that Rose wouldn’t be up with me.

We were currently working on the song Wandering Child/ Bravo Monsieur. It had to be one of my least favorites in the entire play.

I wasn’t sure why.

I just didn’t like it.

“Mason, you need to touch her. You can’t just look at her.” Stein said.

I sighed, tilting my head back, “I am touching her. Do I have to do it the entire time though? It feels weird that way.”

“Not the entire time—you can’t. But you must when I tell you to! And those brief touches just aren’t doing it. We need to see your emotion come out.”

Why? I wasn’t going to be in the actual performance. It seemed pointless for her to be yelling at me like she was.

I looked out into the audience to where Pierce sat with a smug smirk on his lips. He leaned over to Rose on his left, whispering something in her ear. His eyes never left me. She giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand.

I gritted my teeth.

“Are you listening to me?” Stein snapped, grabbing my attention once more. I pulled my eyes away from the audience, back to her face

“Yeah,”

“Prove. I want this scene down by the end of rehearsal.”

I inwardly sighed.

Stein walked off the stage, taking a seat in between Hoffman and Wilson. Wilson smiled encouragingly at me, sticking a thumb up.

“Action!” She called, using her mega phone she loved so much. It was only a plastic one, but I had dreams of melting it on her face.

The stage crew clicked on the song.

“Wandering child. So lost, so helpless. Yearning for my guidaaaance.” I sang, my eyes trained on Emily.

“Angel or father. Friend or Phantom? Who is it there, staring?” Her eyes were wide as she sang, playing the part beautifully.

Rose did a better job. Her voice fit with the song much better than Emily’s did. It was evident as to why Rose was the lead and Emily was only the understudy.

“Have you forgotten your angel…?”

“Angel, oh speak! What endlessly longings echo in this whisper.”

“Too long you’ve—”

“Stop, stop!” Stein said, standing up again. “Emily you need to be ten times louder. Get more into your role. You can’t see him so stop looking at him!”

“Sorry.” She mumbled, blushing.

I rolled my eyes discreetly, making sure that Emily was the only one to notice. She smiled slightly, appreciating the action.

“Start again.”

And so it continued.

We ended up spending most of the remaining time working on that one scene. I didn’t understand why it was so important to nail it if we weren’t going to actually be performing. It seemed to me that no one else understood either.

Finally, the clock seemed to be in our favor. The last half hour appeared to go by much quicker than the rest did. Not by a lot, but it was noticeable.

Stein was frustrated beyond belief, but we had managed to get the scene to an acceptable level for her. It began to become amusing to me to watch her stress over the minor details in our performance. Emily and I found ourselves sharing an increasing number of secret glances, our eyes filled with laughter.

Stein would’ve killed us had we openly laughed.

Finally, the rehearsal ended. I realized just how much I liked not doing much verses taking the lead in it.

Stein leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, “We’ll work on this some other time. You’re all free to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Slowly, everyone walked off the stage, heading to where our backpacks sat on the left side of the auditorium. I jumped off the side, heading over to where Rose stood, talking with Pierce. A wave of jealousy coursed through my veins as I watched them converse.

My eyes moved over to where Macy stood, flirting with the stage manager. I wished one of them would break from their current conversation to chat with me.

With a sigh, I moved over to the bags. Most of the kids had moved away from the area, chatting before we needed to leave. I picked up my bag, heading to the door.

“Mason!” A soft voice called.

I turned around, curious as to whom the owner was. Emily smiled lightly, walking up to me. I grinned back, “Hey, Emily. What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know that you did great up there. I’m very impressed by how well you’ve gotten.” She said, her cheeks tinting a shade of pink.

“Thanks, you did pretty well too!”

“So I heard your soccer team is going to State Cup this weekend.” She asked, trying to make small talk. We stood in the middle of one of the aisles, chatting. Emily brushed a strand of hair behind her ears.

I nodded, “Yeah, I still can’t believe we made it.” My eyes flickered over to Rose, recalling the reason why we had scored the last goal.

“Good luck.” She smiled gently, “I’ll see you later. I need to go; my ride’s already out front. It was nice working with you though!”

“Same to you, Emily!” I waved as she quickly hurried off.

“Hey.” A soft, familiar, voice said once Emily walked through the doors. I turned my head to the side to find Rose next to me.

“Hey, Doll—”

“Keep your hands to yourself, alright Johnson?” She snapped, poking her finger against my chest sharply.

I raised an eyebrow curiously, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I don’t want you touching me anymore. Knock it off.”

“Are you embarrassed by the hickey? Because come on, it looks good on you.”

“I’m not embarrassed about the—” She lowered her voice for the next word—“hickey. I don’t like the ass grab you pulled right there!”

I smirked, curling my fingers around the hand that poked my chest, “You’re upset because I grabbed your ass?”

“Yes!”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve done that…why are you making such a big deal of it now?”

“Because now I have the chance to actually confront you about that. You did a good job of leaving after harassing me.”

I raised my eyebrows in shock, “You’re saying I harassed you? Rose, calm down.”

She took a deep breath, pulling her hand out of my grip, “Just keep your hands to yourself, and we’ll be fine.”

Rose turned on her heel and started to storm away.

I grinned, “So I guess this is a bad time to ask for that date?”

She flipped me off without looking back, walking out the door. I sighed, my mood turning sour after that confrontation.

“What the hell was that even about?” I mumbled as I walked out the door after her, glaring at the ground.

Fate seemed to be out to get me at the moment, for it was sending its worse. The sound of a tongue clicking against a mouth was enough for me to quicken my pace, fists clenched.

“Tsk, tsk, Mason.” The obnoxious voice only belonging to one person said. It was event that he had seen what happened between me and Rose, finding it humorous.

“What do you want?” I snapped, one hand pressed against the door to exit.

“Little trouble in paradise?”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. He clearly was only here to annoy me. I pushed the door open, walking out.

“Now, hold on, Mason.” Pierce said, following after, “I have something that you should know.”

“Did you set her up to it?” I turned around, glaring at him suspiciously. They had been chatting the entire rehearsal. How was I supposed to know if he hadn’t convinced her that I was evil?

“Set her up to what?” He frowned.

“Her little blow-up she just had, you idiot.”

He laughed, “I wish I had thought of something so genius. No, that was entirely of her own accord.” His eyes twinkled as if there was something he was leaving out.

I didn’t let my guard down, hoping he could tell I didn’t buy his bullshit. “Humor me, Pierce. What could it possibly be that you have to tell me?”

He crossed his arms, leaning on one hip cockily. A smirk crossed his lips proudly, “I asked Rose out on a date with me. She said yes.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

I bit my tongue not responding. My fingers curled into fists as I struggled not to punch him in the jaw as hard as I could.

“So basically, back off. She’s mine now.” Pierce gloated, “She never wanted you anyways. But I thought I’d tell her for you.”

“Get the fuck away from me.”

“Is that anyway to talk to—”

“Get the fuck away from me before I do something you’ll regret.” I hissed, trying to hold back as much anger as I could.

Pierce raised his eyebrows, opening his mouth to respond. But I had had enough of him for one day. I turned around without another word.

Red filled my vision. I was so angry. I was angry that Rose chose that vermin over me. I was angry that he had the balls to tell me this. I was angry that she didn’t. I was angry that I hadn’t even been given a chance. That kid was gayer than rainbows, and she chose him over me?

I was the jock, the all star. I was the boy girls shooed over. Not because I was legendary in bed—no that was Rodger. But because I was gorgeous and faithful, nice and athletic. I had the body. I had the charm. I didn’t take advantage of it. I was the good guy.

Pierce?

He was the faggot.

Slamming the car door shut, I pulled out my phone, seething as I typed in the message.

Get your own ride to school from now on.

It took all I could not to write whore after the end. I had to be that mature one here. I wouldn’t stoop to that level.

Though I desperately wanted to.

I pulled out of the parking lot angrily as I drove home to a house. Hopefully, Joey wouldn’t bitch at me tonight.

I wasn’t in the mood for it.

~*~

I slammed the door when I got home. Joey’s car was already parked, shining in the sunlight. I resisted the urge to smash it in with a hammer, remembering that she used it. It was the biggest memory of Caden’s cowardliness.

“I’m home.” I called out, heading for the kitchen. I grabbed a box of goldfish, sitting on the couch as I chewed them angrily.

Joey walked in front of me, holding the mail for today. She dropped it down next to me on the couch, taking a seat in the arm chair. She stared at the ground with a blank face. I glanced at the pile of papers next to me, confused.

“What’s this?”

She didn’t say anything.

My eyes fell on the check that rested on top. Underneath it was the familiar bad hand-writing that could belong to only one person.

I picked up the check first, looking at it. My eyebrows raised in surprise at the number, “Five hundred dollars?”

She didn’t say anything.

I grabbed the note, deciphering the handwriting. I read it aloud, “To Joey and Mason. For the baby. I’m sorry. Give me a chance please. Sincerely Caden.”

I crumbled the note in my hand, throwing it against the wall. Joey didn’t comment, still staring at the ground.

“He’s trying to bribe us to forgive him?” I growled.

She shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t believe it, right?”

She shook her head, “No. But it’s five hundred dollars, Mason. With that kind of money… the baby could use it.”

“Don’t spend it.”

“I’m already on two jobs.”

“I can get a job.” I argued.

She shook her head, “You have soccer to worry about. If you go to the right school, you can get a scholarship.”

I rolled my eyes, “We both know I’ll probably just make it into community college with my grades.”

“If you’d actually apply yourself…” She trailed off, shaking her head. Joey leaned against the side of the armchair, curled into a ball, “I just don’t want you to end up like me, Mason. I could’ve gone to college if we could’ve afforded it. We could’ve been living in better conditions than this.”

“I like how we live now.”

“In a small apartment barely making rent?”

I shrugged, running a hand through my hair.

“He would’ve been so good for us…” Her voice cracked at the end.

“Joey, he left as soon as you told him you were pregnant. Do you really want your first child to have a dad like that?”

“I want it to have a dad though.”

“Not that one.”

She didn’t say anything.

“Whatever happened to Jason?”

“Don’t say his name.” She growled harshly.

I raised an eyebrow in surprise, not commenting. Jason had been one of Joey’s closest friends for a while. They went out for a few months back in her high school years, but it never worked out. I was too young to remember that. Jason and Joey had kept in touch for quite a while. He would come over every now and then for a night. But sophomore year, he stopped coming. I never questioned why, but the absence was noticeable.

He had done something to piss Joey off.

“Try one of those online dating websites that are always on TV.” I suggested, “But leave out the pregnant factor.”

“What? And say that I’ve just been eating a lot?” She snorted sarcastically, “I’m not that desperate.”

I groaned, “Just don’t cash the money. We can manage without it.”

“I have to cash it. It’s five hundred dollars.”

“No. He’ll know you’re giving into him.”

“I’m not giving into—”

“By cashing that check, you’re saying you still accept him as part of your life!” I shouted, standing up. This wasn’t helping my mood in anyway, “I love you, Joey, but you need to drop that low life. Don’t touch that check.”

“Fine.” She snapped, “I won’t touch the fucking check.”

I stared at her for a moment before I decided I could believe her. “Thank you. Did you go to the doctor’s yet?”

She faltered at the change of subject, “Uh.. Yeah. A few days ago.”

“What did he say?’’

“He confirmed I was pregnant, gave me a prescription for vitamins I need to talk, told me what kind of diet I should be having, and ran a few tests…” She trailed off.

“What kind of tests?”

“Checking for diseases and on the fetus’s size and condition.”

I hesitated before asking, “And are the results good?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Oh.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

She shrugged, “We’ll find out soon. He said I was looking good though. I think he was hitting on me during the pelvic exam.”

I laughed, “See? You could go marry the doctor.”

“He was old, Mason. It was creepy.”

“So?”

“I didn’t like having him inside of me and talking to me about it.” She shuddered dramatically. “My gynecologists are usually young and female.”

“You know what? When we start talking about my sister’s privates, that’s my cue to leave the conversation.” I said, standing up.

She laughed, “Will you go get me something to drink?”

“Will you stop talking about your pelvic exam?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will.”

I grabbed a cup, filling it with water from the sink. Handing it to my sister, I turned to leave the room.

“Mason?” She called softly.

“Yeah?”

“What happened to make you so upset when you got home?”

I hesitated, not turning around to look at her, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m here if you need me.”

“Yeah.” I left the room as quickly as I could.