The Crumbling Pyramid

"Hello, Hendrix High! This is Dawn Monroe here, speaking for Student Council! As everyone knows, Prom is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start nominating couples for Prom King and Queen. All this week, we'll have a booth set up for Juniors and Seniors to write down the names of the people they want to nominate. The top ten couples who get the most nominations will be considered in the running. So don't forget to nominate! Have a wonderful day."

Anette hadn't really thought about the nomination process that had been announced that morning until lunch. She thought about maybe nominating Hailey and Bob just to see what would happen, but she didn't really seriously consider it. But at lunch, as she left the cafeteria for the hallway, she saw Gerard and Frank at the table, and absolutely had to go see what they were doing.

"I hope you're nominating yourselves," she said, and they immediately covered their slips of paper with their hands.

"Sure, Anette," Gerard said.

"You think that." Frank was trying desperately to stifle his awkward giggle.

"Alright, who are you nominating?" she asked, trying to pry Gerard's hand away from his paper.

"No one."

"Then why is Frank laughing?" Anette snatched Frank's paper from him as he completely broke down laughing. The student council kids at the table watched him with weird expressions on their faces. Anette read the paper, where Frank had scrawled "Anette Baker and Ray Toro" on it. "What?" she cried. "You're nominating me and Ray?"

"It's just a joke, Anette," Gerard said coolly, slipping his paper into the box before she could take it from him.

"But I don't want to be nominated!"

"Too bad. Besides, I want to see Ray in a crown."

"We won't win."

"We'll see."

The three of them left together, Anette still slightly miffed at them, but not so much because she knew that Gerard and Frank were the only two that would nominate her. At least, that's what she thought until Dawn stopped her in the hallway.

"Hey, Anette... I'm sorry I've been ignoring you," she said as Anette waved off Gerard and Frank. "I feel really terrible about it, but Tyler was right - Andrew can't really do anything bad to me."

"Well... I want to forgive you," Anette said carefully.

"You don't have to. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was sorry," Dawn replied, smiling weakly. "Oh, and hey, I think it's great that you're with Ray Toro. He's cute."

"What? I'm not with Ray, he's my friend."

"But aren't you two going to prom together? That's what I heard, anyways," Dawn asked, confused.

"Yeah, but I'm not dating him."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry, then."

"It's alright," Anette said, and she and Dawn parted ways. When Anette sat down next to Hailey, she asked, "Does everyone in this school know about my prom plans?"

"I think so," Hailey said, digging through her sack lunch. "I mean, I hear people talking about you all the time. Just 'cuz you're not on top anymore doesn't mean people still don't gossip about you. I hear stuff about Bob and I all the time."

"Great. Just great."

"Everyone thinks you and Ray are dating. It's kinda funny, considering..."

"Yeah, but no one knows about him being... you know," Anette replied.

"True."

The rest of lunch mainly consisted of Hailey testing Gerard and Anette on their lines. They were both nervous about opening night, seeing as this show wasn't going as smoothly as they had hoped it would. The girl who was playing Abigail was still having trouble with lines and blocking, and since the costumes had to be made, only about three fourths of them were done. Gerard had been asked to cut his hair, and now he felt he looked dorky with short black hair (despite everyone telling him it looked fine), and Anette wasn't looking forward to wearing that hot, itchy wool dress on stage with the lights cooking her. Only Mikey seemed a bit relaxed about it, mostly because the lighting was fairly simple, and since he had done such a good job with Grease, he was appointed the head spotter for the show.

Friday after school, Gerard, Mikey and Anette piled into Gerard's car to go get an early dinner before their call. None of them spoke much, as Gerard and Anette were both shaking from nerves, and they ate their food backstage silently before splitting up to do their pre-show duties. Mikey ran a spot check to make sure all the spotlights were working and wouldn't break, and then helped Sarah clean the booth and got his headset on and working.

Anette, meanwhile, was busy in the dressing room. She was there early, so it wasn't crowded with girls, and she had a lot of room to change into her plain, dark blue wool dress, wash all her school makeup off and put on some very simple stage makeup, and put her hair up in the bonnet. Then she sat in a couch with her headphones in and tried to psych herself out for her performance.

Ten minutes before house was due to open, everyone met on stage. "Alright, here we go. Opening night," Mr. Wind said once everyone was quieted down. "It's been a difficult run, but I think you can do it. Actors, just pay attention, don't miss your cues, and everything will be fine. Break a leg everyone."

There was a collective cheer, and then everyone went off to do final adjustments before house opened. Anette and Gerard found themselves in a wing together, talking to each other in character before they were shooed back into the classroom so the show could start.

Act One went pretty well. Everyone was nervous, but they hit their blocking and lines solidly. Anette was already sweating when she got offstage and prepared for Act Two. She was shaking and worried about overheating, seeing as how she had to be on stage the entire act. When Gerard came off stage, they talked through their act before they had to go back on.

The beginning went really well. Anette nearly giggled at Gerard's line, "Elizabeth, your justice could freeze beer," (it was one of her favorites) but she kept her face straight and kept going. Beth was fantastic as Mary, but things started to get shaky soon enough.

Conner, who was playing Reverend Hale, missed his cue line of Gerard's. Gerard and Anette sat there for a few moments, waiting for him to enter, but he didn't. So Anette spoke up, and they started improving a conversation about Hale until Conner finally rushed on stage and they resumed the actual play. But when Anette was dragged off at the end of the Act, she was furious.

"What the hell was that, Conner?" she hissed as loud as she dared as the curtain closed and there as applause.

"I couldn't find my damn pants for the scene, and I had to put on other ones! I'm sorry!" he snapped back.

"You better not miss any more cues!"

And she stomped back to the dressing room to change her costume for the rest of the show.

Despite Conner's mishap, the rest of the show went pretty well. The audience cheered at the end anyways, and Gerard and Anette shared a sigh of relief as they grasped each others sweaty hands and took their bow together.

After they were changed, they went out to the meet and greet together. Frank, Hailey and Bob were all there, and they congratulated Anette and Gerard as they meet them.

"How was it?" Anette asked tentatively.

"Conner was so late," Hailey frowned. "But you guys covered good. Other than that, it was good."

"I hated it," Frank said. Anette's heart stopped. "Like, I hate that show." Her heart restarted. "Your acting was good, but the subject... God, all the characters except Elizabeth and Giles piss me off."

"Me too," Gerard agreed. "I'm still kind of wondering why I auditioned."

"'Cuz it's your last year?" Bob pointed out.

"Yeah, I think that's the only reason."

"Hey Gee! Let's get milkshakes!" Mikey called out. He had his bag in his hands and he was looking pleased with himself.

"Alright, let me get my stuff," Gerard replied, and he and Anette said their goodbyes, went back and got their bags, and left for Denny's.

"God, we had better do good tomorrow night," Anette said miserably as they claimed their usual booth.

"I hope Mr. Wind talks to Connor and the costume crew," Gerard said, sliding in next to Mikey. "That was ridiculous."

"Yeah it was. But hey, lights were flawless," Mikey said, grinning.

"Oh, shut up Mikey. No one likes a bragger."

They ordered their milkshakes when the waiter came around.

"Man, your improv was good though," Mikey complimented. "And you Anette... 'Maybe they accused him of being a witch, too.' I was biting my hand so I wouldn't laugh."

"Thanks," she said, flashing him a smile. "It was really the only thing I could think of. But if Conner hadn't come on, I would have killed him. He should freaking know better."

"You would think that," Gerard said. "But it wasn't just his fault. Costume crew took his pants for that scene out to fix them an accidentally put them in Jason's spot instead."

"They should have been more careful about that, too." Anette ran her hands through her hair. "I'm so scared for tomorrow."

"Don't be. We were awesome."

"Here we go, the usual," the waiter said, and set down their three chocolate shakes.

"Thanks," they said in union.

They drank their shakes unusually fast, and before any of them knew it, they were ready to leave.

"I guess I'm just really tired," Anette said, reaching into her purse for some money.

"Ah, no, no, we're paying tonight," Gerard said, slapping a bill down on the table. "You got us during Grease, remember?"

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts," Gerard insisted, and they left. He gave her a ride home and then it was just him and Mikey to their house.

"Hey, Mikey."

"What?"

"You pissed that she's going with Ray to prom?"

Mikey thought for a moment, then replied, "I guess, but I don't think I would have asked her anyways."

"Why not?"

"I just... I dunno."

"You should seriously make a move on her. It's been ages since she and Chase broke up, I bet she's ready for some action again."

"You talk about her like she's a fighter plane or something."

"Sorry, but it's true. Besides, she's cute, you're good-looking... you'd be a good couple."

"Why?"

"You're everything she's not," Gerard said, pulling into their driveway, “and vice versa. Opposites attract, right? Look at Hailey and Bob."

"I... I guess," Mikey said, blushing. "It's just... I'm not sure she'd accept me."

"She's your friend. She already does."

"You know what I mean."

"Mikey, if you don't take the jump, you're never gonna find out what's at the bottom of the cliff," Gerard said, looking at his younger brother with a serious expression.

"But what if the jump hurts?"

"What if it doesn't?"