Scandal in the House of Titan
The Wrath of a Mother
“Ooh, biiiitch,” my drag sister, Luna shouts the second she sees Jack and I enter our home bar, Olympus, for another rehearsal. It has been nearly a week, so my eye is no longer swollen, and my cuts have healed, but there are still faint green and yellow bruises where the black and purple ones used to be.
Luna rushes up to us before we get too far into the dressing room.
“Dee is gonna fuck y’all up,” she whispers loudly.
“How does she know anything?” Jack replies, clueless.
“Stephen resigned from the crew, girl. Dee isn’t stupid. She put two and two together. You two…being the two… She’s in the back. I thought she was gonna breathe fire when she got here. I’m surprised she didn’t make y’all stay home or something.”
“Well, I am the choreographer,” Jack sighs, rolling his eyes and pushing passed Luna. I’m left with my drag sister and close friend alone in the doorway.
“Are you okay, baby?” She asks quietly, taking my hand.
“As okay as I can be, I guess…” I answer. She pulls me into a gentle hug.
“Are you and Molly a thing now, or what?”
“Kind of… It’s a little complicated right now.”
“Well, listen… I’m having a bonfire at my place next weekend. You two should come. I’m having the whole family over, except Dee. I made sure I planned it for the weekend she’s traveling.”
“We’ll try to be there,” I offer a small smile and a kiss on Luna’s cheek.
Rehearsal is miserable. We are preparing for a big Halloween show and rather than letting Jack control the choreography, Dee decides to step in.
“Okay, for the start of this song, I want everyone who has destroyed their marriages on stage right and everyone else on stage left!” She yells, not even glancing in mine or Jack’s direction. There are five other performers. All of them look between each other, Jack and I, and Dee, stepping uncertainly toward stage left, but not really committing to it. I feel my cheeks get hot. Jack places his hand on the small of my back.
“Dee, leave them alone!” Luna shouts from the centre of the larger group. The group separates, exposing the thin, golden-eyed drag queen to her furious grandmother.
“Why should I leave them alone?!” Dee explodes, pointing a long finger at my face. “They are homewreckers! Breaking this Haus apart with their drama!”
“They have clearly worked things out, Dee! This has nothing to do with us,” Luna steps forward, feeling braver. “Grace almost died for fuck’s sake! Let them be happy together! You’re just trying to humiliate them more over something they’re already freaking out about! The only person starting drama is you, Dee!”
All of us were already silent, but as soon as Luna’s last sentence rings out through the bar it feels like a blackhole has opened up, sucking what little sound was left out of the room. Dee freezes, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. I can see Luna break out in a sweat. Dee’s response cuts the air like a fiery hot knife.
“Everyone get out. We’re done today.”
No one moves except Dee, turning on her heels and storming back into the dressing room. The group of performers collectively breathes after the back door slams shut. Luna is shaking. Jack and I take a few quick steps and collide with her in a protective embrace. I feel more sets of arms tighten around us as our other family members step into the hug. I mutter against Luna’s ear, “I love you so much, but she is gonna kill you.”
Luna rushes up to us before we get too far into the dressing room.
“Dee is gonna fuck y’all up,” she whispers loudly.
“How does she know anything?” Jack replies, clueless.
“Stephen resigned from the crew, girl. Dee isn’t stupid. She put two and two together. You two…being the two… She’s in the back. I thought she was gonna breathe fire when she got here. I’m surprised she didn’t make y’all stay home or something.”
“Well, I am the choreographer,” Jack sighs, rolling his eyes and pushing passed Luna. I’m left with my drag sister and close friend alone in the doorway.
“Are you okay, baby?” She asks quietly, taking my hand.
“As okay as I can be, I guess…” I answer. She pulls me into a gentle hug.
“Are you and Molly a thing now, or what?”
“Kind of… It’s a little complicated right now.”
“Well, listen… I’m having a bonfire at my place next weekend. You two should come. I’m having the whole family over, except Dee. I made sure I planned it for the weekend she’s traveling.”
“We’ll try to be there,” I offer a small smile and a kiss on Luna’s cheek.
Rehearsal is miserable. We are preparing for a big Halloween show and rather than letting Jack control the choreography, Dee decides to step in.
“Okay, for the start of this song, I want everyone who has destroyed their marriages on stage right and everyone else on stage left!” She yells, not even glancing in mine or Jack’s direction. There are five other performers. All of them look between each other, Jack and I, and Dee, stepping uncertainly toward stage left, but not really committing to it. I feel my cheeks get hot. Jack places his hand on the small of my back.
“Dee, leave them alone!” Luna shouts from the centre of the larger group. The group separates, exposing the thin, golden-eyed drag queen to her furious grandmother.
“Why should I leave them alone?!” Dee explodes, pointing a long finger at my face. “They are homewreckers! Breaking this Haus apart with their drama!”
“They have clearly worked things out, Dee! This has nothing to do with us,” Luna steps forward, feeling braver. “Grace almost died for fuck’s sake! Let them be happy together! You’re just trying to humiliate them more over something they’re already freaking out about! The only person starting drama is you, Dee!”
All of us were already silent, but as soon as Luna’s last sentence rings out through the bar it feels like a blackhole has opened up, sucking what little sound was left out of the room. Dee freezes, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. I can see Luna break out in a sweat. Dee’s response cuts the air like a fiery hot knife.
“Everyone get out. We’re done today.”
No one moves except Dee, turning on her heels and storming back into the dressing room. The group of performers collectively breathes after the back door slams shut. Luna is shaking. Jack and I take a few quick steps and collide with her in a protective embrace. I feel more sets of arms tighten around us as our other family members step into the hug. I mutter against Luna’s ear, “I love you so much, but she is gonna kill you.”