Don't Tell My Brother

Chapter 32 - The Favour

Lucas made it just in time, hallway through Ana Edelman's rendition of 'We're Off To See the Wizard'. As unbearable as Alex said she was, Lucas had to admit she could sing. The sound was loud and clear, filling the hall, a far more powerful sound than he would have expected coming from the small, slight girl onstage. Lucas scanned the hall, and had no trouble spotting Alex. The head of ginger hair was hard to miss. She sat close to the stage, beside a middle aged man with an impressive handlebar moustache, furiously scribbling in a notebook. Every so often, they would turn to whisper to each other. Lucas decided she was too busy to interrupt.

Instead, he located Mona. She sat beside Lee, who was putting the finishing touches to their yellow brick road backdrop, mullet speckled with gold paint. Mona had a physics textbook open on her knee, and despite the fact neither of them were acknowledging the other, they didn't look uncomfortable with the silence.

"Hello." Lucas said, dropping his bag to the dented wood floor and sitting down beside Mona, eyes on the stage. "What'd I miss?"

Lee glanced his way and offered him a nod and a small smile, before turning back to adding flecks of shine to the yellow bricks. Mona didn't glance up from her chapter.

"Dorothy fights with her aunt and uncle, there's a hurricane, she wakes up in Oz, kills a witch, meets another witch, the Munchkins—"

Okay, okay, I'm familiar with the plot of The Wizard of Oz."

"Just checking." Mona smiled, turning a page in her textbook.

"And how's Alex?"

To his surprise, Lee chimed in. "She's good. Stressed, because some of the transitions aren't happening as quickly or as smoothly as we'd like, but she shouldn't worry. The storm scene went near perfect thanks to her work, and that was the most ambitious. Everything else is fixable."

It was the most Lucas thought he'd heard Lee ever say at once, and they'd been in the same English Lit class last year. "Right. Thanks."

Lee nodded again, and turned back to their work. The three of them sat in silence for the rest of the rehearsal, watching the performance. Well, Lucas was watching. Lee had their backdrops to paint, and Mona was doing Physics homework. But they were half-watching, which was close enough. Lucas pulled out his phone to check on Damien.

How's it going?

almost done

im pretty much the world champion of cleaning now bc that sugar glaze shit sticks to EVERYTHING

Sorry to abandon you

wdym im living the dream rn

but seriously don't worry abt it

Wow, never would've guessed your dreams were so domestic. Did you miss your date?

just said sorry and cancelled

didnt really feel like it anyway

Lucas was actually surprised to hear that he'd apologised, considering every rumour about Damien involved some sort of heart-breaking, cad behaviour. And having met Damien, he could understand those rumours. They fit the Damien of a month ago, at least. The cancellation was odd too, given how Damien would probably hit on a signpost if there was no one else around. Maybe he wasn't feeling well. The music swelled as The Wicked Witch stepped onto the stage, and Lucas glanced to Alex, who was watching very intently. Obviously an important part.