Mixtape For The End of the World

26. The actress playing Liesl in The Sound of Music breaks a bicycle.

26. The actress playing Liesl in The Sound of Music breaks a bicycle.

The play was just about to start when I sprinted toward the community theater. I hadn't been here since the iDKHOW show, and tonight, it was a completely different crowd of people. The audience tonight was mostly the actors' family members and old ladies that didn't have anything better to do. It wasn't hard at all to find Gabe and Ryan in the crowd - they were practically the only teenagers in the room who were there of their own free will.

I got into line with them, ignoring the gray-haired woman who was complaining about me cutting the line. I greeted Gabe and Ryan, but Ryan seemed like he was mad at me. "You're late," Ryan said. "The play's going to start in three minutes."

"You know that these things never start on time," I said.

"You're thinking of rock concerts, not musical theater performances," Ryan said.

"It's not that big of a deal," Gabe said. "Brendon doesn't have any lines until a third of the way through the first act."

"I guess it's okay that we're late then," Ryan said. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm just here to support Brendon. He's going to do so well out there."

"I'm worried about my next vision," Gabe said. "What if it comes true?"

"It won't," I said. "Brendon knows about the visions - he'll make sure that it doesn't happen."

"We've tried that before, and isn't the definition of insanity trying the same thing twice and expecting different results?" Gabe said.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that you guys have tried letting Brendon figure out how to stop a vision more than twice," Ryan said.

"We must be really insane then," I said. "I don't see how else we'll stop this vision though."

"Maybe we should all just leave," Gabe suggested.

"No!" Ryan exclaimed. "I want to watch Brendon's play!"

All of a sudden, Brendon walked up to us, dressed in his costume and caked in makeup. He was holding Penny Lane and stroking her fur. "Brendon, aren't you supposed to be backstage?" I said.

"I wanted to see you guys before the play started," Brendon said.

"What's Penny Lane doing here?" Gabe asked.

"Spencer saw me walking my dog, and he thought that she was so cute that she should be in the play," Brendon explained. "He somehow convinced Carol that the von Trapp family should have a dog, so now Penny's in the play. She'll be a great actress." Penny Lane yipped, and Brendon scratched her ears.

"I think you'll steal the show, Brendon," Ryan said.

"Thanks," Brendon said. "I just want a different costume next time I do this, since this one is super uncomfortable. Maybe for my next play, I'll get to wear something with high heels."

"Aren't heels supposed to be really difficult to walk in?" I said.

"I can make high heels work," Brendon said.

"Brendon!" someone shouted.

"I should go," Brendon said. "I'll see you guys after the show."

"Good luck!" Ryan called as Brendon ran off.

"Break a leg!" Brendon corrected him.

"Break a leg!" Ryan shouted, but Brendon was too far away to hear him. A few minutes later, the door opened, and all of us entered the theater. Gabe, Ryan, and I quickly found our seats, and once we were all seated, the show started.