Duologue - Memeulous x ImAllexx (unfinished - go to the rewrite)

9

"Oh, you can't describe someone you're in love with!"
― Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

🂹

It was Thursday, nearing the end of lunch, and George had had a couple of days to marinate on what Will had asked. Except George didn't marinate. Instead he blocked it all out of his head and spent his free time gaming and ignoring his feelings. This, he thought, was a healthier way to spend his time than... pining. Or whatever it was people did when they thought about others they wanted to shag.

His forced ignorance had actually helped George from overthinking his next rehearsal of the kiss scene with Alex, who was heading over to him from across the theatre studio, now.

As he watched Alex walk he recalled the way they had shared centimetres of space last time, how their chests had been flush together, how Alex had seemed flustered and relaxed, all at the same time.

"You alright, George?" Alex asked, there was an oddly light tone to his voice, as though he was putting it on. "You seem a bit out of it."

"Yeah, man." George said. "Just, uh, thinking."

Alex nodded. "Cool, about anything in particular?"

"Nah." George said, quickly changing the subject. "So, the same scene again?"

"Yeah, I'm doing it in the extra rehearsal with Emma after classes today so I want to nail it before then. I don't want to embarrass myself like last time." Alex seemed to balk at the memory.

George nodded, unsure how to comfort his friend, "We got this, don't worry."

"Right, cool. So, right from the top of the scene?" Alex was about to pass George a spare script but George was already fishing out his own copy from his backpack. He saw Alex hide a smile.

"You're prepared."

"Gotta be." George replied, "I highlighted it and everything."

Alex looked a little honoured and then a little grateful and then a little... George couldn't decipher the last emotion, especially without his glasses on, he grabbed them from his backpack and settled them squarely on his face.

Alex blinked, like the appearance of George's glasses changed things. It ws his turn to say something but he had frozen, like an overloaded computer. He couldn't seem to look away from George, who, in turn, became a little self conscious.

"Let's start." George said, looking away to try to break the stare. "Otherwise we won't have time to run it even once."

Alex nodded distractedly, and wandered over to his starting position for the scene. George, confused, did the same.

He coughed once, to clear his throat, and glanced over at the still-staring Alex before starting. "Sometimes I wonder if loneliness is a virus."

Alex seemed to break out of it, whatever it was, and followed suit. He ran through the lines for the scene that he really hadn't known last time with surprising confidence. George was proud, and a little entranced by the change in demeanor. He had to remind himself to read the damn script when he spent so much time watching the other boy.

When the time lead up to the kissing part, Alex, continuing on his monologue, seemed a bit more nervous than before. George read the stage descriptions.

[Cathy pulls Roger in, passionate, and also a little desperate. She looks into his eyes for a second, knowing that this is her only chance, and kisses him boldly.]

The cue came along: "Cathy, this entire time i feel like you've been lying to me. At what point -". George took Alex's arm and almost spun him into his embrace.

They were much closer than they had dared to be before. George could see every feature of Alex's face, every freckle, every lash, the fine curve of his lips. He could see everything but the emotions in Alex's beautiful grey eyes.

It was like something in the movies, or in a novel, the way time slowed down as George looked, and made a decision. The decision the back of his mind knew he would probably regret.

As Alex's eyes fluttered closed, George closed the short gap between their lips.

The other boy took it in stride, he softened into George's hold in a fraction of a second, pressing into him like a lifeline.

George faintly realised that he had dropped his script, the now free hand snaking up Alex's chest to curl around the back of his neck.

Alex was slightly taller than him. George was furious.

After a second or two too long for it to be an accident, Alex broke away, looking slightly muddled. He was breathing heavily.

George couldn't see straight. He slowly took his glasses off and steadied his hands by shoving them in his pockets.

Alex, shakily finished the scene with a soldier-like resolve.

George, who had no lines left in the scene, just watched helplessly as Alex stammered his way through the lines. He knew they couldn't stop, couldn't talk about it before the scene was closed. It would change the momentum of the rehearsal, change the nature of their friendship forever.

By the time Alex drew to a close, George had finalised his apology in his mind. "Sorry about that, I sort of got carried away reading the script." George scratched the back of his neck.

"That was useful actually." Alex said, gaze shifting restlessly around the room.

"Really?" George was hesitant but tried not to show it.

Alex let the bell for the end of lunch to ring before he responded.

"Yeah, I needed to learn how to... you know." Alex drifted of. "I hadn't tried the actual... in rehearsal yet, I was so worried about it."

George nodded. "Cool. Happy to help. Call me anytime." He smiled first, then laughed a bit. Alex joined him and they both let humour mask whatever the fuck had just happened before they split to class.

Alex
5:45 PM

You free tomorrow too?

I think that last bit needed some work, I was kind of shaky

You're right, 3pm theatre?

Sure x