𝓜𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔂 𝓓𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓘𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼

Lester Averman

Janey was paired with Lester Averman for her ninth grade theater piece that they were doing as an extracurricular. Somehow, Averman's dramatic side had gotten him the lead role in the play alongside Janey. Janey did not play hockey, she was part of Eden Hall and she always hung around with the other girls. She knew of the Ducks, but she didn't watch their games at all. Averman knew who she was because he'd been crushing on her since the day he saw her in fourth period gym class when she knocked him square in the face with a dodge ball.

Standing side by side on the stage, the scene was cut short when the theater teacher was describing what she wanted to see more and less of. She'd been doing this for years. Every year they did some sort of Shakespearean play because the school was all about learning! That year it was Romeo and Juliet, the last time that play had been performed at Eden Hall, it did not end well as the entire cast had gotten sick from food poisoning from the gala evening the night before.

"Now, deepen your voice Lester." The teacher spoke. 

"It is." He cried out, looking at her. Janey not having it. She'd been working with the goofball for the past few weeks on this play and was tired of it. He liked to fool around and make funny gestures or comments, but she was too serious to find anything funny. "Don't you think it's deep enough, Janey?"

She shrugged. "I mean, for a fourteen year old boy it is. But not a late sixteenth century boy." She turned away to get her stuff as the group's practice was over now.

"Janey, I was wondering if you'd wanna hang out with my friends and I tonight?" Averman approached her as she pulled her jacket on.

"Um, I actual already have plans with my family. I've also got homework." She rejected his kind offer and left. Her love for Averman was nonexistent and Averman's feelings were only put down as she didn't actually know his true feelings for her. The fourteen year old curly red headed boy had never dated a girl, let alone been able to call one a best friend. 

He had girls on his hockey team, but most found him too awkward, especially since he was constantly with Goldberg, Russ, Ken and Dwayne, the group all being rowdy, weird, and very outgoing.

The play was the next night and they'd done every scene so far. The next scene was the kissing scene, but they hadn't actually kissed before the theater teacher wanted the emotions to be raw and real. Besides, she couldn't force to kids to unwillingly kiss each other, so she thought one was enough.

As the next night came along, everyone was dressing themselves in their costumes and did their hair. The Ducks were watching the play, all seated in two rows together in the auditorium. Half the school was there watching because others couldn't make it or there wasn't enough room. Besides, parents had showed up as well, which meant the room was even more full. Mrs. Forge, the theater teacher, walked around clapping her hands behind stage as the next, most important, scene was about to begin.

A short ten minutes later, Averman and Janey stood on stage together alone, with other actors portraying trees or holding up wooden structures to be made out as bushes, hills, even buildings or animals.

 Averman took Janey's hand in his and she didn't say anything, in an actor's mode. She glanced up, her eyes meeting his as he looked deep into her eyes. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand. This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." He spoke.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this, for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Janey said, looking at Averman.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" He questioned, raising a brow, then furrowed them. 

She stepped away with a blush. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." He stepped forward, bringing a hand to his lips then back down to pray.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake." She corrected him.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." He spoke, taking a step towards her. He leaned in and kissed her. Her lips still as he kissed her and when he pulled back, continuing his line, she stared at him, almost feeling out of character for a moment.  "Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged." He continued his line.

She was a little slow at first to continue her line and Averman wondered why, but his teammates were hitting one another and cheering him on from the stands. "Janey." He mumbled, his lips not moving as he spoke, needing her to finish her line.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took." She looked up to him.

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!" He shot a hand to the air. "Give me my sin again." He called and brought an arm around her lower back to pull her forward and he leaned in once more to kiss her in order for his character to take back his sin from her sweet lips.

Although, this time, Janey too leaned in to kiss Averman, a hand set gently on the front of his shoulder. The people in the crowd watched, Mrs. Forge, throwing fists into the air from the front of the stage as she watched and directed it. She was happy with the way things had turned out. When the two pulled back, they were both in shock, but the emotions were real.

The curtains had shut for the next scene and Janey stared at Averman, not sure what to do. He stepped out of character and walked away to join the others. Mrs. Forge joined them on stage to congratulate her students on their work so far, but the night wasn't over and there was still more kisses to come from Averman and Janey for their characters and the death scene that they'd practice so well by now.

When the play finished, Averman was out with his hockey teammates, walking around with them. Janey held flowers in her arms from friends and family as she approached Averman and his team. "Lester," She spoke up, the entire team turning around because no one called Averman by his first name, not even the teachers do. 

"Oh, hey, Janey." He walked up to her with his hands in his pockets. "What can I do for ya?" He asked, wearing a suit since the group was heading out for the night to celebrate. She wore a maroon dress with a big jacket around her shoulders. 

The Ducks watched quietly, some of them getting excited for Averman and some were curious, especially Fulton and Russ in what Janey saw in Averman because clearly she disliked him up until now. "Um, I was wanting to split my flowers with you." She said.

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Oh, well, I've got too many." She answered, a little odd with the situation, especially since everyone was watching. 

"Sure, I'll split them, but, not those ones." He pointed to the orange roses. The one flower bouquet that stood out from the rest. There were dark reds and purples, with whites and yellows, but no orange. She nodded, not sure why and passed him the other flowers. "Thanks." He nods, holding the bottom of the roses and then turned, running off, petals falling from the flowers as he ran to meet his friends.

She looked at the orange roses curiously, then grasped the small white tag that was hidden within the bouquet. She flipped the side to read it.

For an amazing show and co-star.
~Averman

She smiled to herself and turned around, smelling the flowers before returning to her family.

She thought that maybe Lester Averman wasn't what she seemed and that he didn't get to show her his other side. She got to see his annoying and goofy side, which is who he was. He was fun, not boring, he was adventurous, not boring. Janey couldn't help but smile and admire the flowers and those were flowers that remained in her dorm, the rest had been brought to her house. For the first time in a long while, she found Lester to be more than who he was.