Simon vs Senior Year

Chapter 7

The play wasn't until March but we started rehearsing in early November. We honestly were going to need every minute of practice that we could get. We started with some seriously rough read-through a before attempting to learn the music.

Mrs. Albright was the only staff member in the drama department, because I guess we were kind of an afterthought to sports for Shady Creek. So Mrs. Albright was stuck teaching us all of the parts to all of the songs while sitting behind the piano banging out melodies and harmonies for us to copy. Cal Price tried to help, but for all of his talent behind the scenes, he seriously lacked musical ability. Thankfully Taylor Metternich, for all her complete lack of social skills, was very good at music, and had (as she often reminded us) perfect pitch. As much as it killed me to take directions from Taylor, I had to admit, she was probably saving us from musical disaster.

I had done the play before. I was in Oliver last year. Being onstage didn't scare me. But last year I was just part of the ensemble. This year, I had an actual freaking solo. Just me. And I had to do this solo in the same show as Nick and Abby and Taylor Metternich, who all had bomb voices. I could easily blend my voice into a group without falling off pitch, but I had never been the one to stand it here and belt a song all on my own. The shower doesn't count.

The good news about this year was that this year, instead of watching Abby and Martin Freaking Addison memorize lines at the Waffle House, Abby, Nick, and I could all memorize lines together. I definitely preferred this to being forced to go with my blackmailer.

Abby didn't want to get stressed out about memorizing her lines like she did last year, so we started weekly Wednesday's at Waffle House to memorize lines. And sure, I was clearly a third wheel, and yes, Nick was obviously focusing more on Abby than the script, but Abby was good at making me feel less left out.

By the time Christmas Break rolled around, we were all ready to be off book by the time we returned to school. This year, at our all-day pajama rehearsal right at the beginning of break, Abby copied the exact question Taylor had last year, the question she knew the blond devil would ask at any second:

"For those of us who are off book already, do you want us to still carry our scripts to take notes?"

"Oh my god I was just about to ask that," Taylor said, giving a shiny smile. Because she couldn't let someone else get away with being the star cast member.

Mrs. Albright was clearly biting back a laugh. I guess Taylor's attention-seeking questions didn't go over her head like they did most teachers. She gave the same answer as last year:

"This morning, yes. This afternoon, no."

Abby and I could barely keep ourselves together while Mrs. Albright finished her speech and divided us into groups.

Rehearsal went great, even though I had to sing in front of the whole group for the first time. Because Martin was wearing a nightie again, and I had on oreo patterned pajama pants. These were an early Christmas present from Bram, because he knew that I would want them in time for this rehearsal. And Nick and Abby and Taylor and even Martin sounded amazing and I couldn't wait to see the show when it was all seamlessly put together.

It took a long time to get Abby to let go of me when rehearsal was over. She had her arms wrapped around me in the biggest hug.

"You know I'll see you over break," I said. "We are literally hanging out next week."

"I know," she said. "But I just know this time last year was when everything started to fall apart, and I just want you to have the best Christmas ever. Promise me you will, Si."

"I'll do my best," I promised.

"Not good enough. Promise me you will have the best Christmas."

I smiled and nodded. Because I was pretty sure I would. Because now I had Bram, and all my friends were happy, and I had no more big secrets for any idiots to spill on the Tumblr. Plus, I didn't believe in much to do with higher powers, but even I knew that someone had to be out there to make sure I had something to contrast the nightmare that was last year's Christmas.