Just Dumb Enough to Try

Hangout at the Gallows

Louis let out a sigh of annoyance as he plugged in his phone. It was unlike him to fall asleep with it gripped in his hand. He threw the covers off of himself and found his prosthetic still attached. Rolling his eyes, he started his morning. He really needed to get these feelings off his chest before his condition worsened.

      He walked down the hall, in the clothes he had worn the day before. His floor's common area's gray carpet was freshly vacuumed was soft under his foot. A few students were already there, eating cereal around the table.

      He entered the kitchen area and pulled out some asparagus and butter from the refrigerator. Ever since he had gone away to university, he had started learning to cook. His father had insisted on getting a meal plan. Louis had yet to use it.

      "You don't need to waste time learning something so useless." His father had said.

       He moved the sizzling asparagus from the pan to his plate and and arranged orange slices in a nice way next to them. He felt proud looking at the small spread he had made for himself. It was a slow learning process but he enjoyed the feeling of providing.

      After he finished eating he went back to his room and started the shower. While it warmed up, he looked at himself in the mirror, trying to give himself a pep talk.

       "Ok, ask him out for drinks tonight and tell him how you feel. What's the worst that could happen?" He asked his reflection.

      "He could say no. You wouldn't be able to friends after that." His reflection thought back.

       He allowed the steam to erase those thoughts and got in the shower.

       All dried off he got dressed and began packing his bag for the day. The main concern on his mind was rehearsal. It was tech day. In other words, hell on earth. He knew they weren't ready. Everyone in the cast knew. The lead still didn't know his lines and they went up tomorrow for their schools annual Shakespeare festival. Out of all the plays, he had a feeling his cast was going to embarrass him.

      -You still on for drinks tonight?

      -Yeah

      His two cllasses went by slowly. He kept checking his watch and phone. Little flares of excitement lit up in his chest as the time got closer to meeting with Legosi.

      Rehearsal was a mess. Props and entire costumes were missing from set. The main had finally allowed someone to call lines for him. He began acting as though he were the victim of something and stirred up drama.

       On top of that, they were doing cue to cue. The ninety minute play was extended out to a good four hours. Louis' biggest part was at the beginning and he didn't come in until the end. So there was absolutely no possibility of him leaving early. He kept texting Legosi while waiting backstage.

      -Meet me at the bus stop by the train station.

      -When?

       Louis looked up at the lion struggling to get a dress over his fat suit, while two girls helped him with a wig they had just found on the ground. He walked out and the theater was still dead silent. The play was supposed to be a comedy, so the silence from the three people in the audience was excruciating.

       -I'll get back to you

       An exasperated director finally let them go. There was a palpable tension between him and the leads. Louis imagined he wasn't paid enough to deal with young actors.

        On the way out of the theater, his phone buzzed. A message from his dad. His veins turned to ice.

       -I will be waiting near the front of the school.