The kiss
Andrews was calling for the actors to get their backsides onstage immediately. We were near the end of the rehearsal and he was definitely getting pissed off. He was using the same tone of voice he did in English when one of the boys had stepped over the mark. The whole cast was onstage and from what I could hear he was angry that some of the chorus members had forgotten where they were meant to stand. It wasn’t normal for him to get so wound up. He was going on about how even though it was only the second week of full rehearsals we needed to block the final scenes today so that everybody had an idea of the shape of the show blah, blah, blah. It was good to know the bloke could get stressed as well as creating it for everyone else.
Mark and Elizabeth seemed to be getting tighter. I heard Andrews saying to Ms. Sefton that he was seeing them three afternoons a week to work on their scenes. That was a lot of time to be spending together. It was on the cards that they’d end up with one another for sure.
She was hanging in the background talking to him—as usual. It was hard not to stare. She looked great. She always wore jeans, the type of jeans that fit just right around the backside; actually, they fit just right everywhere. They sat on her hips like they were teasing anyone who looked that they were going to fall down lower but they never did. She always wore different T-shirts, mainly ones with weird, funky designs. Jock would be beside himself because Elizabeth wore her hair in a ponytail to most rehearsals.
One of the best things about her was the way she laughed. Man, she could laugh and crack up the whole room. She laughed a lot. She especially laughed with Mark.
I had to find some way of talking to her. I was starting to feel like one of those guys who like to watch.
OK, let’s see what you’ve got. Curtain up—and action!
They ran through the song and arrived at the scene everyone was waiting for: the one where the guy who’s from the wrong side of the tracks kisses the rich girl, except in this story they’re at a costume ball, dressed in really bad clown costumes, pretending that no one knows who they are. I think it was even worse than the plot of every love story Mum hung out for at the video shop.
The hall fell suddenly silent. Silent and expectant. The chorus members had been gossiping about this since last rehearsal. The kissing scene. And let’s face it, in a school musical that was the most action you were going to get. The entire cast had pulled up seats around the band to watch. Even the geeks got the idea something important was going to happen.
OK, everybody, Mark and Elizabeth may need your support in the following scene. As you are all aware—Andrews looked around at the body of expectant voyeurs—this is the scene where our two lead characters, Polly and Tony, fall into each other’s arms and kiss.
Snickers from the geeks. I suppose you’ve got to cut them some slack considering their stunted development.
I have asked Mark and Elizabeth if they want the hall cleared, for exactly that reason … Andrews frowned at the geeks. But they have both said that they need to get used to it. So are we all clear with what is expected?
Everybody nodded and a couple of Sirs came from the pit. So much for not making a big deal of it. I wish they had bloody cleared the hall, then I could’ve got the hell out of there. No one else in the hall was moving apart from Romeo and Juliet onstage. At that point I looked up. The silence had reached a deafening roar. I watched as their lips met, and then continued to meet. They didn’t stop meeting.
Applause broke out all around me. Whistles, cheers and clapping were the backdrop as the two of them finally separated, looking just a little embarrassed.
That kiss was not acting. That kiss was for real. It was pretty obvious it wasn’t just the sick losers watching who enjoyed it. Elizabeth and Mark were mad for each other.
A perfect note to close rehearsals, I heard Andrews offer. Thanks, everyone. See you next week.
I was throwing my guitar into its case as he spoke. I’d worked up a bit of speed by the time I’d made it to the doorway.
Will?
I hesitated for a second. That kid had a radar system you could sell to the Australian army.
Hey, Freak, I’m kind of in a hurry.
He half jumped and waved at the same time.
See you next week!
Yeah, next week.
I raised my hand to him and as I did I caught the bloody prom king and queen arm in arm going to talk to their adoring public.