Drama Girls: A Lesbian Romance

by Mia Archer

  When he was finished he clapped his hands together and smiled. Rubbed them together.

  “I know that normally we start out with some of the bit parts and work our way up to the main event, but I was thinking this time we’re going to mix things up.”

  I felt a tingle running along the back of my neck as he said it. Mostly because he looked up to the back of the room and I got the feeling he was looking right at me.

  “I think this time around we’re going to go ahead and start with auditioning for the main parts then work our way down.”

  There was murmuring all through the room. I didn’t know enough about the drama club to know when something out of the ordinary was happening, but I knew enough about people to know that Mr. Thompson had just flipped the script for some reason.

  He looked at me again, and I wondered if it was all for me. Maybe he thought I’d lose my nerve if the night went on too long or something?

  Sarah elbowed me in the side. “That’s new.”

  “Is it a big deal?” I asked.

  “Everything new is a big deal. Mr. Thompson hasn’t changed things in all the years I’ve been here,” she whispered back.

  Huh. I didn’t know nearly enough about the drama club. I didn’t know nearly enough about anything.

  Mr. Thompson was looking around the room. “So do we have any volunteers for Mr. Farnsworth?”

  There were no hands. Some of the guys looked around the room like they were wondering if someone else was going to take up the slack, but it was clear the change of pace had screwed up the room.

  I thought back to that day when I finally got up and did my monologue. I’d been so jittery that day. Like I didn’t think I could go through with it.

  But I had. And it hadn’t killed me. It had actually been kind of fun, even if I had been drawing strength from Sarah sitting down in the front row smiling and giving me encouragement.

  She probably didn’t even know how much she’d encouraged me, but whatever.

  Finally a short squat guy raised his hand. Not at all what I expected Mr. Farnsworth to look like. There were a couple of guys who better fit the handsome rakish description at the beginning of the play, but it looked like they were hanging back for now.

  “Great Colin,” he said. “Now do we have anyone out there who’s willing to play our Violet?”

  I’m not sure what came over me. Maybe I was thinking about how easy it had been when I got up on the stage to do my monologue. Maybe I was a little crazy because Sarah was right here beside me and she’d made it clear her grade was riding on this.

  Whatever it was, my hand shot up. Right at the same time as that Courtney girl. Great.

  “Great. I have to go up against her?” I whispered.

  Only Sarah wasn’t responding. I turned to her and she was staring at me as though I’d grown a second head or something. Okay then. Maybe I wasn’t the only person surprising myself with my willingness to go up onstage.

  Finally she seemed to get control of her mouth. After a moment of moving her lips like she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get it to come out.

  “Come on. It’s just like we talked about. Courtney’s been the lead in a couple of plays over the past couple of years. You trying out against her will be great. You’re not going to get the part, but you’ll show her she can’t push you around,” Sarah said.

  I sighed. “Great. I’m going to be going up against the best the program has to offer. That’s just wonderful.”

  “Yeah, well she has no idea what she’s going up against,” Sarah said. “Get up there and break a leg!”

  I wanted to ask her why she was hoping I’d harm myself up on the little stage, but I didn’t have a chance. Mr. Thompson looked at Courtney with a flat expression, then looked beyond her and saw me sitting in the back with my hand raised.

  His face turned up in a wide grin. Courtney turned around and stared at me. Realized there was someone else in the room going out for the part she clearly wanted.

  And it was really more of a glare than a stare. I swallowed. I hadn’t intended to get in this deep. I didn’t think auditioning would get me on the bad side of some senior girl, but it looked like I’d just made an enemy.

  Great.

  I couldn’t do anything about it though. Mr. Thompson was motioning for me to come down and what could I do?

  It was time to audition. Courtney would have to wait. Now if only I could do something about the butterflies dancing in my stomach threatening to make me puke my guts up I was so nervous.

  10

  Sarah

  Hoo boy was this going to be good. When I told Chloe she needed to get up there and audition because my grade depended on it I didn’t think she’d go out for the main part.

  I mean I guess it sort of made sense. That was the monologue she’d done in drama class, after all. It was the part she was most familiar with because we’d read the script in class after those monologues and Mr. Thompson had made a point of having her read Violet’s part.

  Maybe the old guy was pulling something there. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who saw something in her performance.

  Now it was a matter of figuring out if she was going to last long enough up on stage to actually make a run for it.

  Someone sat down next to me where Chloe had been moments ago. I glanced over and saw Courtney slinging her backpack down on one of the seats.

  “Why is she trying out for my part?” she asked.

  I grinned.

  I was a little surprised at how willing I was to sell out my best friend of so many years. We hadn’t had as much opportunity to hang out lately since I’d been so busy with class.

  Still, there’d been a time when I wouldn’t dream of saying anything bad about Courtney. Back when I’d been in the depths of my first big girl crush. I guess it showed I’d finally broken free somehow that I was rooting against her now and rooting for Chloe instead.

  Or maybe it was that one girl crush had been replaced with another.

  “What’s the matter Courtney? Afraid that freshman you yelled at on the first day of school is about to try out for the lead role in the play,” I said.

  Courtney barked out a laugh then covered her mouth. A couple of people turned to look at us, but turned back around when they saw it was just me and Courtney back here.

  Giggling when me and Courtney got together was hardly anything new in the drama room. Especially during tryouts.

  “This is going to be good,” she said. “Didn’t you tell your little girl crush freshmen weren’t supposed to try out for big roles?”

  I rolled my eyes and elbowed her in the side. It was the least she deserved for making a crack about my “girl crush.” I was starting to regret ever telling her about the serious case of giddiness I was developing whenever I was around Chloe.

  “Could you say that any louder?” I hissed. “She doesn’t know, and I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”

  “Whatever,” Courtney said. “Now shut up. The show’s about to start and this is gonna be good!”

  “She’s really better than you’re giving her credit for,” I whispered.

  “Uh-huh, and you’ve already told me that you’d like nothing more than to sneak into one of the costume rooms and play kissyface with your fresh meat, so I’m not going to listen to anything you have to say about her acting ability.”

  I rolled my eyes again. Though to be honest the thought of disappearing into one of the costuming rooms for a little bit of kissyface with Chloe was interesting.

  That thought kept me going right up until Chloe stepped up on the stage. It was just her and Colin with the lights beating down on them.

  Those lights could be hot. I should know. I’d been under them and they felt the same whether you were supporting cast or in the lead.

  I’d even considered trying out for the part of Violet this time around. The part didn’t interest me beyond being the lead and the sure knowledge that if I got that part I’d
be keeping Courtney from getting a part which would be a feather in my cap in our never ending competition, but Chloe going up and trying out was far more interesting.

  If pigs did fly and the girl I’d been teaching managed to beat out little miss perfection for a lead role her senior year it’d be rich.

  Pigs would fly before something like that happened, but I figured a girl could always dream.

  “Right,” Mr. Thompson said. “You both have your scripts, and we need to see if there’s any chemistry up on the stage. If you could turn to page twenty-five for the drawing room scene please. Start whenever you’re ready.”

  I pulled up my copy of the script. It was already folded and curled up at the edges because I’d spent so much time reading through the thing. More time than I usually spent getting ready for a play.

  I’d had to get Chloe in fighting shape for her monologue, after all, and then we’d had that read-through in class. I’d even done the part of Mr. Farnsworth a couple of times when none of the guys in class had the balls to read it.

  Wimps.

  And speaking of not having any balls. None other than Colin was up there reading now. Colin who was about as far from imposing and masculine as you could get. He was fooling himself if he thought he was fooling anyone else that he was straight, but I figured it wasn’t my place to call him on it.

  Running into a closeted kid in a high school drama program was about as easy as finding an ear of corn out in the fields in the middle of summer.

  “Why Mr. Farnsworth,” Chloe said, her voice wooden and deadpan. “You know you shouldn’t say such things.”

  I sighed. I guess it was too much to think she’d actually get up there and knock it out of the park a second time. This was completely different from her monologue. She was looking at the ground and more mumbling her lines than anything else.

  Damn it.

  “How can I resist saying such things when I have such a radiant beauty standing before me?” Colin said.

  This time my eyes rolled so hard it was a wonder they didn’t detach from my socket and go flying across the room.

  Colin was a senior. He always acted like he was God’s gift to acting. He always talked about how he was going to go on and study drama at the university level and go on to big things someday.

  If he acted as well at college as he did here in high school then the bigger and better things he was going to go on to was the night manager at some fast food joint.

  He was terrible. Which made it even funnier and maybe a little sad that he thought he was so great. Annoying, even, whenever he was going on about how wonderful he was despite never getting a lead role in a play.

  Today he was bad, but in a completely different way from Chloe. He was over the top. If there was a picture in the dictionary next to the definition of “overacting” then he’d be right there under the picture of William Shatner.

  In short, it was terrible. Chloe wasn’t ever going to be able to get in anything good if this is what she had to work with.

  “But Mr. Farnsworth,” she said, still looking down.

  She paused. Seemed to hesitate. Took a deep breath. Glanced out into the crowd. Looked at me in particular. I nodded, hoping that sending some positive vibes her way would be enough to give her a little bit of that confidence she’d had when she was delivering her monologue.

  A girl could hope.

  She looked up. Squared her shoulders. Took a step forward and reached out as though she wanted to touch Colin, but stopped just short of it. Her mouth fell open and then she squeezed her eyes shut.

  It was all masterful. She was a natural. Just like that I was watching the girl who’d knocked it out of the park during her monologue. She was the girl I wished I could’ve been a couple of years ago when I was the freshman standing up there auditioning for the first time.

  “Why Mr. Farnsworth,” she said, her voice breathless. “When you say things like that it almost makes me hope that… but no.”

  She turned away. Was it a touch melodramatic? Maybe, but this was a decades old comedy we were talking about. I thought a little melodrama added.

  “Please Violet,” Colin said, throwing his arm to his forehead like he was in a bad soap from the ‘50s. “You shouldn’t tempt me so!”

  Chloe turned and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Mr. Thompson’s voice rang out and interrupted them. Which was a damn shame because I’d been looking forward to seeing what else she did with the part even if she was up against Colin the ham.

  “Okay. If the two of you could stop right there,” he said.

  Thompson turned and looked out across the room. Searched the crowd in the dark.

  “We really need someone up there who can work with Chloe. Give her something to act against,” he said.

  Colin looked more than a little annoyed that his performance was being dismissed out of hand like that. He opened his mouth looking like he was going to complain, then shut it.

  Everyone in the drama club learned an important lesson very quickly. Mr. Thompson was very serious when it came to picking a part, and arguing with him would only get you a dressing down. Usually in front of everyone considering he wasn’t shy about those dressings down.

  “Anyone out there want to volunteer for the part of Mr. Farnsworth?” he asked. “Surely Colin isn’t the only one who wants to try out for that part people?”

  The question was obvious. It was a lead role. The only problem was he’d put the auditions for the leads at the front of the tryouts rather than the end.

  I know it’s weird, and it’s something someone wouldn’t understand unless they’d spent some time in drama. At least in our drama club.

  Acting was as much about what happened in your head as it was about what happened up on the stage. Everyone came here tonight expecting to try out for the lead roles, but I’m sure none of them were expecting to try out first thing.

  Thompson had flipped the script, and it seemed perfectly natural that people would be spooked. I know it had thrown me for a loop.

  “Come on. Anyone at all?”

  He looked at all the usual suspects. Josh. Michael. Adam. A couple of seniors and one junior. Adam in particular was an oddball since he was your typical jock sports star type, but he’d been pulled into a starring role last year and decided he liked the whole drama thing too.

  I felt a weird tingling starting on my scalp. It was a tingle that usually only happened when I was about to do something stupid.

  Like raising my hand.

  The movement caught Mr. Thompson’s attention. He looked to the back and blinked. I guess he wasn’t expecting for a girl to volunteer for the part, but then realization dawned and a huge grin split his face.

  “Sarah! That’s genius! Come on. Get up here!”

  He waved with so much enthusiasm that I wanted to melt into the floor. Usually it was nice getting praise from Mr. Thompson, but it was clear from the looks everyone was giving me that not only were they not expecting me to try out for a male part, but they thought it was ridiculous.

  Well they could go fuck themselves. They could think all the nasty things they wanted about the out lesbian trying out for a dude’s role.

  Even in the drama club you couldn’t avoid the small town mentality sometimes. It was baked into everyone from the moment they were born, unless they were unfortunate enough to move here from the big city or something, and I’d gotten used to dealing with it even here where you’d think people would be more open minded.

  Oh well. It was too late to go back now. Besides, anyone who had trouble with me gender bending the lead role could go fuck themselves.

  By now most of them would know that’s how I felt about them getting upset, so no one said anything.

  I took a deep breath. Stood. Made my way down to the stage. Looks like it was time to audition for a role I never thought I’d be going out for.

  11

  Chloe

  Okay. What was going on here. I wasn’t counting
on Sarah coming up here and auditioning with me.

  What did Mr. Thompson even mean when he said he wanted someone up here who’d give me something more to work with? I watched Sarah making her way down one of the two aisles in the mini theater.

  Oh boy. I was starting to think things again. The sort of thoughts I’d been trying to keep out of my head. The sort of thoughts a good girl wasn’t supposed to have about other girls.

  I closed my eyes. Found myself saying a little prayer. I’m not even sure what it was for. Strength? The ability to keep my cool on stage?

  I’d done the same thing before giving my monologue, and it hadn’t helped. One look at Sarah and I was up there onstage pouring my heart out to her using the words in the play.

  And now here she was right in front of me playing the big love interest. Two girls playing love interests. That was wrong.

  That was supposed to be wrong, at least. Everything I’d ever been taught by Pastor Dave told me it was wrong.

  So why did it feel so right?

  “Chloe? You going to join us?”

  I opened my eyes. Looked over to Mr. Thompson. He was looking at me expectantly. I turned to face Sarah. She was on the other side of an old couch they’d somehow brought up on stage to act as set dressing.

  I took a deep breath. Then another one. Then I stopped myself because if I did that for much longer I was going to be hyperventilating.

  “I’m ready,” I said.

  I wasn’t ready. Not for this. Not with Sarah. I’d been confused about her since the first time I laid eyes on her in the hall and this wasn’t making things better.

  “Okay. Could we start from the top then please?” Mr. Thompson asked.

  I took a deep breath. I wasn’t Chloe standing in front of everyone in the drama club worried that I was going to lose it because I was looking at a pretty girl.

  I was Violet. I was a young girl from an unnamed time period decades ago who had a crush on a man who was supposed to be all wrong for her.

  It’s not like that was much of a stretch. I was a young girl in the middle of a small town who had a crush on a girl who was all wrong for me because she was a girl. Because that’s not what I was supposed to want.