Norma L

by Jeff Moberg

  ***

  Four weeks into rehearsal, we finally got to the scene.

  The scene.

  The scene where Anne (AKA Norma L) gets her BFK (Big First Kiss) from Peter (AKA Luke).

  I was still mad at Luke. Janet J’s presence at rehearsal was a daily reminder of what had happened and for some crazy reason (probably the L word reason); I just couldn’t get over it. Luke would ask me every day if I wanted to get together and practice our lines. “No thanks,” I would say. “I’ve got Mom and Pickles to practice with.”

  But today I was more than just mad at Luke. I was also worried and nervous and uneasy and… dare I say… interested? Yes, I dare say it. Interested. Actually very interested. I hoped that no one noticed when I brushed my teeth in the bathroom after lunch. Twice. And I hoped that no one noticed when I went through an entire roll of Breath Savers (wintergreen).

  And then, when the moment came, the moment that me, and the rest of the cast (except for maybe Janet J) had been anticipating for the last several weeks, Mr. Spinoza simply said, “OK people, that’s good for today. We won’t be rehearsing the kiss. I want it to be a first time experience for the night of the performance only.”

  I was stunned. Luke looked sort of stunned too at first, but then he tried to be all cool about it. “Oh yeah,” he said to Mr. Spinoza. “That’s a good idea. Then it will seem more spontaneous.” A few of the girls sighed their disappointment and a couple of the football players on the stage crew booed. Mr. Spinoza just laughed.

  As Luke walked away, I noticed what looked like a roll of half-eaten Breath Savers in his back pocket. And there was some green and silver foil poking out of the top.

  Apparently he liked wintergreen, too.