Page 62 of Never Forever

My nipples tingled in memory.

“All right everyone,” Weidman clapped her hands and everyone sat straight at attention. “Let’s start at the top.” The cast scrambled to their feet to sit against the walls of what wouldbe the backstage. Except for the two twenty-year olds who were centerstage on two folding chairs, pretending to be in a car.

We sat down and Weidman said, in her booming, classically trained voice, “Let’s begin.”

She was the artsy, free-spirited, creative mastermind general and this cast would do whatever she said.

If only my nipples were as obedient.

We took a break at an hour.The cast brought out snacks they’d brought. The older cast members had coffee cups that looked like they were full of red wine.

I sat there, mouth hanging open.

The Calico Cove Community Theater version ofChildren of The Cornwas…amazing?

Weidman patted me on the shoulder and handed me a Kleenex.

Was I crying? Over a stage version of a cult classic horror film?

I was.

The musical number? Breathtaking.

“How is it going?”

I jumped at the unexpected voice, but Weidman turned to face Matt Sullivan like she expected him. He wiped his sweaty face with his sweaty shirt and caught one foot in his hand behind his butt to stretch out his quad.

I soaked it in for a breathless second and then turned back to the stage.

The twenty-year olds (Sebastian and Jenny) had caught sight of him and were staring like he was a Hemsworth brother.

“Jason get his lines?” Matt asked. Jason was the young kid.

“Nailed them,” Weidman offered.

“I knew he could do it.”

“You were the only one.”

“How about the music?” Matt asked.

“It’s perfect,” Weidman said. “You were right about having most of it recorded except for the piano.”

“That was your idea?” I asked, sounding angrier than I needed to. Having the live piano, played by the organist at the Methodist church, Mrs. Lundgren, gave the play a chilling and kind of campy vibe.

It was both fun and scary.

Matt shrugged like it was no big deal.

Quietly, I seethed.

“I think we need the set,” Weidman said.

“What set?” I asked, happy to hear there was a set.

“Corn,” she said. “Lots of it. I was just going to paint flats but Matt had this great idea to put corn stalks upright on palates so we could roll them on and off the stage.”

“Sure,” I said, because oddly that all made sense. “Wait…Matt came up with that?”