“I said kick, kick, kick ball change and then spin, not the other way around. Did no one rehearse last night? Also, Alex, you have to carry Lucía on the the fifth count, not the sixth. And Ricardo: if you drop Eva again I am sure Jaime can do that carry.”

Everything hurts, and Luna is pissed. Time had passed by in a flash, mostly rehearsals, but despite that it seems no one has quite found their groove yet. They needed to solve that, as soon as possible. The event was in two days and they would have to rehearse on the stage tomorrow. At least that was familiar, the same 3 by 3 meters square with three stairs they had used the last four years. The only difference laid in Alex being front and center this time. Well, more like front and stage left, honestly.

“Alex, dear, I love you, but if I see you do that ‘side to side’ sway again, I will hide you in the back”, Luna threatens. It honestly wasn’t much of a threat though, since that’s exactly what Alex wants.

He keeps messing up steps (he is not much of a dancer, even with Luna AND Eva giving him private lessons) and, at rehearsals with David the music director, he keeps singing in the wrong key. He is at a loss. At least he won't have to do the rapping section, that’d be mortifying. 

But right now, despite hearing me and thinking very intensely “Don’t you glare”, he has finally managed to do the combination Luna had asked AND not mess his singing. Finally.

The music stops and Luna stares… intently.

“Jaime, come here, I want to go over your rap solo,” she says after a second. Which means, she is satisfied with Alex's performance. Five minutes to drink water then.

He grabs the bottle just as Eva approaches

“So, how are the ‘voices’ behaving today”, she asks. She is even more sweaty and out of breath than him. Luna had decided to give her a hip hop solo on one of the instrumental sections of the song. “You have the skills, why not make a show out of them?” she had said; leave it to Luna to squeeze your talent to the fullest... and make you do a one handed handstand! 

“They are more active than the rest of the week, so I suppose something interesting must be on the way,” Alex mutters, right before guzzling himself on water.

For the past week and a half, Alex and Luna had decidedly tracked every word I said and when I said it. It was an interesting exercise that provided extensive inner monologues for Alex and persistent pouts on Eva.

Rehearsals are not much to write home about. Some days they were good, others they were godawful. Alex had little confidence in his capacity to lead a dance number and Eva, well, she was the only one that was doing well, honestly, so she was bored. There was not much to report on their actions.

“He basically says we are boring which, honestly, suits me!” Alex is really enjoying the peace and quiet.

But he knew NOW that something was coming. Which was exactly the reason why he dropped his water bottle.

“Alex? You ok? You got really pale, love,” Eva says as she picks up a towel and dries some of the water off the floor. “Did he say something bad?”

“No, he just… admitted something’s coming,” Alex takes the water bottle from Eva, paling to the point Luna thinks his blood sugar has dropped, so she asks Eva to go get him a drink.

Alex hates not being in control. He loves having extra information for control purposes, but that little tidbit he heard from me had really made him mad. But this had been what he and Eva had been expecting, was it not? For something new to come, for the plot to move along.

***

“He said nothing more?” Eva was practically jogging to keep pace with him. Alex may not like stereotypes, but he was a proud participant of the “gay power walk” stereotype, more so when he was angry.

“I swear Eva, he is mocking me! I don’t even know what or when, but it has to be close, right?”

As soon as the rehearsal was over and they all had gotten their notes, Luna reminded the group they would have to come early tomorrow to practice on the stage and perform the soundcheck. She then had given Alex a chocolate bar and told him “You are doing perfect! Don’t panic, kid.” He had not liked that, he felt like a child, even if his anger did fuel an amazing rehearsal!

“Ugh, he literally is bragging about how pissing me off was good ‘cuz it helped me in rehearsal. He is a pest, Eva!”

“Well, we hope the anger helps you carry the show in two days,” she says with a laugh.

“I just…” he stops on his tracks and turns to face Eva directly, trying to be as composed as possible. “I just don’t want any surprises that will ruin the presentation or my semester. He had been relatively quiet this past few days and suddenly, he comes back sticking ‘plot development time’ right on my forehead. It scares me.”

Alex wanted me to reassure him, but reassurance doesn’t always make for an interesting story. He has to trust himself, his story and believe I am not leading him into a bad situation; even if that is a definite possibility.