Inside the Scenes
For: nannerz2cool (A: is for Attention - Adam) and nolechica.
Summary: cont of Behind the Scenes - maybe he gets the opp to go on, but has lost confidence?
This was the start of Adam's gothic phase.
He needed something to cover the bruises on his neck. So he found a thick, spiked necklace, dyed his hair dark. He wore big sweatshirts and tight jeans. Dark eyeliner. Kids laughed at him in the hall, but he preferred that to anybody knowing the real truth behind his fashion choice.
True to his word, Adam's dad put in a call to the school. The very next morning, he sat down with Adam's teacher, a guidance counselor and the vice principal at school, and talked about Adam's being denied a part.
Adam sat uncomfortably beside his father, arms crossed, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
"First, I'm pulling Adam out of your class."
"Sir, that won't be necessary. Adam's a great student. The drama situation has nothing to do with how he is in class."
"You're wrong," his dad said, voice admirably calm. "This situation will have everything to do with how he does in class." He turned to the guidance counselor. "Is there another English class available during this time?"
"Let's see... Yes."
"I need Adam to be a part of that class. And about the play..."
"Sir, it was nothing personal. I like Adam, I just needed to make a judgment call."
Adam took a breath, as his dad stood up, his eyes intense. "It was most definitely personal. This is a public high school drama department, and you don't have the right to discriminate against my son. If he was denied a part, it should be based on talent and talent alone. I'm damn sure that he's more than capable of playing a munchkin, and if you were fair about things, he'd have played the Tin Man!"
"Mrs. Smith," the vice principal interjected before Adam's dad could say more. "I appreciate that it's your drama department but I agree with Mr. Lambert. Did you deny Adam a part because of his size?"
"Yes, but like I said! It wasn't personal!" she exclaimed, heat creeping into her cheeks. "...I'd be more than happy to let Adam audition again, if that can smooth things over."
"No!" Adam objected, hoping no one heard the nagging hoarseness, and that if they did, they would assume he had a cold. "That's not fair! I auditioned already!"
Adam's dad placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "With all due respect," he said, in a tone that let Adam know he didn't respect her at all. "My son is not re-auditioning."
"Mrs. Smith. I think it would be best if you stepped down. Mrs. Jennings can take over. She's more than qualified."
Adam had the satisfaction of seeing her mouth drop open and did his best not to smile.
--
It was hard getting used to his new English class. Hard getting used to the shrink he had to see twice a week because of how badly he screwed up. Hard to get used to the drama department being run by someone else. He ignored the questions and pretended that he had no idea why Mrs. Smith wasn't in charge anymore, even when the rumors started.
And it turned out, because there was someone new in charge, everyone auditioned again, so Mrs. Jennings could see who would fit best where. Adam's best friend, a sophomore girl, got the part of Dorothy. Some seniors were munchkins.
A freshman was the Wicked Witch of the West.
He was the Wicked Witch of the West.
It would have been a dream come true, but he was so down. Nothing had happened like it should have. Nothing was fair. Everything was changing.
He stumbled through his lines as he taunted the Scarecrow, and Mrs. Jennings called a break.
"I'm sorry. I can't do this. Maybe you should just cast someone else.." Adam apologized staring at the stage under his feet.
"Do you know why I cast you for this part?" Mrs. Jennings asked softly, sitting on the edge of the stage and motioning for him to join her.
Adam shook his head.
"Because you were the best for it. There's a fire inside you now. An anger and a hurt that's very real, and it can translate so well into the play, if you just let it. Let yourself go there, and see what happens," she challenged gently. "I know you can do it. Show me what you showed me in your audition."
Adam shook his head. He had no idea what she wanted.
"This is an outlet. An opportunity to pour your anger into something positive," she said, and called everyone back together.
Somewhere between locking eyes with his best friend, playing Dorothy and looking at the prop that was supposed to represent a fireball, something let loose inside him.
And when it was his turn, Adam said the line with fury, creepiness and a little loneliness. Just like he felt inside.
"Hey, Scarecrow? You wanna play ball?" he said, and let the prop fly.
--
On performance night, Adam took a bow, hardly believing the auditorium full of people that rose to their feet, applauding. The attention he was being paid, not because he was big, he knew, but because he was good. Mrs. Jennings had been right.
"You were fantastic!" his parents told him, in the cafeteria, outside the auditorium.
"Hey, can you guys hold on?" he asked, shouldering Neil, who had come to show his support by telling Adam he was a great witch, and it was just how he acted at home.
Adam wove his way through the crowd of kids and adults until he found who he was looking for.
"Miss J?" he called, because she was Miss J now. Mrs. Jennings was too formal.
"Congratulations!" she told him, smiling. "You went there! How did it feel?" she asked, a little softer.
Adam thought a minute. The truth was, playing this part helped more than his dad going to talk in the office. More than the shrink and all the lame homework assignments Adam had to do for him, in addition to his regular homework.
He met her gaze, confident now.
"Liberating," he said and smiled.
Summary: cont of Behind the Scenes - maybe he gets the opp to go on, but has lost confidence?
This was the start of Adam's gothic phase.
He needed something to cover the bruises on his neck. So he found a thick, spiked necklace, dyed his hair dark. He wore big sweatshirts and tight jeans. Dark eyeliner. Kids laughed at him in the hall, but he preferred that to anybody knowing the real truth behind his fashion choice.
True to his word, Adam's dad put in a call to the school. The very next morning, he sat down with Adam's teacher, a guidance counselor and the vice principal at school, and talked about Adam's being denied a part.
Adam sat uncomfortably beside his father, arms crossed, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
"First, I'm pulling Adam out of your class."
"Sir, that won't be necessary. Adam's a great student. The drama situation has nothing to do with how he is in class."
"You're wrong," his dad said, voice admirably calm. "This situation will have everything to do with how he does in class." He turned to the guidance counselor. "Is there another English class available during this time?"
"Let's see... Yes."
"I need Adam to be a part of that class. And about the play..."
"Sir, it was nothing personal. I like Adam, I just needed to make a judgment call."
Adam took a breath, as his dad stood up, his eyes intense. "It was most definitely personal. This is a public high school drama department, and you don't have the right to discriminate against my son. If he was denied a part, it should be based on talent and talent alone. I'm damn sure that he's more than capable of playing a munchkin, and if you were fair about things, he'd have played the Tin Man!"
"Mrs. Smith," the vice principal interjected before Adam's dad could say more. "I appreciate that it's your drama department but I agree with Mr. Lambert. Did you deny Adam a part because of his size?"
"Yes, but like I said! It wasn't personal!" she exclaimed, heat creeping into her cheeks. "...I'd be more than happy to let Adam audition again, if that can smooth things over."
"No!" Adam objected, hoping no one heard the nagging hoarseness, and that if they did, they would assume he had a cold. "That's not fair! I auditioned already!"
Adam's dad placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "With all due respect," he said, in a tone that let Adam know he didn't respect her at all. "My son is not re-auditioning."
"Mrs. Smith. I think it would be best if you stepped down. Mrs. Jennings can take over. She's more than qualified."
Adam had the satisfaction of seeing her mouth drop open and did his best not to smile.
--
It was hard getting used to his new English class. Hard getting used to the shrink he had to see twice a week because of how badly he screwed up. Hard to get used to the drama department being run by someone else. He ignored the questions and pretended that he had no idea why Mrs. Smith wasn't in charge anymore, even when the rumors started.
And it turned out, because there was someone new in charge, everyone auditioned again, so Mrs. Jennings could see who would fit best where. Adam's best friend, a sophomore girl, got the part of Dorothy. Some seniors were munchkins.
A freshman was the Wicked Witch of the West.
He was the Wicked Witch of the West.
It would have been a dream come true, but he was so down. Nothing had happened like it should have. Nothing was fair. Everything was changing.
He stumbled through his lines as he taunted the Scarecrow, and Mrs. Jennings called a break.
"I'm sorry. I can't do this. Maybe you should just cast someone else.." Adam apologized staring at the stage under his feet.
"Do you know why I cast you for this part?" Mrs. Jennings asked softly, sitting on the edge of the stage and motioning for him to join her.
Adam shook his head.
"Because you were the best for it. There's a fire inside you now. An anger and a hurt that's very real, and it can translate so well into the play, if you just let it. Let yourself go there, and see what happens," she challenged gently. "I know you can do it. Show me what you showed me in your audition."
Adam shook his head. He had no idea what she wanted.
"This is an outlet. An opportunity to pour your anger into something positive," she said, and called everyone back together.
Somewhere between locking eyes with his best friend, playing Dorothy and looking at the prop that was supposed to represent a fireball, something let loose inside him.
And when it was his turn, Adam said the line with fury, creepiness and a little loneliness. Just like he felt inside.
"Hey, Scarecrow? You wanna play ball?" he said, and let the prop fly.
--
On performance night, Adam took a bow, hardly believing the auditorium full of people that rose to their feet, applauding. The attention he was being paid, not because he was big, he knew, but because he was good. Mrs. Jennings had been right.
"You were fantastic!" his parents told him, in the cafeteria, outside the auditorium.
"Hey, can you guys hold on?" he asked, shouldering Neil, who had come to show his support by telling Adam he was a great witch, and it was just how he acted at home.
Adam wove his way through the crowd of kids and adults until he found who he was looking for.
"Miss J?" he called, because she was Miss J now. Mrs. Jennings was too formal.
"Congratulations!" she told him, smiling. "You went there! How did it feel?" she asked, a little softer.
Adam thought a minute. The truth was, playing this part helped more than his dad going to talk in the office. More than the shrink and all the lame homework assignments Adam had to do for him, in addition to his regular homework.
He met her gaze, confident now.
"Liberating," he said and smiled.