Chapter 11: "Reunited: Part II"

(new here? hi! please check out the introduction)

I hadn't planned on making a sequel to "Reunited," but then I decided that it was very important. You're the winners here, folks. This is freaking awful. This is also where things get super dramatic! It’s so dramatic that I wrote “Who are True Friends?” in the top margin.

Chapter 11: Reunited PT. 2 [I stopped numbering chapters at this point, but I’ll keep it up here for aesthetic purposes]

Stagehand Steve Scharner was lifting some large and heavy boxes.
Marty’s flu was drifting him into sleep. His 102 degree fever had risen to 102.7. Anjel was mopping his forehead with a damp cloth. He mumbled something incoherently and fell asleep. Anjel kissed him on the forehead and went to the little table to finish some paperwork. [ooh … a language arts problem this time? Maybe the critical thinking questions at the end of a social studies chapter?]
Brutus was lifting lightweights in the gym below the dressing room area, 25 more pumps and to the showers. Then he could go up to Laurie.
Laurie Traynor was peering into the store room where musclebound Steve paused to mop his brow. She walked out into the hall way into the storeroom.
“Hi.” she said.
“Hi.” he said putting the box and looking at her slim figure and beautiful features.
Anjel wet the cloth again. Marty was tossing and turning. She cooled his face and felt his forehead.
Brutus headed for the showers.
Meanwhile Laurie was moving closer to Steve.
Anjel squoze Marty’s hand and went back to the table.
Laurie was passionatly kissing Steve. [dang. She moves fast]
Brutus was looking for Laurie.
He found her. Kissing Steve.
Laurie gasped.
“I … I … Brutus … I We …”
Steve left abruptly.
Anjel saw that Marty was sleeping soundly and walked into her dressing room.
“Brutus. We had something great, but it’s gone. We’re no more than friends. I’ve booked a flight to San Francisco. I’m leaving soon. I’ll always remember you as the man I wanted to marry, But now, you’re the man who I was a friend of. Good bye, Brutus.” she said. [that’s way less awkward than half the ways I broke up with people in real life]
She Pecked him on the cheek, and all of a sudden she was gone. Leaving Brutus open mouthed and heart broken. He needed a friend. Someone to talk to. Hulk was gone. Marty was sick. Anjel. He knocked on her door.
“Come in.” she said
“Brutus stepped in. Tears must have been streaming down his face, because Anjel rushed over to him and led him to the bed to sit down [a bed? In a dressing room?]. She asked him “What’s the matter?”
“Laurie left me” he said softly.
Anjel wrapped her arms around him and felt her shoulder dampen from Brutus’ tears.
Brutus was a little embarrassed because he was crying on a girls’ shoulder but Anjel did not seem to mind, and he was to upset to care. Plus he wasn’t sobbing, just silent tears. [hurl!]
They both sat like that for a long time. No one saying anything, just Brutus crying softly with Anjel holding him. The only words were an occasional “It’s O.K., It’s O.K.,” from Anjel while she hugged him and Moved her hand in an up and down pattern to calm him down” [just in case you weren’t sure of the mechanics of comforting a friend, I spelled it out for you in simple steps!]
[Alright, I’m cutting a page out here … it’s just more of him crying and her comforting him. She even hands him one of those blasted tissues she seems to produce at will. Trust me, you’re not missing anything. Brutus finally composes himself enough to speak]
“We seemed so happy together. Then I came upstairs from the gym and showers and there she was, kissing the stagehand. She said that all we could be was friends, that our love had died, and left me.”
Then he saw Anjel was crying.
“It’s my fault” she said “I set you two up. If I hadn’t have brought you and Laurie together this would nave never happened. You wouldn’t be upset. You’d be your normal happy self.”
“You’re wrong, Anjel. I wouldn’t be happy, I would be miserable. I would be wondering what my lost love Laurie. It’s her fault for being a jerk, not yours for being nice. You flew to San Francisco to be nice, to help a friend. And I thank you. You are a very wonderful friend, Anjel.” [whatever, Bru … you should have told her to stuff it]
They both stared into each other’s tear-streaked face and red and puffy eyes. “Thank you” they said at the same time. And poor asleep Marty missed it all.



NOTES:

1- In real life, Marty Jannetty had disappeared from the scene because he had to work out some personal problems. Out of sight, out of mind for me, as evidenced by his persistent flu and the awesome last line of this chapter.

2. This chapter was originally followed by one called “One good Turn.” I don’t remember what went on in that one, but I evidently hated it, because I ripped it out. (that’s evidence of self-editing. I know, I can barely believe it myself). All that’s left is the title and one line of scribbled-over text that says “Marty was miraculously 100% better.” Tough break, Marty. Looks like you had a chance in that chapter. Oh well.

Coming up next: “Goodbye. < Middle Names II” – in which Miss Elizabeth takes her revenge! You don't want to miss this one. It's ... just ... unabashedly bad.