TIME WARP: Shall We Dance? (Brendan)

[Eugene O'Neill]

1999

"Get a hold of yourself, Eugene, you've done plenty of auditions in the past. Only this is probably the most challenging audition so far, not to mention there are swords involved... But it's just another audition!" 16-year-old Eugene O'Neill swallowed hard, pacing back and forth along the floor in the Auditorium. The play was the classic Romeo and Juliet, and instead of going for the glorious role of the main character, Eugene had opted to stray from his natural tendencies and audition for Tybalt, the main antagonist. He had studied over and over Alan Rickman's portrayal of the character from back in 1978, and he had nearly perfected the actor's cold, smooth voice, heavy-lidded look, and vain personality. Now, he just couldn't choke.

To make things worse (well not really worse, just more awkward in Eugene's mind) was that his friend/weirdo/spaz/maniac Brendan was auditioning for the role of Romeo. This normally wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that there were two swords on the ground that they were expected to use at some point. True, they weren't REAL swords, but they were still scary! And the fact that Brendan, spazzy Brendan, was going to be on the other end of one of those swords, fighting him.... That was part of what was terrifying him.

He swallowed once more, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly. He was an awkward teen, tall and gangly with hardly any meat on his bones, hardly a worthy body to play the main 'bad guy' in a play. But he had faith that his acting skills would impress the drama teacher enough to get him the part. If not... There would be other times.

"So," he said louder, his voice cracking audibly. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Nice swords, huh?" He was addressing this to Brendan, who was only a few feet away from him, waiting for his turn to audition. "I mean, they're not real, but they look real, you know? And we have to point them at each other and pretend to fight and..." he trailed off of his babbling, feeling his voice start to get higher and higher unintentionally. His long arms swung awkwardly, and he decided to change topics. "I've read Romeo and Juliet seven times," he stated. Typical theater nerd topic of conversation.

[Brendan James]

Brendan was the picture of calm. The trick was that you had to not care. Which he didn’t. Not about the audition at least. Frankly, if he didn’t get the part of Romeo, that was fine by him. He was more interested in helping behind the scenes anyway. But Eugene, his nervous friend, had wanted to audition. Without revealing his real intentions, Bren had to decided to audition right along side the boy, thinking perhaps seeing a familiar face would put him more at ease.

As thoughtful as his gesture might have been, the sixteen-year-old boy was no longer worrisome for his friend’s nervous tendencies. You see, there were swords on the stage. SWORDS! Not real swords obviously, but they were pretty convincing. At least by high school play standards. Right at that moment, he was eyeing them, and obvious longing in his eyes to get out there and begin playing with them.

“Trying friggin’ AWESOME!” He said, too loudly apparently by the way one of the people on stage shot him a look. It amused Brendan slightly. Because if him being too loud was that much of a distraction, to make somebody give him a look during an audition, they couldn’t be trusted for the part during the play, not in his opinion. “I promise, I’ll go easy on ya’ Eugene. I won’t swing too hard.” He said with a little laugh. “Oh yeah? Is it any good?” He was kidding of course. Mostly. He’d read most of the play.

Finally turning to look at Eugene, Bren smiled. “Hey Genie… Just relax. You’ll do great, ya’ know?” Personally, Brendan thought his friend would be a great Romeo. He just needed confidence. “Just keep telling yourself that. I mean, it’s true. But you need to know it’s true, ya’ know?” Not wanting this moment to turn into something that would be in a chick flick, Bren turned his eyes back to the swords. “Ya’ think they’re almost done yet? I wanna play with those swords.”

[Eugene O'Neill]

Eugene wished he shared his friend's calmness, if not his hyperactive nature. He knew that even if he didn't have his ability, he would still be trying out for major roles; he really did love theater. It was just getting over his nerves that was the problem. Once he was on stage in the moment, all nervousness disappeared; it was like magic. But the waiting was the worst. And though Brendan was trying to make him feel better, his interest in the swords wasn't helping. He swallowed again. "I'd prefer if you didn't swing at all," he admitted, starting to reach for one of the swords, then thinking better of it and pulling his hand away. "And yes, I quite enjoyed it." He knew Brendan was only kidding, but he might as well humor him; Brendan seemed to run on entertainment.

The Juliet auditions were almost over, meaning Brendan's turn would be anytime. And afterwards, Eugene's. Once they determined who were the top choices, they would act out part of the fighting scene to get a feeling for their 'chemistry'. Eugene found that a little awkward; the term 'chemistry' always made him feel awkward. The fact that he and Brendan could have 'chemistry' made him feel ultra-awkward, even if it wasn't romantically. But he was digressing in his thoughts. His gaze fell back to Brendan, and he tried to give a winning smile. It was more like a constipated wince. "Oh, I'm sure I'll do fine," he practically whimpered. "It's just the waiting that's hard." Trying to lighten the mood, he nudged his companion and nodded to the half-dozen or so girls waiting on or near the stage. "Hey, just think, you could be stage kissing one of those girls in front of hundreds of people soon." He knew Brendan would like the thought. But to Eugene, stage kissing was like.... marriage. Terrifying and awkward and not something he usually tried to go for; one of the reasons he almost never tried out for lead roles in romance plays. He was afraid he might faint. Or worse, he could.... Get too excited.... In front of everyone. And he might die.

But now Brendan's attention was back on the swords. Eugene stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking pale. "They... Don't seem to be using them at the moment," he admitted. Juliet auditionees had no reason to use the swords, and they wouldn't be doing the fight scene until later. "But I don't know if you should mess with them....." Eugene trailed off. Like that would stop him.

[Ella Tate]

"Nooooo!" Ella was trying hard not to lose her grip on the handle bars as one of her roommates Jenny pulled her to go to the auditorium. Apparently cute guys would be there to be ogled at and Jenny didn't want to do it alone.

Ella did not want to go because plays. were. boring.

Auditions would be even stupider. Ella gave Jenny the death glare when she got someone else to help her pull Ella off their dorm door.

But she didn't go quietly, obviously and once they arrived at the auditorium, she was too tired to move anymore.

It was only when the girls were at an advantageous point in the hall to see but not be seen by their 'cute guys' that Ella saw the swords.

"Whoa hey, nobody said there were swords. Why in the hell didn't you tell me there were swords! Coulda gotten me here sooner." She rolled her eyes at her friends and bounded down to the front to grab one of the swords. They felt heavy, like they were real. "Nice work." She started to brandish the sword, flinging it every here and there, making lightsaber noises and quoting Star Wars.

"Who did all this yo?" She asked the two boys nearest to the stage.

[Brendan James]

“Ugh. I can’t do that. That’s no fuuun!” He whined at Eugene, shaking his entire body, looking similar to a child throwing a tantrum. Not a big tantrum, but a tantrum nonetheless. “What if I promise not to swing at your face? Or near any internal organs! Pinkie promise.” And he held out his pinkie to Eugene. Pinkie promises were a big deal in his book. You did NOT break pinkie promises. Not unless you wanted to suffer serious consequences. “I’ve heard the bearded guy who wrote was kind of a dip-shit. And kinda boring.” Now he was just trying to get a rise out of his friend. Bad mouthing Shakespeare? Who did such a thing.

“Dude, waiting IS hard!!!” Granted, it wasn’t the auditioning he was impatient for. “How much longer do you think we have to wait?” For once, Brendan hadn’t been staring at the girls. The swords had his sole attention. HE WANTED TO GET OUT THERE ALREADY! But Eugene pointed them out and Bren’s mind was on one thing and one thing alone. The girls. And they were pretty. Really pretty. “Hey, do you think if I got the part of Romeo and one of the pretty ones got Juliet, that I’d get in trouble for trying to slip a little tongue?” He mostly joking and demonstrated such when he turned to his friend, waggling his tongue at him.

Brendan had been about to whine horribly, quite possibly fake crying even, when Eugene said he should leave the swords alone. And then up came a girl. A girl, who like Bren, was fascinated with the swords. And, also like Bren, was ridiculously hot. “Hoooot…. That was supposed to be ‘hi’.” It wasn’t really, he knew what he was saying. Brendan always knew what he was saying. “Uh… I think the people who do, like, backstage stuff. Like making the sets.” Which again reminded Brendan he didn’t really want to be auditioning.

Moving, he grabbed his own sword and spun it around. He liked the weight of it, how he thought a real sword might feel in his hand. “This is awesome! They’re almost real or something! Eugene! You gotta try!” He looked at the girl again. “I’m Brendan by the way, and that’s Eugene. Are you trying out for Juliet? You’d be a great Juliet.” Pleeeease let her be trying out for Juliet! Then Bren would definitely try something.

[Eugene O'Neill]

Eugene rolled his eyes but held out his pinky, humoring his childish friend. "Fine, whatever. But if I end up in the hospital, you are paying for the damage." At his insult to Shakespeare, Eugene puffed up angrily; the subject was very touchy to him, one of the only things he would fight for. "Shakespeare was not a dip... He was not boring!" he blustered, then deflated, knowing Brendan had only been trying to get him angry. And it had worked. Sadly. Eugene was way too predictable.

Eugene then shuddered at his friend. Tongue? Ewwww. Gross. He, unlike most teens his age, did not think about kissing and sex and all of that stuff very often. True, when he saw a pretty girl he might daydream about spending time with her, but all that physical stuff? Not what he was looking for at the moment. "I don't think you need to wait much longer; I think that girl was the last person to audition for Juliet." The last girl on the right of the stage had just gone to the center, and started speaking. "Yep, you'll be soon after." He didn't reply about the tongue part. Bren should know how he felt about that. He simply stuck out his own tongue and made a face. Yeah, like THAT wouldn't encourage Brendan.

But now he was distracted again, but a very pretty girl and her friend who had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere. And.... AND WAS FLAILING A SWORD AROUND. Yelping, Eugene backed away from the whirling blade, looking desperately for a teacher to come and make her stop. Sadly, there was none in sight. "I... Iiii don't think you're supposed to be playing with those," he whimpered, hardly audible. He doubted she even heard him. And now Brendan was following suit, and Eugene backed up until the back of his legs hit a chair, and he flopped down into it, too weak-kneed to stand anymore. "Guys..." he moaned. Someone was going to get an arm chopped off, he just knew it. He waved weakly when Brendan introduced him, but at the moment he was just trying hard not to pass out.

[Ella Tate]

Ella looked at the shorter brunette with a smirk when he opened his mouth. It told her most of what she needed to know about him.

He was a flirt.

It didn't necessarily mean a bad thing. He looked good enough to be a natural at it. He seemed a little excitable and Ella thought that was cute.

When he started to wave the sword around, Ella grinned, all the while wondering why the other one looked constipated.

"Dude, they wouldn't put it out if they weren't supposed to be played with. I'm jussayin'." She shrugged before looking up when Jenny waved her arms about trying to get her attention. Ella nodded at her and turned back to the awkward gangly one. "Hey, you want a date for the Spring dance?" She asked, letting the sword rest against her hip.

The other brunette, Brendan he said, asked her about being Juliet and she snorted. "So you're saying I look like a stupid dead fourteen year old who wants to get married to a schmuck who was in love with another broad before me?" She asked, a challenging pout appearing on her lips.

"I'm Ella. Dude, you look like the floor is giving way under you..." she turned to Eugene. What a name. Somehow it fit him, all gangly and awkward. Eugenes were always gangly and awkward.

[Brendan James]

Shock colored Bren’s face. He had thought his friend was kidding about being scared of him with a sword. But… He was kind of starting to think maybe he wasn’t! “Dude… Not only would I be paying,” And by that he meant his parents, because he had no money “but I’d be GROVELING at your feet for forgiveness! And not to mention showering you.” He took a minute to pause. Because he loved awkward things. “With presents.”

“Oh my god! Really? Was she?!” Brendan could piddle himself he was so excited. He did turn just in time to see his friend stick out his tongue. Biting the inside of his cheek, the shorter boy tried not to say it. Willed himself to not say it. And it was a struggle, one easily read on his features. But Eugene just made it too easy for him. “Well hey now, if you wanna try out of Juliet so you can get some tongue, that’s fine.”

But then the pretty girl was near. So, at least for the moment, Eugene was safe from Brendan’s fake advances. Especially when she proved herself a go-getter, unafraid of getting into trouble. The only reason Bren hadn’t played with the swords sooner was because his friend had warned him not to. The comparison for an angel and devil on his shoulder seems oddly appropriate. “She’s right. If they weren’t meant to be played with, they wouldn’t be left out.” He said, taking a warrior stance with the sword raised above his head, aimed at nothing.

“Nooo. I’m saying you like the kind of girl I want to kiss on stage and try to discreetly grope while you play dead.” He said as he spun around, as if saying it were no big deal. “As for him wanting a date, he’s got one.” Careful not to bring the fake sword too close to her, he aimed it at her as if defensively. “People say we make the cutest couple. Don’t ya’ agree?” With a large grin on his face, he waited for Eugene’s reaction.

[Eugene O'Neill]

"Showering me with presents would be nice. Just showering.. eeesh." Eugene shuddered. Sometimes he wondered why he was still friends with this guy. He loved making him feel awkward.... Which was much to easy to do, Eugene knew. Brendan just took advantage of his numerous bad comments or actions and made them ten times worse. But then again, he was also one of the few people that actually didn't mind his presence, so Eugene was still sticking around him. Oh, the life of being a tall, gangly theater nerd.

Speaking of, now Brendan was taking advantage of his innocent tongue-sticking-out, and Eugene turned an odd shade of reddish purple. "You... I...!" He had no words. How was he supposed to respond to that? He was terrible at comebacks. "Just keep your tongue in your mouth," he finally said wearily. Fortunately at that moment, the pretty girl had decided to interrupt, and he would have been relieved had it not been for the sword-waving. Which just made the entire thing worse.

"I.... I suppose you're right," he whimpered, knowing they were probably right about the swords being left out to mess with. "That doesn't make it any less dangerous," he muttered under his breath. How he would love to be less paranoid about things! He ignored the flirtation going on between Bren and Ella, his gaze locked on the moving blades as the kids swished them this way and that. He was brought out of the trance by Ella, mentioning something about the Spring Dance. A... A date? With like.... A girl? He opened his mouth to perhaps make some sort of croaking noise when Brendan interrupted. Eugene felt like dying on the spot. He thought he might have blacked out, just for a moment, from pure embarrassment. Was that even possible? Could one die of embarrassment? "Brendaaaan," he groaned, then closed his mouth and covered it with a hand, eyes open in horror. His voice sounded like a girl's, an unfortunate side effect to his ability when he was stressed or nervous or.... Well, embarrassed. He would've smacked Brendan right then and there, had he been the violent type.

"I... That... That might... Be nice," he finally managed to reply to Ella. Her friend was pretty, and just because they could go to a dance together didn't mean they had to like.... Dance, right? Or do anything else? At the very least, at least he wouldn't look like a complete loser alone in a corner while everyone got it on on the dance floor. "What's you friend's name?" he asked shyly. He was slowly beginning to regain his composure. Slowly.

[Ella Tate]

She raised an eyebrow at Brendan's display of affection towards Eugene and chuckled when he gave her his reasons for her to try out for Juliet. "Hey, if you wanted to grope me, you don't have to wait until I pretend to be dead." Oh yeah, Ella was easy all right.

"Oh wow, now that you think about it, you really do make a handsome couple. Jen would be so disappointed." She teased with a mock disappointed look on her face. When Eugene proved the theory wrong by asking Ella for her friend's name, Ella grinned and nodded. "Jenny. Jenny Garfield. Yo Jen! Eugene here wants to take you to the Spring Dance!"

She could see Jenny turtling down in her seat and Ella snorted in laughter. "Oh God she's such a twerp. I'll give her your dorm number later. Right now, brace yourself Sir Brendan of the Night's Watch. For I, Lady Ella, doth protest your feeble attempts to woo me. Avast!" She dropped into a regular fencing stance with the sword pointed straight at Brendan.

[Brendan James]

“Alright. Well… what if we compromise? Shower you with presents and a shower?” It would be the last joke he made on the subject. He could keep going of course. But that would be like beating a dead horse. And then his jokes about showering just wouldn’t be funny anymore. Sure, he’d still be laughing, but everybody else would roll their eyes at him. “I would. But you started it Eugene. The least you could do now is finish it.” Let us all be thankful. He could’ve gone a whole different route.

“’course we’re right! Besides, she’s a girl. Eugene. You must learn. Boobies mean they’re always right. Say it.” Mostly, he was just going on what he’d heard from shows. He had very little to know experience with an actual girl. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t act like he knew what he was talking about. But Ella had just said… It made Brendan freeze and just stare at the girl. “Wh-…Are… wait… Um…” Flustered, Brendan looked back at Eugene. This girl. She’d just said… Was she serious? And was this how Eugene felt all the time? To be flustered and unsure of what to say?

Moving right along, because he wasn’t sure how to actually react to what Ella said, he smiled. “We are, aren’t we. Don’t tell anybody, but he really likes when I call him Sugar Pop. I’m not sure why. And it’s a little weird. But anything to keep him happy.” There. Much better. Making somebody else feel awkward was much better for him.

Staring at Ella for a moment, Brendan tried to think. What exactly did he say to that? He didn’t talk like Shakespeare? But bullshitting was his specialty. Copying her stance, he raised the sword and pointed it at her. “My deepest apologizes Lady Ella, but my attempts are not to woo thee. The feeble attempts you speak of are to distract thee from attempting to court my beloved, Sir Eugene.” That made sense, right? He thought it did. Or could at least. Right?

[Eugene O'Neill]

Eugene gave his 'friend' a look that was both stern and horrified. "I will not say that, Brendan James," he croaked. He didn't think he was capable of uttering the word 'boobies' if his life depended on it. Not only was it... Well, boobies, but it was also disrespectful, and he didn't want to offend girls that were waving swords around. She might attack them. He wondered if there were any shields around to block off an attack as he ran screaming from the room, if that happened.

He cringed at Ella's response to Brendan. Grope. Another horrible word. Apparently Brendan was equally surprised, as he turned open-mouthed to his friend. Eugene couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. "Now you know how it feels!" he giggled, recognizing that look as something he knew he often made. He quieted soon though, glaring at Brendan once more as he went on the with 'couple' thing. "First of all, I am a straight male with no intentions of ever... Exploring other avenues," he began falteringly. (Little did he know he would change his mind in about, oh, twelve years). "Secondly, if you ever call me that again, I'll.... I'll hit you on the head with something sharp and heavy." Okay, it was the best the poor guy could do.

He shrunk down in his seat a little as Ella addressed "Jenny", and he offered a weak wave to the girl. She seemed a bit shy too - maybe this wouldn't be too bad. He almost attempted to get up and talk to her when Ella started waving the sword around again, speaking in Shakespearean (which he was actually a little impressed about - maybe she should try out for Juliet) and challenging Brendan. And he was responding in kind. Eugene had had enough. Yelping, he hopped out of his seat and skittered around the pair, just as the teacher announced all people trying out for the part of Romeo to come to the stage. He glanced back at Brendan. "Looks like it's your turn.... Sugar Pop," he giggled, then covered his mouth. Stupid girly giggle.

[Ella Tate]

"Yes, my boobs means automatic check marks." She nodded before laughing at the stupid look on Brendan's face. Her favourite look on anybody's face really. She knew she came on too strong most of the time, which was why she didn't have that many friends but it was something that she actually enjoyed anyway.

Eugene's defense of his sexuality had Ella chuckling. Yes, she had assumed that Eugene was completely straight and that Brendan, for all his insistence was also...maybe straight. It was amusing seeing Eugene defend himself. But he was just too awkward to pull off the threatening stance and Ella found herself cooing at him.

The sword play had her laughing once more. These two were terribly amusing and she was cracking a rib just laughing her ass off. "My intentions are not for thy lover, Sir Brendan of the Night's Watch for I am without carnal feelings for him. My loins yearn for something smooth and silky. Not boxy and jaunty." She laughed at her ridiculous words before tapping his sword and circled around him.

She turned when the teacher called out for the auditioners. Ella dropped the sword on the ground and trotted off stage, laughing at Eugene's call for his Sugar Pop. "Good luck, stud." She went back to Jenny who kept slapping her arm for embarrassing her. "Oh shush, you harlot. At least he's interested." She laughed before standing on her seat and yelling to Eugene and Brendan. "Go Sugar Pops!" And she started cheering obnoxiously loud for them.

[Brendan James]

Shaking his head, Brendan gave Eugene a disapproving look. “Man, if you don’t learn the rules quick, you’re forever gonna be part of the Nevertouchedaboobie Tribe.” It was then he realized that, while he was pretty sure Eugene liked girls since he usually became flustered around them, he wasn’t actually positive of his friend’s preference. Perhaps he should stop assuming? But the way he reacted to Bren’s advances also told him that for sure Eugene wasn’t interested in him. Whatever. Either way, Brendan most likely wasn’t going to be changing. Unless asked. “See? Straight from the mouth of hottie. You gotta always say they’re right.”

“Whatever. I can handle anything this girl can dish out.” He said, with a challenging smile in Ella’s direction once he’d overcome his initial shock. Well, that answered his momentary wondering of Eugene. And he couldn’t help but giggle behind his hand about ‘exploring other avenues’. “Awww,” he said with smirk “here I was hoping you’d explore my avenue.” And then he doubled over, grabbing his sides because he was absolutely funny. “AND I WILL ALWAYS CALL YOU SUGAR POP!” Granted, Brendan’s meaning of the word ‘always’ at the time was roughly two weeks. But perhaps as adults it would be a nickname he’d randomly bring up again.

“Oh, well my lady,” Brendan began countering, circling the girl as she did him “if you’d like, I can be silky too. And smooth. I can be your deepest desire for whatever you’d like.” Of course, he missed the meaning of what she was saying. What? Boys can be smooth and silky!

Smirking at being called Sugar Pop repeatedly, Brendan felt positively confident (when did he ever not though really?). After a swift pat to Eugene’s rear, he trotted out onto the stage, sword still in hand. “Excuse me, but I was hoping I could do a part of the play with a gentleman trying out for Tybalt.” He asked kindly of the teacher, a timid and kind smile on his face. When the teacher agreed, Brendan assured her of how much he appreciated it, gave Ella a quick wink, trying to say he had something up his sleeve, then finger waved Eugene towards him with a bright, friendly smile.