Inside Out, page 17
I turned my attention back toward the proceedings without acknowledging him. My gaze clashed with Rome’s and an amused smile curved the right side of his mouth before he returned his attention to Caitlyn.
“Mr. Halifax, the floor is yours. To keep this meeting running smoothly, I’m going to limit you to fifteen minutes, and then we’ll hear a rebuttal from our superintendent, Dr. Romeo Bradley.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roy said. “Thank you for hearing me out.”
“The floor is yours and the time starts now.”
“Madame President, board, Dr. Bradley,” he said politely. “I’m here today on behalf of Preserve Our Society to ask that you reverse your decision to permit these high school kids from performing Inside Out as the school play.” He started in on all the reasons why a play pushing a “liberal agenda” would tear down the foundation of the American family.
I tuned him out and kept my eyes locked on Rome’s face. Roy Halifax wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t heard before, and I had no interest in hearing it again. I just hoped his poison arrows weren’t piercing the hearts of the vulnerable kids in the stands. How many of those kids sitting in the crowd were wrestling with their identities? I didn’t just mean their sexuality, either. I meant their whole being. There was so much damn pressure on these kids to know exactly what they wanted for their futures that they didn’t have time to just…be.
I tuned back in when Halifax said, “That’s all I have to say. Thank you for listening.” I noticed the time on the huge clock hanging on the adjacent wall. I’d just lost twelve minutes of my life I could never get back.
“Thank you, Mr. Halifax. The board will now hear from Dr. Romeo Bradley.”
I watched as my man rose from his seat and strode to the podium with confidence and poise. He stole my breath away. I was beyond proud that he was mine, and I was his. Rome greeted the crowd and the board with fondness and Mr. Halifax with civility before he began his speech.
“I cannot begin to tell you how much I would’ve loved seeing a play like Inside Out when I was a teenager. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so alone and isolated thinking that I was the only kid in the school who felt different from everyone else. For me, I felt like the odd man out because I wasn’t attracted to girls like the other guys were. Other kids in my school probably felt odd because their skin color was different, or they had less money than some of the others, or maybe they practiced a different religion than the majority of the student body. Then there are the physical things we hate about our bodies. We weren’t tall enough, skinny enough, and we weren’t athletic enough. Maybe a student wanted to be a dancer, but her parents said a law degree was the only acceptable path. Haven’t we all felt like we didn’t fit in at some time in our lives?
“Inside Out isn’t about pushing any kind of agenda, Mr. Halifax. The play isn’t about religion or politics; it’s about humanity, sir. I’ve read this play in its entirety twice because I’ve been asked to direct it. There is not one scene in the play that doesn’t depict the kind of humanity we should all strive for. We aren’t telling kids they should be gay, we’re telling them we love them if they are. We’re telling a kid the sum of their value isn’t based on their appearance, socioeconomic status, religion, or orientation, but the kind of human being they are and how they treat others, Mr. Halifax. There are no sexual, political, or violent situations in this play. These are kids navigating the challenges they face while pulling strength from those around them. In my opinion, this play should be performed by every high school in the country. That’s all I have to say, Madame President. Thank you for the opportunity to share my feelings.”
Rome’s eyes sought mine once he returned to his chair, and I let the huge smile on my face speak for me.
Caitlyn rose to her feet and faced the rest of the board members. I couldn’t hear what she said but they all shook their heads in response to whatever she asked. “Once again, I want to thank everyone for coming. I’ve just asked the board if we need to have a discussion before we vote, and they’ve each declined. All of those in favor of upholding the board’s approval of Inside Out as our school play say aye.”
Every member of the board raised their hand and said, “Aye.”
“There you have it. The show must go on,” Cynthia said. Cheers erupted in the gymnasium as the student body celebrated their victory. I saw Clara, Ellie, and Curtis clinging to each other in a group hug.
“Hi,” a deep voice said from beside me. I turned and looked at the cop who’d moved even closer at some point during the meeting. “I’m Joey.” He extended his hand which I accepted with a friendly smile.
“Hi. I’m taken.”
“Figures,” he said with a snort. “It’s good to meet you anyway.”
“Likewise.”
Joey ambled a few feet away and returned his attention to the POS members who huddled together across the gym talking animatedly. Many of the students greeted me or gave me high fives as they left the gymnasium and headed to the football game that was set to kick off in ninety minutes. Rome spoke with the board members for a few more minutes before he sought me out.
“Congratulations, Dr. Fancy Pants.”
“You’ve just been biding your time to use that phrase.”
“Yep,” I admitted.
“I’m so relieved this is over,” Rome said with a sigh. “I’m looking forward to auditions next week.”
I just happened to glance across the gym and caught the POS group staring at us. I figured we hadn’t heard the last of them, but I wasn’t about to let them ruin our night. “Want a date for the football game tonight?”
“That would be a first for me,” Rome said. “There was no way I could’ve gone with a boyfriend when I was in high school.”
“It wasn’t acceptable when I was in high school either, and that was only ten years ago,” I pointed out. “I didn’t officially come out until I was in college.”
“It’s a date then.”
Beneath the full moon and the Friday night lights, Rome and I cheered with the crowd as the Blissville Bulldogs beat the East Carter Cardinals twenty-eight to zero. Somewhere in the fourth quarter, I had an epiphany that was bigger than the victory over hate and our cross-county rivals. I, Julius Aaron Shepherd, was in love with Rome Fancy Pants Bradley.
The following night was the homecoming dance. I had signed up to chaperone before we started dating and regretted the loss of a quiet Saturday night at home together. I couldn’t recall when I started to think of his house as home, but more and more of my stuff ended up there, and I rarely stayed in the garage apartment anymore. I’d only gone home long enough to dress in my snazzy suit and grab some more clean clothes.
“We better get a move on or else we’re going to be late,” Rome said, jogging down the steps. “Oh.” He skittered to a halt. He wasn’t used to seeing me in formal clothes since I normally wore khakis and a BHS polo shirt when I taught. The only other time I dressed formally was during our positive reinforcement lesson. “Jules, you look breathtaking.” I knew I looked fine in my navy blue suit and red bow tie, but I only had eyes for him. He’d chosen a dove gray suit I’d never seen before and paired it with a lavender shirt a few shades lighter than the tie he wore.
“You look beautiful,” I said.
“I wanted to look nice since this is the first homecoming I’m attending with a date.” He crooked his finger at me to follow him into the kitchen. “I have a surprise for you.” Rome shifted several things around in his refrigerator and pulled out a clear plastic box he’d hidden inside. “I wasn’t sure what color suit you were going to wear, so I went with ivory roses and baby’s breath.” I could tell Rome was nervous because he spoke fast and struggled to open the box with the boutonnieres inside.
I placed my hand on the back of his neck, and he jerked his gaze up to meet mine. I moved in with my preferred method of calming him. The kiss was short, but it did the trick. “They’re beautiful, and I will wear this proudly tonight.” I adored the dazed look on his face and the way his hands shook. Taking the box from him, I said, “Let me.” I chose a boutonniere from the box then set it on the counter. “You’re my first homecoming date too,” I confessed as I pinned the rose to his lapel. “I’m glad I waited and can share this first with you.”
“Jules,” Rome whispered my name like it was a prayer. “I wish I could hold you in my arms and dance tonight.”
“We will when we get home. We’ll turn the lights down low, open a bottle of wine, and dance as long as we want.” Rome’s eyes lit up when I referred to his house as home.
“I’m going to be thinking about holding you in my arms every time our eyes meet across the gym floor.”
“I’ll be thinking about what happens afterward,” I confessed. “You’ve heard of the term dancing your socks off, right?” Rome nodded. “I won’t stop there. We’ll keep dancing until all our clothes hit the floor and I’m holding you skin-to-skin in my arms.”
“Wow. You scientists sure know how to heat a man’s blood.”
“Pin your flower on me,” I said huskily. I wanted everyone to see I belonged to him.
Rome picked the flower up from the box and pinned it to my jacket. “There. I didn’t even stab you.”
The energy in the gymnasium was high and contagious, preventing me from pouting too hard. The glaring overhead fluorescents were turned off and temporary lights were set up to illuminate the makeshift dance floor. Some of the lights were shining through prisms and projecting rainbows onto the walls and floor like you’d see from a disco ball. The DJ played the perfect mix of fast and slow dances, and I enjoyed watching the kids dance and celebrate. I especially loved the times my eyes caught Rome’s across the dark room. I knew he was remembering the promise I made to him before we left.
I smiled especially wickedly when “Lights Down Low” by Max started to play. The kids took to the floor to slow dance while I stared into Rome’s eyes. So much longing and need passed between us.
When we got back home, I replayed the song so we could have our own dance. Rome’s lips were on my neck and my hands were in his hair as we turned slow circles in the living room. As I promised, I didn’t stop dancing with him until we were both stripped bare.
“I need you,” I whispered against Rome’s neck once I removed his shirt.
Rome shoved my pants to the floor and gripped my ass. “I want inside you.”
“Touch me.” I wrapped Rome’s hand around my cock. He stroked me until I pulled away and dropped to my knees in front of him.
Rome fisted his dick and painted my lips with his precum. “Taste me.”
“Make love to me,” I pleaded when I could no longer handle the emptiness. When Rome sank inside my heat, there wasn’t a part of us that wasn’t connected in some way. I loved being tangled up in his arms and legs. We clung to each other like we couldn’t stand the thought of letting go. Both of us came to Blissville for fresh starts but what we found was more than either of us had bargained for.
“Inside out,” I whispered against Rome’s neck once I lay replete against his dewy body. It was both the name of the play that brought us together and the way he made me feel. Everything inside me was laid bare for Rome to see. Instead of feeling vulnerable, I felt strong, desired, and adored.
“I feel it too.”
“I would not wish any companion in the world but you.”
~William Shakespeare
“Hashtag keeper! What? I’m not that old.”
~Romeo Bradley
It wasn’t like me to bury my head in the sand and not tackle touchy subjects head-on. I guess some would say my head was engaged elsewhere, and they weren’t wrong. Who the hell could blame me? There wasn’t one thing about Julius I didn’t adore. I lived for his smiles and found ways to earn one every chance I got. His laughter was a gift that sent ripples of joy throughout my body. And his brain? There was nothing sexier on this planet than an intelligent man, and he was one of the smartest I’d had the privilege to know. Speaking of sexy, I discovered pleasure in ways I never knew existed. Julius made me feel twenty-eight again too.
It was no wonder a week had passed without me realizing it, and auditions for the school play were upon us without me having a conversation with three precocious and wickedly talented teens.
“Are you nervous?” Julius had asked me at lunch.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “This play is their baby. How could I even think about asking them not to audition for the roles?”
“’Cause you’re Dr. Mean Ass,” Julius quipped then chuckled when I groaned. “I’m just teasing you. You haven’t decided to exclude them from performing in the play. You’ve decided to have a discussion with them about what is fair to everyone who wants to participate. You’re doing the right thing.” I knew he was right, but doing the right thing was seldom easy.
Imagine my surprise when Clara, Ellie, and Curtis showed up before auditions and asked to have a chat with Julius and me.
“Are you three ready for tonight?” I asked.
“It doesn’t seem real to me,” Clara asked.
“Me either,” Curtis admitted.
“I keep thinking my alarm is going to wake me up any second now,” Ellie added. “This play means more to us than we can possibly express.”
“We know,” Julius told Ellie. “We could feel it when we read the words you wrote.”
“Because this means the world to us,” Clara said, “we want the best possible cast to perform the roles we created.”
Here we go, I thought.
“We decided that we’re too close to the characters we created to perform them,” Curtis said. “I know that sounds weird to you, doesn’t it?”
Relief washed over me. “Not at all. Many writers don’t act out their own roles. Many directors have never acted.”
“I’m a musician who can’t carry a tune in a bucket,” Julius told them. “I can write melodies all day long, but I can’t write lyrics.”
“It takes all types of talent to put on any kind of production,” I told the kids. “I’m impressed that you’re willing to step aside and put the play first. That couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
“We’re not exactly stepping away entirely, or at least, we hope not,” Ellie said. “We’d like to assist you with the production.”
“Oh?” I asked, raising a brow. “What did you have in mind?”
“I would really like to assist Mr. Shepherd and Mrs. Hoffenburger with the music,” Curtis replied, looking at Julius with hopeful eyes.
“I’d love that, Curtis,” Julius said.
“I’d be way too bossy as a director’s assistant,” Clara said, “so I’d really like to help with costumes, props, and setting scenes.”
“I think you’d do a great job at that,” I told Clara then looked at Ellie. “Does that mean you’re stuck with me?”
She giggled. “It’s probably the other way around, Dr. B. I’m not looking to tell you how to direct the play. I just want to help however I can.”
“I’m grateful to have your assistance,” I assured her. “I think I’m going to require more from the three of you though.” They exchanged looks between them but silently waited for me to continue. “I would like your input during auditions.” Clara’s eyes widened excitedly, Ellie did a little dance in place, and Curtis beamed his approval through his smile. I held up my hand to regain their attention. “I’m still going to have the final say, but I want to hear your opinions.”
“Dr. Bradley, that’s just…” Clara’s words trailed off as emotion swelled inside her.
Ellie looped her arm around Clara’s shoulders. “I think she was going to say amazing.”
“Or thoughtful,” Curtis added.
“Julius and Curtis will provide feedback on musicality. Ellie and Clara, you’ll give me your thoughts on stage presence. Sound good?” The three teens nodded while Jules smiled his approval. I wished for the hundredth time that day we were at his home or mine so I could lean forward and kiss him without repercussions.
I kept expecting some sort of retaliation from the POS group, but so far, they’d remained quiet. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I’d heard the last of them, but I would take advantage of the peace for as long as I had it. That meant I’d keep my lips to myself and not go borrowing trouble.
We had posted audition signups once we’d worked out a production schedule. I don’t think any of us were expecting a fourth of the student body to sign up. Even then, I figured several would change their minds by the time auditions rolled around. Kids lived in the moment and a month to them was like eighteen months to everyone else. Still, I had to plan auditions based on the number of kids who had signed up, so I allowed for four nights. I sorted the signups by the role they were trying out for and made a firm schedule so Jules and I could see sixty kids a night. I allowed for fifteen auditions per hour and scheduled a dinner break at the midway point. Having three extra sets of eyes and ears was really going to help.
I wasn’t surprised most of the kids wanted to audition for the three lead roles of Alexandra, Diego, and Tiffany. There were also more than a dozen supporting roles for their parents, classmates, and teachers, so I decided to alternate audition slots between the various roles to keep things fresh. I didn’t want three Alexandra auditions in a row followed by four Diegos then five Tiffanys. They would all start to sound and look alike if I did that.
