Love or the NFL

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“For our last project of the term, you will be required to participate in the production of a one-act play. It will be your final exam,” Professor Klein told Frank’s freshman acting class.

Frank had always been interested in drama. He’d been in several plays and musicals in high school and was pleased he could fit this class into his schedule with his heavy gymnastics practices. His advisor had approved it as a substitute for his freshman English requirement, as Frank’s high school language arts grades were so high.

“This time you won’t be restricted to your fellow classmates for partners. The same assignment has been given to all my drama classes,” Klein continued. “You are free to partner with any of my drama students. A list of plays will be posted outside my office later today, and you can sign up for your choice. You can either sign up as director or for an acting role. A synopsis of each work is included to help you decide which role you’d like to play. This handout will list the things I’ll be looking for.” The professor began passing out the referred-to handout.

“This is gonna be so cool,” Mark said, as he and Frank left Professor Klein’s classroom. “We’ll get to meet some of the other students taking drama and maybe get a leg up on trying out for one of the big school productions.”

“That sounds great, but gymnastics season starts soon. I hope I can fit in the rehearsals with practices and meets.”

“Hey! We could sign up for the same play. That way we could rehearse together in our room,” Mark suggested.

“That’s a good idea. I’ve got to get to the gym for practice. I’ll meet you back here after, and we can decide.”

Gymnastics practice went on longer than usual. The coaches were gearing up for the first meet, and although it wasn’t one that counted toward their standings in the Big Ten, it was important to set the tone for the season. Frank was one of the all-around gymnasts, one of the few freshman who made the squad. That meant he’d need to practice all six disciplines, not just the two he specialized in: high bar and still rings. By the time he got out of the gym and into the locker room, he was exhausted. He stripped and headed for the showers.

As Frank passed the mirrors, he paused and checked himself out. His strenuous workout had given him a good pump. Although he was small, his upper body was especially well-developed as his two specialties required it.

“Lookin’ good, Frodo,” a voice behind him said.

Frank whirled around to see Bill coming out of the showers, a towel carelessly draped over his shoulder. Frank was regaled with a perfect view of what made Bill a man—and what a man he was. His thick, cut c**k, although not completely hard, stood out from large, round balls and was nestled in a dense bush of black hair.

As Frank tore his eyes from the sight, Bill walked by and gave him a wink. Frank turned and watched as he strode around the corner to the lockers, his full, round ass punctuating every stride.

Frank hurried into the shower room and stood facing the wall. His c**k had become achingly erect and pointed to the ceiling. He was glad he was one of the last to leave practice. He needed privacy to hide his c**k’s declaration of admiration for Bill’s manhood. He turned on the cold water, hoping it would quell his arousal. It was only marginally effective. He left the shower and returned to his locker, his d**k still bearing witness to his appreciation of what he’d just seen.

As he dried himself, Frank wondered, Why is he in here? Shortly after Frank had first met Bill in the weight room open to all athletes, he’d learned the football team had its own weight room, locker room, and showers. They didn’t usually use the communal areas shared by the lesser sports.

Nevertheless, whatever the reason for Bill’s slumming in these showers, Frank was glad. He now had the real image to replace the virtual one he’d conjured up when fantasizing about the big man. And to his delight, his fantasies were pale in the light of reality.

Still semi-hard, he stuffed his protesting p***s into his briefs, then texted Mark he’d meet him to sign up for their drama class project.

Frank arrived outside the drama classroom to find Mark scowling at the posting of available plays. “Most everything’s taken already,” Mark said when Frank came up beside him and scanned the bulletin board. “Wish we could’ve signed up soon as it was posted.”

It was true. Only a few of the offerings had only two male roles, and they were already gone.

“Sorry, but practice took longer than I thought it would,” Frank said, thinking that despite making him late for choosing roles, it had given him a chance to see Bill again—all of him this time.

“It’s okay. Let’s see what we can work out with what’s left. Maybe we can still work out practices in our room,” Mark said.

Frank and Mark looked carefully down the list of plays. The Glass Menagerie had an opening. Only the male role was left. The Sandbox had two roles open, but they were for a woman and a man. The other roles, one guy and one girl, were taken.

“Besides, too many people. Wouldn’t be able to work in rehearsals,” Frank said.

Mark pointed at a posting. “Here’s one, A Resounding Tinkle.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It says it’s a British play about a husband and his wife tryin’ to find a name for their new pet elephant.”

“Pet elephant? Sounds weird.” Frank commented.

“It gets weirder. It has two male roles open: the husband, and an uncle who’s just come out as transgender.”

“Who’d play the uncle?”

“You.”

“Why me?”

“Because Jane Goodman signed up for the wife, and she’s nearly six foot tall. It’d be too bizarre for you to be her husband and a half a foot shorter.”

Frank shook his head. “I’m all for LBGTQ rights, but I don’t think I—”

“Well, we might have to consider it if we can’t find anything else.”

They continued to peruse the offerings.

“How about this? It’s a Christmas play called The Fourth Magi. What do you think?” Mark asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not really religious. My family is but—” Frank stopped. He didn’t want to explain his secret s****l orientation was the reason he couldn’t embrace Christianity.

“I don’t see we have a lot of choice here. Actors aren’t necessarily what the part calls for. Charlton Heston wasn’t a Jew, and he played Moses and Ben Hur.”

“Who’s Charlton Heston?” Frank asked.

“Some actor from when our grandfathers were kids. He was pretty hot stuff I hear. Google him if you really want to know. The point is, we need to do this together so we can work around your gymnastics schedule, and this is about all that’s left for us. Unless you want to consider playin’ Uncle Theodore, who becomes Theodora in Tinkle?” Mark c****d his head, awaiting Frank’s decision.

“No—I don’t want to play Theodora. What’s the Christmas one about?” Frank asked.

“It says here, A fourth magi is on his way to find the baby Jesus. He befriends an orphaned shepherd boy, who accompanies him on his quest. The king uses his gifts for the Christ Child to help people along the journey. Finally, lost and empty-handed, the king gives into despair as he has no gift to give and will never see The Christ. However, the shepherd boy pleads the king’s case to God, and they’re granted a vision of the nativity. Well, what do you think?”

Frank sighed. “Okay.”

Mark frowned. “Damn! Someone’s already signed up to play the king. I can’t read his name. The other role is the shepherd boy, and there are three minor roles. Those are taken by people in our freshman drama class: Jenny, Luke, and Thomas. I guess I could do the direction, and you’d be the shepherd.”

“Why would I have to be the shepherd?” Frank asked.

“Because it says he’s an orphan. That means he’s a kid. He has to be small. You’re five…five what?”

Here we go with the size thing again, Frank thought. He sighed. “Five-seven.”

“See, that makes more sense. Type casting.” Mark laughed and patted Frank on the head.

Frank felt like asking, How’s patting me on the head less a put down than Billingsly calling me Frodo? But he held his tongue. Instead, he said, “Okay, I’m the shepherd. But I’m not that much shorter than you. In fact I may even be taller by an inch.”

“But you’re a better actor.”

That settled the matter and Mark went on. “Luke’s signed up for the blind beggar. Jenny’s the penniless widow, and Thomas is a guy who lost his farm to a fire. The parts are small, they won’t need to rehearse much. We can still do most of the rehearsing in our room. We just gotta find out who this other guy who signed up is and hope he’ll be flexible with rehearsals.”

“And hope he’s a lot bigger than me.”

Mark laughed again. “Almost everyone’s bigger than you, Frodo,” he said, using Bill’s nickname for Frank.

“Shut up. He can call me that, not you.”

Frank took out a pen and signed up for the orphaned shepherd. Mark became the director.

Frank squinted at the name of the guy who signed up to be the king. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t make out a single letter. It was more a scribble than a signature, as if he didn’t want anyone to know he was doing this. “I guess we’ll have to see if Dr. Klein can figure out who this fella is so we can work out a time to rehearse together.”