Class Acts Volume 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shay closed the yearbook and leaned back against the couch. He reached out and absently scratched Jasper behind his ears.

“There was really no decision to make, Jasp,” Shay said to the dog as if Jasper had been privy to his thoughts. “I was really attracted to him, and even though he was this short, dumpy, but adorable guy, I had these strange, strong feelings for him. Later on I discovered those feelings were love.

“And it didn’t stop with that night. We went to his house every night after practice, and, although we did do a lot of rehearsing, we also did a lot of other stuff. I never once told him how I felt about him though.

“We took some stupid chances, too.” Shay raised his eyes to the ceiling, remembering. “We’d go up to the balcony in the auditorium and fool around when they were rehearsing a scene we weren’t in. Then one night during dress rehearsal, during a break while Mr. Higgins worked with the lighting crew, Dwayne and I sneaked off to the scene shop. We went back into a corner. I sat on a desk and he snuggled between my legs, and we made out. We almost got caught, too. A couple of crew members came in to find some props. Dwayne and I ducked behind the desk. It was a close one.

“It went on like that the whole couple months of working on the play. At the cast party at Lilly’s house after the last performance—and this was really dumb—Dwayne and I went into the bathroom together. We were going at it, and somebody knocked on the door. We were really sweating it for a second. Well, I was anyway. Dwayne called out to whoever it was to just wait a minute, then he hopped in the bathtub, pointed to the door for me to go out, and pulled the shower curtain.

“I went out and this girl, her name was Sally—at least I think it was Sally? Anyway, she was standing there. She was ticked. Told me she’d been waiting forever and wondered what I was doing in there that took so long. I said sorry and left. Man, Jasper, I was petrified. What would she do if she found Dwayne in the bathtub?”

Jasper tilted his head and looked concerned. He thumped the sofa with his tail and licked Shay’s hand.

Shay patted his head. “Thanks, buddy, but it turned out okay. A few minutes later Sally came out of the john. Then in a sec or so, so did Dwayne. He gave me the thumbs up and went back to the party and started to dance with someone. Later he told me he’d sat in the tub while Sally peed. He thought it was funny, but I was spooked. I told him so, but he laughed it off.

“Even though we’d almost got caught, I went home with him after the party. And even though his mom was home, I spent the night. That was the night that changed everything. And was really the beginning of the end of our friendship.”

Shay sat up and looked down at the dog. “You see, Jasper, after making love for most of the night, I finally told Dwayne I loved him. Dwayne pulled me close and said he loved me, too.”

Shay continued to stroke the big hound as he let his mind drift back once more.