Aidan's Journey by CJane Elliott

Author:CJane Elliott [Elliott, CJane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2014-10-07T00:00:00+00:00

Fourth Year, Scene Five

IN AN isolated scene like the one I just described, I appear to be as ensnared as ever with Rodney. But during my fourth year at U.Va., the fabric binding me to him was beginning to unravel. I’ve mentioned meeting Pete as one reason. I also started confiding in people I trusted and opened myself to their advice.

One such person was Eli, my drama director. I’d worked with him throughout my years at U.Va. and respected him highly. We were close in the way actors and directors can be. A good actor-director relationship is intimate, and I relied on Eli to help me unpeel the necessary layers to get at the heart of a role. He knew me better than I knew myself back then.

That fall, I was playing the part of George in Of Mice and Men. A far cry from my musical theater roles, I found it challenging. And for the first time ever, I had trouble getting into the part. I put off studying my script, flubbed lines, and forgot stage directions. Eli was patient, but things came to a head the day I showed up to rehearsal unprepared and hungover.

Let me back up to the day before. It was Halloween, and I planned to have dinner with Rodney, then go to a costume party at the blue house. Rodney had just gotten back from a conference, and I looked forward to seeing him after almost a week apart. I was heading out the door in my pirate costume when I received his text: Dinner won’t work. Later tonight?

After glaring at the phone, I called him.

“Hello there. You got my text, then?”

“Yeah. What’s the deal?”

“Nothing important. It’s just that something’s come up.”

I heard what sounded like a giggle—a suspiciously female giggle—in the background, and clenched my jaw. “Do you have someone there?”

Rodney cleared his throat but didn’t reply.

“It’s not Tish, is it?”

“God, no. One of my independent study students needed to meet with me, and this was the best time. I’m sorry.”

“And is this student female?” When he didn’t respond, I said, “I thought you were staying away from the girls, Rodney.”

“Perhaps we can discuss this later at our meeting. This isn’t the best time for this conversation.”

I hung up on him.

It was too early to go to the costume party, but I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts. Instead, I smoked a bowl and drank vodka, getting so smashed I almost didn’t go to Matthew’s. Being with people was better than being alone, though, so I made myself leave and wove my way to the bus stop.

The spectacle I made at the Halloween party was not one to be proud of. I drank more. I sang karaoke, during which staying on my feet was a challenge. When I came out of the den in search of more alcohol, I saw Pete standing in a line with Matthew and some friends while Cleo took their picture. Pete had on a toga that only came to midthigh, and he looked yummy with his legs hanging out.

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