Chapter 10

"If we do this, we're going to need..." Robbie started.

"Not to rain on your parade, but do you even know if we can do this?" I butted in.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if each school gets to submit one production, and Tommy and Kirk both plan their own, can we?"

"Oh?"

"Well, if the school can submit one," Tami said. "And Tommy and Kirk and who knows who else all want to do one, the school's going to have to produce them all and choose, or come up with a FAIR way to decide who gets a shot. So it can't hurt to be ready."

"True," Robbie agreed.

"Tommy and Kirk both want to do musicals, but we can do dramas, comedies, whatever," Tami pointed out.

"I think if we're..." I pointed at Robbie, then back at myself. "... going to do it, we should stick with a musical. We can get Unrehearsed back together, then add a few more. Toby on Piano, Chad on guitar, and Sally plays like a regular Karen Carpenter.

"Who?" Kelly piped up from where she was snuggled on my lap.

"Karen Carpenter. The Carpenters?" Kelly looked blank. So did her sister, sitting between Robbie and Tami on the sofa. The younger generation, huh.

"We need to talk to them."

"You sound like WE'VE decided."

Robbie had the grace to look embarrassed. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant if we go with Unrehearsed..."

I smiled and waved her off. "Robbie you've been making my decisions since we met. If you stop now, I'll just get confused."

Robbie blushed.

"Pizzas ready," Mom announced from the kitchen, bringing in a large pizza, paper plates and towels.

"Thanks, Mom."

She surveyed the room. I know she was dying to make a comment about me hanging out with four cute girls, but I think she decided not to embarrass Kelly. She waved and went back to the kitchen.

Traci looked in from the hall, then started to back out again.

"Come on in, Trace. Lots of pizza," I offered.

She smiled shyly and came in, helping herself to pizza and sitting on the floor.

Mom came back with cans of Coke and smiled at me after noticing that Traci had been included. Damn, I love racking up those brownie points. With my habit of getting suspended every March, they came in handy.

"So if we're going to do a musical, which one?" Robbie asked around a mouthful of pizza.

"Jesus Christ, Superstar," Tami suggested. "I can picture Tony as Judas belting out Heaven on Their Minds.

"So you picture me as the biggest traitor in history?"

Tami giggled.

"How about Man of La Mancha, I have a little Don Quixote in me."

"More than a little," Traci said, then looked away.

"I can't see Parker letting us stage Superstar. Too controversial. And I'd be willing to bet that there will be a couple of La Manchas from other schools," Robbie, the cool head of reason, pointed out.

"There's always Oh, Calcutta!" I suggested.

"Just where were you planning to hide the body?" Robbie asked.

I grinned. "I know a couple of spots in the woods back here where Parker will never be found."

"I say we do it," Tami said, surprising me. "Right after you talk my mom into letting me go on stage naked."

"You could do The Sound of Music," Traci suggested. "I always loved that one.

"More schools will do that than La Mancha," Robbie said, a little more sharply that was necessary, I thought.

"You might want to think about how big a production you want," Tami suggested. "You've got two singing and one non-singing roles." She patted her chest. "Two if we shanghai Mikee. And Tommy and Kirk are already trolling for talent. If you decide how big you want to get, that may help you pick a play."

"I think somewhere between four and thirty," I said.

"Thanks, Tony. That really narrows it down." Robbie said sarcastically.

"Besides a thirty-way split is no fun at all." Tami added. We'd discovered that first prize is five grand. Half for the school, and half split among the cast.