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Galo loves musicals. He wishes the real world could be more like a musical: spontaneous song-and-dance numbers, fun costumes, conflicts that are handily resolved in two hours. As a theater major at Promepolis U, he threw himself into the world of musical theater with enthusiasm. The summer of his freshman year, he got himself a job with a summerstock theater company in a little town in the mountains outside Promepolis. He’s landed the lead role in “The Music Man.” He gets to go hiking in the mountains when he’s not rehearsing. He’s bunking with some really cool people, a mix of theater nerds from all over. He couldn’t be happier.
Well. Maybe he could be a little happier.
“Why won’t you come to the Riverside Diner with us?” he whines loudly over the sound of power tools.
He’s in the woodshop again, sitting on a stray bench, watching Lio Fotia, props guy (or rather, his correct title is “property technician,” as he has snappily informed Galo several times), deftly slicing a two-by-four into pieces on a table saw.
Lio finishes the last cut, turns off the saw, and pushes his safety goggles up onto his forehead.
“I live here, Galo,” he says, rolling his eyes as he collects the two-by-four pieces. “I’ve been to the Riverside a million times. Why would I spend my hard-earned money on greasy diner slop when I could simply make ramen noodles in peace?”
“The Riverside is good!” Galo protests.
“I suppose,” Lio says grudgingly. “I like their blueberry pancakes. But my point about money stands.”
“I’ll spot you,” Galo offers. He immediately regrets it when Lio glares at him.
“Galo, you know I pay my own way-” Lio starts snippily.
“Sorry, never mind!” Galo says, waving his arms. “I’m just trying to be nice! You don’t have to come!”
“Hmph.” Lio gives his two-by-four pieces a grouchy look.
Galo has managed to learn exactly three things about Lio Fotia: 1) He’s lived in this town all his life and can’t wait to leave, 2) He’s going to community college while he saves up enough to transfer to Promepolis U, and 3) He’s kind of a bitch. That last fact has not in the least diminished the immense crush Galo has had on him ever since he first saw Lio angrily screw-gunning a set piece together.
Galo knows it’s kind of irrational. But Lio is soooo cute, in a delicate way that belies his wiry strength. He’s intensely proud and extremely stubborn, which Galo admires. And his prickliness just makes him more intriguing. Galo’s always liked a challenge.
“Will you at least come to rehearsal tomorrow?” Galo asks. “We’re doing a full run-through. That’s free.”
“I would rather pop my own eyeballs like grapes than watch that sentimental, atonal scam-artist apologism masquerading as theater one more time than I absolutely have to,” Lio says decisively.
Galo can’t help being a little hurt. “You remember I’m the lead, right?” he asks.
“And what a waste that is,” Lio says.
It takes Galo a second to realize. Then he feels himself start to blush. Lio just complimented him. He puffs up.
“You think I’m good, huh?” he says happily. Lio looks away, scowling. Galo could be imagining it, but he thinks Lio’s cheeks might be turning a little pink. “What do you think I should star in?” Galo asks, delighted. “I’ve always thought I’d be good in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’”
“That would be a step up, I suppose,” Lio says. “But most musical theater is drek, not to mention a waste of good stage space. I wish this place would take a risk and put on something more intellectually challenging, but I guess that’s too much to expect.”
“Why are you even here if you hate musical theater so much?” Galo asks, mildly irritated.
Lio rubs his thumb and first two fingers together. “Because they pay me the big bucks.”
“Really?” Galo says, surprised.
Lio snorts. “No, idiot. It was this or trash pickup on the side of the highway all summer. I gotta do community service.”
Galo’s eyes widen. “You’re a criminal?” he gasps.
“Pro tip,” Lio says wryly, “if you’re gonna leave a flaming bag of dogshit on someone’s porch, make sure the fire doesn’t spread so far you get charged with arson and property damage.”
“You burned a house down?” Galo wheezes, aghast. Lio scowls.
“Just the porch. Just a little bit. I helped put it out,” Lio mutters tetchily. “Anyway, Brad’s a jerk, he deserved it. You should have heard what he said to Meis.” Lio sighs. “Sometimes being the only gay people in town for nine months out of the year gets a little tiresome.”
Galo frowns. “Well, if he gives you guys any more trouble, I got your back,” he says. “You don’t need to set anything else on fire.”
Lio smiles, a small, toothy grin. “Don’t worry,” he says. “He hasn’t given us any more trouble. And if he does… I’m perfectly capable of solving my own problems.”
Galo rolls his eyes. “I know,” he says. “But you don’t need to do everything by yourself, at least not while I’m around. I can be your buff bodyguard!” Lio snorts. “I like to help,” Galo says, slightly more seriously. “I’m a helper!”
Lio sighs again. “You’re leaving after three shows. I’m not going to… I don’t need your help.”
“What about when you come to Promepolis U? Can I help you with stuff then?”
Lio looks up at Galo and there’s something in his sharp violet eyes that Galo can’t read.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Lio says. “If I don’t get the scholarship I applied for, I might not be able to come at all.”
“You’ll get it,” Galo says with absolute certainty.
“You’re painfully optimistic,” Lio says, his tone gentler than normal. “Shouldn’t you be heading out to the Riverside? It’s getting late.”
“I guess I should,” Galo says. “But I’ll see you around, yeah?”
“Not if I see you first,” Lio says, but he’s smiling again, so Galo takes it as a win.
***
Galo orders two plates of blueberry pancakes at the Riverside, and after devouring the first, he eats a few bites of the second plate just for appearances and has the rest packed up to go. He knows it’ll take more than blueberry pancakes to soften Lio’s cynical outlook on the world. But Galo is determined to use all his powers of willful stupidity, optimism, and open-heartedness to show Lio that life can be fun, good things are possible, and musical theater isn’t all bad.