For a Pessimist, I am Pretty Optimistic

At the age of sixteen, I had quite a lot on my plate. Besides school and 2 part time jobs, I was also involved in several theatric endeavors. I was an active member of my school’s drama club, one of the directors of the Senior SING performance, and had just finished up a community theater show where I had several important roles in various sketches.

So when I was approached by the director of one of community theatre groups in my neighborhood, I had no intention on taking on any more projects. The group was doing a production of “Inherit the Wind” and after asking me a few questions about my age and my hobbies, the director wanted to know if I would like to join them. He said he admired my comic abilities so much that even though the minimum age requirement for a cast member was seventeen, he would make an exception for me. The fact that an “exception” was being made on my account seemed like the coolest thing to me and I was so excited when I accepted that I didn’t even mention I would be seventeen in a few months.

It wasn’t as taxing a project as I thought. I played various bit parts so I had plenty of time to goof off backstage of the middle school were the performance would be. That also meant I had plenty of time to flirt with Ethan, one of the cutest guys I have ever seen at the time. Besides being more muscular than any of the guys at my high school, he had blue eyes with contrasting black wavy hair and possessed a deep brooding quality.

We flirted more and more as opening night neared, but he never asked me out. I knew he was interested, so what was holding him back?

“Maybe he’s not asking me out cause he thinks we have to be boy and girl friend,” I told some friends while talking about the topic. “I mean, he’s gotta be at least seventeen so he’s probably going off to college this summer and what guy wants to tied down with a girl when he goes away?”

On opening night, I decided to take matters into my own hands. As we exchanged break a leg sentiments to each other, I blurted out “Hey, you wanna go to a movie after this?” Ethan smiled and I continued to blabber “It doesn’t have to be much, just a movie so we can hang out outside of this place.” He agreed and then it was time to start the show.

After the show we walked to a nearby movie theatre. We saw “Godzilla” with Matthew Broderick, but we didn’t pay attention to how bad the movie was. Later, we walked back and talked as we waited for my mom to pick me up outside of the middle school.

“So, where do you go to school?” I asked. It was odd that with all the nonsense we talked about, I had no idea of that fact.

“Oh, I go here,” he replied.

“No, not where did you used to go,” I scoffed. “I mean where do you go to school now?”

“Um, like I said, I go here,” he said, nodding to the school in the behind us.

“What?!” I responded aloud. “Wait a minute…how old are you?”

“Um, twelve?” he said.

I was saved that moment my mom’s arrival. Boy was that the first and only time I was happy she arrived early!

My friends were hysterical when I complained about all this to them.

“He was so cute and had such nice muscles!” I bemoaned. “How was I supposed to know? Besides, I thought everyone had to be at least seventeen!”

Everyone laughed some more while my best friend managed to compose herself enough to ask “What part did he have in the play?”

I paused and looked away, as if I thought that would mean they wouldn’t make me answer.

“Oh come on! You have to tell us now!” they practically screeched.

Mumbling under my breath I said “He played the 12 year old boy who testifies. But still!”

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