"Army of two."

[headingforsomething]

Who: Reecy Chester and Lewis Sheldon
What: Many hands make light work
Where: Grocery Shopping, NYC
When: Thursday morning

Reecy had called Lewis up and told him that if he needed help with anything, he just had to name it and she would be there. Of course, being Lewis, he said he didn't and Reecy knew he wasn't lying. He was a tough cookie and he would be coping well, but she did still manage to wheedle out of him that he was getting ready to go out grocery shopping but he needed to take Holly with him because Lorenzo was still resting. She didn't wait to be invited. She was just showing up on his doorstep 20 minutes later and telling him she was helping him with his shopping.

He was pushing the grocery cart while she pushed Holly's stroller. She couldn't help but just kind of gape, dumbfounded, at how much such a tiny baby needed. There was no denying she was relieved to have had an abortion because she was pretty sure she would fold under the stress of grocery shopping. But Holly was adorable... and sleeping. That probably helped with the adorable.

"Now, I know you keep saying you're doing fine, but are you really? Because you look so tired and you were kind of in a whole other world last night at work," she reminded him because it was usually Lewis who was the least broody one of all of them backstage.

"Don't look back in anger."

[betterplacetoplay]

Who: Brendan Drake and Reecy Chester
What: "Take me to the place where you go."
Where: Broadway, NYC
When: Thursday night

It had been a hell of a night, but Brendan's mind, heart and soul hadn't been in it. Currently, his work schedule was an equal balance of time spent with the Footloose, Grease and Cinderella productions getting experience working with the music producers of all three. That night, he had been with the Footloose crowd but he had barely been able to concentrate. Not even after the show, backstage, when they all had a very surprise, but understandably brief, visit from both Billy and Justin (along with Ajay). It was a poignant thing for everyone to see both guys, though there was evident shock at seeing that Billy actually looked sick. Maybe on some level, they had been telling themselves it was all going to be okay because Billy was the bright spark of them all.

It was nice to see them, but it had been Justin who had Brendan's discreet focus. He looked pale, and he was quiet, eyes dull. But he spoke politely to everyone reassuring them he was getting better. Ultimately, he didn't talk about what happened or the why of his absence, but Brendan knew what had happened. Seeing the kid in the wake of it all, and in the wake of the awful day Brendan had, it was too much. He had quietly departed backstage and left the theatre.

He hadn't gone too far. He was due to head home with Uncle Caden so he was waiting for him to be done. He sat on the steps of a building a couple of doors down from the theatre and had managed to go through almost a half a pack of cigarettes. A steady trickle of cast members, crew, and other staff left the theatre but headed up the street in the opposite direction to him while he waited for Caden to come out. Taking another drag of his cigarette and then ashing it onto the sidewalk, Brendan sighed and sat there seriously contemplating a solo trip away somewhere... anywhere that wasn't New York right now.