The fryer oil bubbled and I watched as the donuts turned golden in the basket. There was absolutely no glory working at The Cheesy Fattened Café and I shouldn't have taken a shift this early but here I was because I wasn't able to say no. 

My manager Nancy was sweet, and she knew that I always needed the extra cash. She also knew that this month I wouldn't be able to take any shifts between nine and four so that was probably why she'd offered to let me come in at six this morning to start slinging donuts and coffee to hangry morning commuters.

I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and adjusted my worker hat with a silly cartoon cheeseburger on the lid. I could make donuts with a smile. My coworker Tobias was working the counter with his usual morning charm.

I poured another cup of coffee into a Styrofoam cup and secured the lid. I pulled the donuts from the fryer and watched the excess grease drip down the sides.

It was only eight and I was already feeling the day. I'd worked a shift last night at the fryer and after my run this morning at five am my legs and back ached. I'd be back tonight for another shift again.

Nancy came around from the front of the house and piled the donuts on a plate. She smiled at me and added the coffee to her plate.

"Tracy should be here in twenty minutes or so and once she's on the line you can go early, Lexi," she said. "Don't you worry about punching out too soon. The mayor left his usual tip for the waitstaff, and you'll get a cut of that. I know you have class, and I don't usually ask you to come in this early."

I nodded and smiled. There was no need to tell Nancy that it was overly generous to give a cut of a waitstaff tip to a fry cook like me. I was grateful when Tracy showed up a few minutes later, early as ever.

I traded places with Tracy once she was in uniform and changed out of my apron, blue skirt, and blouse into my third outfit of the day. I hung the uniform up and shoved my smelly running outfit aside in my backpack to fish out a pair of jeans and a white shirt that had a few splatters of paint from painting theater sets.

I ran out the back door where my bike was parked and rode back up two blocks to campus. It was usually quiet in May after all the students had left at the end of the semester but there were a few signs of life on campus.

Several athletes ran around the track. Professors' cars were in the parking lots while their owners sat in their offices. Students taking summer courses hurried to class.

I parked my bike outside the Fine Arts building that theater shared with all the music people. I could see a few of my colleagues getting out of their cars. Dr. Tunstelle was already here. Her blue Fiat was parked right out front.

I rushed into the building and straight to Dr. Tunstelle's office. The older professor was at her desk pouring over a pile of paperwork.

"Good morning, Lexi," she said. "Are you sleeping?"

Dr. Tunstelle knew about almost everything going on in my life. She knew I woke up before the sun rose and often didn't go to sleep at night until the sun had long gone to bed.

"A little," I said. "I am excited about our Shakespeare production."

Dr. Tunstelle nodded. "About that. I know you and Emma Kate had worked out almost everything before auditions, but I was asked late yesterday to take on an extra student."

Emma Kate was the best actress the theater program had. She was a year older than me and had taken me under her wing. We'd planned everything about this summer's production of the Tempest down to the auditions we would hold to confirm the roles we'd already fan cast.

An extra person potentially ruined all our ideas. If they were a good actor, they'd upstage some of the more senior members of the group who'd been passed over for directing by me and Emma Kate. If they were a bad actor they'd stick out like a sore thumb.

"Exactly who will be joining us?" I asked.

"His name is Parker Christian-Porter and Head Coach Greendale asked if he could join because he needs an art credit," Dr. Tunstelle said. "I know a football player is not ideal, but surely you could coach him."

"Me?" I frowned.

"I am paying you to intern for me in this program and we both know Emma Kate will be doing most of the directing," she said. "Greendale had a conversation with your track coach, and they agreed you could train and study together outside of this class. I know you're busy, but you'd be doing this for a week and a half instead of shelving scripts with Emma Kate. It's another way I can justify having both of you as teaching assistants."

I nodded. "So barely more than a week. Did you have a role in mind for him?"

"Assess what he can do," Dr. Tunstelle said. "You and Emma Kate can figure it out. Auditions are Wednesday. You'll have two days to coach him for that."

I understood that. Most everyone here already had over a month to prepare for their audition. I needed to coach this footballer to that level in about forty-eight hours. It wasn't impossible unless he was talentless.

"I'll make it happen," I said. "Do you know anything about this kid?"

"He's a sophomore," she said. "And apparently his sister was involved in the Hillard Festival from that high school that had never come before."

I'd attended Hillard with half a dozen other students to get ideas for the summer Shakespeare production. I remember the group Emma Kate said was new and how they'd put on a killer production of As You Like It. Emma Kate had fought long and hard to do that play this summer as a result.

"Do you know who his sister played?" I asked.

The female cast in their production had been impressive. The girl who'd played Rosalind and the girl who'd played multiple characters including a gender-bent Jacques had been particularly noteworthy.

"No," Dr. Tunstelle said. "But Coach Greendale said that Parker chose this class over pottery. Try to teach him something even if we aren't the most traditional class."

I smiled. "I'll at least instill in him a newfound love of the arts. Have you talked to Emma Kate about this change yet?"

"Last night," Dr. Tunstelle said. "Guessing you haven't seen her yet today?"

I nodded. I'd gotten in late last night gone over a monologue a few times and then fallen into bed. Despite living with Emma Kate, I was so busy I barely saw her outside of the theater.

"I'll go find her before we have to start rehearsal," I said. "Will you be joining us today?"

"I'll step in later," she said. "Remember this show is run by student leadership. I'm here to instruct and if there is a crisis. You and Emma Kate are the architects."

I nodded and then made my way into the theater. Some of our peers were talking on stage. I recognized several juniors and seniors and one sophomore. Emma Kate was in the sound booth playing with the lights.

Her dark frizzy hair was braided back for once. She wore an orange beanie over it with her Shakespeare Is For Lovers shirt, paint-splattered jeans, and checkered Keds. She hummed something as she worked, and I could see her usual earbuds hanging around her neck.

"Jennings," I said.

Emma Kate snapped to attention at the sound of her last name. "Hey, Thaxton. I suppose Tunstelle gave you the news?"

Emma Kate and I had gotten into the fashion of calling each other by our last names. It started as a joke when she attended my track meets but I found it easier to call her Jennings than Emma Kate sometimes, especially if I needed to get her attention.

"Yeah," I said. "Apparently I'm going to be his mentor."

"I was thinking of how we could cast him," she said. "But I don't know his skills."

'"We can discuss it tonight after I finish mentoring with him," I said. "And I get back from work."

"Didn't you work a shift already?" She asked. "You smell a little bit like french fries."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's get this cast organized for an introduction since this kid won't know any of us and I'm bad with names."

"Dream team," Emma Kate walked out of the booth and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Jennings and Thaxton for the gold. That's a sports thing, right?"

I laughed. "Lay off the sports metaphors. Let's go get this rehearsal started."

"After you, co-director," she said.

I moved her arm and walked down the center of the aisle of the theater. Emma Kate's boyfriend Bradley met us at the steps of the stage. He snatched her beanie off her head and held it above her head.

"Real mature, Bradley," Emma said as she hopped up and down trying to snatch the hat from his high reach. "Come on. Give it back."

I laughed as I walked past them up onto the stage. Bradley and Chase had been working on the ship set for the past few days and it was looking great. The boat stern was upright, and the captain wheel was painted gold.

Chase was tying knots in the rigging up near the crow's nest. His mouth was full of nails, and he was hammering at a loose piece. He waved down at me with his free hand. I was always impressed he was so good with tools and somehow his ever-present neck scarf never seemed to get dirty.

Emma Kate snatched her cap from the jaws of defeat as Bradley lowered it for her. She poked his arm since she couldn't get anywhere near his head. I watched him climb the ladder to help Chase a moment later after giving Emma Kate a peck on the cheek.

"That's an impressive set," I jumped and turned to see the crown prince of the theater program had snuck up behind me.

Everyone called Declan Maddox by his famous surname. His parents owned a Hollywood studio and while Maddox wasn't stuck up everyone tended to suck up to him. He was dressed in designer clothes and every hair on his head was gelled into perfect tousled submission.

"What up Mad Dog?" Chase called down from the rigging.

"You know I'd prefer if you stopped calling me that," Maddox's voice was soft-spoken unless he was channeling a role on stage. "Is everyone here yet?"

"I think the rest of the girls are with Riley in the makeup room," Emma Kate said. "I'll text her. The English major is reading in the corner and the trio is coming in so that's nearly everyone."

I could hear the barely disguised disgust in her voice. Since they were all a year above her, Emma Kate had been pushed around by the three theater students that were seniors. They all pulled rank and they'd been bitter that the two of us had been chosen to help co-direct.

All three of them had decided to stay this summer for Shakespeare. Lorne claimed it was because performing Shakespeare was classical. Kayleigh said she needed most of the summer to work on her Instagram modeling while her boyfriend Jude just followed his best friend Lorne's lead.

Lorne took the stage first. Emma Kate and I had watched him take each lead role last year less than humbly. Jude and Kayleigh were holding hands behind him and sniggering. He carried her purse and script since she never seemed to carry anything heavier than her rose gold phone less she mess up her perfect manicure.

Bradley greeted them and they barely looked at us. Lorne appraised the set but he didn't seem to find anything to complain about today. Instead, he turned to Maddox.

"How much did you donate for this set to look so good?" He asked and Maddox's ears turned pink.

"I knew a guy who helped us with lumber," Maddox said. "Just a family contact."

"Thank your father for us," Kayleigh said fluffing her glossy curls. "Is he coming to the show?"

Maddox turned red. I knew he hated the attention his parents got, and he didn't like talking about his family's money. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Riley, Raisa, and the incoming freshman Cynthia I'd met yesterday walk on the stage. Starting rehearsal would direct the attention off Maddox. The only person we were missing was the last-minute addition from the football team.

I gave Emma Kate a nod. She understood immediately. It was time for us to get this show on the road.

Hey everyone!!! I'm super excited to come back to writing about theater. You don't have to have read my story Before the Curtain Opens to read this but it does take place in the same universe. The only major character that will overlap is Shayna because this story revolves around her brother Parker and she'll only make brief cameos similar to Parker's role in that story.

Lexi and Parker will alternate narrating the story. I've loved working with Lexi so far and Parker was one of my favorite side characters in Before the Curtain Opens. I thought it would be funny if he ended up in a summer Shakespeare program. If you enjoyed this chapter leave me a comment or vote. I love hearing what you have to say!

--Eliana