TWO-TIMERS: Alyss and Kayne's Tale

III. Perfect Timing

Place: Baer Theatre

Time: Summer of 2030

It had only been an hour and a half since everyone else had begun cleaning and Alyss was already done. Janine was short to follow who was in a majour hurry, trying to out clean Richard so he wouldn't get on her case. Again. The other two were working together, Brown-braid resorting to letting Sophie do most of the work, only keeping her company because all the others were tired of her. Brown-braid kept talking about random movies and shows while Sophie listened and smiled sometimes when they mentioned a hot actor or something. Alyss looked around to see if anyone needed help because she never liked doing nothing, for that one moment of doing nothing might get you fired. She should know... that was how she got fired from her previous job right before she took the job at Baer Theatre. But considering her good reputation with Mr. Trevie, she doubted he would actually be that cruel. He seemed more like mouth than action, just like Richard and Janine.

After a few seconds of surveying the room, Alyss lifted her eyebrow. She saw the young boy sitting in the middle of the room on top of an overturned desk, keeled over what looked like a small notebook. She also spotted a pen in his hand, rapidly scribbling away whatever. Curious as to what he was writing, Alyss considered going up and asking him, but then she would be the center of jokes, and that would only be a big distraction from her work. Just then that feisty girl Janine walked up to Kayne and said, "Hey, whatcha doin'?"

"Well..." Kayne answered slowly, the tone in his voice that said 'bigger things are coming'. "I was rearranging the furniture, when suddenly it hit me! The big question, the mother of all questions! The one question that has riddled all and every answer is different."

Janine had a hint of a smile on her face, kinda in between scrunching her eyebrows and flat out laughing. Her right hand was perched on her hip as she waited. "What question is that?"

"Don't you ever wonder what the meaning of life is? What's our purpose here? On Earth... with these elements of fire and stone, water that everyone has to pay for. Why were we sent here? Did we send ourselves? Is it all a joke or is their a great meaning for all this pain?"

Janine shrugged. "If we did send ourselves here, I'd be kicking myself in the ass saying 'why the hell didn't you buy yourself a two-way ticket, you idiot?'"

Kayne looked serious, knitting his brows. "I doubt we'd be able to afford it, the hell we're in."

"I was there before... Brr," Janine pretended to shiver. "All to get my Digiorno."

Kayne smirked.

"What? I'm addicted. Those little sausage and peppers. Mmm..." Janine smiled. "So, that's some question. What's your answer?"

Kayne appeared to look confused. "What question?"

Janine rolled her eyes. "The question, 'What's our purpose here? The meaning of life..."

"Oh, that question! Well, I don't know the answer. My question was, how the hell am I gonna eat this Big Mac? I mean it's HUGE."

Janine just stared. "You're rehearsing, aren't you?"

Kayne did the 'who me' look on his face.

"Yeah, you! Some kind of amateur stand up comedian, what not?"

He laughed. "No, I'm trying to get people not to laugh. It's the first step to getting people to laugh."

"Really?" Janine scrunched her nose. "Why not just be sarcastic? Or get drunk and dance naked on stage? You'd get paid more. Getting people to laugh these days is harder than... well very hard is all I say."

"Harder than finding a virgin nun on Sundays?"

Janine chuckled. "You're gonna have to work a bit harder than that to crack a little laugh. Especially outta Alysson... I see you watching her."

Kayne winked. "If coming up with jokes won't work, I'll just resort to something much more fun..."

"Dancing naked on stage?"

"Please, stop offering me your job, I already have one."

She scoffed with a smile. "Do you wanna get bitchslapped?"

He laughed.

"No seriously. I will, don't think I won't."

He just continued to laugh as he dodged a few playful swings from Janine. "Look, I'll call your owner when your collar's been found-"

"So your last resort is cruelty!"

Kayne quickly rolled off just as the cropped haired twin narrowed her eyes playfully and crouched in a prowling tiger stance. "Only to those who deserve it!" he answered.

"This room's only so big..." she hissed.

A big goose chase ensued, the two circling the overturned table in the middle and occasionally jumping over piles of junk all over the floor. Truth be told, boredom was wracking everyone out and Alyss seemed to be the only one enjoying the actual work itself. She had it in herself to go help Sophie with the cleaning but didn't want to get near that Jacqueline girl, who everyone had decided to call Jackal for some odd reason. So all who was left to talk to was none other than the son of one of the owners of the theatre.

"Hey, Aly," Richard noticed Alyss approached and looked up from a long list of chores that needed to be done before the actual performances in August. He seemed to be completely oblivious of the two haywire kids running around like maniacs, and Sophie who had resorted to delirious giggles. "You're finished way ahead of everyone, maybe you'd like to lend me a hand here..."

Alyss didn't mind the shortened version of her nickname, though she'd never known anyone to do so. She'd always preferred Alyss to Alysson... her mum always called her Alysson. "I'll see if I can," she answered honestly.

Richard handed her the list he had and started showing her what each symbol meant and each name that goes in each time slot. "... the cleaning should be done by this Friday in which the various rooms are turned into actor's changing areas. It's basically just a bunch of inventory management. A bitch to do, but somebody's got to."

"This theatre is new... how did it get so dirty so easily? Isn't it built clean?"

Richard exhaled with amusement. "Well, not really. You got all the dust, bricks, and mortar everywhere and there's only so many people who are willing to put their full effort into a pastime such as an on stage Theatre. It's advertisement that makes us thrive, not the acting. Once the tickets are sold, we're fixed. Doesn't matter if the performance sucks, or if everyone leaves before the first act is through."

"That's a scam. The acting should be good. No, it should be the main priority! Satisfying the audience. Making the audience a part of the play... The actor's responsibility is singing the song, then the audience will dance along. Like a great symphony... " Alyss' eyes glazed over and a wistful frown encircled her features.

"And here I thought you were all quiet and non-opinionated. My huge mistake in judgment." Richard smiled. "I like your heart... but it doesn't mean most people will appreciate it. You're not meant for just inventory management or janitorial activities, Aly... I can tell. Why are you here?"

Alyss didn't answer that time, looking down then looking away into the center of the room. Her eyes began circling the room, becoming somewhat dizzy as they watched the two maniacs still running about the room like it was elementary recess. Slowly her vision became obscured by a huge thick mass of purple, turning more transparent the bigger it got.

POP.

The gum was sucked into her mouth as she stood back up, and calmly headed for the fingerprint pad near the red fire alarm. Spitting her gum into the trashcan along the way she started humming to herself a sorrowful tune. By watching her you'd think she was a clueless young girl lost in daydreams. Until her thumb slowly raised to press into the neon grid and make a few 'clitter clatter' and 'beep' sounds before verifying her identity, successfully clocking out.

Mr. Trevie soon entered the room to announce lunch, but Alyss had already gone. So everyone got hyped up, ready for a break while Mr. Trevie left the room yet again, entering and going like a slithering snake in the leaves. Richard looked at the digital pad in his hand with widened eyes just like he had exactly two hours before. He let out an impressed sigh, "Well, darn, she did it again. 12 o'clock on the dot. Not one second before or after."

He said it loud enough for the whole room to hear.

"Of course she would leave, all she cares about is the money. Did you see how she moved? Like a robot!"

"Dude, bitch with a braid, shut up. I think she's a good role model. Very clean, your tongue should follow suit. You picked your feet up today, what a great accomplishment!" That was Janine, not afraid to snap at her own sister, or at anyone who she felt deserved it.

"I was just pointing out!" Jackie acted like she was innocent and rolled her eyes. "She didn't even stay for lunch, how anti-social. Won't even talk to anyone. And very rude, just walking off all starry eyed, like she has some important business to discuss with the dustpan."

"She talked to me," Richard interrupted.

"Well, don't you feel special, Richie Rich, Mister I-Don't-Have-To-Work-Because-I'm-The-Owner's-Son?" that was Janine.

"Just shut up and clock out and go to lunch." Richard snapped, genuinely peeved. "I don't want to have to pay you overtime."

"YOU! Pay ME? Oh what is this now? A Richocracy?"

The two could have gone on and on for the entire day if they both weren't seriously hungry and alone in the room because everyone else had left either giggling or scared.

Kayne sighed as he walked to the cafeteria for his hour break, hearing the bustle of probably 4 dozen workers that had arrived for afternoon shifts. He thought it was silly to even have 'afternoon shifts', because all they were doing was cleaning and preparing for the actual real work at hand. But all that occupied his mind while he walked to the cafeteria was that Alyss Brewer was gone... Why hadn't she stayed for lunch? He should have went up and talked to her instead of gawking stupidly while she worked.

Her eyes had been alight, though wounded by some forlornness... She seemed to dance while she cleaned, the duster a magical wand sweeping fairy dust into the dustpan. He had tried a few loud 'hey there' exclamations to see if she'd responded and she'd merely stared or blown a really big bubble. He was really more out to figure out her character. Why was she so quiet? According to Mr. Trevie's son Rich, she wasn't as quiet as she seemed... And he regretted he missed it. It was probably while he was talking to Janine. He called her 'Nine' now. He insisted she was catwoman and had nine lives, when she'd replied, if that was true she'd only have eight left because of the stupid job. Kayne had agreed with twisted sarcasm.

Kayne remembered back to his high school days... when he was considered one of two class clowns. It was homecoming and he was a freshmen...

That was the day his best friend died. And he had vowed, ever since, to become the best comedian ever, but since then he'd lost some of his spunk... some of his silliness and spark. His true self usually emerged in the afternoon, he was slow in the morning, and he worked at Baer Theatre from morning to evening. So he just hoped that he would see Alyss before tomorrow... he'd have to find out her schedule or the wait would drive him crazy.

To keep from delving too deep into thoughts he started a conversation with Sophie, mostly one-sided on his part. She mostly just blushed, giggled, and nodded making a few comments here and there. At least she was easy to impress and easy to make laugh, but Kayne found himself longing something different. He asked himself:

How do you make someone who doesn't even smile, crack a laugh?

© Annie A. Bridges