Inner Man Theatre

Chapter 9   The Faces of Tomorrow

    With the exam easily passed by all the students, the rest of the time can be spent enjoying one of the biggest celebrations the kids have experienced in their lives.  It’s like having a family reunion every year, only to discover you weren’t even acquainted with a fourth of your relatives.  At any rate, a group picture is taken of the traveling class from this year’s field trip, followed by a picture with these people and with those people.  How you fit so many individuals into one photograph is beyond me, but they did it.  I’m saving myself the trouble and sticking with the first pic, as you see above.

    “Stop it!”

    “No.”

    “I’m going to whomp you if you don’t!”

    “Tough.  Stinks to be short, doesn’t it?”

    “Ha ha ha!  If he calls you short, what am I supposed to be?”

    Such is the would-be argument of Elf and Gi as he keeps standing in front of her in their later pictures, much to Faye’s amusement.

    “If you don’t stop this right now, Entoni Franklin…” she demands.

    Turning around and giving her the goofiest look he can, he taunts, “Then you’ll what, Nova G.?”

    She tries to think of a good threatening comeback, but his expression is just too hilarious.  “Ha ha ha!  No fair!  Why do you always have to win?”  She gives up and just bumps his arm with a light punch.

    “There, all better?” he asks his sis.

    “Your jokes always make me feel better, bro,” Grace smiles, appreciating his diligence to notice her lingering depression over her less-than-perfect performance earlier.  She has a lot to learn, but she’s at least able to enjoy the party without her stress casting a shadow on her delight, thanks to her good friends.

    “Any other time,” Faye goes back to Gigi’s desperate interrogative, “I would easily quip that your brother always has to win, but after today, I’m not too sure.”  Turning to him and saying in a softer voice, “Maybe there’s a chance I’ll even have a victory over him someday.”

    Ent rolls his eyes and changes the subject.  “Are we done with all the pictures?  I thought this was supposed to be fun.  With fun, there’s food and I haven’t eaten anything except waves of green fire today, and that’s not the most appetizing delicacy in existence, let me tell ya.”

    Faye’s quick mind is ready to taunt about Elfie and Kam apparently sharing that meal, but the last thing Worley needs is to stoke the fire of Ent and Kam sharing anything.  The short one’s still not sure if her encouraging Elfie to look otherwise is something she really wants him doing.  Is she ready to be forsaken like that?  Eh, she’ll get over it, she concludes.

-Next Page-

-Previous Chapter-

-Back to Table of Contents-