In theory, the rules were simple. Agree to everything your scene partner says. Support everything your scene partner does. The only thing you can never say is “no.”
This proved much harder in practice.
“Damn, I really loved that suitcase Dad got me,” AJ initiated.
“Yeah, sweetie, he really wanted us to have fun on our honeymoon,” said Noah.
“Derek, why are you calling mesweetie?” said AJ, teeth gritted. “You’re mybrother.”
“And scene,” said Eudora.
“Why?” said AJ, exasperated.
“Because,” said Eudora. “That’s not how agreement works. The second he calls yousweetie,you have to throw out every preconceived idea you have about the scene and accept his gift, build on what’s actually happening onstage. Otherwise the whole thing falls apart. You need tolisten.”
Then she made them have an entire conversation using only the word “hair dryer.”
“Hair dryer,” said AJ, meaninghello.
“Hair dryer,” said Noah, meaning something.
“Hair dryer dryer,” said AJ, meaningStop ruining my scenes.
“Dryer hair dryer,” said Noah, meaning something.
Ten minutes later, Eudora had them each write down what they thought they’d been discussing.
“Ice cream,” Eudora read, nodding. “And spaceships. You mustlisten.”
“He’sthe one who ruined my initiation,” snapped AJ.
“She’sthe one who ruined our honeymoon,” fumed Noah.
After that, AJ thought she might finally be in for a taste of his famous temper. Instead, Noah invited her to come check on the puppies.
“They keep trying to escape,” he said, performing a head count over the fluffy crescents snoozing under a kitchen cupboard. The litter was amix of black, white, and brown, still so new their noses were pink. Gingerly, AJ reached down to pet a chestnut puppy, who nipped at her cast.
“I feel like I’m looking at Hortense before life hit her,” she muttered, switching hands.
Noah chuckled. “We can call that one Hortense II.”
“The Hortense Strikes Back,” said AJ.
“The Hortense of Doom,” said Noah.
AJ looked up at him. His expression was soft, unguarded. “I could probably listen better. In our scenes,” she admitted.
Noah gave her a half smile. “I could too.”
After practice, at leastone of them would head to Reel World for the late shift. On the evenings they both worked, they were together for thirteen hours straight. AJ kept waiting to feel crowded or for Noah to get bored, but their ability to spend time together only seemed to increase.
They flowed easily from one activity to the next. The car rides were transition time—they’d talk about what they’d just learned or listen to the radio.
Once at work, Noah would duck into the back room and AJ would set up at the counter. She’d get through the returns in about an hour, then dive into her fic. As she embodied Glimmette, AJ tried out Eudora’s craft lessons on pacing, structure, and stakes and saw her writing markedly improve with each tool she applied. Her thirty-eight followers agreed.
Noah usually poked his head in around five, and they’d eat dinner while watching something on the Panasonic. Noah usually let AJ choose, which was for the best. He was a magnet for every obscure tape Storm had ever collected.
“ThisisLéontine’s Battery,” he said proudly. “It’s a comedy about a girl who electrocutes everyone in her path.”
