Acting the Part

I'm sitting in my room, half-focused on studying for an English quiz due tomorrow, when my doorknob rattles violently, followed by a few quick knocks.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Hey Lee, did you still want to help me practice today?" Asks my younger sister Lucy.
Damn, I forgot about that. "Yeah, sure, I'll be right down, shrimp."

I put away my notebooks and my textbook. It'd probably be alright if I don't study much tonight, I'm not really behind in any of my classes. I meet my sister downstairs.

She's 5'2", about a foot shorter than me, but with dark hair and blue eyes to match my own. She seems to have a perpetual smirk on her face and boundless energy.

"So what do you need to practice?" I ask.
"It's the song 'One Hand, One Heart' from West Side Story. The audition's tomorrow." She says, with a slightly pained expression.

"Nervous?" I ask.
"Yeah, a little. I've got my part down, but it's a duet; I haven't really practiced with anyone else yet. And you've got such a nice voice, I swear you got all the musical talent."
I'm alright with my guitar, but I'm not sure my voice is as good as all that." I say genuinely.
"You have a great voice! I don't know why you always say that." After a short pause, she hands me some sheet music. "This is your part, you can practice a few times, then I'll join in."

"Sounds good, shrimp," I say. She scowls slightly at the old nickname, but doesn't seem to actually mind.

She plays the accompaniment on her phone, and I run through it a couple of times. After the third, I put down the sheet music on the table. "I think I've got it."

"That's genuinely annoying! It took me so long to memorize!.. And you say you've got no talent."

I just smirk at this.

"Alright, alright, let's do this. In the audition, we're supposed to face each other and hold hands. Like this." She takes my hands and looks up at me. The mood shifts suddenly; it's a lot more intimate than I expected.
"Uh, alright, just press play," I say. I can't help but give her all of my attention. She really is becoming quite beautiful, but I shouldn't be thinking that sort of thing about my own sister.

We start to sing the duet together. The lyrics about declaring undying love for each other make me a little uncomfortable this time. Focusing on singing in such a high range ends up being a good distraction. When the song ends, she looks a little embarrassed and looks away from me. "And then we're supposed to kiss..." She says bashfully. "Of course WE don't have to kiss." She gestures at the two of us, "but I'm just nervous about doing it tomorrow."

"That makes sense," I say, letting go of her hands. "Who are you auditioning with tomorrow?"

"My friend Mindy's brother, he's a sophomore, so you probably wouldn't know him. He's gay, which makes it a little easier, but it would still be my first kiss, and in front of Ms. Duval too!" She explains.

She still hasn't had her first kiss? She's a year younger than me, but it's still a little bit surprising. She's never had a boyfriend, so I guess that explains it. We're both seniors; in all this time, I've never known her to have a serious crush on anyone.

"I'm sure it'll be alright, if you get the part, you'll have to do a bunch of kissing practice with whoever gets the male lead." I try to sound reassuring.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wanted it to be special." She says almost glumly.

I can't think of anything to say to reassure her, so instead I say, "want to practice again?" And we do. We practice a few more times until our mom comes home and asks for help with dinner.

The next day at school is pretty uneventful. I'm heading home after last period when Lucy almost barrels into me in the hall.
"Whoa there, Luce, what's going on?"

She speaks a mile a minute. "It's terrible, I'm totally freaking out! Mindy's brother had to go home early, and now I don't have anyone to audition with!"

"Deep breaths, Luce, isn't there anyone else you could do it with?"

"Jake offered, but he's creepy, I don't want to kiss him! Plus, he's got a terrible voice; it'd make me look worse in the audition to duet with him." She's slowed down a bit by now.

"What do you want to do about it then?" I ask.

"Can you audition with me? I know you don't want to be in the play, even though you totally should, but we could tell Ms. Duval that you're just helping me out for the audition. She won't mind, just help me out, please, I'll owe you one!" She gives me those big puppy dog eyes. How am I supposed to say no?

"Lead the way," I say.

The auditorium is dimly lit, but the stage is bright; their band teacher is sitting behind a piano on stage. Ms. Duval is the only person in the audience. She's a tall, thin woman in her early thirties, with dark hair and high cheekbones. She greets us. "Ah, there you are, Lucy. I was afraid you weren't going to make it. And you are?"

"I'm Lee." I omit my last name; it would be better if she didn't know Lucy was my sister. "I'm not auditioning. I'm just here to help Lucy audition."

"That's fine. Face each other center stage and begin in time with the accompaniment."

Even though we're in a nearly empty auditorium, it's nerve-racking to perform on stage like this. Lucy's feeling it too, so I give her little hand a quick squeeze and flash a smile. She smiles back for a fraction of a second, then we begin.

I'm supposed to look at her anyway, but I'm unable to look away. I forget that this small angel is my sister, and all I can focus on is the beauty of her voice. I'm swept away in the song, and when it ends, we just sort of stare at each other for a few seconds before I remember what we need to do. I unclasp our hands and lightly grab her cheek. She closes her eyes, and I press against her receptive lips. I instinctively pull her body close to mine. Our kiss is deeper and lasts a little longer than it should, and we pull apart. I'm brought back to reality by Ms. Duval's soft applause. "Well done, you two. I'll have the cast list posted tomorrow at the end of the day."

Lucy won't meet my eyes, but she's blushing and smiling slightly. It's only then that I notice that I've got an erection. I can only pray that Lucy couldn't feel it, or that she just thought it was my phone or something.

We don't talk about the kiss on the way home that night.

The next day at school was uneventful until I was on my way home. I passed by the doors to the auditorium and glanced over at the cast list. I know Lucy really, really wants the lead role. I look at the top of the page. And next to Maria, I see the name "Lucy Gardener" printed. She'll be so excited!
Then my heart drops as I glance at the name on top of the page. By the name of the lead role, Tony, Maria's love interest, is the name: "Leroy Gardener." That'sME!What the hell?!

I rush over to Ms. Duval's office and knock on the door. I hear her say, "come in," from the inside. "Ah, it's you, Lee. I was wondering when you'd come to see me. Have a seat." She says with a coy grin.

I sit down, and she just looks at me, head tilted inquiringly. "First of all, how did you learn my name?"

"The yearbook, dear." She says without elaboration.

"Right... Well, the main reason I've come is that I don't want to be in the musical. I told you I wasn't auditioning." I say, trying not to sound too frustrated. "And besides, Lucy's my sister, it would be a little weird to act like we're in a relationship."

"I admit, I was surprised to learn the two of you were brother and sister; you were both so passionate on stage! I kept thinking: There! There's my Tony and Maria!" She says in lilting tones with a voice like velvet. She'd be quite attractive for an older woman if she weren't bothering me like this.

"Well, I still don't want to be in the play. Besides, what would my friends say if they saw me kissing my sister on stage?"

She gives me a knowing smirk. "With my help, Lee, you two could make the whole audience forget who you are. They'd see Tony and Maria, not Lucy and Lee."

"Well, I'm not interested, so I'd appreciate it if you took my name off the list," I say a little petulantly. She's really trying to sell me on this, but I've made up my mind. I'm not doing it.

"I'm sorry to hear that you still feel that way, but if that's your decision, I'd just like to ask one thing of you." She says.

"And that is?"

"Sleep on it. Come by my office tomorrow morning and give me your decision then." She says with finality.

"Alright. It'll be the same answer either way, but I'll give it to you tomorrow morning." I say, trying not to sound too annoyed.

"Thank you, Lee." She signals that the conversation is over, and I leave.

I think about it on the drive home, but I stand firm in my conviction not to be in the play. I don't have time to learn my lines, I don't want to kiss my sister on stage: once was bad enough; I don't need to stir up those feelings again.

I open my front door, and before I take a single step inside, I get tackled by a shrimp-sized assailant. I almost fall over, but I steady myself in time. She presses her soft body against mine and wraps me in a tight hug. "I'm so excited! Maria is totally my dream role! And it's all thanks to you! I'm just so happy!" She exclaims in quick succession.

I look down at her face and can't help but smile back at her beaming face. She gets up on her tippy toes and plants a kiss on my lips, just a little bit longer than a quick peck. I look up and see our mom in the hallway raising an eyebrow at me. Damn, I didn't know she was off work today.
Lucy lets go of me, and I finally come inside, closing the door behind me.

"So, Lucy says you're both in the musical this year. I thought you weren't auditioning." She says in a slightly questioning tone.

"I didn't audition, er- I didn't exactly mean to," I say

"But you're going to be in the play anyway?"

I take a quick look down at my sister's smile; I can't bring myself to disappoint her now. I plaster a smile onto my face. "Of course I am! I'm looking forward to it."I really hope I don't come to regret this.

The next day, I sheepishly walk into Ms. Duval's office before first period. "Ah, there you are, Lee. Have you made your decision?"

"Yes..." I say, "I'll do it. I'll be in the play." I grudgingly admit.

She grins as if this is what she expected all along. "That's wonderful, Lee. We'll do a read-through after school today. Play practice starts 10 minutes after the final bell, Monday through Friday. Don't be late. I look forward to seeing you there." She says this in a pretty businesslike way, but the smile never leaves her eyes. I feel like I'm being toyed with by a predatory cat.

The first two weeks of play practice don't go as well as they could; as it turns out, I'm not the best actor. On the bright side, no one in the cast seems to think it's weird that Lucy and I are brother and sister; they just follow along with whatever Ms. Duval says.

On Friday after practice, she calls Lucy and me into her office: "You two are doing well so far, but I would like to see a little more improvement from here. Especially you, Lee: it is your first production after all."

"Yeah, I really don't know what I'm doing..." I say

"What do you have in mind, Ms. Duval?" Asks the shrimplet.

She smirks at this. "You can call me Veronica when it's just us, dear." After a beat, she continues, "I want you two to practice your lines together, especially the romantic lines. You need to get a little more comfortable with each other's bodies, in private."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Pretend you're Tony and she's Maria when you work on your lines. When you get to the right parts, do what Tony and Maria would want to do to each other. You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with, of course, but try to embody your roles as best you can."

"We'll do our best, Veronica." Says Lucy.

I'm still not entirely comfortable with this idea, but instead I say: "Sure, sounds interesting."

"Let's meet after rehearsal every Friday. I'd like to guide your progress a bit." She says, dismissing us.

That night, after dinner, we sit next to each other in my room and work on our lines. We sit very close together, reading from our scripts. The scene we're in describes how they get together and fall in love. There's a strange mood growing between us. I can't help but notice how delicate and beautiful she is.

She looks up at me with those big blue eyes. I grab her chin and pull her face towards mine, bending down and voraciously kissing her. We make out for a little while, until I feel her hand on my thigh, and I pull back. "What are you doing?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" She counters.
"This doesn't feel right,"  I say, meaning it. Kissing her lights a fire in me; I'm afraid of where it could lead.

"Why? We're just acting, Ms. Duval says normal rules don't apply." She says with conviction.
"Where does that end? If normal rules don't apply." I say
"I don't know. Does it matter?" She responds.
"What if I want to do this?" I gently place my hand on her breast.
"Th-that's ok."
My heart starts beating faster.
"And this." I start kissing my way down her neck.
"Y-yeah, that's ok. It's..." She stammers.
I cut her off by placing my lips on hers again. Letting time flow away, and losing myself in her embrace.

We pull away from each other. It's hard to make eye contact with Lucy. It should feel wrong to do these sorts of things to my little sister, but she turns me on more than my ex-girlfriend ever did.

Most of our nights for the rest of the weekend end up this way. We'd work on our lines for a bit, and then get a little carried away with our "acting." The worst part is, I actually think it's helping me get more comfortable acting with Lucy during rehearsal. The other actors in the play are more encouraging than ever. It's actually kind of strange; it's like they think two siblings making out isn't that big of a deal....Maybe it's not that big of a deal...

At the end of the week, we end up in Ms. Duval's office again.
"Well, you two have made remarkable progress, although you still need to memorize those lines, Lee." She says genially.
I nod my head in acknowledgment.
She continues: "I'm sure you did the homework I assigned last week, acting like a couple seems so much more natural for you two."
"We followed your advice! It was a little weird at first, but not anymore." Says my little sister.

Speak for yourself...

"That's wonderful!" Says Veronica. "Would you mind giving me a little demonstration?"
"Uh, sure! As long as you're cool with it, Lee." Says Lucy.
"Yeah, that would be alright. What would you like us to do, Veronica?" I say, wishing I could restrain myself, but all I want to do is touch Lucy.
"How about you make out a little?" Suggests Veronica, as if it were a normal request.

Wordlessly, Lucy and I turn to each other, I pull her face next to mine, and we start kissing deeply. I explore her mouth with my tongue, and she grips my hair in one hand. Our heads bob in a synchronized gyration of passion.
"That's a good start. Keep going." From Veronica.
Our pace increases, but nothing else changes.

"Let me help you two out a bit." She says.
Veronica grabs my hand and gently places it on my sister's breast. She moves it back and forth, directing my hand to groping my sister. If Lucy minds, she doesn't show it. I can feel her erect nipple through her bra; instinctively, I prod at it with my fingers. Lucy moans ever so slightly. I feel Lucy's hand on my thigh: Veronica has Lucy's hand in her grasp, and they work their way slowly up my leg until Lucy's hand rests on top of my erection. She gently strokes up and down, feeling my hardness through my jeans. I give her breast a little squeeze, and she gives me a little squeeze in response.

"Good, very good, you two." Veronica purrs.
Every instinct in my body tells me to rip Lucy's clothes off right here and now, but I restrain myself by a Herculean force of will. Eventually, we part. Looking at each other face to face. The sight of Lucy, flushed and embarrassed, makes me want her even more.

I need to stop thinking about her that way before it's too late.

"This is an excellent start, you two. You've made strides already." Veronica says, beaming at us.
"Start?" I say. "Where could we possibly go from here? It feels like we're in dangerous territory already."
"Dangerous? In what way?" Asks Veronica, almost innocently.
"I don't want to do anything that Lucy's uncomfortable with. Plus, it feels, I don't know... Wrong, I guess." I reply.
"Lucy, are you uncomfortable?" Veronica asks with amusement.
Lucy, still flushed-faced and dazed, just shakes her head.

"There you are, dear, nobody's uncomfortable here," she says with finality. "As for it beingwrong, I don't think that matters all that much either. The dogma's our society prescribes to us MUST be done away with for those of us who seek to create true art. These acting challenges will push against societal rules, but that's a good thing! It will bring out the artists in you, unlocking your passions, plus it might even be fun along the way. Do you understand, dear?"I don't."Yeah, I think so," I say.

Lucy has been following every word, looking enthralled by the idea. "So what's our next assignment, Veronica?" She asks wistfully.

"You two are going to act like you're dating, publicly, not around people who know you, but around strangers. Hold hands, kiss each other, act as if you're in a relationship, and the rest will come naturally." She says.

The next day, after school, we take her advice. I'm waiting for Lucy to finish getting ready when our mom walks into the kitchen. "You look nice, but what's the occasion? You never wear a collared shirt." She says.
"Yeah, I'm cheating on my hoodie. Lucy and I are just going out for a bit, kind of a brother-sister date." I reply.

"That's so sweet of you! You both have gotten so close lately. It must be all that time working on the play bringing you guys together."
"Yeah, you might be right."More than you know...Lucy comes downstairs wearing a cute, ruffly, baby blue dress. It is very much her style.
"You look wonderful, Luce," I say, and I mean it.
"Aw, thanks! Wanna head out? I'm hungry!" She says.

We go to the nearby steakhouse, which we've come to plenty of times as a family. It doesn't feel like we're family in this moment. We walk in hand-in-hand, and I ask for a table for my girlfriend. Our waiter asks how long we've been dating, and Lucy easily replies, "Just a couple of weeks, actually." He says we look like a cute couple.

We talk, laugh, kiss, and Lucy devours almost twice as much steak as I can. "I don't know where you put it all, Luce, but you've always been a voracious little carnivore."

By the end of the night, I've forgotten that we're not on a "real" date. When we get back to our house, I feel a sense of nervous anticipation.
"The lights are off. Mom must be in bed." I say.
"Yeah." She replies in a thoughtful tone.
"We could go up to my room and keep up the acting practice," I say, casually.
"That sounds fun. Lead the way!"
We sneak up to my room, not wanting to wake our mother. I lock the door behind me.

I pull her body close to mine, and she practically jumps on top of me, pressing our faces together in voracious lust. I don't care that she's my sister: I want her. I push her up against the wall, grinding our bodies together. I need some kind of release; I need her to be the one to do it. I reach around her back and start unzipping her dress. She only kisses me harder.

We pull apart so that she can step out of her dress. I take in her small, curvaceous body for the first time. I reach back to unhook her bra.
"W-Wait." She stammers. "I just want to say something first."
I listen intently.

"I know this is really important for our role research, like Ms. Duval says, but I-I've had a crush on you for kind of a long time. I don't want you to do anything unless you really want to." She gets this out and eagerly awaits my response.
After a second to gather my thoughts, I say, "Lucy, you excite me more than anyone else ever has. This whole play debacle has stirred up feelings in me that I never knew were there. I've just had a hard time accepting them, since you're my little sister and all, but there's no one on earth I'd rather be with. I love you."
"I love you too, Lee." She says.