Free Anything You Want by Geoff Herbach Page A

rang, Maggie kissed me hard.
    I was so caught up in my adult thoughts that I walked smack into Mr. Lecroy, the choir director, while I was switching classes.
    â€œTaco. Taco Keller!”
    I’m a big fan of choir. I’m not the best singer, but I love it! Anyway, I’ve always liked to perform, always played super minor parts in plays and musicals. (My mom loved going to the high school musical every year.) And I’ve always really liked Mr. Lecroy. “Hey, hey, Mr. L.,” I said back.
    â€œI didn’t see your name on the musical chorus audition sign-up,” he said. “I assume you ran out of time yesterday.”
    Whoa. With so much going on, I completely forgot about the musical. “I guess I forgot,” I said.
    â€œNo,” he said. “Don’t forget.”
    I thought about Maggie and the baby and our lack of a hair dryer over at the suite. “I’m crazy busy right now,” I said.
    â€œNot too busy, I hope.”
    â€œMaybe?” I said.
    â€œFine. You need enticement? Keep it under your hat.” Mr. Lecroy looked around at the flow of students passing us by and then leaned in to whisper. “We’re doing Wizard of Oz !”
    â€œRock on,” I said. “Those flying monkeys scare the shit out of me!”
    â€œMe too!” Mr. Lecroy said. “And guess what?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI have my eye on you.”
    â€œYou do?” I asked.
    â€œMayor of Munchkinland?”
    â€œOh yeah?” Oh, that hurt. Mayor of Munchkinland is a kick-ass part.
    â€œBut you have to play to win, my friend. I’ll be scheduling auditions the week after Thanksgiving. I won’t be putting together a dream team from kids who aren’t ready to make the commitment. Do you understand?”
    â€œYes. Understood, Captain,” I said. Crap , I thought.
    Mr. Lecroy winked, smiled. “Good.”
    I sprinted off to my next class but stopped after about ten steps. I had to bend over and catch my breath. For a moment I thought I might lose my beans right there in the Bluffton High hallway. The musical is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s all snowy and elfin and magical. And my friends and I all sing for hours and hours every day. Oh no, I didn’t want to miss out, dingus. But…
    Maggie Corrigan is having our baby, and I need to buy her a hair dryer , I thought.
    Then the bell rang, and I had to get to class.
    Calc was a total disaster. First, I was late, which made Mr. Edwards grimace. Second, I’d left my butt pillow in English. Third, Mr. Edwards gave a pop quiz.
    Even though I’d struggled to understand calc, I’d never bombed the shiz. In fact, all through high school, I always did pretty well on tests. But I only got, like, halfway done by the time Mr. Edwards picked up my paper. Felt like I got kicked in the salad by a wild donkey. At the same time, my unwell backside throbbed from its bone-to-plastic situation without a doughnut.
    I felt really defeated and in need of love. And Mr. Lecroy was all in my business again during choir that afternoon, so I couldn’t help it. After choir, I slid out into the hall like a ninja and put my name on the audition sheet for The Wizard of Oz , even though I knew in my guts I should be thinking about cash flow and diaper budgets, not being Mayor of Munchkinland.
    Oh, I didn’t feel good about myself, dingus.
    Maggie and I met up right after the last bell. She looked at me, concerned. “Are you tired? Do I make you tired?”
    â€œNo way,” I said. “You’re the sunshine.” But clearly I didn’t act like she was the sunshine because I could barely pick up my feet. I was so damn tired.
    â€œHey, now,” she said. “We need to put a little pep in your cucumber!”
    That made me smile. We walked home, hand in hand, making jokes the whole way. And yeah, dingus, she was sunshine because my energy really did grow back like