Mumbo's POV

"The show must go on!" Tango shouts as he stands on my bed and points to the ceiling. He can be such a dork sometimes.

I can't help but crack up laughing and it only encourages him further. How many superhero poses does this guy know?

Knock knock

"Okay, that was super cheesy," I say walking over to the door. It was probably my dad telling us that we should go to bed now.

It was a long weekend and Tango and I decided to play video games and hang out at each other's houses, nights at mine and days at his.

Grian was out of town otherwise he'd be right in between us. I open the door to see who it was.

"Hey boys, why don't you get ready for bed," I was right.

"We can't have the most important characters falling asleep halfway through rehearsals, can we?" Dad then waved goodnight and he was off.

After we were both done doing our separate things in the bathroom. Tango makes a joke about why Grian is actually not here.

"What? Why else, he's on a trip with his family?" I was thoroughly confused and the squint of my eyes showed it.

"Nah, its because you can't see each other on your wedding day." I fling a pillow at Tango's face faster then he could react and send the boy falling onto the air mattress on collision.

"You're just mad because I'm right." Tango mumbles.

"Whatever you say, keep telling yourself that." I then gets on my bed and face away from Tango.

"I'm not giving your pillow back either." Yeah, I kind of expected that.

...

"Hello there lads!" Grian greets us as we all meet up in the school's corridors. It seems rather empty but we're nerds and got here super early, once the first bell goes so does the rush of students.

Grian has been texting Tango and I throughout the long weekend about what a bust his family trip was so I was a little surprised he was so happy.

The amount of excitement and energy that Tango and I were met with was definitely something I could get used to.

The sight of a happy Grian beaming up at me is definitely enough to pick me up from my terrible mood. It's my own fault for getting up in the middle of the night and thinking that it was a good idea to teach myself Minecraft pocket edition redstone.

I'm caught pretty soon after, with Tango being on the receiving end of my morning grumpiness he decided to call me out.

Smiling at Grian's smiling earns a mischievous smirk from Tango. "Hey Gri, I had some questions about rehearsal today. You wouldn't mind going over it with me in english class?"

Grian blindly and obliviously happy agrees and Tango slings a sly arm around his shoulder and they were walking away by the first bell.

So yeah, I was standing in the middle of the rush watching my two best friends one of which I have a crush on walk away.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," I shout, Grian seems to remember my existence waves at me and flashes another smile. Times like this is when I wish my face wouldn't be as telling, I was usually generally unreadable.

 I'm almost completely certain Tango has nothing to say to Grian also. Tango is pretty careless bout playing Mercutio because he's played a lot of major roles in sixth form plays.

Plus, we are going to rehearsals all week and the next Friday is the show.

...

Friday aka showtime

To say that I am nervous would be an understatement. I'm currently backstage shaking as fellow cast members get in character.

Once the gigantic red curtains open there is no going back, this is the chance I've wanted all year. Now that I'm finally the lead I'm starting to think that acting isn't really my thing or maybe it's just really Tango's thing.

I look over at Tango who looks as comfortable as ever. It's opening night on a Friday evening and most parents and guardians alike have shown up and are seated.

All except one I expect, my dad had a work thing come up so I doubt he'd be able to make it.

"Places, places! everyone." The director shouts in attempted whispers. She strides across the stage fussing with children's costumes and them "not exactly stood on their markers." 

I am temporarily frozen and before I know it, the curtains begin to roll back. The play is five acts with about five scenes in each, I was eternally thankful that our version was nothing more than a summary.

ACT 1, scene 1; Romeo and Julien meet at a party.

"A Capulet party has lovely taste," I speak clearly and outstretch my hand to receive one of Grian's, or "Julien's".

Grian performs a small bow or curtsy as he takes my hand and I, Romeo adjust my mask with my other hand.

The most anticipated scene by Grian and myself goes well, it seemed pretty convincing to me and shortly after that Julien is then being shooed away by his mother, Lady Capulet played by Falsey.

The acts and scenes move on accordingly. After the party, Julien asks his maid who the stranger was and she tells him it was Romeo, a Montague.

The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets is made aware of when Impulse who was playing Tybalt, told lord Capulet of Romeo's forbidden presence at the party.

That night, Julien goes out on his balcony and calls out for the stranger.

ACT 1, scene 2;  Children ran across the stage to get to their next queues before the curtains opened again. Romeo had snuck out to see Julien and he reveals himself when he hears Julien call his name from a balcony.

"Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo," Julien calls from the makeshift balcony prop that the special effects club built.

I could have just been imagining it but I swear Grian almost broke character at my delivering the line, "I'm here my love," It totally could have just been me though.

By act whatever, scene too many, Romeo's goofy hat was becoming itchy and Julien and I were to be married by Friar Lawrence. Lawrence wants to marry the two in hopes of ending the family feud between the Capulet and the Montagues.

 In act whatever, scene too many I, Romeo got banished for killing Tybalt/Impulse in defense of him killing Tango/Mercutio and that was pretty fun.

I then took a glance into the audience when "fleeing the scene" and I recognized a few familiar faces. Tango's entire family and his youngest sibling looking mostly terrified, probably at Mercutio's death earlier on.

The play was originally written as a tragedy, most people know that right? Grian's mum was there too, in the front row looking really convinced by our acting skills. My dad didn't seem to have shown up but it wasn't a big deal.

Act whatever scene, I don't remember but it was Grian's time to shine. Lord Capulet has arranged for Julien to marry Count Paris who was played by the very talented foreign exchange student, Iskall. Friar Lawrence helps Julien come up with a plan to get out of it, as he is already secretly married to me, Romeo.

Julien takes a potion to make himself appear dead for two days. His family thinks he is dead and goes to the church for a funeral and that is when Friar and I are supposed to save him. 

Romeo hears the news of Julien's death before Friar Lawrence's messenger can tell him that it is fake and he goes to the church where they "lay Julien to rest".

Romeo brakes the law as he finds his way back in Capulet territory to see Julien's state for himself. 

I stumble upon Paris/Iskall and we dance around each other a bit for the audience before I deliver the final jab and kill Paris. Paris now lays next to Julien and I, Romeo drink the poison brought with me and join the two. 

Act whatever, since too many; Julien wakes up and is horrified at what he's realized has happened.

At this point in the play parents are probably expecting us all to get up in the end and shake hands in a weird turn of events and in hopes of not leaving a school play with a super dark/morbid ending.

The curtains close before they get any of those ideas and we heard the reluctant clapping pick up when the curtains reopen and the whole cast is on stage holding hands and smiling bigger than necessary.

...

"Great job guys, so my house for a celebratory hang out?" Grian asks as we leave the school. Practically all the other cast members were out looking for their rides home or going to the bus stop.

I was going to agree right away, why not celebrate the success of the show. Tango answered before I got to.

Tango declines and says that he already has something planned with his family. "You and Mumbo go ahead though, you two deserve some fun without being a third wheel all the time."

Then he threw a peace sign up and walked away. I then turned to Grian to answer his question and was stopped by the bright pink of his cheeks.

"You boys ready to go now, where's Tango?" Grian's mum snuck up on us and pulled her keys out of her purse to unlock the car I hadn't realized we were stood in front of.

Grian tells her of Tango's disappearance and we sit in the back seat of the fancy car. As we drive to Grian's house he stares out his window, he's turned away barely enough but I still see the lingering blush on his cheeks.

This is the finale of my first Grumbo: One Shot book. Thank you for reading it! I hope you enjoyed it and if you did you should look out for the next one. Vote, follow me if you haven't already and Comment your favorite chapter I've ever written.

XD