[Author's note: this is a long one. I probably could've broken it up into a few different chapters, but because the sex stuff is so back loaded I wanted to keep it all together (ie I promise there is sex stuff eventually lol). Also want to quickly say thanks anonymous MLF commenter, your nice comments always make my day.]
Zach's head was reeling. On the one hand he was still deeply shaken by Dave's attempt to steal the watch, let alone so soon after his best friend Sean revealed he was a bigot. On the other hand Zach felt a deep sense of excitement growing inside him--the possibilities of even a limited version of time travel were endless.
Walking down the sidewalk he took the watch from his pocket and spun the clock back again, but now it would only go backwards a few minutes. Zach clicked the time in and he was back in front of Jazz House and Dave was opening the door, "Zach, are you ok? You look like you've been crying. Quick, come inside."
Zach paused time. He guessed that at least one limitation on his time travel was that he couldn't go back further than the last time he'd traveled back to. He wistfully considered that he should've gone back far earlier, to that morning, and maybe if he'd told Sean on his own terms he would've taken things better, but it was too late for that. Instead Zach looked at Dave for a good long while. Dave did look sincerely concerned. And he'd been so nice, and not just because he took Zach's horse hung cock like a champ. But when he had the watch in his hand, it was like he was a wild animal.
Zach stared at the watch in his palm--he didn't think he felt like a wild animal, but what if it wasn't his? What if someone had just shown it to him? What would he do to try to make it his? Or did he just really not know Jake? What possessed him to tell a guy he'd known a week his most important secret? And as the questions whirled in his head Zach couldn't help but appreciate Dave's captured look of concern, and he realized intuitively that what Dave had done (or rather could be about to do) wasn't who he was right now, that he may never be that person if he didn't learn about the watch. And Zach looked down at his arms and saw there were no cuts or scratches or bruises, and he figured there's a lesson there. Zach restarted time.
"Yeah, I'm sorry Dave, I just had a bit of a bad experience coming out to a guy I thought was my friend. I thought I wanted to hang out, but I think now what I really need is to just walk alone for a bit, sorry to call you down here like this."
"Oh, babe," Dave said and reached for Zach's hand, "I'm here if you need me ok," and he kissed it.
"Thanks" Zach said, feeling a tear come to his eye, before withdrawing his hand and walking away.
Zach walked around campus trying to empty his mind and just experience the sounds and smells and sights of the world around him. He'd become very aware of just how much is going on at any given time since he got his new powers, and he found trying to lose himself in the bustle of things a nice counterpoint to being able to freeze everything and examine it in minute detail. He made his way to the pond and sat by its side watching a small family of ducks floating nearby when he felt his phone vibrate. A text from Sara
"Zach auditions start in 10 where are you???"
*Shit* Zach thought and he froze time. Zach refused to let the stresses of the last few hours get in the way of the audition he'd been practicing for for days.
He spent several hours resting and dressing and practicing again before he made his way to the school theater. He restarted time and walked into the room and sat next to Sara.
"Oh, I just texted you," she said as she noticed him, "I thought you were going to be late."
One by one students were called back to perform their auditions for the two drama teachers and the student theater president. They seemed to be going by alphabetical order as first up was Abbie, then Allie, then Anthony. When they got to Sara she came out of the audition room beaming and flashed Zach a thumbs up before heading out. As more and more people were called the more nervous Zach became. Eventually he was the last person in the room and as Victoria left the audition looking like she was about to be sick he heard the head of the theater department, Professor Davidson, finally call his name.
The 2 teachers and student all looked very tired as they gave Zach faint smiles of acknowledgement. "Thanks for your patience Zach," Professor Davidson said, "we had a big turnout this year."
"What role are you auditioning for?" The student theater president, a tall and built, olive skinned boy with short cut dark hair asked Zach, preparing to write it down. Zach couldn't remember his name, but he knew he was the first junior to get the presidency in years.
"The stage manager," Zach said, his voice already trembling with nervousness.
"Just so you know Zach," Professor Peters said, "that role is all but guaranteed to go to an upperclassman. You're still free to try out for it and we'll consider you for other roles, but if you'd like to read for one of the townspeople we may get a better idea of how you'd actually be able to perform."
Zach swallowed hard, "Thank you but I'd like to try out for the stage manager," Zach said firmly.
"Ok," Professor Peters said resignedly, while the student looked at Zach with a bit of a sideways grin, "well then, whenever you're ready. Stage right is by that bookcase if you want to start there.
Zach walked to the bookcase and slipped his hand into his pocket, freezing time. He considered backing up to before he'd entered the room, worried that his nervous tic had already ruined his chance at the role. But no, Zach wouldn't want to go through this event any more times than one. He knew what he was doing. He found in himself the voice and posture he'd spent hours discovering in front of a mirror, the persona that expressed the way he felt as he stood timeless in the world. Zach restarted time and pushed his hair back and adjusted his stance while he took off his glasses. He turned around to face the panel and started walking purposefully and assuredly across the room.
"This play is called 'Our Town.' The day is May 7, 1901. The time," Zach took his watch from his pocket and opened it with a ping, "is just before dawn."
The rest of the audition was a blur. Zach had practiced so many times that once he started going it was like he was alone again practicing in front of the mirror. When he finished the opening monologue he thought he'd done great, he felt like he could actually see the town and people and places he was describing, and the teachers must have too because to his surprise they asked him to read another monologue, which to their shock and delight Zach didn't need to read as he'd already memorized the whole play. Then he performed the climax of the play with Professor Davidson reading for Emily, and as the Stage Manager gave his final "no" to the ghost of a girl Zach heard Professor Davidson sniffle, and then Zach was alone again and he was ending the play,
"There are the stars doing their old, old crisscross journeys in the sky. Scholars haven't settled the matter yet, but they seem to think there are no living beings up there. Just chalk...or fire. Only this one is straining away, straining away all the time to make something of itself. The strain's so bad that every sixteen hours everybody lies down and gets a rest.
Hm..." the watch clicked out again, "Eleven o'clock in Grover's Corners...You get a good rest, too. Good night."
Zach slowly tucked the watch back in his pocket before letting himself come out of the reverie of his performance to see the panel all staring at him, mouths slightly gaping. Then Professor Davidson started clapping and the rest of them immediately joined in. Zach blushed fiercely as he gave a little bow.
"Well that was...that was really something Zach," Professor Peters said not trying to hide the surprise in his voice, "Very, very well done." There were murmurs of assent from the other teacher and the student president, who was staring at Zach with naked awe.
"We'll have the cast list posted Monday afternoon," Professor Davidson said, "until then enjoy your weekend."
