“That looks all right,” Gary said when I came out.
Gary and Leo showed me all the things they sold out on the yard (as Gary called it). I’d seen some before when I’d been to the festival. Fresh tarts—raspberry, lemon, and cream cheese. They looked like tiny folded-up purses. I wanted to eat one. Bottled water, with the words SUMMERLOST FESTIVAL and the logo, the theater, printed on the labels. Old-fashioned candy in cellophane packages—lemon drops, horehound candy, and taffy in wax-paper twists. Chocolates. And programs. Fancy, printed-up programs. Leo took a basket of those and so I did too.
Gary had lots of final instructions. “Remember,” he said, “no flip-flops tonight.”
“I understand,” I said.
“Take care of your costume. Delicate wash only. You don’t want Meg from the costume shop mad at you. Trust me.”
“All right.”
“Don’t forget that you’re in England,” he told me. “In the time of Shakespeare.”
I nodded. I didn’t point out that I’m part Chinese-American and so the odds that I would have been in England back in Shakespeare’s time were highly unlikely.
“And,” Gary said, “you’re a peasant.”
That part felt kind of true thanks to the outfit.
“Stay in character,” he said, “but don’t use an accent unless you’re given specific permission. The only kid here who has permission to use an accent is Leo.”
“Okay.” I followed Leo toward the door.
“Where are you?” Gary called after me.
For a minute, I didn’t get it, but then I did.
“I’m in England,” I told him.
10.
“I’ve actually been to England,” Leo said. “That’s why I can do the accent. Because I’ve heard it in real life.”
“Let’s hear it,” I said.
“Oh, you will. Soon.”
We walked across a brick courtyard with a big tree in the middle. A wooden bench was built all the way around the tree. “It’s not as busy for the matinees,” Leo said. He had a lively voice and talked fast, but not so fast that I couldn’t keep up. “People don’t wander around much when it’s hot. They stay in the gift shop and buy their stuff there or go straight to the theater. The nighttime shows are the big ones, as far as we’re concerned. That’s when the real work gets done. That’s when I break records.”
“What kind of records?”
“All kinds of records,” Leo said. “Most programs sold in an hour. Most programs sold in a night. Most programs sold in a week. Gary keeps track of all of it. I’m gunning for most programs sold in a single season, and I’m a lock for that if I keep up the way I’m going. But what I’m most proud of is that one night I outsold everyone in concessions. Do you know how much harder it is to sell programs than water? We’re in the desert. But I did it. One night. One awesome night two weeks ago. And I’m going to do it again.”
It seemed like Leo had more energy than anyone I’d ever met.
“So,” he said. “Why did you want the job? What are you saving up for? And don’t say college or a car.”
“Why not?”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“What’s wrong with wanting to go to college or get a car?” I didn’t think far enough ahead for either, but something about Leo made me want to play devil’s advocate.
“It’s fine,” Leo said, “if you’re specific. Like, Jackie, one of the girls, says college, but she says UC San Diego to study marine biology. That’s fine. And if you know exactly the type of car you want to get: also fine. But vague stuff is stupid.”
“Well then, I’m stupid,” I said. “Because I don’t know.”
Leo frowned. “You can’t think of anything you want?”
I did not answer that question because right then an older lady walked by and that’s when it happened.
The accent.
Leo smiled and, sounding like Oliver Twist or who knows what, called out, “Can I interest you in a program, my lady?”
I didn’t know if the accent was right. I didn’t know if it was real England or kid-in-a-movie England. What I did see was that Leo’s face lit up and then the lady’s face lit up and his smile seemed as big as the world. Like he loved the world. Like he had no idea what it could do.
She bought three programs while Leo joked with her in his maybe-real English accent and I stood watching.
“Impressed?” Leo asked me when she’d gone away.
“Very,” I said, but I made it sound sarcastic.
“Let’s hear you try,” he said. “Next time, your turn. With an accent.”
“But Gary said—”
“I won’t tell Gary,” Leo said. “Come on.”
The next person we saw was a man, an old man, with a neatly pressed white shirt and a bottle of water in his hand. He had a nice face and big glasses, and he walked fast.
“Sir,” I said, and then when he didn’t hear me, I said it louder. “SIR. Could I interest you in a program?” I did not know what was coming out of my mouth, accent-wise. Maybe I was German? Or Italian? Or Irish? Australian?