Rachelle Hampton

Nicole is very familiar with that sound since she carries a reusable water bottle everywhere. She meant to leave hers in the car and only remembers that she hadn't when her water bottle hits an armrest. Oh no. It doesn't make the loudest sound, but it is definitely audible over the low atmospheric music that's playing.

Indigo's head whips around and the sort of dreamy expression on her face evaporates into anger. She makes her way over to Nicole and Madeline and is like, did you not read the rules? They explicitly say no water bottles. What? What? Our water bottles, which cost $8, by the way, have been pre-doused. So they won't interfere with the dousing portion of this event. What's the dousing?

Indigo's head whips around and the sort of dreamy expression on her face evaporates into anger. She makes her way over to Nicole and Madeline and is like, did you not read the rules? They explicitly say no water bottles. What? What? Our water bottles, which cost $8, by the way, have been pre-doused. So they won't interfere with the dousing portion of this event. What's the dousing?

Yeah. Nicole and Madeline are like, what the fuck have we gotten ourselves into? But Nicole's been wanting to see this show since she was a teen. So she kind of swallows her questions and she's like, you're right. I'm so sorry. Water does have memory. Can I just run out and put this in my car? And Indigo sort of huffs and is like, fine, but hurry up. The show is starting soon.

Yeah. Nicole and Madeline are like, what the fuck have we gotten ourselves into? But Nicole's been wanting to see this show since she was a teen. So she kind of swallows her questions and she's like, you're right. I'm so sorry. Water does have memory. Can I just run out and put this in my car? And Indigo sort of huffs and is like, fine, but hurry up. The show is starting soon.

So Madeline's waiting in the theater for Nicole to get back. The theater is like half full. Only a few seconds have passed before Madeline hears angry whispers floating from behind the tattered velvet curtain on stage. Oh, no. She can't quite make out what the whispers are saying, but she can tell that one of the voices is definitely Indigo's and the other is definitely male.

So Madeline's waiting in the theater for Nicole to get back. The theater is like half full. Only a few seconds have passed before Madeline hears angry whispers floating from behind the tattered velvet curtain on stage. Oh, no. She can't quite make out what the whispers are saying, but she can tell that one of the voices is definitely Indigo's and the other is definitely male.

Madeline's no psychic, but she's fairly certain that Indigo and the mysterious Steve are discussing Nicole. Okay.

Madeline's no psychic, but she's fairly certain that Indigo and the mysterious Steve are discussing Nicole. Okay.

She's preparing to tell Nicole when she gets back, except as soon as Nicole reenters the theater, sans water bottle, Indigo and the mysterious Steve exit from behind the curtain and go to confront Nicole.

She's preparing to tell Nicole when she gets back, except as soon as Nicole reenters the theater, sans water bottle, Indigo and the mysterious Steve exit from behind the curtain and go to confront Nicole.

What would you expect a man named the mysterious Steve to look like?

What would you expect a man named the mysterious Steve to look like?

Alana, it's like you're psychic. The mysterious Steve is wearing a bolo tie and a vintage tuxedo shirt with a velvet blazer over the top. All of these items have clearly seen better days, as has his little ponytail, which is much longer than it is thick. The mysterious Steve meets Nicole at the door and starts angrily talking at her about how rude she is. Okay.

Alana, it's like you're psychic. The mysterious Steve is wearing a bolo tie and a vintage tuxedo shirt with a velvet blazer over the top. All of these items have clearly seen better days, as has his little ponytail, which is much longer than it is thick. The mysterious Steve meets Nicole at the door and starts angrily talking at her about how rude she is. Okay.

He goes on about how the venue is a cherished local theater and how no theater in the world would allow someone to bring a water bottle. Madeline has known Nicole long enough to know what she looks like when she gets angry. And she also knows that Nicole tends to get sarcastic when she's angry.

He goes on about how the venue is a cherished local theater and how no theater in the world would allow someone to bring a water bottle. Madeline has known Nicole long enough to know what she looks like when she gets angry. And she also knows that Nicole tends to get sarcastic when she's angry.

So she sort of winces when she sees Nicole smirk and then just fully cringes when Nicole's like, well, actually, I've been to Broadway and that's not true. Ooh. Do you think the mysterious Steve will take kindly to this?

So she sort of winces when she sees Nicole smirk and then just fully cringes when Nicole's like, well, actually, I've been to Broadway and that's not true. Ooh. Do you think the mysterious Steve will take kindly to this?

Not this ponytail. No. Indigo lets out a dramatic gasp. Madeline stands up because she can sense what's about to happen next. As can everyone else in the halfle theater who had fully dropped with the polite pretense of not paying attention to this interaction. The mysterious Steve draws himself up imperiously. But then he says to Nicole, I'm making you disappear. Get the fuck out.