Who: Kilroy Benson, NPC Kurt Where: Parking lot outside of the Robinson Theater When: Wednesday night What: Kilroy gets beat up!
When Kilroy was still a kid. Eight...or maybe seven, it was hard to remember, his brother Kevin would take care of him. Kevin was a little older, better liked, but more importantly, he was much more normal. He'd try to teach Kilroy how to play sports. He'd make sure he got home safe from trick or treating. He'd keep Kilroy from doing something stupid. For the most part Kevin was successful. Sure, his little brother still couldn't pay attention in class and had a tendency to disrupt things that grown ups tried to keep controlled, but Kevin figured that's how most little brothers were.
And, in a way, he was right. Except, Kilroy never grew out of it. Whether it was because he was almost completely responsible for saving the drama department at his high school or because drugs slowed any sort of maturity processes in him. Sure, Kilroy grew up, but that didn't mean he had to start doing things how other people wanted. When he was a senior, he applied to only the New York film school because he was sure he'd get in. Kevin even told him that he had done such an impressive job with New London's theater that he'd be a shoe-in. It would be the last time his brother would be supportive, if only because Kilroy would never get in. It didn't matter that he helped a small town theater. It didn't matter that he introduced Improv shows and comedies to a stage that only played Annie Get Your Gun and 1776 for the last decade. His grades weren't good enough and he didn't participate in anything except drama. As far as NYU was concerned, Kilroy James Benson was a one trick pony.
It didn't mean Kilroy was doomed to a junior college hell, in fact, it almost made him turn over a new leaf. The disappointment he saw in Kevin's face was enough to make him want to change. And, Kingdom University seemed like the place to do it. Sure, he'd still be a theater major, but he'd go to classes. He'd participate in other activities. He would even try to join a frat or maybe some sort of honor's society. For the first time, Kilroy wanted to try to be normal. But something got in the way. Something that he had been missing in New London.
"Hey, is this that freshman with the big arms?" Kilroy paced outside of Robinson Theater, checking his watch as he held his blackberry up to his ear. "Yeah hi. What's your name? No. No, stop. I'm never going to remember that, forget it. From now on you're Army. Yeah. Listen, I need you to start practice about five minutes late. I forgot a prop in my car that's absolutely essential." Kilroy spun around on his heals, making a sharp scraping sound that brought a smile to his lips. "Next week is the first show, okay? I'm the guy putting this all together, not you. Maybe one day you will and you'll understand the importance of a good fucking prop." Kilroy hung up and placed the blackberry in his blazer pocket as he started to jog towards the crazy bus.
The week before opening night was always exciting. Even someone who was a pro like Kilroy got a buzz off it. Humming to himself, Kilroy took out his keys and started for the passenger door of the crazy bus, but then stopped when he heard something move. Pausing for a moment, Kilroy quickly turned, accidentally slamming his face into what looked like a man's chest. Confused, Kilroy looked up, only to see Kurt looming over him.
"Oh, hey there Kurt. Are you here to see May practice?" Kilroy always let Kurt feel like he was the alpha male between the two of them. To be fair, he probably was physically, but recent developments made Kilroy sure that he'd have the real leg up in what mattered. It was only a matter of days before May broke up with the brute. Only a matter of hours.
"Shut up, Benson." Kurt grunted, then grabbed Kilroy by his blazer and shoved him up against the crazy bus, making it rock a little from the impact. "You fucking idiot. Think you're smarter than me? Smarter than May?"
"Oh no, not May." Kilroy quipped with a smirk. "Are you here to mug me? God I hope so because statistically speaking about 15% of athletes are gay and by the way you're holding me there's a good chance-" Before Kilroy could finish his sentence, Kurt threw him to the ground and delivered a swift kick to his ribcage.
"No so funny now, are you?" Kurt grinned and picked Kilroy back up.
"I don't know, have you ever seen me juggle with a concussion?"
"Shut up!" Kurt tightened his grip on Kilroy's blazer with one hand and then punched him with the other. "What did you do with her?"
"You think you're the first guy to beat me up?" Kilroy slowly slurred, managing a smile up at Kurt. "Come on, I'm probably high as a fucking kite right? I don't feel-" They both knew he was lying. It blazed in Kurt's eyes as Kilroy tried to keep his open. What followed was a series of violence that stopped mattering once Kilroy tasted blood in his mouth and couldn't pick himself up from the ground.
"Guess what?" Kurt knelt next to the bloodied and barely awake Kilroy. "I'm going to marry her."
"Do they make rings big enough for your sausage fingers...?" Kilroy managed after a moment of trying to keep his breath, but Kurt curled his large hands around Kilroy's neck.
"You know what you are, Benson? Just a distraction." And with that Kurt slammed Kilroy's head down on the asphalt. That's all it took. Suddenly he was drowning in a sea of cards and tea. He was playing witness in front of the queen and then running across a table miles and miles long with giant tea pots and cups that could be cut in half with butter knives. And then someone was shouting. Screaming.
"Kilroy?" A voice echoed somewhere between ticking clocks and misplaced doors. "Kilroy!"
"Kevin?" Kilroy couldn't open his eyes, but he felt like he was finding his footing or maybe a chair to sit in. His senses started to kick back in slowly. First pain in his sides and face, then the smell of asphalt and blood. "Kevin, I'm fine don't worry just-"
"Who's Kevin?" The voice was clearer now. Southern with a touch of immaturity. Nothing like his brother.
"Army?" Kilroy opened one eye and smiled through a disappointed frown. Even if Kevin was there, he'd probably just step over Kilroy's body without another thought. He said so once, a little before Kilroy came home from college freshman year and didn't improve anything except his social circles. Their parents didn't have the guts to say it, but Kevin did. Kilroy was the disappointment. The brilliance that would surely fade if he kept going on the way he was going. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Kilroy opened both eyes, tried to move but felt his bones ache and the sky spin. Army knelt down to see how bad the damage was and then took out his cellphone.
"I'll call an ambulance. I'm going to get help."
"Oh no," Kilroy laughed, his eyes looking just a little past Army. "I am far beyond help."