PEEKING THROUGH DOORS

When Riverview High opened in 1958, no one knew where anything was. A small group of girls in the sixth period drama class were wandering around backstage, deciding which rooms in back of the stage would be the dressing rooms, the makeup room and the all important Green Room.  It immediately became clear that the architect knew nothing about the theatre.  This was an auditorium, not a theatre!  There weren't enough rooms for our needs and we divas were horrified.  Where were we to put on our costumes?  Were we to stand nearly naked in the hallway for all the world to see?  Clearly, we were facing an impossible situation and we began to explore the entire backstage area.  

I found a set of double doors that appeared to be locked.  Undaunted, I peeked between the massive doors and saw the naked buttocks of a teenaged boy standing on a bench about to put on his pants.  His bare bottom was conveniently at eye level.  He had apparently decided to go commando as no underwear was in sight.  I was deeply and profoundly shocked, not shocked enough to move away, but shocked nonetheless. One question loomed large in my girlish mind--would he turn around? Alas, it was not to be.  He leaned over to put his feet into his pants and in doing so, his....uh....cheeks flattened against the door a scant inch from my face.  This was too much for my fluttering heart to bear and I slowly backed away as if the door had suddenly become burning hot.  I tried to imagine a time in the distant future when I might once again be that close to a. . .

"What is wrong with you?" my friend said.  "Your face is all red."  We walked back to the stage and I quickly told the other girls what had happened.  There was an explosion of nervous giggling and I could see that the whole thing was funny, very funny.  We were all laughing.  And it was so embarrassing!  Of course it was.  But there was something else, some forbidden mystery beyond that door.  Some day I would go there. 
But not yet, not yet.