Act I

The play begins in a shadowy comic-book inspired landscape. A spandex-clad hero is captured by an unseen foe with a menacing voice named Dyre. The hero attempts to free himself using his superpower: singing(!?). Suddenly the scene dissolves into a suburban bedroom in which two teenage boys, JT & Reg, are huddled over a computer. We come to realize the previous scene was written by JT for a comic book on which the two are collaborating. Throughout Act I the scenes alternate between the real-life story of JT and the comic book world he writes to escape. Reg convinces JT that singing is a lame superpower and they decide to make their hero a former jewel thief with the chameleon-like ability to blend into the background. They name him: Guise. As the boys banter we learn about a recent incident in which JT’s tires were slashed in the school parking lot. They suspect a bully named Mal, who has had a target on JT’s back for years. JT’s mother enters briefly to announce that there won’t be new tires on the car for a while and asks if JT is sure he doesn’t know who slashed them. The boys keep mum. JT’s mom exits and there is a comically uncomfortable moment when JT realizes that Reg has a little crush on his mom.

In comic book world the hero from scene 1, now called Guise, attempts to steal a giant jewel from a depository, only to be thwarted by a roguishly handsome figure dressed in black. Back in the real world, after a brief discussion about who the new character in the comic book could be, Reg leaves JT, who somehow scored a hall pass, alone in the school hallway collecting his books as the bell rings and the halls empty. Trey, a handsome and athletic looking teen, appears at a locked exterior door asking JT to let him in. Before he can do so, JT hears footsteps and motions for Trey to hide. Mr. Bachman, the assistant principal and soccer coach, enters. He probes JT briefly about the incident with the tires and tells him that “his door is always open” before exiting. JT then opens the door for a grateful Trey, the new kid in school. The boys soon discover they had known each other briefly in childhood and bond over their love of soccer as children. In an effort to make himself appear more attractive, JT blurts out to Trey that his father was killed in a freak lab accident. (This is not at all true, it is in fact the backstory he and Reg created for the character Guise). Trey somehow charms the nerdy and un-athletic JT to try out for the soccer team, to honor his dead father.

Back in comic book world, Guise again attempts to steal the jewel, (this time from Dyre Corporation Headquarters) and is confronted by the roguishly handsome stranger who we now discover is a somewhat goody-goody hero named Paladin. In JT’s bedroom later that day, Reg berates JT for signing up for soccer and for lying to Trey, reminding JT that the captain of the soccer team is his arch nemesis, the bully Mal.

In comic book world, Paladin tries to rescue Guise. Guise is tied to a chair, having been captured by Dyre’s henchmen while attempting to steal a massive blue jewel, which Guise needs to complete his dead father’s experiments. The alarm gets tripped, and thugs and henchmen appear. A dramatic fight ensues. The scene returns to the school hallway as JT prepares for soccer try-outs. Reg still has reservations and JT tells him to stay away if he’s not going to be supportive. Mal finally enters and he is every bit as vindictive as only a school bully can be. In comic book world, the fight scene continues but is disrupted by the appearance of a giant soccer ball.

The scene shifts to the school locker room. JT Limps on, aided by Trey and Mr. Bachman. His soccer tryout has ended abysmally with a twisted ankle. Mr. Bachman gives JT a Tylenol with codeine, bandages his ankle and exits. Trey apologizes to JT for convincing him to try out of the soccer team, and as he undresses, which flusters JT considerably, offers to meet up with JT to give him pointers on how to play soccer. The two make plans to meet up the on the weekend, and as Trey finishes dressing, Mal and his cronies enter. Mal continues to needle JT who limps to his locker only to discover his clothes and books have been smeared with something brown and sticky-looking and there’s a sign reading HOMO in large red letters inside the door. Horrified, JT slams the locker door shut and tries to limp away but is confronted by a laughing Mal who attacks him for crying. “What you gotta be a little faggot for? Lighten up dude.” Mal and his two cohorts exit to the showers laughing, leaving JT dejected. Suddenly the locker rattles and Paladin bursts out tearing up the HOMO sign. The fictional character scoops JT up in his arms and “flies” off, as the lights black out on Act I.

Act II

A few hours after the scene in the locker room, Paladin deposits JT in his bedroom. The hero seems to think that JT is Guise. Convinced that JT needs the blue jewel from Act I to repair his degrading DNA, Paladin vows to take him to the secret lab where Guise’s dead father’s gene-splicer is hidden. But before that can happen, JT’s mother knocks at the door, and Paladin disappears. Alarmed at the sight of JT’s ankle she questions him about his whereabouts, and confronts him with his books which Reg had apparently dropped off earlier, after clearly cleaning the brown mess off of them. JT plays everything off as “no big deal” to his skeptical mother.

The scene shifts to JT & Reg waiting on a deserted railroad bridge for Trey to pick them up. They argue of the prominence the Paladin character is taking in the story they are writing. Reg thinks the character eclipses the much more interesting Guise. Reg, also suspicious of the new kid, asks JT why Trey has volunteered to drive them to their comic book store. JT replies that he’s “nice.” They exit together as they see Trey’s car approach offstage.

Trey, Reg & JT enter Platinum Pete’s Comic book store. It’s obvious, much to Reg’s horror, that Trey knows nothing about super heroes, but JT doesn’t seem to mind. He and Trey bond over their love of singing, until finally an eye-rolling Reg announces that it’s time to go.

A few hours later we find JT and Trey on their high school soccer field. The two boys banter good-naturedly as Trey gives JT soccer pointers. Out of nowhere Paladin appears, clearly only visible to JT, and aids JT in performing athletic feats he would normally never attempt. Trey is impressed with JT’s improved skills. Mal interrupts when he starts jogging around the track. Confused slightly by Trey’s presence, he doesn’t attack JT right away. JT makes a nervous joke mocking one of their teachers, which makes Mal and Trey to erupt in laughter. And just like that, it seems like JT has become part of Mal’s tribe. Paladin notes quietly to JT that “There’s more than one way to be a chameleon, isn’t there?”

The next scene is a dream sequence in which Paladin takes JT to the gene-splicer and transfers the powers of Guise to him. We even momentarily see Guise speaking with JT’s voice before the dream evaporates.

The scene shifts back to the railroad bridge at dusk. JT is hanging out and drinking beers with Trey, Mal, and Mal’s two cohorts. He is clearly becoming part of Mal’s tribe. Paladin appears in an attempt to become JT’s conscience, but JT doesn’t listen. Reg then enters, not realizing the group is there, and the bullies, minus Trey, close in. JT, in an attempt to impress his new “friends,” mocks Reg for having a crush on his mom. Reg shoots back that “At least I didn’t kill off my father to impress my friends.” At this JT launches himself at Reg and the two scuffle, much to the amusement of Mal and his cohorts. A car is seen off-stage and Mal scrambles to hide the beer as Mr. Bachman enters. He and Trey pull JT and Reg apart, both bruised and bloodied. Mr. Bachman sends Mal and his cronies away. Trey goes to exit but attempts to defend JT to Reg, when JT, realizing he’s been caught out in front of Mr. Bachman who knows the truth, confesses that he lied to Trey about his father being dead. Confused and slightly hurt, Trey exits. Mr. Bachman takes Reg home, but not before Reg tells JT he never wants to speak to him again. Left alone on the stage, JT turns to Paladin who, with a disappointed, nod exits silently.

Later that evening we see JT in his bedroom nursing a bloody nose as his frustrated mother tries to explain what happened over the phone to JT’s father.

The next day, JT seeks out Trey in the school parking lot and tries to explain himself. Trey forgives him and tells JT, that he didn’t need to lie to impress him. He tells JT that he likes him. Relieved, JT goes to hug Trey, but lingers longer than perhaps he should and Trey balks, saying that when he said “like” he didn’t mean… but before he can get the words out, Mal enters having captured the whole embarrassing exchange on his phone, which he then posts to social media. JT pleads for Mal to delete the video but it soon becomes apparent that he is invisible to the two other boys.

The final scene takes place on the railroad bridge. A dejected JT stands at the railing apparently contemplating a leap, when Paladin flies in. The hero tries to prevent JT from doing “something stupid” and JT confesses to Paladin that he likes guys, and even attempts to kiss the hero. Paladin is ill-equipped for this and doesn’t seem to understand, and JT realizes how shallow he made this character who he created to be his hero. Paladin flies off, leaving JT to work things out on his own. JT once again approaches the railing when Reg enters, seeming not to notice JT. JT is somewhat put out, because he doesn’t want to do what he was contemplating doing with Reg there. After some heartfelt, but true to form, nerdy conversation, the two boys reconcile, and immediately begin plotting their next comic book. JT tells Reg that he wants to make Guise gay, to which Reg replies “cool” as the lights fade out and the play ends.