RYAN SCOTT - THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Ryan Scott is a former actor who is pursuing a Bachelors in Fine Arts for creative writing online at Full Sail University. He is a graduate of Regis Jesuit High School and played offensive tackle for their freshman and sophomore teams as well as throwing shot put throughout high school. He has booked several network television roles, including a bully on the hit detective show “Monk.” He currently lives in Aurora, Colorado with his father, step-mother, and two step-sisters. He hopes to move to Austin, Texas and pursue a career in voice acting as well as writing for video games. 

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​THE SHOW MUST GO ON

​The smell of perfume and cigarettes wafted across the room. The smell Betty was all too familiar with and she was quite frankly sick of. She stared past her manager Barney as his tireless tongue tried to convince her to do one last show. Her eyes darting from the old fence to the dying plants and back again endlessly.
            “Now how about that Betty? That doesn’t sound too bad does it?” Barney said as he finished.
            She was taken out of her trance and shook her head at him. “I’m sorry Barnes, I must have missed all of that while I was thinking of ways to avoid this conversation.” She leaned back and looked at him, daggers shooting from her cold eyes as she sipped on her gin and tonic.
            Barney’s face reddened with anger. It was the third time this month he had to come convince his biggest act, Ms. Betty the Beauty, to finish out her contract. Her golden locks were his ticket to hitting it big. The boss of his agency was coming out tonight to see Betty and he was going to get her there one way or another.
            “Please Betty, I’m practically begging you here. Tonight will be just as big for me as it will be for you and after tonight, you can do it however you like,” Barney said holding back his anger.
            Her eyes rolled as the same damn speech she had heard for the past three weeks came out of him. “Look Barnes, I am sick of the same shit spewing out of your shit fountain of a mouth. I understand how marvelous all of this must be for you, but you try going out there every night in front of those men and see if you could go on like that for three years,” she said as she finished her drink and began pouring another. She was just about done with this man and after she poured her drink, she stood up from her seat and gave Barney a smirk as she headed out the door. “There is no way in hell I am gonna keep doing this for you Barnes.”
            Barney grabbed Betty by the wrist as she got up to leave, his anger finally reaching the edge. “Now you listen here god dammit! I am your boss. I pay you and you do as I say. Now when I tell you to get out there and show those men what they want, what they pay for, you better get out there and do it or so help me God,” he said as his gripped tightened around her wrist.
            “Let go of me Barney Digatto,” she said with a twinge of fear in her voice. Betty’s eyes widened with shock and she let out a scream as the back of Barney’s hand connected with her cheek. The drink she had been holding, splashed across the cement of the patio as he yanked her back towards him.
            “There will be no more of these conversations Betty, not while I am around. Shit is going to be taken care of now understand?” He stood up and towered over Betty, his face still red but now it was not just from anger. Barney felt empowered for once in his life and was not going to let that feeling stop anytime soon. Sweat dripped from his chin onto Betty’s face, leaving blotches of wet makeup on her face.
            Barney looked down at Betty as wiped his face and smiled a devilish smile. “Now, this is how things are gonna go bitch…” As he was about to start, Betty smashed her glass into the back of Barney’s head. The glass shattered and Barney fell forwards as Betty moved out of his way. He landed on the small table in front of him, shattering that as well, and continued onto the floor. A large gash with small bits of glass could be seen on the back of Barney’s skull as blood dripped onto the gin soaked cement.
            Betty looked down at Barney, brushed the glass off of her hand and dress onto his crumpled body, and walked inside. She threw on some more makeup to cover her already bruising cheek and the sweat marks and headed for the door. “Then I guess you won’t be around anymore Barnes,” she said as she stepped away from her last performance.