Behind the Scenes. Tabor Heights, Year 1, #8

Tony and Max are best friends. Writing partners. People swear he doesn't know she's a girl and she doesn't know he's a boy. When Tony goes away for a few months as a teacher, he realizes that empty place inside is Max-shaped. His revelation isn't something he can tell her over the phone. Every idea to tell her how he feels sounds like the plot for a book they would never write. Then Max's parents are nearly killed in an accident.
Tony drops everything to come home and be there for her and her brothers. He'll just have to wait until things calms down before he confesses his love. The only problem is, between the accident and the usual chaos of running a community theater and the world suddenly "discovering" where Max's mother, actress Emily Keeler has been "hiding" for the last twenty-five years, things might never calm down.
All Tony can do is prove his love by being her rock, drop lots of hints, and look for the best opportunity to make his case. Before the new guy in the tech crew makes his move. He's certainly been paying a lot more attention to Max than Tony is comfortable with. Max has tried for a long time now not to want more, and closer, than what she and Tony have. With all the chaos of holding together Homespun Theater, staging a new production, and dealing with the paparazzi invasion, she shouldn't have time for useless wishing and dreams that can only get her into trouble.
And yet .