AN: Modern AU, I own nothing.
It was the day of the first performance of the school play and the Assembly Hall of Camelot High School was buzzing with activity. This year's play was 'Romeo and Juliet'. The costumes had just arrived and the two drama teachers were sorting them all out. The sixth and seventh year stagehands were organising when to take on the sets and props needed, how long the blackouts had to be, any extra sound effects and every last little detail being planned out. The students were either chatting or rehearsing lines. The doors to the assembly hall opened and one of the receptionists came in.
"Where's Mrs Roberts or Ms Smith?" she asked. One of the stagehands fetched them and the middle-aged receptionist quickly explained the situation. Mrs Roberts put her hands to her mouth and Ms Smith nodded before the receptionist left. Ms Smith called for silence and waited a moment for everyone to be quiet.
"We have a problem; Mrs DuLac was just phoned the school. Lancelot has come down with a bad stomach bug and can't do the show tonight and she doesn't think he'll be well for the rest of the week." Mrs Roberts explained.
Everyone shared a stunned look. Lancelot was playing Romeo and the play was tonight.
"Isn't Arthur Lancelot's understudy? He'll just have to step in." Merlin suggested.
"Yes, of course. Does anyone know where Arthur is?" Ms Smith asked looking about the hall.
"I think he's in ICT." Morgana answered from within the middle of the group of stagehands.
"Could you get him please? Tell him it's urgent." Ms Smith said.
"Yes Miss," Morgana replied and hurried from the hall and to the ICT department. At the door she could see Gwen nervously gnawing at one of her nails. She knew that Gwen was looking forward to the play and all the girls were jealous of her. Not just because Gwen was chosen to be Juliet but because it meant she got to kiss Lancelot; one of the best looking boys at Camelot High. Gwen liked Lancelot but only as a friend and Morgana knew who Gwen really fancied instead.
Arthur was sitting in ICT feeling bored and surfing on random websites. He could just about see the Assembly Hall from the labs and bit back a feeling of jealousy. When the drama teachers announced they were doing 'Romeo and Juliet', Arthur had signed up to audition because he knew Gwen was a dead cert to be Juliet. He had tried his best at the auditions but narrowly missed out to Lancelot and was cast as his understudy instead. Normally Arthur would have been at the rehearsals but as today was the first day of the play, he decided not to go. Everyone knew that it was on the final day of any play rehearsals that any kissing scenes were done properly. The last thing he wanted to see was Lancelot get to kiss Gwen over and over again. Arthur knew that his plan for this evening was to have his back to them during the party scene. He attempted to focus on what the teacher was teaching them but couldn't. His mind kept going towards the assembly hall where no doubt they were preparing for the first kissing scene.
"Excuse me sir but Arthur is needed in the Assembly Hall right now." Morgana was standing in the doorway, looking at Arthur expectantly. Arthur hesitated and logged off his computer and put his notebook and pencil case back into his bag. As they left the classroom, Morgana turned to him.
"Why am I needed?" Arthur asked.
"Lancelot's sick and they need you to play Romeo." Morgana explained as they walked down the stairs to get to the ground floor and to the part of the building where the Assembly Hall was. Arthur picked up his pace and they returned to the assembly hall where everyone was waiting on them.
"Thank goodness you're here Arthur." Mrs Roberts said. Everyone else had been given their costumes and was comparing them. All of the Montague's and their servants had something red while all of the Capulet's and their servants had something blue. Merlin, as the Prince, had already jammed his crown onto his head. Leon, as the Friar, had a long brown robe that looked like a dress and he wasn't happy about that. Gwaine and Percival were having a sword fight with their plastic swords. Elena who was the Nurse had already put on her shawl that went over her head and was mucking around, acting like a crazy old woman and stumbling over her own feet. Arthur moved through the crowd and found Gwen looking at her three dresses. One was light blue, another was purple and the third was black.
"Guinevere," Arthur said. Gwen spun around and grinned at him.
"Hi Arthur," Gwen said as Rebecca handed Arthur his two costumes. One was a simple shirt and trousers with a purple jacket to wear over it for the party/balcony scene and the second was a simpler black pair of trousers and grey shirt. Both he and Lancelot were of similar size so the costumes seemed to be a good fit.
The students all darted in and out of the hall having changing into their costumes. Most of the boys were in shirts and trousers, the girls were in either blue or red dresses, Leon had them all in hysterics in his long robe but he held it up to show he was wearing his school trousers underneath it. Merlin looked slightly daft in a crown and long green cape. To Arthur, Gwen looked stunning in each of her dresses. Mrs Robert and Ms Smith got them all onstage to do a rehearsal of the play. As Lancelot's understudy, Arthur knew exactly how to perform the role of Romeo. All too soon it was the party scene. Gwen took her place at the front of the stage and Arthur approached her, saying his lines, asking her for a kiss. Gwen nervously took his hand and allowed Arthur to kiss her. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but everyone had stopped and stared at them. Suddenly Gwaine gave an ear-splitting wolf-whistle and they all laughed. Gwen blushed but as they continued the rest of the play, she slowly became more confident with each scene. The idea of a stage-kiss had been slightly nerve-racking. She'd kissed boys before obviously but never on a stage in front of a crowd. Finally she and Arthur lay dead on the stage while Merlin delivered the closing lines of the play.
"For there never was a story of more woe; than that of Juliet and her Romeo."
Gwen and Arthur got up and everyone waited to hear any criticisms from the two drama teachers. Instead they were impressed with the smoothness of the play, even with the costume changes added to the set changes. They managed to get two more full rehearsals done before school ended and they were reminded to be at the school for half past six, the play started at seven.
Gwen and Merlin walked home; they lived on the same street and had been friends for years.
"So you and Arthur today, is something going on there?" Merlin teased.
"It's called acting Merlin. Onstage I'm Juliet and he's Romeo. Offstage, I'm Gwen and he's," Gwen denied.
"A Prat." Merlin finished as they reached his house. They spent the afternoon hanging out before returning to the school. Everyone ran about, getting changed, preparing props and dealing with nerves either by gossiping, messing or slightly freaking out. Gwen was sitting with her back to everyone while Morgana, clad all in black, straightened her hair for her and tied it into a long plait.
"How are you feeling?" Morgana asked.
"Like I'm about to be sick." Gwen replied honestly. Couldn't her stomach just calm down?
"You'll be fine, hang on, you have to kiss my brat of a younger brother in front of everyone. Um, just focus on trying not to puke." Morgana joked.
"Thank you Morgana. Why didn't you audition anyway?" Gwen asked.
"Didn't feel like it, besides being a stagehand means I get to boss everyone about and I get the best view at the side of the stage." Morgana replied as she tied a ribbon over the end of Gwen's plait. "OK Juliet, you're ready."
"Thanks," Gwen said and slipped out into the corridor. She was so nervous; more nervous than any other time in her life. She was being stupid. It was just a play.
Just a normal school play.
In front of about 200 odd people and being recorded for DVDs for the cast's families.
Now she could be nervous.
One of the ICT teachers was going around with a video camera, interviewing different people backstage. Gwen put a smile on her face when the camera went on her.
"I'm Gwen Leodegrance and I'm playing Juliet. It's really building up now, all the excitement and I just want to get out there and do it." Gwen admitted and the camera turned to catch Merlin, Gwaine and another boy performing a perfectly synchronised skid on their knees down the corridor.
"Guys, get ready. It's time." Morgana called. Everyone crowded backstage and Gwen took a deep breath.
"You'll be fine."
Before Gwen could say anything, Arthur had slipped up the steps at the stage door which led to the edge of the stage behind the curtain. Showtime. As Gwen, Elena and Rosie performed their scene as Juliet, the Nurse and Lady Capulet; Gwen's nerves vanished and she sank into her role. Suddenly she was pulling on her purple dress for the party scene and just like that morning, she took Arthur's hand and allowed him to kiss her. This time instead of wolf-whistles there was a collective 'Aw' from the audience.
After the third act there was a short interval and everyone crowded backstage for a drink and a light snack, fixing costumes and touching up makeup before returning to the play. This time Gwen was wearing her black dress as she and Leon plotted how Juliet would fake her death to avoid marrying Paris and the scenes leading up to the poisoning and its aftermath. It just meant that she had to lie on a tomb (read a desk covered in black cloth) until Arthur died after kissing her one last time and poisoning herself. Gwen got up, directed her lines to Arthur's still form, she could see that he was smirking, and picked up the dagger prop and pretended to stab herself before falling back and putting her head on Arthur's chest.
The curtain fell on Merlin's last line and as the cast crowded onstage; they could hear the applause of the audience. The curtain rose again and the Montague's bowed; the Capulet's bowed; Leon, Merlin and Freya who was the Narrator bowed; and finally Gwen and Arthur took each other's hands and bowed before walking offstage.
"Thank God that's over!" Leon said as he finally got the change to remove his robe.
"You were all incredible, especially Arthur and Guinevere; you two really performed well together." Mrs Roberts said. Everyone beamed at the praise and changed back into their normal clothes before joining their parents. Arthur watched as Gwen walked out of the hall. Merlin and Morgana both cast their eyes skyward and shoved Arthur towards the door and watched from the doorway as Arthur took Gwen aside. Although they couldn't hear what was being said; the fact that the two teenagers suddenly kissed one another gave them their answer.
Morgana and Merlin knew exactly how Arthur felt about Gwen and there was only so much that they could take before taking action.
But if anyone asked neither of them knew that Lancelot was lactose intolerant and had no idea just how he'd ended up with milk in his drinks bottle after football training last night.