I don't own TLC or anything blah, blah, blah

This was written after a prompt on tumblr for a AU with your otp in high school and one of them is in a production of Romeo and Juliet with your notp. I wrote this with Kai and Levana in the play and Cinder in the audience because Kaider is my very good friend's otp from the Lunar Chronicles.

Also this is the first story I've posted here in years!

Cinder fidgeted in her seat in the auditorium. Why did these chairs always get so sticky?

"Iko why are we here again?" She asked.

"Um, because Kai *invited* you." The computer nerd squealed in such a not whisper that Cinder was sure that Kai would be able to hear it from backstage. "Not too mention the fact that you totally *like* him"

"Ugh, I do not." Cinder said, slouching in her chair and folding her arms, "and the whole point of a school play is that you invite people to come see it."

"Oh come on," Peony said from Cinder's other side. "We've both told you that you're the only one he personally invited! Everyone's talking about it!"

"That's just because he's so cocky about basically being the prince of the theater club. Pus, he knows that most of the girls and half of the boys in this place are drooling over him," Cinder fixed her pony tail which had started to come loose. Somehow she just made it messier, "so he knows that he doesn't have to ask them."

"Well he still decided to ask you so obviously he feels something" Iko insisted leaning into Cinder.

The curtain came up then so Cinder didn't get to reply.

"Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene"

Intoned Wolf dryly. The narrator was the only part he would agree to when Scarlet begged him to be in the play with her.

The entire ensemble was on the stage and Cinder tried not stare at Kai but found herself then glaring at Levana. Cinder was sure that Levana had bullied her way into the part of Juliet. Not that she didn't look good enough for the part, she was pretty much too perfect, but nobody really liked her or chose to be around her unless they were too afraid of what the consequences would be.

Most of the actors left the stage and the play started properly. Cinder let her gaze wander along the cracks in one of the walls, but her attention was drawn back when I fight scene broke out just 3 minutes in. Thorne milked the scene the most, sweeping his sword in the most dramatic arcs and grunting loudly when "hit."

The fight was broken up and a bit later Kai made his first real entrance. He and Thorne were alone and they waxed poetic on love.

Towards the end of Kai's first monologue

"Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,
sick health!
Still waking sleep, that is not what it is!
This love I feel, that feel no love in this,"

Cinder couldn't hold back a snort at all of the love talk. It was too loud though, and Kai faltered his next line. "Do -Dost though not laugh coz?" He said blushing.

Thorne annunciated his line carefully, "No coz, I rather weep," and gave a pointed look at Cinder in the audience.

Cinder sunk down in her chair until her legs were almost entirely out of it. She stayed like that for the whole first half of the play, wishing she could be even more invisible for the balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet planned to marry in secret.

After that, thankfully was the intermission.

"I can't believe I let you two talk me into this" Cinder moaned. "Why would I want to watch Levana getting to be all romantic with Kai. Everyone knows she just wants to date him for the status."

"So you do admit you like him!" Iko shouted. Some nearby students laughed.

"No! Geez, Iko! I'm just not happy about watching Levana go after him."

"Don't forget to look away for the kiss during the end." Suggested Peony.

Cinder buried her face in her hands until the intermission was over.

The second half was slightly more interesting than the first. Scarlet and Jacin had a fairly impressive duel as Tybalt (cousin of Juliet) and Mercutio (Romeo's friend". When Scarlet killed Jacin, Kai jumped in and killed her. Wolf, as an extra now, gave a particularly angry glare at Kai from the crowd.

The downward spiral continued and soon Kai was mourning over the supposedly dead Levana, speaking alone for what seemed like forever before drinking poison and kissing Levana before he too could "die." Was Cinder imagining it, or was there a not-so-slight hestation before Kai let his lips briefly touch Levanas?

Levana then awoke and gave her speech ending with "I will kiss thy lips;
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them," at which point she appeared to try to eat Kai's lips off in search for some poison. Cinder looked away and almost missed the satisfaction of seeing Levana pretend to kill herself with Romeo's dagger.

"Alright, we saw it! Can we go now?" She asked Peony and Iko once the actors had finished their bows (Levana had looked displeased with her mediochre smattering of applause) and left.

"I guess," said Peony, "but we should at least try to say hello to Kai if he's in the hallway."

He was, but surrounded by a gaggle of girls and boys and Levana had her arm draped over his shoulders.

"I'm not *even* trying to deal with that right now." Cinder said. "I'll say hi to him in class tomorrow."

In the parking lot however, they were stopped by Kai calling Cinders name.

"Cinder!" He said again when he caught up with them, "I'm really glad you came!"

"Weee'll be at the car." Iko said in a rush and dragged Peony away.

Cinder reached out to keep Peony with her, but Iko was too fast. Instead she turned back to Kai.

"Yeah, well you did invite me. You did a good job by the way." She said.

"Thanks, you too." Kai said, and then realized what he had said. "No, I mean, just thanks. Not that you wouldn't be good in a play or you know… um, thank you."

Cinder shrugged "Sure."

"So um, would you want to-" Kai started.

"Please don't invite me to your cast party." She said, fidgeting. "I don't feel like being around… people right now"

"Actually" Kai said quietly "I was hoping you might rescue me from it." He gave her a hopeful half smile.

"Oh," Cinder faltered, "Yeah. We could go to a diner or something. Are you sure you want to miss the party?"

Kai smiled. "I'm very sure."

"Um, Iko and Peony will have to come too." Cinder said.

"Of course!" Kai said.

"Are you kidding?" Iko shouted from the car "We're way too tired and we insist that you drop us off first!"

Kai laughed and Cinder smiled. "Alright, do you want to ride together and I can drop you back here after."

"Sounds great" Said Kai.

"Yeah, really great." Said Cinder.