Romeo and Julian
I stared at the back of his neck, a sight burned into memory. From the birthmark just above his collar bone to the scar a mere inch from his left ear, I knew it all. Not just his neck, but his face and personality too.
He was my friend, a person I knew since boyhood, the days of blowing bubbles on the front porch. I knew his appearance, tall with a slender build, tan skin and unruly sandy hair. I knew his likes and dislikes, how he hated the smell of lemons and how he liked to roam around without shoes. I knew his habits, the way his eyebrows would raise ever so subtly when he lied and the way he would wake up before turning in bed. I knew his family and their Christian morals, their prayers before dinner and their stand against abortion. And first and foremost, I knew the way he loved me was not the way I loved him.
Alfred turned around in his desk, his neck no longer in sight. The corners of his lips were raised upward in a small, warm smile. That damned grin…
Project today?" he whispered as not to be heard by the teacher pacing back and forth in front of the classroom.
I frown in response. When he asked me to be his partner for an English project I could not help but agree despite knowing how wrong it was. I could never say no to him, but going to his house and sitting before him and his family as I continued to pretend he was just a friend to me was wrong. It was a lie. But still, I could not say no. Today was no different. I already promised to be his partner and we already drew our scene. Unable to go back, I simply nodded my head, my gaze now cast downward.
"Not feeling well? We can always do it tomorrow."
I shook my head and raised my eyes to his nose, too afraid to meet his eyes. I could never look a person straight in the eyes and lie. "I'm fine. Should I meet you at your locker?"
"Yeah, let's meet there. Are you sure you're alright though? I nodded again and Alfred turned back around.
The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a blur and time seemed to flow faster than normal. As promised, I met Alfred back at his locker and we walked to his house which was only two away from my own. We never needed to travel far to meet up as children, just one quick run across neighbor's lawns. We greeted his parents and went right up to his room, a place I knew just as well as my own.
"Do you have your lines?" he asked as he sat down on his bed, motioning for me to sit next to him.
"Yeah," I said as I opted to sit on the floor. He stared at me questioningly, but said nothing other than that we should start.
The project was a simple one. We were to choose a partner and recite lines from Romeo and Juliet. The catch was that we could not choose our lines but rather we had to draw them from a brown paper bag. Through a cruel twist of fate, Alfred drew the balcony scene and I was to be Juliet.
"You start," I say as I look over my lines.
"She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air." His voice was gentle and full of passion. He stretched his arms out as if reaching for my face.
"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet." I recited with great sincerity.
It was funny really, saying all these lines. Even if Alfred didn't know it, every word I said, although they were words for another, were true to me. I wished he could refuse the beliefs of his parents. I wished I could change from being a man to woman as though it were as simple as just changing a name. Of course, though, it wasn't.
If by chance he did love me and if by chance we swore to be together, our story would end no differently than that of Juliet and her Romeo. We would be just like them, only as Romeo and Julian. Our families would never approve and neither would people in society. Only tragedy would befall us.
We continued to go through our lines with Alfred bringing our skit to a close.
"O blessed, blessed night! I am afeard. Being in night, all this is but a dream, too flattering-sweet to be substantial." He smiled at the end displaying his pearl white teeth and brought his hands up to his heart.
It was selfish to think for the pain it would cause him, but at that very moment I couldn't help but wonder if just maybe, he meant his lines too.
With that last thought I left his house, too afraid to stay for dinner and meet the faces of his parents.
Dedicated to my Twiny, who has stuck with me through thick and thin. Through my elation and my depression. She loves dysfunctional USUK, so I wrote her a nice little drabble. Thanks for being such a good friend!
This also was a little experiment for me to write in first-person POV... I know I did a bad a bad job at it. ^^;
As always, Hetalia is only belongs to me in mind not reality. Disclaimed.
Please review my work. Critiques make my day. Tell me where I went right and where I went wrong. And first and foremost, feel free to request any oneshot. I'd love to write it. most of the time!