Playwright

Written by applemilk

Chapter 1: Ideas

A young woman shrilled triumphantly, followed by squeals of excitement. Thick blonde hair cascaded down her back; she was no more than sixteen years old.

"What has gotten into Minako-chan?" murmured a girl who was also a sixteen year old with blonde hair. Only her hair was more golden and was held in an unusual hairstyle of pigtails. She and her friends looked on at Minako, the squealing young woman, with high curiosity. They were all sitting in a booth, drinking smoothies.

"Minako!" the golden-haired girl's companion called. She had long, thick, dark hair and an exotic appeal. The young woman immediately stopped squealing and looked at her friends with huge starry eyes. "Well?" the exotic one prodded, "What's up with you?"

Minako dashed to sit in their booth, pushing aside the girl with an unusual hairstyle away from her smoothie.

"Oh Rei!" she responded to the dark-haired woman, giggling with delight, "I have fabulous news!"

"You have a date with one of the Three Lights?" Rei asked wide-eyed.

"Please," Minako scoffed, "They wouldn't know a true goddess like myself if it hit them in the face." As she was about to take a sip of the smoothie in front of her, a noise of protest stopped her. She turned to find a sad-struck expression of a golden-haired girl.

"Gomen-nasai Usagi!" Minako immediately pushed the drink to Usagi, the friend she had also pushed away to sit down. "Anyway, fabulous news. They are deciding to produce a play in Juuban High, and guess which play it is? Just guess!!"

"Romeo and Juliet?" a girl with a high pony-tail guessed. Minako clapped her hands with glee.

"How did you know Mako-chan?! I'm so excited for it!" she gushed on, "I just know for sure I can get the lead in this. And guess who I know for sure is getting the lead as Romeo?"

All her friends looked at her expectantly.

"Kou Taiki."

"WHAAAAT?" Usagi spluttered her drink, along with another friend. Her other friend gained composure immediately.

"How would he have time to manage balancing school play auditions and his celebrity lifestyle?" This friend, who had kept quiet most of this time, finally spoke. She had short, dark hair; so dark it was almost blue.

"Oh Ami-chan, Taiki is a professional," Minako explained. "He can do everything!"

"Hmm, it's strange," Makoto pondered. "I mean, Romeo and Juliet are Italians, right? Ami, Rei and I have better chances at being Juliet."

Ami blushed, Rei smiled widely, while Minako's eye twitched and a vein pulsated in her forehead.

"Rei-chan doesn't even go to Juuban High," Minako fumed, quickly diminishing Rei's smile. "And hair color shouldn't matter! It's the talent that counts!"

Makoto thought this over and just shrugged.

"So when are auditions?" Usagi asked.

"Next week!" Minako continued brightly, "and I will do whatever it takes to get this part! I can see the headlines now: Kou Taiki Plays Along Side Aino Minako in the Production of Romeo and Juliet, What A Success!!!"

Minako was now standing out proudly with one hand held high and another on her hip. She also started laughing insanely. Her friends only looked away, in embarrassment at the attention she was drawing.

"Er…right," Usagi took a big sip from her smoothie. "Hey Minako-chan, why don't you order a drink to your success?"

Minako nodded eagerly in agreement.

The skies were orange and yellow, as always, when she walked home.

Usagi sighed longingly at the thought of Minako playing a beautiful character such as Juliet. She wished she had that talent to be able to perform, but knowing her luck she'd forget her lines and fall off stage. It was still alright to daydream, though, wasn't it?

"What's troubling you, odango?" a familiar voice asked from beside her. She instantly snapped out of the daydream while she walked down the sidewalk and her face turned red.

"Nothing!" she stated matter-of-factly, not turning her gaze to meet the voice.

"Oh really?" The voice was now in front of her. She inevitably crashed into the person and fell backwards onto the paved sidewalk. The person who was talking to her offered a hand, but Usagi ignored it and got up herself, dusting off the back of her skirt.

"You baka! How dare you step in front of me when you'd know I'd fall!"

"Honestly, odango, I had no clue." But the voice was biting back laughter incessantly. She growled,

"The nerve! I'm never speaking to you again, Seiya."

His lips quirked up.

"Is that so?"

She haughtily walked around him to continue her voyage home and refused to acknowledge him.

"Ah well that is too bad." He continued walking right along side her. "You see, I was considering auditioning for the part as Romeo… but I needed someone to practice with me as Juliet. And since you don't—"

"I thought Taiki was Romeo," Usagi gaped at him. She stopped walking right when he said Romeo and apparently he did not realize that. He stopped walking as well and turned to her, waving his hand in the air as he explained.

"He's auditioning too and I thought I may as well. I just need someone to help me practice my dialogue, you know, someone to read Juliet's lines."

Usagi only stood there with a small 'o' formation on her mouth.

"Well?" he prodded.

"Well what?"

"Will you help me?"

"I-eh, uhmm, well, I'm not a very good actress…"

"It doesn't matter. It's just practice."

"Er, uhh, a-and I probably won't be able to read half the things Juliet says…"

"We can work around that."

"And, eh… why don't you just ask Minako-chan? She's auditioning for Juliet anyway."

"Because I want you to help me, odango."

"Why?" she asked bluntly.

"Please?" he could only respond in return. She fidgeted.

"I won't be good help, Seiya!!" She marched on but something caught her wrist; Seiya's hand. "Unhand me!" she demanded as she involuntarily blushed.

"Am I that unbearable?"

The tone in his voice froze her movements.

"It's nothing like that, Seiya." Her cheeks warmed even more.

"Then why won't you help me? If Minako needed help, you'd help her, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, but…"

"But…?"

Usagi sighed in defeat. There was no getting out of this anyway. It was not that she did not want to help Seiya. In fact, she very much enjoyed his company. She just did not think it would be right to help him in this situation, acting out pieces of Romeo and Juliet…

"Okay. I'll help you."

The smile he gave her was worth it, she supposed. She smiled in return.

"I didn't know you meant help right now," Usagi sweat-dropped. She was at the Kou's flat, a highly luxurious apartment complex, with Seiya. She complimented the place the whole way, completely oblivious of the play til they reached the room.

"The earlier I practice, the better I'll be. It's like studying for an exam—" Usagi did not know much about studying either so Seiya dropped the subject.

"Where are Taiki and Yaten?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"On business, promoting." She nodded at this. "It's just us for now, odango," Seiya winked. Usagi gulped.

"Yeah, I guess so," she laughed nervously. Seiya laughed soundly and handed her the transcript.

"How about we start with Act 2, Scene II?"

"Sounds…good…to me," Usagi replied uncertainly as she fumbled through the transcript, trying to find a page number. With a tiny smirk, he handed her his own transcript, which was already turned to Act 2 Scene II, and took hers. With a couple flips, he was there.

Usagi stared down at the script.

"Hey, this looks familiar," she smiled brightly. Seiya chuckled.

"I'll start after Juliet comes to the window." He kneeled and Usagi looked at him questionably. "I'm improvising," he explained, but Usagi still looked confused. "You know, Juliet is on the balcony, so Romeo is looking up at her?"

"Ohh," Comprehension washed over Usagi's face and she laughed to herself. Seiya coughed a little to clear his throat before speaking.

"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!"

The earnest look in his eyes, the need in his voice. He was very convincing. Though the speech was of olden times, Usagi found herself understanding more than she thought she would.

"She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"

His hand reached out to her, almost touching her face. He was looking straight at her. His eyes were so familiar to Usagi. The midnight blue reminded her of…

Seiya coughed again, and Usagi realized it was her line. She turned pink and searched for her line.

"Ay! Me!" She said in a ridiculous overdramatic tone. There was a glint in Seiya's eye but he said nothing of it.

"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."

Usagi found herself staring at Seiya, more than paying attention to her own lines. He was not even looking at his script when he spoke. And when he spoke, she was at a lost. She truly felt like Juliet.

Hearing an ahem from him, she abruptly stopped her dazing and looked for her lines again.

"O Romeo, Romeo…" she started awkwardly, "wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wil…t, wilt, not…be but sworn my love…huh? Oops, sorry. Ehh…And I'll no longer be a Capulet!"

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" said a sarcastic voice that was definitely not Romeo's. Or, rather, Seiya's. It was Yaten. Taiki and Yaten had just entered the flat. And apparently Yaten knew the lines of Romeo and Juliet by heart too.

"You two are here early," Seiya noted, rising from his position.

"Yaten was getting annoyed with the radio host, threw a hissy fit…" Taiki began. Usagi was surprised at how casually Taiki spoke. Normally he was deadly quiet. And when he spoke, it was not so…modern-sounding.

"I did not throw a hissy fit!"

"Kind of like how you aren't right now?" Yaten just smashed a pot to the floor. Usagi jumped back in fright, bumping into Seiya accidently. Seiya moved from behind her and stood in front of her protectively.

"Yaten, this is no way to act around visitors. You're a professional, remember?"

"Whatever, I'm leaving," he said, clearly still angry. He took off for his bedroom, Usagi guessed. "Oh, and you," he stopped and looked at her, "don't try out for Juliet. It's not in your best interest." And with that, he slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Don't mind him," Taiki apologized to a shocked Usagi. He spoke to her gently. "Are you auditioning for the play?"

"Actually," Seiya answered for her, "she's just helping me with my lines." Taiki did not look surprised.

"Did Seiya force you to help him?"

"No…he just kinda begged for awhile…" Usagi admitted. Seiya rolled his eyes. Taiki laughed goodheartedly.

"Is there something you want?" Seiya asked crossly to Taiki.

"I do need to speak with you about Yaten." Seiya's face softened, though a tension started to form in the air.

"Let me take odango home and then we'll talk, alright?"

Taiki nodded and sat on a nearby couch. He had a magazine in hand, one that Usagi did not recognize or notice him holding, and began to read silently.

"Let's go," he looked back at her, and she followed silently.

"Thanks for helping me with my lines," Seiya spoke casually as they neared Usagi's house. His hands were folded behind is head in a relaxed position and he was looking up at the night sky. Usagi blushed a little.

"You didn't need help." Seiya didn't deny that.

"But I do appreciate you staying and reading over with me. It's not easy practicing alone, you know."

"Hmm," replied Usagi.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, really."

"Is that so?"

"Well," Usagi bowed her head a little, "I was wondering about Yaten."

"Yaten? What about him?" Seiya's arms were now folded over his chest, and he was giving her a suspicious look.

"How is he? Or, well, is he gonna be okay?"

"Nani?"

"This afternoon…he seemed really upset…"

"Ah," Seiya waved his hand dismissingly at the subject. "He's always like that when we are promoting. I think living here makes it even worse for him. He doesn't adjust to settling well, since we move so much, but he'll be okay."

"Hmm," Usagi replied again.

"What is it now, odango?"

"How are you so sure he will be okay? I've never seen him act like that."

"You don't know him like I do. He will be fine. Quit burdening yourself with problems that aren't yours, odango. It's not good for you."

Usagi furrowed her eyebrows.

"If I don't make problems my own, then who will care about them?"

"Who's to say that no one cares about Yaten's problems?"

"That's not what I'm not trying to say!"

"Is it?"

"Now I don't even know what I'm saying!" Usagi huffed. They were already at her house, in front of the doorway. Seiya smiled.

"I think what you're trying to say is that you cannot help but care. It's an admirable trait, odango, but burdensome. I'll see you tomorrow, same time, for practice, alright?" And he walked away without an answer from her. Usagi wondered how this popstar idol could make her feel so infuriated, yet so …

"Usagi, honey?" Usagi's mother had just opened the door. "Where have you been? It's late and your dinner's getting cold."

Usagi did not realize how hungry she was. With a bright smile, she skipped inside, deciding not to think about Seiya for the time being.

Author's note: Read my bio for info and updates on this story. :)