A/N: I saw the School Play episode and I've got two or three ideas for different stories from it, but this one came out first. Let me know what you all think about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own NDSSG, or Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", but I do own some three year old stale popcorn sold to my father by boy-scouts though, the caramel covered kind is still good. It's a shame I don't like popcorn much.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jennifer! You have to fix this!" Great. Yeah, excellent. Suzie's yelling at me now because Ned ruined the set, that I took such care to build. He just knocked it over in his jealous fit to keep Romeo from kissing Juliet.

"What am I supposed to do Suzie? I can't exactly make Romeo all better. We're going to have to cancel the rest of the performance." I really don't want to do that, but there's nothing else I can do. I hate failing.

When Ned crashed the set he took out the director and our lead actor. Miraculously, Suzie came out relatively unharmed but mad as a hornet. She refuses to speak to Ned, even though he's been trying to apologize profusely, she's not having any of it.

"No! We aren't going cancel this play. I want to finish it." She has a hold on my arm and her hand feels like a vice. It's going to leave bruises if she keeps that up much longer.

"Well, nobody else knows the lines. Except for Cookie and I'm not putting him up there, it'd be terrible, no one would be able to tell what he was saying. What do you want me to do? I'm just the stage manager."

She looks at me ponderously for a moment. I can see the wheels in her head turning and it does nothing to put me at ease. I can see when she has an idea, her face lit up considerably as she gave me a most predatory look.

"You know all the lines Jennifer. I've seen you mouthing the words more than once during rehearsal. You have to know the lines to be able to set the stage properly. And because you know the lines you're going to be our new Romeo! It's brilliant!"

"What?! What about Ned? He could be Romeo!" I know even as the words leave my mouth that it isn't going to happen. But I had to try. This was most certainly a last ditch effort on my part. I don't want Ned on that stage anymore than she does.

"No he couldn't. He doesn't know the lines and I'm furious with him. He'll be lucky if I'm talking to him by next week. We all could have been seriously hurt in that stunt he pulled. So you're our only option. Suit up Romeo! We've got a play to finish." I can see the determination in her eyes. If I don't suit myself up I'm sure she'd have no problem forcing me to do so. Better to just grin and bear it I guess…

Mere moments later I'm in a stand-by Romeo costume and my hair is pulled behind my head in a low ponytail. I set Lisa and Claire up as replacement stage managers and hope that the rest of the play is relatively uneventful.

Ned seems pleased that it's not another boy taking up the role of Romeo and I can only think about seriously harming him for that smug look of victory on his face. If he were my boyfriend I'd have slapped him stupid for pulling that crap.

Cookie is upset that he's not playing Romeo, but I temporized by making him the replacement director. He doesn't get to actually do anything, but I think having the director title makes him feel better.

Loomer and Buzz are in the horse costume now and we take up from where we left off, Act II, Scene II, the balcony scene. I, in the role of Romeo, and Suzie playing Juliet…this is just so awkward.

"…See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!" I'm looking up at her on the freshly fixed balcony as she stares off into space. She is very pretty. I have to agree with Ned on that point. With the back lighting on the stage lighting up her hair and casting shadows across her face and body she looks like some perfect image from a master painting.

"Ay me!" Her first words in this act of ours.

"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…" It isn't at all as hard to act completely smitten as I'd thought it would be. It's actually surprisingly easy to pretend this magnificent romantic love for her, this fervor and devotion…it's too easy…because I actually do feel it.

"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 begin to climb the balcony as we both continue our lines. I've lost all awareness of what I'm saying, but I can hear all she says as she continues, I'm so drawn to her in this haze that I hardly recognize that I'm moving towards her. "'Tis but they name that is my enemy. Though art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, take myself."

"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo." I can hear the murmur of our words as we continue our lines. My eyes are locked on hers as hers seem to be on mine. I wonder if she feels this pull, this need to be nearer to me as I do for her.

I feel the heat rise in my face as I think these things. I didn't put up a fight with her because I wanted this to happen. I wanted this opportunity to be nearer her without being criticized for it. No one can say I behaved in any way unbefitting a young woman, I'm acting and the play calls for Romeo to kiss Juliet, and by god I'm Romeo and Suzie is Juliet!

In this balcony scene there is no kiss written, but our original director wanted there to be one as Romeo parts from Juliet. He said it would enhance the romance of the play so we had to do it. I didn't want to be too eager about it, even though I totally am. As it draws nearer I can feel the anticipation building in me.

Before I know it we're moving closer and closer together. I'm mesmerized by her eyes and she seems to be in much the same state. Leaning closer our eyes close automatically as our lips meet in a soft kiss. Warmth flooded through me and I felt a shiver shoot up my spine. There were sparks, I swear.

I feel her hands move to my shoulders and to my cheek, my own hands move to hold her close; one at the small of her back and the other on the back of her neck. We held the kiss for far longer than the one originally planned, but neither of us notices, still it feels all too short to me.

Pulling away the world rushed back into my ears and I could hear the silence in the theatre. I'm not sure if it was good or bad but Suzie and I continued trying to get our bearings after being completely stunned by what that kiss made us feel. I could see in her eyes that she had felt the sparks too; I could also see that she was confused about it but not upset.

We still had a play to finish so we kept running our lines. I'm pretty sure she's as confused about all of this as I am. I never expected to feel so much from just one kiss. It was amazing.

Looking to the wings of the stage I can see Ned. He's furious. I guess he didn't think we'd actually kiss. And no one thought it would have any effect on us…but it did. Suzie and I…well, there's something there…between us I mean. Something stronger than either of us expected; something more powerful than friendship, something more like…love.

I know that's a strong word to use but I think it's accurate. I don't have any other words to describe how I feel…how that one moment has changed me forever…the words just don't exist. But I wish they did.

If they did I could explain everything that's going on with me right now. But they don't, so I can't. I just know that there's all this stuff messed up inside me and it's warm and twisty and so, so good. All these feelings inside making my chest constrict and making me want to cry and laugh at the same time…and I want so badly for Suzie to be feeling these things too.

Before I know it the play is over and we're taking our bows. The crowd cheers loudest for Suzie and I, some even catcalling and shouting for another kiss. I'd be happy to oblige them but I'm not sure how Suzie would feel about that…actually I'm not sure how she feels at all.

Taking our bows she'd taken hold of my hand and she hasn't released it yet. The look she's giving me now tells me she wants to talk. So as we finish our bows and leave the stage I let her lead me wherever she will…I've already fallen for her, I didn't know it could happen so fast.

She's taken me into an open classroom. After opening the door and pulling me inside she dropped my hand and closed the door again. Her back is to me and I can tell that she's playing with her hands, a sure sign that she's nervous. I see her reach out and lock the door, so I guess she doesn't want anyone else to come in…well then.

"What happened out there?" She's turned to me now and her eyes are wide, her brow is furrowed, she looks pensive and a little afraid. I knew she was referencing the kiss, I suppose it did get out of hand, but it felt so right to be there with her and she was kissing back…wasn't she?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, I don't know if I want this to be a one shot or not, let me know what you think.