Finding Romeo (Leah - One Shot)
"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."
"If you say it like that people will think you are impersonating Puff Daddy" said Alice.
"What the hell, Alice! P. Diddy never said this and my chair can act better than him"
"Point made. Leah, shut up and let me be the Juliet. See how I do it and you can copy me."
I closed the book and sat down at the edge of the bed, my right feet swinging & my left foot tucked under me.
Alice cleared her throat, "Ahem. Now watch this"
"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."
"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"
Alice and I whirled to see Jasper standing in the doorway. Smile on his lips and twinkle in his eyes. Alice's expression changed when she saw him.
I will club you if you tell anyone that I said this but she, freaking, glowed! Urgh!
"Hey there Leah. Stopping by to see how our would be Juliet is doing and how MY Juliet is doing."
He pulled Alice by her waist and did an Eskimo kiss. I think I threw up a little.
"Now, now Leah. Don't throw up" Jasper smiled. Dammit he always knew what I am upto.
"Sooo... Ah hayv with me Mister Jaycob Blayck in tha car. Ah need to take yerr leave, mah pretty laydies." He drawled on putting on a impeccable Southern Accent. I think Alice might have wet herself.
I inched towards the window trying to take a peek at the hunkalicious guy named, Jacob. See, the thing is I wanted to be the Juliet just because he was the Romeo in the play. Shhh don't tell Alice or she will never ever let me live in peace. EVER. Seriously. The auditions are next week.
As I was peeking through the curtains, I heard a sigh close to my ear.
"Isn't he gorgeous, Lee? Mah Jaysper" she drawled imitating, Jazz-Man. For a terrible moment I had thought that she would say "Mah Jaycob".
Why, in the sweet sweet world, am I drawling?
XxXxXxXxX
I needed someone to practice my lines with. This time the hyperactive Pixie, named Alice, wasn't available as she had gone to attend Jasper's concert. He isn't a bad musician he just sings terribly... horrible & terrible. But I guess love makes you deaf too. Alice thinks he is Frank Sinatra combined with Elvis Presley. Whatever floats her boat.
I wanted to enlist the help of Rosalie. She is the blonde, bustier & more meaner version of me. The only thing that was stopping me was what if Jacob sees me with her and he thinks I am like her? They hate each other!
Because, you see, Rosalie once called him mutt and he called her dumb blonde.
I had kicked Rosalie in the shins for that. What the hell? I mean if she wants to hate him, let her hate him silently. But why call him mutt? She is such a bitch sometimes.
I was still sitting in the classroom day dreaming about riding shotgun with Jacob in his rabbit, when I heard the clearing of throat.
"Ahem, I heard that you were looking for someone to try out the lines with?"
I knew he was in my class but I didn't remember his name.
All I knew that he and couple of my cousins were in a stupid garage band and he was the guitarist... no the keyboards... n-no he was the vocals. Sheesh! I give up! I wanted to drown myself in a bucketful of water.
He put his backpack down and looked at me hopefully.
"Um, yeah sure. We can practice the lines. But I am not sure about tomorrow. I might have to leave early."
In reality, I didn't want to give him any idea that I am going to do the practice, every day with him.
He ruffled his hair, awwww, and gave me a small grin. (On a side note - what the hell? Where did that 'awww' come from? Whatever.)
We started with our lines.
"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
"Wait. Why are you looking at the window?" he asked.
"Um, I am saying the dialogue? That is why?" Why is this guy interrupting me?
"Sam. Sam Uley. You DO remember me, right?" Not waiting for my answer he continued. "Well, the reason I asked you is that Juliet, here, is standing on her balcony and leaning. Why don't you do the same? The desk will be the balcony rail and I will sit on the floor"
Before I could say no. He was on the floor looking up at me expectantly. His brown eyes blinking at me.
'Foine!" I marched up to the desk and leaned on it and started reciting my lines. I imagined Juliet standing on her balcony just like this and beseeching Romeo.
"... which is no part of thee. Take all myself." I could almost feel the breeze of the night in Verona as I stood leaning on my desk.
"I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized.
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
I was jolted from my dreamland with the words spoken somewhere below the desk. I couldn't see Sam's face or even the top of his head. I was surprised how much mystery this scene adds to the play.
"Leah? Its your turn" said the deep voice.
For some reason I was unnerved.
As I walked home from my class I ended up thinking what would be the best way to improve tomorrow's practice.
XxXxXxXxX
I had my feet up the table and Rosalie, Alice, Esme and Bella were having their usual cookie time.
Cookie time = lots of cookies and soda. I don't know how they never got sick. Or fat. Bitches.
"So I heard that your practice went well, Lee?" smirked Rosalie.
"Yeah, it was nice. I wonder what else we can do that to make it better" I played with a lock of my hair.
Rosalie and Alice got up and Alice mimicked a girl swooning and Rosalie placed her leg on the chair and caught Alice by the waist. This was their version of Romeo and Juliet.
For me, it looked like a cheap harlequin bodice-ripper book. Blah.
Bella just sighed and looked at her watch. May be Ed would come to pick her up? She is the quiet one amongst us. She also, FYI, has the impression that half the class has the hots for her and wants to date her. What can I say? Ignorance is bliss.
It didn't feel as if I was practicing with Sam for 2-3 days. he would come up with innovative ways to bring out the expressions and the inflections in the voice.
"Shit! Late for the practice. See ya girls" I snatched my bags and ran out the door. Looking back at that I probably should've checked if someone was following me.
Sam was waiting for me & his face broke into a grin so wide I wondered why his ears didn't fall off. I found myself responding to the grin.
"Ready?" he asked removing the sheaf of papers from his backpack.
"Yep! So are we going ahead with the play? May be the continuation of the play? Um..." I turned couple of pages. "The part where she persuades him to leave?"
"Yeah. Sure" I knew he was going to ruffle his hair. He did. Two days would teach you so much about a person.
"How about if we do this another way today?" I think this scene will be more effective if half the time they couldn't see each other.
"Ok. So we stand the opposite side of the pillars and say the lines. We can take a peek at each other. You know?" I walked to the square pillar that was somehow the part of the classroom. And since it was square we could hide behind it with our backs resting on the pillar and not worry about seeing each other.
"... therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me" Sam finished.
It was my turn and I thought it would be a good idea if I peer across the pillar to try to catch a glimpse of Sam the Romeo.
"If they do see thee they will murder thee" I think I was a pretty good actor. I pictured and imagined Jacob sneaking in to my room and what if my mom found out. And that was all it needed to give me the real distressed look.
Sam was looking directly at me. His brown eyes all serious and unblinking. His eyes showed the same distress that mine did.
"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity."
His voice was no more than a whisper but I could catch every single word of it.
For some reason I felt if I moved now, there will be no more Juliet and no more Romeo. It will be just Leah. I will be tainting the balcony, the Montague and the Capulets. Our eye contact never broke.
Without knowing I had moved a step forward. One more step from him and we will be putting the distance of the pillar behind us. For what? What would happen? I don't know. I couldn't know because I heard a scream and a crash.
Rosalie was standing in the bushes brushing her clothes off and so was Alice.
"I can't believe you did that!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Why would you peep through the windows? If you wanted to see the play you could have come in the room. We weren't rehearsing for a secret play"
Rosalie was trimming her nails, not even bothering to look at me. Bella had a mournful look and Alice was smiling. I wanted to smack them all on their heads. Why don't I get normal friends like everyone else?
"Have you noticed that for the past two days you haven't mentioned Jacob at all?" asked Alice.
"So what? That is so not the point! Besides, I am preparing for this play BECAUSE of Jacob"
"But my dear. It is so much a point!" said Alice softly. I pretended not to hear her.
XxXxXxXxX
The final list for audition was up. The auditions went well. Thankfully we weren't asked to speak to the 'real' Romeo. That saved me. Else people would have had to mop me up from the stage.
Romeo - Jacob Black. As if that was a surprise
Juliet - Leah Clearwater. Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! Omigod!
I did a quick crazy, victory dance and raced to tell the girls.
The practice of the play was scheduled for every evening. And each evening we had to assemble in the auditorium room and for the past week we had been pouring everything we had in to this.
Equipped with the props the play was supposed to be set in the time that Shakespeare wrote it. Not the crap that Leo and Claire pulled off.
I was nervous about this play but for some reason I couldn't remember why.
I said my dialogues & it was Jacob's turn.
"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word."
Why is he smirking and saying the dialogues? Romeo is supposed to be pining. Not smirking. Anyway it is not my place to correct the expressions.
"... Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?" I finished. It was Jacob's turn. I looked around the empty auditorium. Apart from Mrs. Jason, our drama teacher, there weren't many people. But I could make out a Rolling Stone's t-shirt. The one with just the lips and the tongue?
Then I remembered. Sam was the drummer of the band. Why did I think of Sam, I don't know.
"Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike" said Jacob.
The next scene wanted me to look in his eyes. Yeah Mrs. Jason changed some of the scenes. Ah! The experimental, modern plays.
I looked deep. Or you can say I tried to.
His eyes were black. Not brown.
He was grinning mischievously. Not looking at his Juliet beseechingly.
That was it! I lost my patience.
"Don't grin! Don't grin! Don't grin!" I stomped. "You're are Romeo! You aren't supposed to grin and say dialogue. You're a lovesick puppy. You're desperately waiting for your Juliet's answer. You aren't Sam anymore you're Romeo! Remember that!"
He backed away slightly, looking alarmed.
"Jacob" he said.
"What?"
"You called me Sam, I am Jacob."
The wrap up was called and sank on the floor. After my outburst no one came up to me. I guess they were scared that I will conk them with the microphone or something.
Jacob was all wrong Romeo. Romeo wasn't supposed to be cocky. He was supposed to be pining for Juliet as I was pining for Jacob.
Was. One tense makes so much difference.
I was pining, not am.
Was Jacob wrong Romeo or was I the wrong Juliet?
When did I become so crazy? I wanted to clear my head. I knew Alice, Rose, Bella had seen all that had happened. They knew better than to cross my path now.
I started reciting my lines out loud. May be I can drown out the confusion?
"How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?"
When was the last time I saw Sam?
"The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,"
He never came up to me once I saw my name as Juliet.
"And the place death, considering who thou art,"
I was pretty sure Romeo's eyes were brown not black.
"If any of my kinsmen find thee here."
I wish I could have him to practice with me. May be Juliet depends on Romeo to get her lines right.
"With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me."
I whipped around.
I saw the brown eyes look at me. Sam smiled.
He will ruffle his hair now, I thought.
He did. I smiled too.
"I never saw Juliet threatening Romeo before" he grinned.
I shrugged, "Hey, a feminist Juliet is what this world needs."
We were quiet for a while.
"I thought you might need some help to practice your lines" he said softly.
"Yeah. I need your help."
Without thinking I laid my head on his shoulders. It seemed right.
Jacob was Montague's Romeo. Sam was mine. One line at a time.