I didn't know Americans only had a thirty-minute break for lunch. meanwhile back in high school and junior high we had a whole hour. Or is that just for certain schools and states.
Romeo and Juliet
I didn't see Rick for two weeks. Except during recess at school. But it wasn't enough, it could never be enough. I missed my best friend and my father kept forcing me to hang out with Morgan. He even invited him over to our house for a 'play date'. We were in my backyard, sitting around the tea table in my tree house. He was sitting in Rick's designated seat and I couldn't keep the mean mug off my face.
Morgan looked sad. "Come on, Michonne. It wasn't my fault." I didn't say anything to him. "Are you going to stay mad at me?" I wanted to tell him his butt was plastered on a seat that wasn't his but I didn't want to be rude. That would mean I'd have to wait even longer to see Rick if my father found out.
"Michonne?" I looked past his head over to the horse Rick drew and hung up. "Fine. Be that way. All I wanted was to be your friend, I know you and Rick are close but-"
"You're not my best friend, Morgan. Rick is and it's my fault he got grounded for a month. Now I'm sitting here with you."
"Maybe I don't want to be your best friend." He paused. "Are you going to be in the play?" I didn't want to be conversing with him but who else did I have to talk to. Mom was inside entertaining Morgan's mother and my dad was elsewhere, probably campaigning.
"What play are you talking about?" I asked. I never paid attention to school activities. The only clubs that were interesting was the fencing club.
"Romeo and Juliet. They're hosting auditions. I'm going for Romeo, maybe you can audition for Juliet." I frowned. Shakespeare was something middle schoolers were reading. I didn't exactly know what it was about but it had something to do with love.
And I didn't associate love with Morgan. "I don't want to be Julia." The window in the tree house was wide open and I saw straight into Rick's yard. The backdoor was cracked open and I saw movement between the open space.
"It's Juliet." He corrected me, shaking his head. "Maybe coming here was a bad idea." I didn't say anything. My heart stopped when I saw Rick open the door, it was an odd feeling I didn't understand. He had a net in his hand, his mouth was moving but I couldn't make out the words. I wondered if he could see me.
Morgan turned around to look out the window after noticing my lack of attention. "How long is he grounded for?" He asked. I was watching Rick, he squinted under the sun's glare.
"He's not allowed around me for a month."
"But you see each other at school all the time. You're acting like he disappeared." He said confused.
"I know but that's only half an hour a day." Morgan wouldn't understand. "It's really none of your business." Morgan's mouth twitched.
"Why don't you just tell him to sneak in the tree house if you want to get rid of me that badly?" He snapped. "It's not my fault I'm here Michonne." Rick walked over to the end of the pool, with the net in his hand he began scooping up stray leaves that landed in the water.
"I'm sorry." I told Morgan after noticing the hurt expression on his face. Really, I didn't mean to hurt his feelings.
His eyes fell to the teacups on the table. "It's okay. I just want us to be friends, you know? I know I'll never be Rick Grimes but I can be Morgan. I'm good at being me." The sincerity in his voice made me regret my harsh words.
Picking up the steel kettle, I poured water into Morgan's cup then some into mine. I couldn't help it. My eyes drifted back to Rick. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, the heat of the sun bearing down on him. Lifting my cup, "A toast to friendship." My attention went back to Morgan who looked pleased. He held up the tiny cup, hitting it against my own.
"To friendship." He repeated. Morgan tossed back the liquid and I threw mine out on the wooden floor beside my chair. When he swallowed the water his face immediately contorted with disgust. I frowned. He wasn't actually supposed to drink it.
Morgan spat the remainder on the floor. Promptly wiping away the remnants from his mouth. "Ew, is that dirty water?"
"You weren't actually supposed to drink it." I told him.
"Morgan! Michonne! Come down here." My mother's voice echoed through the wooden house. Alarmed, I looked out the window behind Morgan. Sure enough, my mother's voice got Rick's attention. He dumped the rest of the leaves on the patio. Standing on his toes, he tried peeking over the fence.
"I guess I have to go." Morgan mentioned. I ushered him to the door, opening the latch I let him climb down the latter first. Morgan's mother was standing in our yard with her hands crossed.
My mother smiled as I hopped down from the ladder. I looked over to the fence separating Rick and I. "Michonne, honey. How was your date?" A date? I knew what a date was. I learned from a movie that it had something to do with two people that like each other.
"It wasn't a date," I tell her. "It was nice." Morgan's mother whispered something to mines. I don't know what she said but my mother threw her head back, laughter shaking her shoulders.
"Oh, I'm sure they'll be seeing a lot of each other again." My mother told her. She looked down at me. "You remember that your father is coming for you?" I didn't want to go to any of his functions or anything else he was doing.
"Can I stay out here a little longer?"
Mom gave me a wary look. Almost as if she knew the reason behind my request. "You sure you don't want to walk your friend to the door?" I shook my head.
"Can I? I promise I won't be long." Mom looked over to the gate then turned to Morgan and his mother.
"You two can head to the door, I'll be there shortly." She said in her sweet voice. Before Morgan left, he gave me a small smile.
"I'll see you later Michonne." He waved goodbye and I simply returned the gesture. We both watched as our guests retreated inside.
Mom turned her knowing eye on me. "You weren't mean to him, were you? Because if he opens his mouth and tells his mother…"
"I promise. I've been on my best behavior. Like I told you." She looked satisfied with my answer.
"He's outside isn't he?" She tilted her head towards the fence. I nodded. "If his father catches you two talking…"
"I know. He's going to get another week. It's the same thing dad said to me." My mother stayed silent, her dark brown eyes regarding my own.
"There's a stool over in the shed. If you fall you better make up a lie to tell your father." She informed me. I didn't care if I fell. I was excited that I got the chance to talk to Rick outside of school. I nodded quickly making my way to the shed tucked in the corner of our yard.
Throwing aside old fishing equipment and golf clubs I found the wooden stool almost half my height. Wrapping my arms around it tightly, I made my way back to the gate. Mom was studying all my movements.
"Push it into the dirt, it needs to be steady." She says after I pushed the stool against the fence. I pushed the chair further into the soil below my feet. For good measure, I leaned on it. It wasn't shaking. I looked back to my mother but she was already gone.
"Rick?" I called slowly climbing on top of the stool. "Rick?" I grabbed the top of the fence after my feet became wobbly. When I peeked over into his yard, Rick was ways down from where I was. "Rick," I said my voice a little louder than last time.
Rick jumped from the fence, instantly assessing his surroundings, his blues eyes landed on my head then quickly narrowed down into slits.
"Michonne? How did you get up there?" He questioned getting closer to me.
"I got a stool out the shed." I looked over at the net tossed aside. "What are you doing?" Rick looked at his back door before coming in front of me.
"Mom told me to clean the pool. Isn't that dangerous?" I shrugged. The stool showed no signs of collapsing.
"I thought you weren't allowed outside."
"She said I needed to breathe fresh air." He threw his hand over his face, blocking the sun from obstructing his sight as he looked up to me. "You shouldn't be talking to me you know."
"You shouldn't be talking to me either." I reminded him. His lips tipped at the corners.
"Dad can't stop me from talking to you. I was about to climb the fence. There's a chair in the kitchen that's tall enough."
"Then what stopped you?" I asked.
"Morgan's Mother was here and my mom told me she saw him there earlier too… I thought you two were playing."
"We were." I watched his face fall. "It was just tea. Dad's been making me talk to Morgan a lot."
"You don't like Morgan?"
"It's not that I don't like him. We don't have anything in common that's all." Silence settled between us.
"I miss you, Michonne." He admits before his eyes fell to his feet.
"But you see me at recess." He pierced his lips.
"It's not the same. We don't get to talk as much as I'd want to." He huffed. "I hate this." Since dinner four years ago Rick and I have been glued at the hip. He was my sidekick when I wanted to slay dragons. He was there to help me up after I fell off my bike. He was also the only person that ever bought me bad aids with cats on them.
"I hate it too. There's only two weeks left, maybe we can talk to your dad..." He shook his head.
"That would be pointless." I looked over at Rick's house sensing eyes on us. There was movement in the upstairs window. It could've just been my imagination but I thought I saw someone there. "He's just going to add another week and have beer with your dad." Rick was right. Almost every evening since that incident at the house they drank beer together, even after tearing us apart. They seemed to be enjoying our misery.
"Maybe I can talk to my dad." I offered, my other plans falling short.
"When was the last time you actually spoke to him?" Two weeks. After he sat me down and sentenced me to two weeks without Rick, I kept my mouth sealed around my father. Though, my punishment wasn't nearly as harsh as Rick's.
Late at night, they argued about us. My parents. My father was adamant about Rick keeping his distance from me. I didn't understand, couldn't understand, why he'd want a rift between me and my best friend. If it wasn't for my mother I wouldn't have ever spoken to Rick again.
"Your right," I admitted peering into those vivid blue pools. "But it's worth a try."
Rick gave me an understanding look, "I forgot to tell you about my audition today."
"What audition? Is that the Romeo and Juliet thing?" He nodded and my frown deepened even further. "Why are you doing that? I thought we were going to do fencing together."
"I know and we're still going to. Dad just thought it was something constructive to do. I tried to get out of it but Mom already had my name down." We tried to jam an entire weekend worth conversation in a thirty-minute lunch break.
"Morgan told me he was going for the Romeo part. Maybe he'll get the part instead." Rick's eyebrows pinched together.
"Maybe. Tomorrow is the last day for auditions maybe he'll outshine me." I shifted on my feet and the stool wobbled beneath me.
"Oh," I gasped catching the fence trying to catch my balance before I tumbled to the ground.
"Michonne!" My hands gripped the wooden fence and I steadied myself.
"I'm fine, Rick." He pierced his lips. Concern was written across his sunburnt skin.
"You almost fell. Maybe you should go inside."
"I said I was fine." I convinced. "I almost lost my footing is all."
"Michonne." He said my name, clearly agnostic.
"Rick." I mocked his tone. His backdoor creaked open, the noise seized both of our attention. Rick's mother was peeking through the door.
"Shit!"
"Rick!" I chided. "You'll get in trouble if she hears you."
"I think it's already too late for that." He looked at his mother then back to me. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay."
"You promise?"
"Promise." I pushed my hand over the gate, my pinky stuck up in the air.
"Pinky promise?" Rick glanced at his mother once more and took the risk. His finger curled around my own.
"Pinky promise." He echoed.
…..
I sat quietly beside my father as we drove through the streets of our neighborhood. I was already miserable after being coursed into wear this flurry dress. Every so often he'd slow down when he spotted some of the neighbors sitting out on their porch. He'd drag me out the car with him, introductions of his sparkling daughter were made and it was back in the car to do it all over again.
After the seventh house, I guess my silence was maddening to him. Ironic because he was never a man of many words. "Michonne, what's wrong?" He asked but I kept my mouth shut.
"Michonne." His tone was firm this time. I didn't want to talk to him at all.
"Nothing." I muttered. He took his eyes off the road to fix me with a look. The look he always gave me when he knew I was lying.
"Damn women." He mumbled under his breathe. "It can't be nothing if you're mad at me, girl. Come on tell me." He pressed.
"Why do I have to do this? I don't want to wear a dress and play happy in front of people."
Dad sighed. "It's a part of my job, Michonne."
"It's not my job!" I argued.
"Watch your tone, Michonne. You're my daughter; the people around here need to see you. It wouldn't look good if I always kept my daughter at home. What kind of father would that make me look like?" I was still angry. His reasoning sounded selfish.
"What about what I want?" I cried.
He sucked his teeth. "I know what this is really about. It's about that boy right? Rick Grimes." My silence was enough of an answer for him. "I have my reasons, Michonne. I don't want you hanging around him too much. Or any other boy." He said the last part under his breath.
"But Rick is my best friend," I stated. "You've been shoving Morgan around me but don't want me to be around Rick." His foot hit breaks and the car stopped. Turning in his seat he faced me.
"You're too young to understand it, Michonne. If you don't want to play with Morgan so be it. But you are not going to be around Rick as much as you use too." My fingers curled into the palm of my hand. The only thing my father has been good at doing lately was making me angry.
"Why do you hate Rick so much?" I asked. His head reared back, the question taking him off guard.
"I-I don't hate Rick."
"Is it because he's white?"
"Now you know damn well-"
"Then what?!" His eyes mirrored mines. We sat there scrutinizing each other before he sighed.
"You're getting older, Michonne and he is too." For a second he looked afraid. But the look quickly dissipated. "Leaving you two to your own devices aint gonna happen. That couldn't be any more clear than when I caught you under him at that house. Mr. Grimes and I can agree on that." I frowned completely confused. This was all because I held onto Rick? I didn't understand. That's what friends do. They looked out for each other, protected each other.
"But I don't understand." I complained.
"You don't need to right now. When you get older you will." We started driving to the next house. I feared a scowl would permanently mark my face. "What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Tell Rick's father to unground him." My demand was out there. It was the least I could do. If my father said he didn't want me hanging around Rick a lot, his words were final. But I knew I could come up with ways to get around that.
"Michonne." He voice was tired but I fixed him with a blank stare. "Fine, I'll see what I can do. But I mean what I said Michonne. You ain't allowed around that boy unless your mother's in the same damn room."
…
I didn't see Rick at recess the next day or for the rest of the week. I thought I made the situation worse. Maybe his mother told on us. Told Mr. Grimes what she saw. Maybe it was my father who told on me. I didn't know but it made me hurt. I couldn't exactly describe it, but it felt the same as the day Sasha went away but ten times worse.
I tried to search for him at lunch but I didn't find him. Over the weekend I gave into temptation and begged my mother to let me go over to the Grimes's house. Just to see if Rick was okay. My mother's face was sympathetic and understanding, yet she still didn't let me leave. I would accept only seeing him during recess if that was the only choice I had. Anything other than this. A week had gone by already.
After the bell rang for recess I slouched over my desk, wondering if I should even bother going outside. I looked at my tin lunch box, admiring the little doodles we bother drew on it. I sighed looking out the window, only to see Abe sticking his tongue out, making silly faces and breathing against the glass. Maggie smacked the back of his head, telling him something I couldn't hear. But it brought a smile to my face.
Getting up and grabbing my food, I got out the class.
"Michonne!" Abe bellowed. "I thought you'd never come out." He rubbed the area Maggie smacked.
"Hey Abe," I looked over to Maggie who was focused on the clouds above her head. "Maggie."
"Are you still mad at me?" She said in a rush. "I'm sorry about the door and the whole getting you and Rick grounded thing."
"It's okay, I forgive you," I tell her. Then I noticed something strange. "Where is Morgan?" It's been a while since I've seen him. Even on the playground, he seemed to be absent.
Maggie and Abe exchanged looks. "He's practicing. Didn't he tell you about the part he got? I thought you two hung out after school." Maggie says. I shook my head. There was a play he spoke about, I couldn't remember the name.
"He didn't tell me."
"Well, he's in the auditorium during recess, rehearsing every day. At least for the next three weeks. Abe's got a part too." Abe smiled broadly.
I was confused, "If you have a part then why are you here now? Aren't you supposed to be rehearsing?"
He shrugged, "I'm only playing a big rock. I don't need to practice for that." Well, that made sense.
I turned to Maggie, "Why didn't you audition? I thought you liked drama." We were walking through the halls toward the cafeteria.
"I did. But they didn't pick me. They picked Lori." I knew that name. It was the new girl. "I said if I couldn't be Juliet I didn't want to be in it at all." The thought just occurred to me. Morgan and Lori would be the leads of the play. Maybe I'll go and watch it after all. I'm sure it would be funny.
"I know Morgan is tripping over his feet. He's in the play with Lori. All the boys like her." We found an empty bench near the door. Abe threw his G. I. Joe lunch box on the table and Maggie opened her Cinderella box. I took out my juice box, piercing the straw through the opening.
Abe laughed, "If you ask me Morgan's not the lucky one. Rick is." My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Rick's name.
"Why'd you say that?" I asked taking careful sips of the apple flavored liquid.
"He's Romeo and she's Juliet." Maggie stated as a matter of fact. My heart dropped into my chest. Does this mean he found another friend to hang out with? I didn't have time to talk to him and all this time he was just stuck doing rehearsals.
"Do they take breaks?" I asked Maggie.
"You know, now that you mentioned it they do have breaks. It sucks that they have to be here on the weekends." I didn't wait for her to say anything else. I cleared my lunch box and made my way to the auditorium.
"Hey, Michonne! Where are you going?" I heard Abe called out. I had one task. I heard feet clicking behind me, catching up to my quick ones.
"Michonne, slow down." Maggie pleaded. "I can't walk too fast in this dress." Abe laughed. I had no idea why they were even following. Sure enough, as I made my way to the auditorium I spotted a few kids in old fancy clothing with juice boxes in their hand. My feet slowed down as I took in the faces.
"Oof," I bucked into someone, my lunch tin falling to the floor. Bending down I picked it up, but someone else got to it before I did. Looking up to a fake brown head of hair and a badly drawn on beard, I fought to hold in my laughter.
"Michonne," Morgan looked surprised. Unlike me, Abe and Maggie didn't hold in their fit of giggles. Morgan scowled at them. "You're not supposed to be here."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Mercutio. It's not like you know who that is or anything." My laughter died in my throat when I saw Rick sitting next to Lori. He looked miserable. I didn't care about, Mercutio or whoever that was.
"Rick!" I shouted making my way over to him. Both he and Lori looked up at the same time, a smile lighting up his face. He got up and dashed towards me. When we embrace I felt tears prick my eyes. He released me. His hair looked longer.
"I missed you, Michonne." He smiled at me.
"Why didn't you tell me, you were in the play?"
"I didn't have the time to, this week I kept looking for you whenever I had breaks but I never found you." I pierced my lips, not completely happy with the answer.
"I thought you got in trouble with your dad after your mom caught us."
"I thought so too but he said I wasn't grounded anymore. I just didn't have time to see you. I'm sorry." He apologized and I hugged him again. I guess my dad wasn't a bad guy after all.
"Don't say that."
"Oh, I have something for you." I pulled a 'baby ruth' from his back pocket. "You're favorite." I took it from his hands; this stupid smile was burning my cheeks.
"From now on, we'll meet here at lunch." I tell him, tearing the wrapper to my chocolate bar. I paid no mind to Lori was tugging his sleeve because Rick was glued to my side. Like he supposed to be.
"Of course."
For the next three weeks, we hid under the steps and talked. Instead of having thirty minutes we had ten but I didn't complain.
…...
"Rick," I called out to him. I wore a dress tonight. It had nothing to do with my mother. I grabbed the first glittery thing in my closet because I wanted to look good. The entire town was here. The parking lot was overflowing with cars and everyone was dressed down.
The brush in my hand wasn't leaving the palm of my hand until I found Rick. "Rick!" I called out. The school's corridor was dark. Everyone was already seated inside, getting comfortable and no one was lingering through the dark halls.
We had twenty minutes until the play began. I had twenty minutes to find where Rick had run off too. Then it hit me. I walked with renewed purpose to the steps close to the auditorium. The corner was dark but there was a beam of light shining on the spot. I walked pass it and it made my dress sparkle.
There he was, sitting with his head in his hands; I frowned before sitting next to him. Nudging hi shoulder he just muttered my name.
"Michonne, leave me alone." I nudge him again.
"I brought you a brush." I looked at the messy curls he's been growing for the past month. "I figured you would need it." He raised his head and looked at the green brush.
"Thank you." He took it from me.
"Why are you out here, you have a play to do."
"I don't want to do it."
"Are you nervous?" He shook his head. "Then whats wrong? Remember best friends don't keep secrets." I remind him.
"I am nervous but it's not because of the crowd." I mirrored his posture, my elbows pressing against my knees with my hands propping up my face.
"Are you scared you'll forget your lines? I think you'll be great, Rick."
"I have to kiss Lori." He finally said. My back went straight, confused about the emotions I was currently feeling.
"You are joking aren't you? Romeo and Juliet don't kiss." Admittedly I still knew nothing about the play.
"Yes, they do Michonne. We only have to kiss at the end of the play. We never rehearsed it because I didn't want to." He looked up at me, the moonlight made his eyes glitter too.
"Maybe you can just skip it. Say you have to pee." I offered.
"I can't. My mother kept talking about how I'm going to have my first kiss. Said it was going to be romantic." He rolled his eyes. "I didn't even want to be Romeo." He grumbled.
Rick didn't deserve to have his first kiss dictated by anyone. It was possible to give him another option, maybe another choice. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. "M-maybe we can practice before you go on stage. That way Lori doesn't have to be your first kiss." I rushed out. Rick's eyes went wide then he sucked in a deep breath.
"Are you sure? I mean, kissing is nasty, right?"
"I'm positive, Rick. And yes, is it." I smiled nervously. But I wasn't the only nervous one sitting beneath these steps.
"The dashing rocks-" He spoke.
"Wait what are you talking about?"
"I'm saying my lines, Michonne." I held my breath and let him continue. "thy sea-sick weary bark." Rick muttered getting closer to me. There was a quick flutter in my chest and my cheeks burned at the reality of what was happening. "Here's to my love. O true apothecary." Rick picks up my hand, holding onto to it. "Thy drugs are quick," He got even closer, his face only inches from mine.
The moonlight still shined on us. My blue dress matched his eyes. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes closed shut. "Thus, with a kiss, I die." His lips pressed against mine.
