I got a request from Litlover for "Stolen Moments", and I thought I'd honor it. It's sort of a follow up to "In Fair Vernona" (Chapter 25 of "Eternal Flame").
I can't stand to fly I'm more than a bird,
I'm not that naïve
I'm just out to find
The better part of me
I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me
The campus of NYU seemed to be bustling with activity as Caroline sat at a table, her copy of Much Ado About Nothing open in her hands. She just recently was given the part of Beatrice. As she read the script to study her part for when the play opened, she was trying to figure out something that was bugging her about Benedick, the man that Beatrice eventually falls for.
What the hell does she see in him?, she thought. Benedick is such a...well, a dick, for lack of a better term.
"Now, how did I know that I would find you here?"
Caroline was startled out of her reverie by the sound of a familiar British accent and turned to see Klaus standing there. God, that man had a knack for showing up when she least expected him to. "Klaus, what are you doing here?"
"A better question would be what are you doing here, love?"
Caroline scowled at the way he answered her question with a question. "If you must know, I'm in a summer theater program here at NYU, and this year, they're putting on Much Ado About Nothing."
"Ah, one of Shakespeare's great comedies," said Klaus. "And which part are you playing, Hero? Ursula? Innogen? Margaret?"
"If you must know, I'm playing Beatrice." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "There's just one thing I haven't been able to figure out since I landed the role. Don't get me wrong, I like the part, I just have a bit of a problem with something."
"Really?" said Klaus. "Anything I could give you a hand with?"
"It's the fact that Beatrice ends up with this guy, Benedick," said Caroline. "Throughout the play, he comes off as a bit of an asshole. Why Beatrice would give a guy like that the time of day is beyond me."
Klaus nodded. He was familiar with Shakespeare's writings, having been in the original production of Romeo and Juliet. "Is it because he tries to woo Beatrice into falling for him?"
"Well, yeah, he does it in a very deceitful manner," said Caroline. "He disguises himself at a masquerade ball. I know that's the purpose of a masquerade ball, but it still irks me, you know?" She sighed again. "You were from Shakespeare's time, right? Maybe you could shed some light on the subject?"
"Shakespeare was a very complex man," said Klaus. "His plays often had very complex plots. In the case of this comedy you're in, I don't think Benedick is all that bad. He does actually love Beatrice, he just doesn't know how to really express it. That is why he resorts to what he does."
"It still confuses me, though."
"That's the beauty of it," said Klaus. "You weren't really meant to understand it. I wasn't lying when I said Shakespeare was complex." He placed a hand over hers. "The complex plot aside, I have no doubt that you'll make a wonderful Beatrice, Caroline."
Caroline didn't know what to say to that, just nodded. Finally, she said, "I know you told me that you were in Romeo and Juliet, but were you in the comedy plays as well?"
"As a matter of fact, I was," said Klaus. "I was in the play you're doing, as well as The Tempest and A Midsommer Night's Dream. You could say that Shakespeare liked my acting, since he used me so frequently."
"So, you were in Much Ado About Nothing? Let me guess, you were Benedick?"
Klaus smiled. "What do you think?"
"Judging from how you answered my question with a question, again, I'm going to assume that was a yes," said Caroline. "Still, I appreciate the insight, seeing as how as I'm so much younger than you and didn't experience what you experienced."
"I'm glad I was able to provide you with insight, love," said Klaus. "As I said before, you'll make a wonderful Beatrice. You definitely have the fiery spirit that she does. I have no doubt that you'll knock the audience dead, figuratively speaking of course."
Caroline smiled. "Thank you."
Note: There you have it, the next installment of "Stolen Moments." I tried to fulfill Litlover's request as best as possible. Enjoy it!