An Eye for an Eye
By juliet's rose
A/N: Wow.I am such a bad girl. I apologize sincerely to any of you who were incredibly exasperated with my non-existent updates. I've had a lot going on, between leads in various shows and school productions, and the stress of trying to maintain my GPA in my freshman year of high school. So I am going to try to keep this story going, even though I changed my mind about where I think it will end up. Good news-I am currently reading R&J in school, and will therefore have much more accurate information for my Shakespeare-freak mind. ( Reviews really make my day.especially if they can give me constructive criticism in a nice way, or correct me on information I may have gotten wrong or stated incorrectly.hint..!
Chapter 7 : Linguistic Difficulties
"Shit!" James' expletive was followed by the now familiar sound of a book hitting the common room wall. He'd been reading this damn play for an hour, and all he could get out of it was that all the Shakespeare guy was talking about a few guys getting pissed and deciding to duke it out over some ancient feud that went way back. But it was how they were fighting that confused James. He retrieved his book and read the lines for the fourth time.
Sampson: Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it. [He bites his thumb.] Abram: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sampson: [aside to Gregory] Is it the law of our side if I say "Ay"? Gregory: [aside to Sampson] No. Sampson: No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir. Gregory: Do you quarrel, sir?
And on and on it went, for pages. James had been in the common room attempting to read the first part of the play (he was pretty sure he was supposed to read to page 61 in his book, which the professor had said was the end of Act 1.whatever that meant) for an hour and he had barely made any progress. Even if he managed to get through a whole page without falling asleep, he had no idea what these cracked up characters were saying. Either he was seriously missing something, or this writer had been on some drug that really messed things up.
He tossed the book against the wall again and went over to sit by the window. James' thoughts kept wandering to Lily. He knew that the only reason he was remotely excited about this play was that it would give him a chance to be around her more. That was it. But she wasn't going to want to act on stage with him, let alone kiss him, if he couldn't even decipher the damn script. So that left him with several options. He could try to forget about this whole thing and tell Professor Carras that he didn't-no. That was not an option for James, who prided himself on the fact that he was not a quitter. He could give up on trying to understand the stuff, and just read it.but that was pretty close to quitting.wasn't it? So that left James with one option.
He had to ask for help. Professor Carras was out of the question.he did not want to spend more time than absolutely necessary around his teachers, her no exception. Sirius, having scored the role of Mercutio, was an idea, but James doubted that his best friend would be any help. Remus was the Capulet lord guy, and could probably explain it to James, but James had the suspicion that Remus' explanation would be full of words that didn't make sense anyways, and he decided that there was only one person left. Lily. How would he ask her? James was well aware of the attitude he put on around Lily, and wondered if she'd even consider helping him. But there was the way she had smiled when he walked her to class. "Merlin..." James mumbled to himself. He wasn't sure how to do it.maybe he'd just have to be blunt.
Lily was sprawled on her bed reading Act 2, Scene 5 of the play when she heard something thump against the wall downstairs for the fifth time. Obviously, someone was having major issues with their assignments. It was probably some helpless fourth year stuck in Divination with that psycho Trelawney.anyone could tell that she faked all of her "predictions", anyways. Lily decided to go down and help the student, as she remembered all too well the horrendous calendars of gruesome events she had had to write in fourth year.
When she stepped into the common room, there were no despairing fourth years. Only a sole figure sitting by the window, looking out over the grounds. "Merlin," the person muttered. Lily wondered what James was doing looking so pensive. "Potter?" she ventured.
James spun around in his armchair, his eyes surprised. "Merlin! Evans! You scared.ah. I didn't know you were there."
James kicked himself for his little slip. 'You scared me,' Brilliant, Potter, just brilliant.
Lily barely restrained the impulse to giggle. James had basically just turned around and said she had scared him. That was definitely unexpected and unheard of.
"Sorry, Potter. I just heard some persistent noises and I was coming down to see what was going on."
James, to his horror, felt himself blushing. This was when he was supposed to tell Lily that he was having trouble with the Shakespeare and get her to help him. But instead what came out was, "Well, I, er, was just, uh, getting some books from the table over there, and I , er, dropped one. Several times."
Lily fought the urge to laugh and raised her eyebrows instead. James didn't meet her eye, and he looked embarrassed. She'd find out soon enough. Time to change the subject.
"How's the Shakespeare coming?"
"It's fucki-I mean, it's fun. That's what I said. Fun." James could have crawled under the sofa at this point.
Lily, of course, saw right through it. Okay, James, if you aren't going to ask for help, I won't offer it, she thought sweetly. She smiled brightly at James and said, "Great! I think we begin the first real rehearsals soon."
James felt his stomach clench, but he managed a smile, "Er, cool, that sounds good."
Lily smiled again before turning and going up the staircase to her dormitory. It wasn't until she was absorbed in Romeo and Juliet again that she realized that she and James had had a perfectly civil conversation. Lily grinned.
James was incredibly irritated with himself. Not only had his mouth seemingly not been working right; he also still didn't have help with the Shakespeare. Enough, he decided. I am not going to embarrass myself in front of Lily again. James made up his mind to ask her for some help at dinner, which was in two hours. Excellent.He had just enough time to get his hair all rumpled and sexy before that.
REVIEW! Please!!!! (
A/N: Wow.I am such a bad girl. I apologize sincerely to any of you who were incredibly exasperated with my non-existent updates. I've had a lot going on, between leads in various shows and school productions, and the stress of trying to maintain my GPA in my freshman year of high school. So I am going to try to keep this story going, even though I changed my mind about where I think it will end up. Good news-I am currently reading R&J in school, and will therefore have much more accurate information for my Shakespeare-freak mind. ( Reviews really make my day.especially if they can give me constructive criticism in a nice way, or correct me on information I may have gotten wrong or stated incorrectly.hint..!
Chapter 7 : Linguistic Difficulties
"Shit!" James' expletive was followed by the now familiar sound of a book hitting the common room wall. He'd been reading this damn play for an hour, and all he could get out of it was that all the Shakespeare guy was talking about a few guys getting pissed and deciding to duke it out over some ancient feud that went way back. But it was how they were fighting that confused James. He retrieved his book and read the lines for the fourth time.
Sampson: Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it. [He bites his thumb.] Abram: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sampson: [aside to Gregory] Is it the law of our side if I say "Ay"? Gregory: [aside to Sampson] No. Sampson: No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir. Gregory: Do you quarrel, sir?
And on and on it went, for pages. James had been in the common room attempting to read the first part of the play (he was pretty sure he was supposed to read to page 61 in his book, which the professor had said was the end of Act 1.whatever that meant) for an hour and he had barely made any progress. Even if he managed to get through a whole page without falling asleep, he had no idea what these cracked up characters were saying. Either he was seriously missing something, or this writer had been on some drug that really messed things up.
He tossed the book against the wall again and went over to sit by the window. James' thoughts kept wandering to Lily. He knew that the only reason he was remotely excited about this play was that it would give him a chance to be around her more. That was it. But she wasn't going to want to act on stage with him, let alone kiss him, if he couldn't even decipher the damn script. So that left him with several options. He could try to forget about this whole thing and tell Professor Carras that he didn't-no. That was not an option for James, who prided himself on the fact that he was not a quitter. He could give up on trying to understand the stuff, and just read it.but that was pretty close to quitting.wasn't it? So that left James with one option.
He had to ask for help. Professor Carras was out of the question.he did not want to spend more time than absolutely necessary around his teachers, her no exception. Sirius, having scored the role of Mercutio, was an idea, but James doubted that his best friend would be any help. Remus was the Capulet lord guy, and could probably explain it to James, but James had the suspicion that Remus' explanation would be full of words that didn't make sense anyways, and he decided that there was only one person left. Lily. How would he ask her? James was well aware of the attitude he put on around Lily, and wondered if she'd even consider helping him. But there was the way she had smiled when he walked her to class. "Merlin..." James mumbled to himself. He wasn't sure how to do it.maybe he'd just have to be blunt.
Lily was sprawled on her bed reading Act 2, Scene 5 of the play when she heard something thump against the wall downstairs for the fifth time. Obviously, someone was having major issues with their assignments. It was probably some helpless fourth year stuck in Divination with that psycho Trelawney.anyone could tell that she faked all of her "predictions", anyways. Lily decided to go down and help the student, as she remembered all too well the horrendous calendars of gruesome events she had had to write in fourth year.
When she stepped into the common room, there were no despairing fourth years. Only a sole figure sitting by the window, looking out over the grounds. "Merlin," the person muttered. Lily wondered what James was doing looking so pensive. "Potter?" she ventured.
James spun around in his armchair, his eyes surprised. "Merlin! Evans! You scared.ah. I didn't know you were there."
James kicked himself for his little slip. 'You scared me,' Brilliant, Potter, just brilliant.
Lily barely restrained the impulse to giggle. James had basically just turned around and said she had scared him. That was definitely unexpected and unheard of.
"Sorry, Potter. I just heard some persistent noises and I was coming down to see what was going on."
James, to his horror, felt himself blushing. This was when he was supposed to tell Lily that he was having trouble with the Shakespeare and get her to help him. But instead what came out was, "Well, I, er, was just, uh, getting some books from the table over there, and I , er, dropped one. Several times."
Lily fought the urge to laugh and raised her eyebrows instead. James didn't meet her eye, and he looked embarrassed. She'd find out soon enough. Time to change the subject.
"How's the Shakespeare coming?"
"It's fucki-I mean, it's fun. That's what I said. Fun." James could have crawled under the sofa at this point.
Lily, of course, saw right through it. Okay, James, if you aren't going to ask for help, I won't offer it, she thought sweetly. She smiled brightly at James and said, "Great! I think we begin the first real rehearsals soon."
James felt his stomach clench, but he managed a smile, "Er, cool, that sounds good."
Lily smiled again before turning and going up the staircase to her dormitory. It wasn't until she was absorbed in Romeo and Juliet again that she realized that she and James had had a perfectly civil conversation. Lily grinned.
James was incredibly irritated with himself. Not only had his mouth seemingly not been working right; he also still didn't have help with the Shakespeare. Enough, he decided. I am not going to embarrass myself in front of Lily again. James made up his mind to ask her for some help at dinner, which was in two hours. Excellent.He had just enough time to get his hair all rumpled and sexy before that.
REVIEW! Please!!!! (