Romeo and Julie - Chapter 16
Disclaimer - Just borrowing them, messing with their heads, and giving them back.
Notes - A bit of Shakespeare in this chapter, I hope it works out well.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
" 'I take thee at they word: call me but love and I will be new baptised; Henceforth I will never be Romeo.' " Dean said as he added sugar to his bowl of cereal and absently mixed it in. On the other side of the table, Julie was buttering a piece of toast while she found where he was readying from.
" 'What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night. So stumblest on my counsel?' " She replied, reading from her playbook before taking a quick bite of her toast.
" 'By a name I know not how to tell the 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' " Dean replied, shovelling some one his cereal into his mouth.
Beside them at the table, the other ducks were all staring at their friends, shocked. From before the two of them had even entered the dining hall, they had their playbooks out. When a few of the ducks had passed them in the hall, they didn't even stop in their practicing to say good morning. Still reading their lines, together they had crossed to get their breakfast, and then crossed to the Ducks table, settled, and continued reading. The others were watching them, amazed.
"What did he just say?" Dwayne asked Russ, who was sitting at his side. Russ shrugged, and went back to watching the two of them who were showing an amazing amount of dedication to the play.
"That he is not going to tell her his name because it will admit that they cant be together" Dean told Dwayne quickly, ate a mouthful of food and then turned to Julie. "Your line Julie"
" 'My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words. Of that tongues utterance, yet I know the sound: Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?' " Julie read the next part of the script.
A few more Ducks made their way to the table, but before they could even say their good mornings, they were cut off, and watching Dean and Julie.
" 'Neither, fair saint, it either thee dislike' " Dean replied.
" 'How camest thou hither? Tell me and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, this place is death, considering who though art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here.' " Julie read.
" 'With loves light wings I o'er-perch these walls; for stony limits could not hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt, therefore thy kinsmen is no let to me' " Dean continued, speaking casually and eating his breakfast when ever he could. He wanted to continue with the beat of their reading, but If there was one thing he hated, it was soggy cereal.
" 'If they do see thee, they will murder thee' "
Dean put down his spoon and picked up his book in order the read the next line which he had unfortunately splashed milk onto. " 'Alack, there lies more peril in thy eye than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity.' "
Julie chuckled at the look on Dean's face as he tried to read the milk smudged writing. " 'I would not for the world they saw thee here' "
Neither Dean nor Julie had realised that Meredith had approached the table and was watching her students with the same look of shock and amazement as the other Ducks were. Dean continued with his next line. " 'I have nights cloak to hide me from their sight; and but thou love me, let them find me here: my life were better ended by their hate then death prorogued , waiting thy love.' "
" 'By who's direction found'st thou out this place?' " Julie replied.
" 'By love, who first did prompt me to enquire; he lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far as the fast shore wash'd the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise' "
"What are you doing?" Meredith asked, making half the table jump and the other half laugh at the first half that had jumped. Dean and Julie, after getting over the shock of being interrupted in the middle of their reading, looked at Meredith and shrugged.
"What does it look like we are doing?" Dean asked.
Meredith smiled. "But, over breakfast?"
"Sure, why not" Dean shrugged. A few jaws around the table dropped. Dean Portman, studying over breakfast? It was time to alert the media.
"You are learning the play, over breakfast?" Meredith replied, explaining it slowly, making sure that Dean understood each word. Dean rolled his eyes at the teacher, and Julie smiled.
"No better time" He informed Meredith, turning back to his breakfast. When he realised it was soggy, his disregarded it. "With all the crap that we have to learn, we may as well learn it when we can"
"You wanted us to be good, right?" Julie added.
"But I never expected you to practice" Meredith replied. "During breakfast."
"Dedication" Charlie smiled from the other end of the table. "It is the key to being successful at anything"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Charlie Conway, our very own after school special" Russ mumbled.
"Shut up Tyler" Charlie replied. Russ grinned at the captain.
Meredith reached over Dean's shoulder and plucked his copy of the play from his hand, flipping through the pages quickly. As she did, she absently asked the two actors. "Are you just reading, or are you starting to learn your lines"
"Learn our lines?" Dean asked her.
Meredith nodded and handed back the book. "So that you can recite them"
"Recite them?" Dwayne asked, shocked. A few others in the group looked scared and even a little sick. "You mean like, with out the books"
"Guys, this is going to be a highly professional production." Meredith replied, looking from each student to the next. "You will have a prompter, but no one will have a script on stage"
"Oh man, we are in deep shit" Averman mumbled, collapsing forward onto the table.
"For once, I agree with Averman" Adam sighed. "Crash and Burn"
"I think we can do it" Guy smiled confidently. The others all shot him death glares.
"Germaine, you have like, no lines in this production." Luis growled at him, digging in his beg to pullout his own play book. It had not occurred to him that this was for real, that it was serious, and he was yet to start learning his lines.
"That's not true." Guy replied quickly, watching as all of his team mates dug around in their bags for their play books. "I say a fair bit"
"You are only in one scene." Dean told him, opening his book to a random page and skimming the text. Meredith watched with some sick satisfaction as her students all scrambled to begin learning. "I am in everything"
Goldberg grinned and stretched his hands above his head. "Suddenly I am very glad that I am servant 1 in this production"
"Ah, about that." Meredith began, looking at Goldberg and Russ, who were laughing at their friends and their frenzy to find their books. "Goldberg and Tyler, I need you to be leaders backstage crew. You are going to be busier then the actors are"
"What?" Goldberg exclaimed, the smile sliding off of his face. At his side, Averman elbowed him in the side playfully. "I thought we were just going to be sitting around?"
"No, no one is sitting around at all" Meredith told him.
"Oh man" Russ rolled his eyes. "I thought this was an easy A"
Luis looked up from his book, looking a little pale. Meredith was sure that he had only just realised how much he had to say in this play. Luis swallowed nervously and asked. "So, when do we have to have these line learnt by?"
"We go on stage in about 6 weeks." Meredith shrugged. "Some of you will have no problems with learning your lines and cues by then, others, however, and without naming names, Mr Mendoza, will leave it to the last minute"
"Guys, we better start learning…" Charlie sighed. Everyone else agreed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rebecca opened the door to the auditorium and quickly moved to the musical storage closet in the back of the room. She had been in the music room when she realised that she had run out of musical paper that she was writing the Romeo and Juliet music on. The only other place where the sheets were stored were in the auditorium, so she had not choice but to cross the school and waste time of her break that she could have spent composing.
Coming out of the storage closet, a pile of music sheets in her hands, something, or more like someone, caught her eye. In one of the seats, facing the stage, was Fulton. Rebecca smiled and got half way to where he was sitting before she remembered that things could be a little awkward between the two of them. When faced with the decision of turning and leaving, or going and taking a seat beside him, she continued on her way.
Beck collapsed into the chair beside him and put her music sheets on the chair by her side. "Hi"
"Oh, hey Beck" he smiled distractedly.
"What are you doing?" Beck asked, looking at the play book that he had resting in his lap.
"Trying to learn this bloody play" Fulton sighed, closing the book. "None of us really realised that when we perform this, we are expected to know it word for word. We are all in a frenzy trying to learn sections by heart"
Beck smiled and stood. If he was busy, they probably wouldn't get much talking done, and she didn't want to be a distraction to him. "Well, I guess, I will leave you to it then"
"No, Beck, wait" He smiled up at her sweetly. "Could you help me?"
"If you think I would be able to" she asked. Fulton took her hand and pulled her down so that she was sitting at his side again.
"Could you read Romeo's part." He suggested, opening the script to the page that he had been working on before. "I would get Dean to do it, but he is probably off with practicing with Julie."
"Sure, I think I can do that" She took the book from him, asking "Do you know this bit already?"
"Parts of it" Fulton admitted.
"Ok" She smiled at him and looked down at the page full of small print. "Where do you want to start?"
"Romeo's line there" Fulton leaned over a little, his shoulder brushing hers as he pointed to the line at the top of the page.
"Ok" Rebecca grinned, and then cleared her throat " 'Nay, that is not so' "
" 'I mean, sir, in delay was waste our lights in vain…' " Fulton paused in the middle of his line, thinking. " 'We waste our lights in vain…' shit, I knew this ten minutes ago"
"Its ok Fult" Rebecca told him, resting her hand lightly on his arm. Fulton looked at her hand, smiled at her, and then tried to remember the rest of the line. "Here, Just relax, it will come to you"
" 'I mean, sir, in delay was waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Take our good meaning, for our judgement sits five times in that ere once in our five waits.' "
"See, I knew you knew it" She smiled at him, moving her hand away. Fulton looked at his arm where her hand had been, and smiled weakly. " 'And we mean well in going to this mask; but tis not wit to go' "
" 'Why may one ask' " Fulton continued.
" 'I dream'd a dream to-night' " Rebecca read from the book.
" 'And so did I' " Fulton replied, unsure if it was the right line. Rebecca smiled reassuringly at him, and he grinned.
" 'Well, what was yours?' " she asked.
" 'That dreamers often lie' " Fulton returned.
" 'In bed asleep, while they do dream things true' " Rebecca said, and then paused as her gaze moved to the next line. It was a huge one. "Ah shit, you have to learn all that?"
"Yeah" Fulton sighed and collapsed back into his seat a little.
"That is like" Rebecca began, then did a quick count. "Fifty lines"
"Forty three" Fulton replied. He had counted them before.
"Are you going to be able to learn them?" Rebecca asked softly.
Fulton shrugged, trying to find the best way to explain that it was not a case of could you, more like, have to. "I am going to have to. I don't really have a choice"
"Well" Rebecca smiled at him. "I will help you however I can"
"You don't have to" Fulton informed her quickly. "You have to music to work on"
"The music will be fine" Rebecca smiled. That was Fulton for you, always thinking about everyone else before thinking of himself. "I can manage that. Or I can get one of the other girls in the quartet to do it for me"
He smiled. "Thanks Beck"
"Hey, what are friends for" Rebecca laughed, lightly punching his arm like she had seen Dean do a thousand times. Fulton laughed.
"This is above and beyond the calls of friendship" he told her. He looked at his hands, and then out of the corner of his eye at Rebecca, who was watching him.
"Hey, are you ok?" Rebecca asked, poking him in the shoulder quickly.
"Of course, yeah" Fulton replied, still not looking at her directly. "I am just, embarrassed"
"Embarrassed?"
"I shouldn't have kissed you yesterday" Fulton told her. Then corrected himself. "Or, tried to kiss you"
"Fulton" Rebecca smiled, and at that moment, she wanted to just reach out and give him a hug. He was embarrassed about something that he had no need to be embarrassed about. "It is ok"
"You only just broke up with Nathan, and, well, I guess I forgot that" Fulton explained quickly.
"Fulton, really" Beck laughed a little. "I don't mind. Actually, it is nice to know that …"
"Some one finds you attractive?" Fulton finished for her, and Rebecca found herself nodding. Fulton smiled. "Well, you don't have to worry about that"
Rebecca poked his cheek. "You are blushing"
"Shit" He cursed and looked away, covering his cheeks with his hands. "I hate it when that happens"
"I don't" Rebecca smiled at him. Fulton turned back to her. "I like it when you blush"
"You would." He laughed accusingly. "You probably laugh at it"
"No" Rebecca told him, reaching out and prying his hand from his cheek. When she pulled it away, she did not let it go, but slid her small hand into his bigger one and laced their fingers together. "I find it cute"
"Cute?" he asked in mock outrage.
"Handsome" Rebecca corrected.
"That's better" Fulton smiled.
Rebecca, who was staring at their still entwined hands, whispered. "Sexy"
Fulton looked at her, amazed by what he had heard. Did she just call his blush sexy? No one eve did that. No one even called him sexy. But he grinned when he realised that now Rebecca's cheeks were a little pink as well. "Now you are blushing"
"And your blush is deeper" She replied. After a few seconds of the two of them, sitting together, their hands still linked, Rebecca rested her head on his shoulder. "Fulton, wanna take me to a movie or something one day?"
Fulton looked down at her. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Is it a problem that I asked?" Rebecca asked.
"No, not at all" He smiled. "So, one day"
"Maybe when the production is finished, or whatever. When you are not so busy with the play and I am over…" she stopped herself from completing the thought and looked quickly at him to see if he had noticed what she as about to say. He hadn't, he still seemed to be captivated by the fact that their hands were still together. "When I am finished with the music"
Fulton smiled weakly. "You mean when I crash and burn at this play and your music is the only thing that saves the whole production."
"Don't say that." She turned a little so that she a was sitting sideways in the auditorium chair, her feet tucked under her, and their hands still resting between them. "Have you no faith"
"I have faith. Meredith will direct an awesome play, Dean and Julie will be the best Romeo and Juliet in the history of the play, your music will be nominated for some type of award." Fulton paused and looked away from her. "And I will get up on stage, prepare to say my first line, and … forget what I have to say."
"Fulton." Rebecca grinned to herself. "That wont happen"
"How can you be sure?" He asked, turning back to her.
"Fulton" she lent forward and wrapped her arms around his neck "Just remember, I believe in you"
When she pulled away from the hug, she pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. Above them, the bell that signalled the end of their break sounded. They both smiled at each other nervously. And then Beck stood, took his hand and pulled him out of his seat. "Walk me to class"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey Julie" Julie jumped as she heard the voice behind her. She had been so caught up in learning her lines that she had forgotten that it was her lunch break and she was sitting at the empty Ducks table in the cafeteria. "Table is pretty deserted for a lunch time"
Julie looked over her shoulder at Matt. Explaining quickly, she said. "Boys are all in detention and Connie stayed behind after English to help Meredith"
"So you are eating all alone?" he asked.
"Yeah" Julie shrugged. "Take a seat if you want to"
"Thanks" he smiled, sitting in the chair beside her. "What are you reading?"
"Going over my lines for the play." Julie replied.
"Oh." He nodded, then he stood, took something out of the back pocket of his jeans, and handed it to her. "I will swap"
"What is this" she asked, taking the three sheets of paper that had been ripped out of one of his note books.
"My half of our assignment" he replied. "I just finished it in my last lesson"
"You have done your half already" She was surprised and even felt a little slack. She had not even thought about it yet. "Matt, I haven't even started mine"
"That's ok" He assured her. "We still have a two weeks"
"Two weeks?" Julie asked. She thought that she had more time then that. Where did the last week go?
"Yep." He sighed sadly. "Two weeks and then we wont be lab partners anymore"
"Don't look at it like that" Julie told him absently as she looked over his half of the assignment. It was excellent, and she knew that she would have to start working soon to have her half up to the same standard. "We may not be lab partners, but we will always be friends"
"Friends, I can deal with that" He smiled at her. Julie was still reading when he said. "I had a good time yesterday"
"You did?" Julie looked up, amazed. She had not expected Matt to enjoy their date to the art gallery because of what had happened with Rebecca and Fulton.
"Yeah" Matt replied truthfully. "I would like to try it again though, without your friends turning up"
"I am so sorry about that Matt" Julie began.
"Don't apologise for them" Matt replied. "We managed to salvage the afternoon. That Fulton is a good guy"
"Yeah, he is"
Matt took a deep breath to steady himself. "So, are you busy tomorrow?"
"I think I am" Julie replied. She knew that she would have no time for recreation that weekend. "I am sorry, but I am slipping behind with all this work. I should start my half of the assignment, and I have all of Juliet's lines to learn, plus the geography and chemistry homework that I have been putting off. And I think Orion wants us to have another practice tomorrow, just as a punishment for the boys having so many detentions."
"What did they do?" Matt asked.
"Got Old Man Walsh fired" Julie replied with some pride.
"Really" Matt looked pensive. "I heard it was because he was a pervert"
"He was, but via a strange turn of events, the Ducks were the ones who brought that to light" Julie explained.
"They were given detention for getting him fired?" He asked, amazed.
"No, they got Detentions for disrespecting a teacher" Julie replied. "Their sentencing got halved when the truth came out"
"So…" Matt smiled at her. "No way you can get away tomorrow? Just for a few minutes?"
"I wish" Julie told him. "Sorry Matt"
"Don't apologise, it is ok"
"Things are just so out of control at the moment." Julie sighed. "It is crazy"
Matt smiled to himself, congratulating himself on the idea that had just come into his head. "Do you want some help learning your lines?"
"Sure" Julie smiled, handing him the script. She had been practicing with Dean almost all day, it would be nice to get a little break. "Thanks Matt, it is nice of you to offer"
"Which bit do you want to do?" He asked. "Or can I choose?"
"You can choose" she smiled.
Matt turned to the page he was looking for, cleared his throat and began reading. " 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth a rough touch with a tender kiss' "
Julie paused. She had been avoiding that part of the play because it was the first bit that she had practiced with Dean. It was kind of special to her, because it was with that section of the play that the whole mess with him started. It felt strange to hear the same words coming from Matt.
"Julie, are you ok?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, I am fine" Julie replied. "Sorry"
"You don't want to work on this section?"
Julie thought about it. She had always thought that the next time she ran through this part of the play would be with Dean, and together they could laugh about the first time, they could laugh about the anticipation of their first kiss, and they could laugh together about the whole mess. But, really, she couldn't just avoid it for that reason. Especially since Matt was willing to help.
"No…I mean, yes" Julie told him. She stopped and smiled at him. "I mean… we can work on this bit if you want to"
" 'Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand to much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch, and palm to palm, a holy palmers kiss.' " Julie recited. It was a section that she did know well.
Matt read quickly. " 'Have not saints lips, and holy palmers to' "
" 'Ay, pilgrim, lips they must use in prayer' " Julie replied.
" 'O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands to; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair' " Matt added.
" 'Saints do not move, though grant for prayers sake' " Julie recited from memory. She could not help but remember the last time she had said those words. She had been sitting on the floor of Dean's dorm room, wondering if he would kiss her. Wondering if she really wanted Dean to kiss her. Julie had to admit that this time was so different from the last time.
" 'Then move not, while my prayers effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged' " Matt grinned, and leant forward to kiss the corner of Julie's mouth. Julie smiled softly at him.
" 'Then have my lips the sin that they have took?' " she asked.
" 'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again' "
Matt leant forward again and pressed his lips to Julie's. Julie remembered thinking that the emotions that Dean stirred in her was just a reaction to having a man pay attention to her, but now, as Matt kissed her, she realised that she was wrong. Matt was a good kisser, but he was no where as good as Dean.
Julie wondered why she was comparing him to Dean. They were two different people, and they should not be compared. They were two different extremes, neither bad, just both, different. But if some one was to ask her which boy was a better kisser, she would have to admit that Dean, with his amazing intensity, still made her heart pound.
"Wow" Matt smiled when he pulled away.
Julie smiled. But honestly could not return the thought. She felt like such a bitch.
Neither of them realised that in the doorway of the cafeteria, Dean Portman had seen it all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shout outs
BeautyQueen321 - Keeps getting better and better? Thankyou, that is so sweet. I am glad that Fulton and Rebecca's relationship if giving you butterflies. A lot of people love that relationship.
Bloody Raine - I don't know, have you mention lately that you love Fult. I seem to remember you mentioning it once or twice…a review. No, I am glad you love him.
Cake Eaters Girly 99 - Guy reading 'Men are from Mars…' made me laugh to. I am glad that you liked this chapter.
Amy77 - I loved your reviews, chapters 1-5, and then suddenly, 15. But I love it that you tried to do them all. Thanks. Messing with you, I am not messing with you *whistles innocently*
Kayla - I love your long reviews, they make me smile. First things first. "Aw Fult" I agree, I was actually typing something in this chapter, and I stopped and went "Aw Fult" that is the new sound (every one together, "Aw Fult", sounds almost like a curse, but its not) I hope you like the Shakespeare type conversations in this chapter. I had to find a way to fit it all in. Review and tell me what you think. You are right about a tough girl needing a tougher boy. But we will all just have to wait and see. I am sorry that your work sucked, but I hope it gets better. Now, one more time. "Aw Fult"
Pixie13 - cant say heaps, off to find out who the hell Leonardo Nam is.
Ashcake - You don't like Matt, it seems no one does. So you can join the club.
Ok everyone, review.
Disclaimer - Just borrowing them, messing with their heads, and giving them back.
Notes - A bit of Shakespeare in this chapter, I hope it works out well.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
" 'I take thee at they word: call me but love and I will be new baptised; Henceforth I will never be Romeo.' " Dean said as he added sugar to his bowl of cereal and absently mixed it in. On the other side of the table, Julie was buttering a piece of toast while she found where he was readying from.
" 'What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night. So stumblest on my counsel?' " She replied, reading from her playbook before taking a quick bite of her toast.
" 'By a name I know not how to tell the 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' " Dean replied, shovelling some one his cereal into his mouth.
Beside them at the table, the other ducks were all staring at their friends, shocked. From before the two of them had even entered the dining hall, they had their playbooks out. When a few of the ducks had passed them in the hall, they didn't even stop in their practicing to say good morning. Still reading their lines, together they had crossed to get their breakfast, and then crossed to the Ducks table, settled, and continued reading. The others were watching them, amazed.
"What did he just say?" Dwayne asked Russ, who was sitting at his side. Russ shrugged, and went back to watching the two of them who were showing an amazing amount of dedication to the play.
"That he is not going to tell her his name because it will admit that they cant be together" Dean told Dwayne quickly, ate a mouthful of food and then turned to Julie. "Your line Julie"
" 'My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words. Of that tongues utterance, yet I know the sound: Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?' " Julie read the next part of the script.
A few more Ducks made their way to the table, but before they could even say their good mornings, they were cut off, and watching Dean and Julie.
" 'Neither, fair saint, it either thee dislike' " Dean replied.
" 'How camest thou hither? Tell me and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, this place is death, considering who though art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here.' " Julie read.
" 'With loves light wings I o'er-perch these walls; for stony limits could not hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt, therefore thy kinsmen is no let to me' " Dean continued, speaking casually and eating his breakfast when ever he could. He wanted to continue with the beat of their reading, but If there was one thing he hated, it was soggy cereal.
" 'If they do see thee, they will murder thee' "
Dean put down his spoon and picked up his book in order the read the next line which he had unfortunately splashed milk onto. " 'Alack, there lies more peril in thy eye than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity.' "
Julie chuckled at the look on Dean's face as he tried to read the milk smudged writing. " 'I would not for the world they saw thee here' "
Neither Dean nor Julie had realised that Meredith had approached the table and was watching her students with the same look of shock and amazement as the other Ducks were. Dean continued with his next line. " 'I have nights cloak to hide me from their sight; and but thou love me, let them find me here: my life were better ended by their hate then death prorogued , waiting thy love.' "
" 'By who's direction found'st thou out this place?' " Julie replied.
" 'By love, who first did prompt me to enquire; he lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far as the fast shore wash'd the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise' "
"What are you doing?" Meredith asked, making half the table jump and the other half laugh at the first half that had jumped. Dean and Julie, after getting over the shock of being interrupted in the middle of their reading, looked at Meredith and shrugged.
"What does it look like we are doing?" Dean asked.
Meredith smiled. "But, over breakfast?"
"Sure, why not" Dean shrugged. A few jaws around the table dropped. Dean Portman, studying over breakfast? It was time to alert the media.
"You are learning the play, over breakfast?" Meredith replied, explaining it slowly, making sure that Dean understood each word. Dean rolled his eyes at the teacher, and Julie smiled.
"No better time" He informed Meredith, turning back to his breakfast. When he realised it was soggy, his disregarded it. "With all the crap that we have to learn, we may as well learn it when we can"
"You wanted us to be good, right?" Julie added.
"But I never expected you to practice" Meredith replied. "During breakfast."
"Dedication" Charlie smiled from the other end of the table. "It is the key to being successful at anything"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Charlie Conway, our very own after school special" Russ mumbled.
"Shut up Tyler" Charlie replied. Russ grinned at the captain.
Meredith reached over Dean's shoulder and plucked his copy of the play from his hand, flipping through the pages quickly. As she did, she absently asked the two actors. "Are you just reading, or are you starting to learn your lines"
"Learn our lines?" Dean asked her.
Meredith nodded and handed back the book. "So that you can recite them"
"Recite them?" Dwayne asked, shocked. A few others in the group looked scared and even a little sick. "You mean like, with out the books"
"Guys, this is going to be a highly professional production." Meredith replied, looking from each student to the next. "You will have a prompter, but no one will have a script on stage"
"Oh man, we are in deep shit" Averman mumbled, collapsing forward onto the table.
"For once, I agree with Averman" Adam sighed. "Crash and Burn"
"I think we can do it" Guy smiled confidently. The others all shot him death glares.
"Germaine, you have like, no lines in this production." Luis growled at him, digging in his beg to pullout his own play book. It had not occurred to him that this was for real, that it was serious, and he was yet to start learning his lines.
"That's not true." Guy replied quickly, watching as all of his team mates dug around in their bags for their play books. "I say a fair bit"
"You are only in one scene." Dean told him, opening his book to a random page and skimming the text. Meredith watched with some sick satisfaction as her students all scrambled to begin learning. "I am in everything"
Goldberg grinned and stretched his hands above his head. "Suddenly I am very glad that I am servant 1 in this production"
"Ah, about that." Meredith began, looking at Goldberg and Russ, who were laughing at their friends and their frenzy to find their books. "Goldberg and Tyler, I need you to be leaders backstage crew. You are going to be busier then the actors are"
"What?" Goldberg exclaimed, the smile sliding off of his face. At his side, Averman elbowed him in the side playfully. "I thought we were just going to be sitting around?"
"No, no one is sitting around at all" Meredith told him.
"Oh man" Russ rolled his eyes. "I thought this was an easy A"
Luis looked up from his book, looking a little pale. Meredith was sure that he had only just realised how much he had to say in this play. Luis swallowed nervously and asked. "So, when do we have to have these line learnt by?"
"We go on stage in about 6 weeks." Meredith shrugged. "Some of you will have no problems with learning your lines and cues by then, others, however, and without naming names, Mr Mendoza, will leave it to the last minute"
"Guys, we better start learning…" Charlie sighed. Everyone else agreed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rebecca opened the door to the auditorium and quickly moved to the musical storage closet in the back of the room. She had been in the music room when she realised that she had run out of musical paper that she was writing the Romeo and Juliet music on. The only other place where the sheets were stored were in the auditorium, so she had not choice but to cross the school and waste time of her break that she could have spent composing.
Coming out of the storage closet, a pile of music sheets in her hands, something, or more like someone, caught her eye. In one of the seats, facing the stage, was Fulton. Rebecca smiled and got half way to where he was sitting before she remembered that things could be a little awkward between the two of them. When faced with the decision of turning and leaving, or going and taking a seat beside him, she continued on her way.
Beck collapsed into the chair beside him and put her music sheets on the chair by her side. "Hi"
"Oh, hey Beck" he smiled distractedly.
"What are you doing?" Beck asked, looking at the play book that he had resting in his lap.
"Trying to learn this bloody play" Fulton sighed, closing the book. "None of us really realised that when we perform this, we are expected to know it word for word. We are all in a frenzy trying to learn sections by heart"
Beck smiled and stood. If he was busy, they probably wouldn't get much talking done, and she didn't want to be a distraction to him. "Well, I guess, I will leave you to it then"
"No, Beck, wait" He smiled up at her sweetly. "Could you help me?"
"If you think I would be able to" she asked. Fulton took her hand and pulled her down so that she was sitting at his side again.
"Could you read Romeo's part." He suggested, opening the script to the page that he had been working on before. "I would get Dean to do it, but he is probably off with practicing with Julie."
"Sure, I think I can do that" She took the book from him, asking "Do you know this bit already?"
"Parts of it" Fulton admitted.
"Ok" She smiled at him and looked down at the page full of small print. "Where do you want to start?"
"Romeo's line there" Fulton leaned over a little, his shoulder brushing hers as he pointed to the line at the top of the page.
"Ok" Rebecca grinned, and then cleared her throat " 'Nay, that is not so' "
" 'I mean, sir, in delay was waste our lights in vain…' " Fulton paused in the middle of his line, thinking. " 'We waste our lights in vain…' shit, I knew this ten minutes ago"
"Its ok Fult" Rebecca told him, resting her hand lightly on his arm. Fulton looked at her hand, smiled at her, and then tried to remember the rest of the line. "Here, Just relax, it will come to you"
" 'I mean, sir, in delay was waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Take our good meaning, for our judgement sits five times in that ere once in our five waits.' "
"See, I knew you knew it" She smiled at him, moving her hand away. Fulton looked at his arm where her hand had been, and smiled weakly. " 'And we mean well in going to this mask; but tis not wit to go' "
" 'Why may one ask' " Fulton continued.
" 'I dream'd a dream to-night' " Rebecca read from the book.
" 'And so did I' " Fulton replied, unsure if it was the right line. Rebecca smiled reassuringly at him, and he grinned.
" 'Well, what was yours?' " she asked.
" 'That dreamers often lie' " Fulton returned.
" 'In bed asleep, while they do dream things true' " Rebecca said, and then paused as her gaze moved to the next line. It was a huge one. "Ah shit, you have to learn all that?"
"Yeah" Fulton sighed and collapsed back into his seat a little.
"That is like" Rebecca began, then did a quick count. "Fifty lines"
"Forty three" Fulton replied. He had counted them before.
"Are you going to be able to learn them?" Rebecca asked softly.
Fulton shrugged, trying to find the best way to explain that it was not a case of could you, more like, have to. "I am going to have to. I don't really have a choice"
"Well" Rebecca smiled at him. "I will help you however I can"
"You don't have to" Fulton informed her quickly. "You have to music to work on"
"The music will be fine" Rebecca smiled. That was Fulton for you, always thinking about everyone else before thinking of himself. "I can manage that. Or I can get one of the other girls in the quartet to do it for me"
He smiled. "Thanks Beck"
"Hey, what are friends for" Rebecca laughed, lightly punching his arm like she had seen Dean do a thousand times. Fulton laughed.
"This is above and beyond the calls of friendship" he told her. He looked at his hands, and then out of the corner of his eye at Rebecca, who was watching him.
"Hey, are you ok?" Rebecca asked, poking him in the shoulder quickly.
"Of course, yeah" Fulton replied, still not looking at her directly. "I am just, embarrassed"
"Embarrassed?"
"I shouldn't have kissed you yesterday" Fulton told her. Then corrected himself. "Or, tried to kiss you"
"Fulton" Rebecca smiled, and at that moment, she wanted to just reach out and give him a hug. He was embarrassed about something that he had no need to be embarrassed about. "It is ok"
"You only just broke up with Nathan, and, well, I guess I forgot that" Fulton explained quickly.
"Fulton, really" Beck laughed a little. "I don't mind. Actually, it is nice to know that …"
"Some one finds you attractive?" Fulton finished for her, and Rebecca found herself nodding. Fulton smiled. "Well, you don't have to worry about that"
Rebecca poked his cheek. "You are blushing"
"Shit" He cursed and looked away, covering his cheeks with his hands. "I hate it when that happens"
"I don't" Rebecca smiled at him. Fulton turned back to her. "I like it when you blush"
"You would." He laughed accusingly. "You probably laugh at it"
"No" Rebecca told him, reaching out and prying his hand from his cheek. When she pulled it away, she did not let it go, but slid her small hand into his bigger one and laced their fingers together. "I find it cute"
"Cute?" he asked in mock outrage.
"Handsome" Rebecca corrected.
"That's better" Fulton smiled.
Rebecca, who was staring at their still entwined hands, whispered. "Sexy"
Fulton looked at her, amazed by what he had heard. Did she just call his blush sexy? No one eve did that. No one even called him sexy. But he grinned when he realised that now Rebecca's cheeks were a little pink as well. "Now you are blushing"
"And your blush is deeper" She replied. After a few seconds of the two of them, sitting together, their hands still linked, Rebecca rested her head on his shoulder. "Fulton, wanna take me to a movie or something one day?"
Fulton looked down at her. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Is it a problem that I asked?" Rebecca asked.
"No, not at all" He smiled. "So, one day"
"Maybe when the production is finished, or whatever. When you are not so busy with the play and I am over…" she stopped herself from completing the thought and looked quickly at him to see if he had noticed what she as about to say. He hadn't, he still seemed to be captivated by the fact that their hands were still together. "When I am finished with the music"
Fulton smiled weakly. "You mean when I crash and burn at this play and your music is the only thing that saves the whole production."
"Don't say that." She turned a little so that she a was sitting sideways in the auditorium chair, her feet tucked under her, and their hands still resting between them. "Have you no faith"
"I have faith. Meredith will direct an awesome play, Dean and Julie will be the best Romeo and Juliet in the history of the play, your music will be nominated for some type of award." Fulton paused and looked away from her. "And I will get up on stage, prepare to say my first line, and … forget what I have to say."
"Fulton." Rebecca grinned to herself. "That wont happen"
"How can you be sure?" He asked, turning back to her.
"Fulton" she lent forward and wrapped her arms around his neck "Just remember, I believe in you"
When she pulled away from the hug, she pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. Above them, the bell that signalled the end of their break sounded. They both smiled at each other nervously. And then Beck stood, took his hand and pulled him out of his seat. "Walk me to class"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey Julie" Julie jumped as she heard the voice behind her. She had been so caught up in learning her lines that she had forgotten that it was her lunch break and she was sitting at the empty Ducks table in the cafeteria. "Table is pretty deserted for a lunch time"
Julie looked over her shoulder at Matt. Explaining quickly, she said. "Boys are all in detention and Connie stayed behind after English to help Meredith"
"So you are eating all alone?" he asked.
"Yeah" Julie shrugged. "Take a seat if you want to"
"Thanks" he smiled, sitting in the chair beside her. "What are you reading?"
"Going over my lines for the play." Julie replied.
"Oh." He nodded, then he stood, took something out of the back pocket of his jeans, and handed it to her. "I will swap"
"What is this" she asked, taking the three sheets of paper that had been ripped out of one of his note books.
"My half of our assignment" he replied. "I just finished it in my last lesson"
"You have done your half already" She was surprised and even felt a little slack. She had not even thought about it yet. "Matt, I haven't even started mine"
"That's ok" He assured her. "We still have a two weeks"
"Two weeks?" Julie asked. She thought that she had more time then that. Where did the last week go?
"Yep." He sighed sadly. "Two weeks and then we wont be lab partners anymore"
"Don't look at it like that" Julie told him absently as she looked over his half of the assignment. It was excellent, and she knew that she would have to start working soon to have her half up to the same standard. "We may not be lab partners, but we will always be friends"
"Friends, I can deal with that" He smiled at her. Julie was still reading when he said. "I had a good time yesterday"
"You did?" Julie looked up, amazed. She had not expected Matt to enjoy their date to the art gallery because of what had happened with Rebecca and Fulton.
"Yeah" Matt replied truthfully. "I would like to try it again though, without your friends turning up"
"I am so sorry about that Matt" Julie began.
"Don't apologise for them" Matt replied. "We managed to salvage the afternoon. That Fulton is a good guy"
"Yeah, he is"
Matt took a deep breath to steady himself. "So, are you busy tomorrow?"
"I think I am" Julie replied. She knew that she would have no time for recreation that weekend. "I am sorry, but I am slipping behind with all this work. I should start my half of the assignment, and I have all of Juliet's lines to learn, plus the geography and chemistry homework that I have been putting off. And I think Orion wants us to have another practice tomorrow, just as a punishment for the boys having so many detentions."
"What did they do?" Matt asked.
"Got Old Man Walsh fired" Julie replied with some pride.
"Really" Matt looked pensive. "I heard it was because he was a pervert"
"He was, but via a strange turn of events, the Ducks were the ones who brought that to light" Julie explained.
"They were given detention for getting him fired?" He asked, amazed.
"No, they got Detentions for disrespecting a teacher" Julie replied. "Their sentencing got halved when the truth came out"
"So…" Matt smiled at her. "No way you can get away tomorrow? Just for a few minutes?"
"I wish" Julie told him. "Sorry Matt"
"Don't apologise, it is ok"
"Things are just so out of control at the moment." Julie sighed. "It is crazy"
Matt smiled to himself, congratulating himself on the idea that had just come into his head. "Do you want some help learning your lines?"
"Sure" Julie smiled, handing him the script. She had been practicing with Dean almost all day, it would be nice to get a little break. "Thanks Matt, it is nice of you to offer"
"Which bit do you want to do?" He asked. "Or can I choose?"
"You can choose" she smiled.
Matt turned to the page he was looking for, cleared his throat and began reading. " 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth a rough touch with a tender kiss' "
Julie paused. She had been avoiding that part of the play because it was the first bit that she had practiced with Dean. It was kind of special to her, because it was with that section of the play that the whole mess with him started. It felt strange to hear the same words coming from Matt.
"Julie, are you ok?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, I am fine" Julie replied. "Sorry"
"You don't want to work on this section?"
Julie thought about it. She had always thought that the next time she ran through this part of the play would be with Dean, and together they could laugh about the first time, they could laugh about the anticipation of their first kiss, and they could laugh together about the whole mess. But, really, she couldn't just avoid it for that reason. Especially since Matt was willing to help.
"No…I mean, yes" Julie told him. She stopped and smiled at him. "I mean… we can work on this bit if you want to"
" 'Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand to much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch, and palm to palm, a holy palmers kiss.' " Julie recited. It was a section that she did know well.
Matt read quickly. " 'Have not saints lips, and holy palmers to' "
" 'Ay, pilgrim, lips they must use in prayer' " Julie replied.
" 'O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands to; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair' " Matt added.
" 'Saints do not move, though grant for prayers sake' " Julie recited from memory. She could not help but remember the last time she had said those words. She had been sitting on the floor of Dean's dorm room, wondering if he would kiss her. Wondering if she really wanted Dean to kiss her. Julie had to admit that this time was so different from the last time.
" 'Then move not, while my prayers effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged' " Matt grinned, and leant forward to kiss the corner of Julie's mouth. Julie smiled softly at him.
" 'Then have my lips the sin that they have took?' " she asked.
" 'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again' "
Matt leant forward again and pressed his lips to Julie's. Julie remembered thinking that the emotions that Dean stirred in her was just a reaction to having a man pay attention to her, but now, as Matt kissed her, she realised that she was wrong. Matt was a good kisser, but he was no where as good as Dean.
Julie wondered why she was comparing him to Dean. They were two different people, and they should not be compared. They were two different extremes, neither bad, just both, different. But if some one was to ask her which boy was a better kisser, she would have to admit that Dean, with his amazing intensity, still made her heart pound.
"Wow" Matt smiled when he pulled away.
Julie smiled. But honestly could not return the thought. She felt like such a bitch.
Neither of them realised that in the doorway of the cafeteria, Dean Portman had seen it all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shout outs
BeautyQueen321 - Keeps getting better and better? Thankyou, that is so sweet. I am glad that Fulton and Rebecca's relationship if giving you butterflies. A lot of people love that relationship.
Bloody Raine - I don't know, have you mention lately that you love Fult. I seem to remember you mentioning it once or twice…a review. No, I am glad you love him.
Cake Eaters Girly 99 - Guy reading 'Men are from Mars…' made me laugh to. I am glad that you liked this chapter.
Amy77 - I loved your reviews, chapters 1-5, and then suddenly, 15. But I love it that you tried to do them all. Thanks. Messing with you, I am not messing with you *whistles innocently*
Kayla - I love your long reviews, they make me smile. First things first. "Aw Fult" I agree, I was actually typing something in this chapter, and I stopped and went "Aw Fult" that is the new sound (every one together, "Aw Fult", sounds almost like a curse, but its not) I hope you like the Shakespeare type conversations in this chapter. I had to find a way to fit it all in. Review and tell me what you think. You are right about a tough girl needing a tougher boy. But we will all just have to wait and see. I am sorry that your work sucked, but I hope it gets better. Now, one more time. "Aw Fult"
Pixie13 - cant say heaps, off to find out who the hell Leonardo Nam is.
Ashcake - You don't like Matt, it seems no one does. So you can join the club.
Ok everyone, review.
