Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy.
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Fortunes Fools
Chapter Four
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"Here sweetie" B said, handing me a little cup of heaven, a.k.a. Mocha coffee from Gloria Jeans. "Drink this and you'll feel well, awake." She said, with her eyes shut.
Yawning, I smiled at our routine before bringing the cup to my lips, savouring every moment of bliss it provided me with.
Cassie smirked knowingly next to Belle, as she drank her morning mix of berries from Boost Juice.
"Go on," I groaned, taking another drink from the cup "Say it. You know you want to."
"Coffee's going to kill you." Cass replied in a very singsong voice.
"We've all gotta go somehow." Belle replied darkly, taking another sip of her jumbo, full strength cappuccino. "She's so chirpy in the morning." She muttered under her breath to me, as I smiled sympathetically at her.
Belle was not a morning person, and fully resented Ashton for deeming weekend rehearsal's compulsory for a month. Standing outside the schools auditorium at eight on a Saturday morning waiting for the demonic Ashton to rear it's ugly head was not somewhere I imagined Belle wanted to be. It's not somewhere I even wanted to be either, but it was the commitment we'd all made.
So here we were, waiting in the brisk morning air, for the evil to commence.
Ten minutes later, Ashton finally came stumbling up the stairs, swaying slightly when he came to a halt infront of the huge doors.
B and Cass giggled beside me, but I just rolled my eyes and pulled my backpack up. Seeing Ashton like this, it made me realise that this play was well and truly doomed from the start. Two leads that detest one another and a drunken director equals artistic suicide.
On the bright, yet dim side, Cass had actually landed the job of creating costumes for the cast, not to mention make-up and hair for all performances, and had sworn she was going to make me into a Princess for the part.
Now who could refuse pampering and looking all around stunning all the time? Not me. Call me vain if you will, but I'm a sucker for looking beautiful!
It took the entire cast and crew (which was basically our drama class, with a few tag-a-longs) a further twenty minutes to have fully gathered, the last ones to arrive were, of course, Henry, Luke and Ric, who strutted through the doors looking like they'd just woken up.
I giggled as I watched them walk down the isle, remembering Cher's line in Clueless, "And we're supposed to swoon? I don't think so!" Who, in their right mind, would actually swoon over them, I pondered, as Luke and Henry passed, exchanging glances and unpleasantness with Belle and Cass.
I thought Ric was about to open his mouth, but, what happened next, well, no one saw that coming. Never in a million years.
Ric Dalby stopped dead in his tracks and set himself down in the seat… right next to… me.
Jaws dropped everywhere, nervous glances were exchanged, worried looks that the play would be over before it began, and most importantly… the hottest piece of gossip was created in that very moment.
Henry and Luke shared a confused, hurt look between glancing back towards Ric, waiting for an explanation. I met Cass and B's eyes before turning my head sideways, looking, it appeared, at the profile of Ric's face. Seconds melded into minutes, which seemed to me to last hours, until finally, Ric turned his head and looked back at me.
A small, unassuming smile formed on his face, which I didn't expect. I expected something along the lines of his evil smirk that I always wanted to smack off his face when I saw him, but not this. There was something almost, gentle about it.
Cass, who was sitting on the other side of me, nudged me gently, which prompted me to remember my initial intentions.
Clearing my throat, utterly aware that everyone's eyes were on us, I said finally "Uh, why are you sitting there?"
"Dude, what the HELL is going on?" Henry yelled from behind him.
"Yeah." Luke added lamely.
Sighing, Ric sat further into his seat, signaling that he had no intention on moving. "I just figured,' he began, looking between me and the boys "That since we have to do this, Matilda and I may as well sit together, so we don't have to yell at one another across the room."
Huh. Who'd have thought it was that simple an explanation?
No one, apparently.
"Yeah right." B said defensively from the other side of Cassie.
"As if we'd believe anything that comes out of your mouth" Cass added in "Do we need to refresh your memory of all the cruel stunts you've pulled over the years?" She finished, glaring between the three of them.
"Thanks all the same, but I wouldn't want you refreshing anything on me." Henry spat back, as Luke let out a low growl of anger.
And not for the first time in the last decade, Ric stepped in before it all got too out of hand.
"Enough. This is how it is. We can't fight it, but we can work with it. So I'm staying here. You can either sit with us, or go away." He finished firmly, crossing his arms across his chest to reiterate the fact.
With a voice of reason and understand, who'd have thought that too?
Grunting their reply, Henry and Luke sat down on the other side of Ric, but continued to sulk as he searched through his bag for something or other.
"Just like cavemen. Can't formulate full sentences, and always following the leader." I heard B whisper to Cass, who covered her mouth to stop the giggle from escaping.
I whirled around to stare at them. "Ric's right. We have to live with this." I said sternly, as Cass and Belle's eyes widened. "Can we please just try and get through this, even if it's just for me, and my one shot at the role of a lifetime?" I said softly, my eyes pleading with them.
Their own eyes softened when they saw this.
"Anything for you M-Girl." Cass replied, pulling me into a hug.
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"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." Ric read next to me, actually sounding as if an angel had appeared at a window, and taken his heart, just like that. The read through had gone fairly well… so far. Henry and Luke had been given actual roles, which had kept them somewhat occupied, while Cassie was next to me, randomly shoving drawings of potential dresses in my face. And Belle… well, she'd fallen asleep as soon as we began reading.
"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!" Ric said, his eyes locking with mine, as I whispered "Aye me" unable to look away from his gaze.
Ric opened his mouth to speak once more, but Ashton yelled, "STOP" before we could go any further.
Our eyes snapped towards the front, where he was sitting on the stage. Slurring slightly, he said, "This needs to be acted out on the stage." He said loudly, motioning with his hands that Ric and I should come up onto the stage.
Ric stood up, and Cassie practically shoved me out of my seat and towards the stage. Butterflies were beginning to flutter around my nervous stomach, as I wrung my hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. I'd never actually performed on a real stage before, not with this big a role. And being Juliet to Ric's Romeo… well, I was never sure how it would work out.
"Where's you copy of the play?" Ric asked as he offered his hand to help me onto the stage.
Tentatively I took it, and he gripped it tightly as I answered "I don't need one, I've known all the lines since I was 11, and Dad bought me home a copy…" I trailed off and blushed, realising that Ric was still holding my hand securely in his. Easing it out of his grip, we stood awkwardly in the middle of the stage as Cassie and Belle whistled up at me and made me blush even more.
"Okay." the Demon said, "This is the deal. Juliet has come out of her window…" He began, before Luke interrupted him.
"The window scene has been over done sir," He yelled from the back "We need something new and different… unique."
"I can't believe I'm actually about to say this" Belle said "But I agree with Lucas."
"It needs to be edgier, like the Leo and Claire version, but not." Cassie threw in, as Henry said "Articulate too, so thank god Cassie isn't in it, she has trouble stringing a sentence together."
"Excuse me Henry? I'm not the one who almost cried during our year eight performance of…" Cassie began to yell angrily, before, thankfully, Ashton cut them off.
"Okay. You lot want edgier? Then you work together on setting the scene." He smirked evilly at them.
"But…" Cassie began to protest
"Sir…" Henry said pleadingly.
"That decision is final. A week Monday, that's when I want the new setting for the play on my desk." Ashton snarled at them.
There was a chorus of groans from the back row, as Belle and Cassie glared at Henry and Luke, who glared back. The feelings were definitely mutual.
"Right." Ashton said, turning to address Ric and myself. "Just… improvise for now." He said, collapsing into a chair.
"Uh huh." I said, turning around and walking to the middle of the stage.
I sat down, tucking my legs under me and looked up to the ceiling, as if I was gazing to the heavens. Ric followed my lead, as he stood over to my right, appearing to hide in the shadows, listening as I spoke the words he longed to hear.
Taking in a deep breath, I uttered the words that were forever etched in my mind. "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."
From the corner, Ric's soft voice came over me like the wind. "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"
Sighing, I stretched my legs out infront of me, and looked directly out towards the audience.
"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man." I bit my lip here, and decided to break eye contact with the audience. Standing up, I walked towards the left side of the stage, twirling an imaginary flower between my hands.
"O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose" I said, holding it up to the audience "By any other name would smell as sweet;" I smelt in the rose, breathed in its scent. "So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title."
Throwing out my arms on a sudden impulse, I cried to the audience "Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself."
I heard Ric suck in his breath, and without thinking I spun on my heels to face him as he came out of the shadows slowly, pausing on the other side of the stage.
His head was down, maybe he didn't want to look at me, maybe it was part of the imaginary world we'd created around us. Softly his words filtered across to me. "I take thee at thy word: call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;" He paused here, walking closer, and meeting my eyes with a loving gaze. "Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
I turned away from the strength of his gaze, deciding that my Juliet would be innocent. "What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night so stumblest on my counsel?" I said, walking away from him as he tried to come closer towards me.
"Cut to the chase." Someone from the class yelled, which created a ripple of laughed. Not missing a beat, Ashton replied "Another job you four."
More groaning.
Ric, taking in the advice of the class, skipped half the page, and pulled me close, against his body. Wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, he secured me in his embrace before he continued.
"With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;" He said softly, one of his hands gently tracing circles on my hip. "For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do that dares love attempt;" I met his gaze, as he expressed "Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me."
While Ric had been speaking, I'd grabbed handfuls of his t-shirt, to avoid the feeling of his firm muscles. But now, I reached one hand up to his face, cradling his cheek in my palm. He closed his eyes, savouring the feel, as I murmured "If they do see thee, they will murder thee."
If possible, Ric pulled me tighter against his body, as he whispered against my hand "Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye" Here, he mirrored my action, bringing his own hand up to cup my cheek, his thumb rubbing the side of my neck. "Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet, And I am proof against their enmity." He finished, his hands remaining on my waist and cheek.
I sucked in my breath as I finally gave into the feeling of our bodies melting into one another. The feel of his chest against my hand, against my own, the feeling of being wrapped tight in his embrace, as if he were protecting me from the evils of the world.
I sighed as I pulled away from his hand, putting my head on his chest, letting his hand stroke my hair softly. "I would not for the world they saw thee here." I mumbled into his chest, putting my arms around him, hugging him to me.
Moments later I felt his hand tilt my head towards his. His hand under my chin, I looked into his eyes, suddenly realising they were a clear blue, the colour of the sky after a storm. I closed my eyes momentarily, becoming lost in a dream with my very own Romeo. I felt Ric lean down closer towards me; I felt his breath on my lips. He was there, my Romeo. He was stealing my heart.
I snapped away from his embrace, an awkward silence forming as the audience that had been captivated waited to see the outcome.
Walking slowly away from Ric's confused gaze, I turned away and said, "There really isn't any need for a kiss there. We haven't established a setting yet so we really don't want to get ahead of ourselves by assuming that kissing would be accepted in that time period." I trailed off, knowing that I was rambling to avoid the awkwardness of the situation.
"Lunch." Ashton said, unfazed by the events that had just occurred infront of him.
Rubbing my head, I slowly made my way over to Cassie and Belle, thankful that the boys had already made a quick exit.
"Wow M-Girl." B exclaimed as I reached them.
"Huh?" I replied, partly confused, partly not feeling so well any more.
"You're going to blow them away." Cassie said slowly, as she watched me dive into my bag for panadol. "You okay hon?" She asked
Flashing them a grin, I said "Yeah, just got a headache from the lights." Before swallowing two pills.
"And you call yourself a good actress." Belle reprimanded.
I just shrugged at them, but their faces stayed concerned for the rest of the day.
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Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
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AN: Thanks to Tess for proof reading. Hope you guys liked it, we're getting into the nitty gritty now. Fun, ay? Thanks for reviewing guys!
