So, onward to chapter three. Ok then. But first, Let's recap. Nah.

Oh, and some stuff you need to know: I know that Spud and Trixie taking a drama class is a little out of character, but it goes with what I have planned for future chapters. So let's just say that Jake, Trixie, and Spud all wanted another class, but all available spots were taken. So they placed Spud and Trixie in a Drama class, and Jake..somewhere else. Use your imagination there. (Or we can just say woodshop. Can't you just see him making a macked out rocking chair when they're supposed to make rocking chairs with nothing extra? Lol. I can see that.)

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the tv show American Dragon: Jake Long. I do not own Romeo and Juliet either.

Trixie stared at Spud, her brown eyes wide open. A sickly churning started working it's way into her stomach, and suddenly her whole body felt hot. So, this is what true embarrassment feels like, huh? Not pleasant. She bit her lip, trying to think of something reasonable to say before she opened her mouth. Finally, she spoke.

"Huh?"

"Trixie, you said that...as long as I'm holding your hand, it doesn't matter why I'm holding it." he furrowed his eyebrows. "Dude...um..."

Crap! No! I know I didn't really say that out loud. Ooh, Mama Trix, you in some trouble now! Think, girl, think! "Um...well, yeah, I did say that," she spoke carefully, feigning a smile. She let out a laugh like she had a joke that nobody but her could understand. "But, dude, I was quotin' some Shakespear! See, y'all think Mama ain't got no skills in Literature, but.." she let out another laugh. Much to her relief, Spud smiled too.

"Oh, yeah. I totally knew that, dudette. So what play was that from, again?"

Trixie stopped laughing abruptly. She hadn't expected him to want her to actually name a play. "Uh...Romeo and Juliet?"

"They don't say that in Romeo and Juliet." Spud shrugged, a confused look on his face.

"Well, no, I'm talking about the movie! I went to this amatuer movie festival and these people made a hip-hop version of Romeo and Juliet. And that was one of the lines, you know...because it's more modern ...and stuff." she chuckled. Spud nodded. He had heard of the amatuer movie festival, but had never wanted to go. He remembered that Trixie had went, and he and Jake had skateboarded that day.

He opened the door to theauditorium and they walked up to the stage, where everyone was sitting in random places on the floor. The teacher tapped her foot impatiently.

"Nice of you to join us, Trixie, Arthur."

"I prefer Spud."

Well, I'd prefer if you didn't mosey into my class three minutes after the bell rings! So until you can be on time--"

"This was our first time being late--", Trixie protested.

The teacher went on as if Trixie hadn't even spoken. "--I suggest you keep your mouth shut about what you prefer. Am I clear?"

Spud sighed and nodded. The two of them dropped their books and plopped onto the stage.

"Man, Ms. Fillmont can be so harsh!" Trixie whispered. Her crush nodded.

"Class, today, I will be giving you a.."Ms. Fillmontpaused, dramatically--no pun intended--before continuing. "..project!" she sang in an operatic maner. The class groaned. "I know, I know, you're all elated." she said flatly, "but, at least you get to pick your partners."

Spud looked at Trixie, who smiled in agreement. They were always partners for everything. But this time, Trixie felt down-right jovial when Spud looked at her. She squelched the feeling, remembering the close call she had with him a few minutes ago. Ms. Fillmont continued."What you are going to do is work on one scene of a play--any play at all-- and perform it for the class in two weeks. But remember, since you may only have one partner, you must decide who the two most important characters of the scene are, and these are the characters that you must be. So think hard, class. You may have the rest of the period to start."

Everybody paired up and went to their own little part of the stage. Nobody really worked. They just talked, and fortunately, Ms. Fillmont was oblivious to this behavior.

"So, what play are we gonna use?" Trixie asked Spud. The whole time he had been grinning. And she was about to find out why.

"How about Romeo and Juliet, since you were already quoting it earlier?"

Trixie gasped. How evil! "Fine, then what scene?"

"Just go with the balcony scene. It's classic, and everybody knows that scene."

Trixie gasped again, and leaned forward so that she could make direct eye contact. "Spud! You do know that in that scene, we'd have...we'd have to kiss, don't you?"

He simply smirked, "Well, yeah, I know that. But hey, it's better than the other scene, isn't it?"

"Which other scene?"

"The one where they wake up in the morning, and Juliet is all,'It was the nightingale, and not the lark...' " Trixie bit her lip to keep from passing out. That was the scene where Romeo and Juliet wake up, clothesless. What they had done was obvious. Trixie's dream flashed through her head once more, and she dug her nails into her palm to keep from going insane. "You pervert!" she whispered,forcing a grin onto her face.

"Hey," Spud held up his hands in front of him, "If I'm a perv, then Shakespeare's a perv. And besides, I was right, wasn't I? I think it'd be more appropriate to do a scene where we just kiss, rather than do one where we have to get naked for..." he made quotations with his fingers,"'the sake of art, right'?"

Trixie rolled her eyes jokingly, and smiled at him."You know, you have your smart moments."

Spud beamed, "I know."

Trixie stood up as the bell rang. "Why can't they last?"

"What!" Spud said in mock surprise and anger. Trixie shrieked as he started to take a couple steps towards her, and tried to run. Spud laughed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. Then he bent down and tossed her over his shoulder. Trixie laughed and beat his back as Spud carried her back to the other side of the stage. "Spud, boy, you better put me--I ain't playin' with you! You gonna-- Spud!"

Jake walked onto the stage from behind the curtain. Smirking, he joked, "Yo, check this idea: It's brilliant. I call it,'You two get a room'." Spud and Trixie laughed as he put her back down. Her whole body tingled with excitement.

"Aw, there's no need to be jealous, Jake." Spud walked towards him with open arms, "there's enough to go around!" He lifted Jake up and spun in a circle, laughing. Trixie put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

"Hey, yo, man! The Jake-man stays on the ground unless the AmDraggy thang is goin' down!" Jake tried to sound serious.

As Spud put Jake back down, he grinned at Trixie, "Hey, by the way, Jake, did you know Trixie can quote Shakespeare?" he winked at her. She could feel her cheeks getting warm as she smiled back at him.

Maybe this Romeo and Juliet thing wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Ok, let's get started, Spudinski." Trixie sat down on the floor. They were at Spud's house, rehearsing their script. Trixie leaned against the couch, and Spud sat in a chair across from her in the living room.

"You know, Juliet says the most in this scene. So while you're practicing, I'll just play some video games." he laughed when she threw a paper at him.

"That's why you picked this scene, isn't it?"

"You know it, girl."

Trixie grinned, "See, Miss Trixie ain't a fool."

"Never said you were, dudette." He leaned back in the chair, and cleared his throat."Go."

Trixie dug one of her hands into the carpet. Saying this would be so embarrassing to her, since she felt exactly what was to be read. But as far as she knew, Spud didn't realize anything yet, so he'd just know she was reading off of the script. She began, feeling her cheeks get very hot, especially when Spud read his parts.

If only he actually meant it!

They ran through the script a few times. By the time they ran through it three times, Trixie's hands were trembling. Spud sounded so romantic! Regardless of the fact he was reading from a script. Finally, Spud said, "So, maybe now we should try acting it out instead of just reading it."

Trixe shrugged. "Whatever." Inside, her heart was racing. She'd get to kiss him! She walked to stand behind the sofa, and Spud got on the sofa, facing her. "Before we start," Trixie said suddenly, "um..are we both comfortable for the...um..the kiss?"

Spud shrugged. "It's fine with me. People gotta make sacrifices sometimes, you know?"

Sacrifices? Her stomach plunged. Kissing her would be considered a "sacrifice"? She forced a smile and nodded. "Right."

She cleared her throat and began." 'Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone. And yet no further than a wanton's bird, who lets it hop a little from her hand, like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, and witha silk thread plucks it back again, so loving-jealous of his liberty."

He thinks kissing me would be a sacrifice? He wouldn't kiss me unless it was for a GRADE? she blinked rapidly. She didn't want to cry. And she couldn't believe she'd cry over Spud.

"I would I were thy bird." Spud said.

Trixie swallowed lightly before continuing. "Sweet, so would I. Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I should say good night..." she glance up at Spud. He was following along with his own script. She looked back down at her script. "..till it be morrow." She sighed inwardly. Now she'd have to kiss him. He'd only kiss her because he had to.

They leaned in towards each other. She wanted to. But he didn't. Or at least that's what it seemed like. He doesn't like you in that way! She leaned in a little bit closer. Her stomach was falling. She wanted this so much! But she didn't want it if it wasn't truly meaningful. Just as her lips were about to touch his, she leaned back.

"I'm sorry, Spud, but Mama Trix gotta go. I..promised my grandma I'd give her a foot massage. Dang her and her achy bunions." She made a face. Spud laughed.

"I'm sorry to hear that! Ok, then. I guess I'll see you later. You can still make it to the skate park, right?"

"Boy, little miss Trixie wouldn't miss a chance to whup you and Jakey J for all the bunions in the world!" she laughed as she opened the door, and walked out. As soon as the door was shut, her smile faded. She mentally kicked herself. She should've kissed him. But if she didn't want it if wasn't something he wanted. And she certainly didn't want it if he only considered it a sacrifice for "the sake of art". Since when had he started caring about "art" anyway?

After ten long minutes, she walked into her house. Her grandmother wasn't there. Trixie knew it. Her grandmother was out with her senior league bowling team. She flopped onto the couch, and pulled out the video games. She remembered how she had beat Spud in less than ten seconds yesterday. But today, she lost every game.