In your arms

When everything else has been stripped from me,Your arms are the only place where I feel safe. The only comfort I feel is when I'm in your arms, when you hold me close...I know everything is going to be ok. Your arms take all of the pain away, when I can't even feel safe in my memories. Please erase! Or take them away! Please lie here a little longer and pretend everything is ok. This time, I don't care if you lie to me.

Casey alarm goes off and she rolls over and whacks the timer. She has a huge smirk on her face as she gets ready for her day, as she does each task she is humming a song. When she gets in the shower she is singing the song. She hears some pounding on the door "shut up!" Some people are still trying to sleep! She hears Derek say.

Casey turns the shower off and wraps a towel around her body and hair, she dries off and then gets dressed. As soon as she came out, Derek was standing there.

Derek: about time you get out, other people have to shower too you know.

Casey: I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you showered.

Casey walks to her room to grab her bag and heads downstairs for breakfast, she pours herself some cereal and milk. Nora enters the kitchen and pours herself some coffee and soy milk.

Nora: good morning sweetie ( she smiles)

Casey: Morning(she smiles) im so excited for school today!

Derek enters the kitchen

Derek: only a keener would be happy about going to school ( he says lazily. He pours himself some cereal and milk.)

Edwin, Lizzie and Marti all came down for breakfast. Soon after George came down.

Nora: how was your hot shower?

George: exactly what I needed

Nora hands him a cup of coffee

George: mmm thanks I needed this too.

Marti: what's wrong, daddy?

George: well, daddy is just a little extra exhausted this morning.

Nora: yes, your dad had a very bad day at work.

George: and I don't wanna talk about it.

Derek: great! Because I don't wanna hear about it.

Casey: surprise, surprise, Derek doesn't wanna talk about anyone besides himself.

Derek: you just want the time to talk about yourself.

Casey: that is so not true! ( crosses her arms)

Derek: oh really? Then what were talking about before I walked in?

Casey: school!

Derek: no, you were talking about what you were going to do at school.!

Casey: so! At least I'm excited about school, unlike you!

Derek: no popular teenager is excited about school.

Casey: you don't know that! There are probably a lot of popular teenagers who love school.

Derek:Well, I haven't met any.

Casey: just because you haven't met any, doesn't mean that they don't exist.

Derek: whatever.( Derek get up) Edwin! Wash my bowl out!

Edwin: ( groans)

Derek gives him a stern look

Edwin: fine.

Casey: Derek! Wash your own bowl out!

Derek: why? When I can just have Edwin do? Besides, I have more important things to do. ( smirks)

Casey: what could you possibly be doing that's so important?

Derek: mind your business, nosey!

Casey: ( scoffs) I'm not nosey! Right guys?

Lizzie: ummm well.

Marti: your really nosey!

Edwin: your even noisier than me, and that's saying a lot.

Nora: I like to think of it as, well informed.

George:( shakes her head.) yes, very detail orientation.

Derek: she's always butting into other peoples lives whether they want her to or not. Its annoying!

Casey: your annoying!

Derek: wow! Great comeback sis.

Casey: its true! Your always getting on people's nerves, constantly pushing people buttons Waiting for people to explode! Or the stupid pranks you pull on people, which are so not funny by the way! On top of that! Your think your too cool for everyone!

Derek: I am too cool for everyone! You wanna talk annoying, your always controlling and demanding! It irritates people! On top of that, you never shut up!

Casey: oh you shut up!

Derek: your just delivering all of the one liners today, aren't you. Anyway, I gotta go.

Casey: ( crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. She shifts in her chair.)

Nora and George stare at each other.

Nora: so, sweetie what are you excited about for school.

Casey: well, today were supposed to write poetry like Shakespeare annnnnd! ( she says excitedly) were going to acting out a modernized Shakespeare play. Auditions start after school!

Nora: that...does sound...

Edwin: extremely lame!

Marti: I'm gonna fall asleep like last time( giggles.)

Edwin and George laughs and Nora and lizzie give looks

Lizzie: so, what role did you want?

Casey: well, were doing a modernized version of Much Ado About Nothing, my favorite character is Beatrice, she is truly a woman ahead of her time. Beatrice speaks her mind, she's funny but society deems her a shrew just like Katherine in Taming of the shrew just because she's not woman. I see a lot of myself in her.

Derek: ( walking down the stairs, he heard the end of her conversation) yeah, the thing that both of you have in common is that people don't like having you around.

Casey: you wouldn't know a real woman if she had a sign on her forehead.

Derek: true, because I wouldn't be looking at her forehead.

Casey and Mozzie both say eww

Nora: Derek!

George: Derek! You don't talk like that around woman.

Derek rolls his eyes

They all finish their breakfast, wash their bowls and Nora and George drive together along with Mari, Edwin and Lizzie. Casey and Derek drive to school together.

At school

Casey walks to class with a pep in her step and her English book and notebook in hand. She enters class and takes her sit. She feels someone poke her in the back, she turns around and sees that it Derek. She rolls her eyes and turns back around, Derek just smiles.

Teacher: good morning class! Today were going to do something really exciting, we are going to recreate Shakespeare's poetry and modernizing one of Shakespeare's great plays! ( claps) lets get started!

Casey smiles

Teacher: everyone get into groups.

Derek gets into a group with three girls

Casey (gets into a group with Noel, A quiet guy and another Emily in the group.) With this group we are guarteed to win .

Noel: (laughs) well, I'm not an expert like you but I'll try.

Casey: that's all I ask ( smiles)

Emily: I love Shakespeare! Much Ado about Nothing is sooo romantic.

Casey: I know!

Noel: well, I just hope that I get to be Benedict ( smiles at Casey.)

Casey:( blushes) me too.

Noel: even though I think Benedict is a little when it comes to love. Do we even know why?

Casey: I just think that he was too afraid to open his heart to someone. I think he was afraid that she was going to really hurt him, so he broke things off before she could.

Emily: but he ended up breaking her in the process, because of him she's unable to believe in true love, let alone fall in love with someone else.

Quiet guy: I think she's afraid too, that if she falls in love again his gonna break her like Benedict did.

Casey: that's right! So, what part do you wanna play?

Quiet guy: I don't wanna be in the play.

Casey: why not?! Do You have stage freight.

Quiet guy: No, I just don't like plays

Casey: oh. Well, maybe you can help the students on understanding the words.

Quiet guy: I don't want to do that either

Casey: oh OK. Well, I'm sure the teacher has a role for you.

Quiet guy: I don't care.

Noel: ummm o- Kay. So Emily! What part do you wanna play?

Emily: I want to play Hero!

Derek walks over

Derek: clearly Casey should play Hero, she's so naive when it comes to dating and guys.

Casey crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

Quiet guy: or maybe she should play Margaret.

Emily: what?

Derek: you clearly don't know Casey, she's not like that...she's more of a cross between Beatrice and Hero.

Casey: who are you going to be Derek?

Derek: any character with the least amount of lines.

Casey: of course ( she rolls her eyes.)

Derek: what? I don't wanna be caught dead on that stage!

Casey: we don't have a choice! Its for a grade, you have to play some role.

Derek: I can direct.

Teacher: that's a great idea Derek!

Casey: it is?

Derek: it is? I mean of course it is, it was my idea.

Teacher: you will do a fabulous job as the director! Please take this job seriously because if you don't and the play isn't A success, well...then I will have no choice but to fail you and have you do a fifteen page essay.

Derek: no way!

Teacher: then I suggest you put your best foot forward.

Derek: no problem.

Derek (goes to sit back down at the table he was sitting at with the girls) looks like I'm the director ladies.

Both the girls smile at him

Girl: I want the least amount of roles as possible.

Derek: that shouldn't be a problem.

The girl smiles and he smiles and stares back

Girls 2: I wanna be in the back

Derek: no Problem

Girl 3: I wanna be Margaret ( smiles)

Derek: I can arrange that, maybe I can help you guys run lines.

All of the girls nod in agreement and Derek just leans back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

Casey: ugh!( she crosses her arms.)

Teacher: now that that's settled, time to write your poems.

Casey: I don't which poem of Shakespeare I'm going to copy.

Emily: I'm doing Something like sonnet 18(smiles)

Quiet guy: I'm going to do sonnet 116

Casey: that's a really good one.

Quiet guy: I know.

Noel: Well, I'm going to do " Tell me where is Fancy Bred" from the Merchant of Venice.

Casey: those are all great ideas. I'm going to do my own thing and just translate it into Shakespearean.

Quiet guy: yes, that was the assignment but I rather follow a guide.

Noel: like I said I'm new at this poem thing.

Emily: I just really like that poem.

The teacher gives them enough time to write and fix their poem, so several minutes pass by.

Teacher: ok! That's enough time! This is just a first draft, the second will be for home and also your own poem. Who wants to go first.

Casey raises her hand

Derek: ( shouts ) keener!

Everyone laughs, casey turns around and stares daggers at Derek, he laughs and she turns back around, she walks to the front of the class.

Casey: True loveth burns brights in thy eyes, yond is one sooth i cannot deny. I seeth whenev'r i behold into thy eyes. Our hearts w're one bef're eith'r of us did realize. Our st'ries art int'rwoven liketh a p'rfect stitcheth, f'rev'r shalt we findeth each oth'r and falleth in loveth because falling f'r thee is easy, losing thee is the hard parteth.

I knoweth our loveth is true because at which hour i behold into thy eyes, i seeth not any lies. In thy eyes i seeth the loveth thee has't f'r me and in mine own eyes, thou art the loveth i has't f'r thee. I knoweth w're soul mates because mine own heart is nothing without thee, i knoweth w're soul mates because i at each moment findeth thee. I knoweth this is true loveth because thy heart belongeth to me and mine own heart belongs to thee. !

{Casey only says the Shakespearean version, the one below is for the reader.}

Translation: (True love burns brights in your eyes, that is one truth I cannot deny. I see whenever I look into your eyes. Our hearts were one before either of us realized. Our stories are interwoven like a perfect stitch, forever shall we find each other and fall in love because falling for you is easy, losing you is the hard part.

I know our love is true because when I look into your eyes, I don't see any lies. In your eyes I see the love you have for me and in my eyes, you are the love I have for you. I know were soul mates because my heart is nothing without you, I know were soul mates because I always find you. I know this is true love because your heart belong to me and my heart belongs to you. )

Emily goes next and gives her version on sonnet 18

Emily: Let me count the ways that I adore

Or shall I hold you in my arms to reassure you of my love

Your smile shines as bright as the sun on a summer day

It shines so bright that it melts all of the pain away

And in your arms, I know everything will be ok

You are more fine then a perfectly aged wine

Time seems to hold no value when I'm with you

All I wanna do is stand here forever with you.

Emily smiles and the class claps

Teacher: Derek your next

Derek groans

Derek: ( clears throat): why should a man deny temptation? A mans desires nor does his appetite just disappear because the fruit is forbidden. It only makes the man want it more. But still the man does not consume the fruit, he tries every other fruit that surrounds him but he always craves more. The fruit is always sweet but he knows hers is the sweetest, only being inches away close enough to touch is a true sin.

Thinking about the forbidden fruit makes his cravings grow stronger, to have it in his grasp...enjoying every inch of the fruit. Taking in all of its sweet juices and skin against my lips, these are the desires that the man fantasies about everyday and he doesn't think will go away. So he plucks other fruit and devours them to the core, until there's nothing more.

Teacher: wow! That was surprisingly really great Derek.

Derek: thank you, I'm really hungry.

Teacher: well, why don't you get yourself something to eat.

Derek: thank you. ( takes the hall pass)

Next is Noel

Noel: how does love start?

Is it something that starts in my heart or my head

Did it start when your eyes met mine?

Or over years of mutual admiration

My love, I don't know what's true

But I cannot deny how I feel about you

All I know is that I'm deeply in love with you

From your smile to your kiss

I know that I'm devoted to this

I don't know when it started or how this will end

I just know that I never want to be with anyone else again

Just don't ask me, how did it all begin.

I'm just happy to find love again.

Teacher: another great poem, next!

A girl sitting with Derek raises her hand

Girl: I don't want to go next, I just wanna the bathroom

Girl 2: me too.

Girl 3: yeah, I have been holding it for a long time.

Teacher: you can't all .the same time

Girl 3: I really have to go.

Teacher: go! Go! You r lucky I'm in a good mode because of all the great poems.

All three of the girls rush to the girls bathroom where Desk is waiting for them.

The quiet kid goes next

Quiet kid: I vow myself to thee

I vow myself into a love that can only be consumed by marriage

A yah or a nah cannot deny thy love to thee

I stand before you a man and you a woman

As we meet to marry

Our hearts shall bond as one for an eternity

And I go towards that willingly

Until darkness consumes and our bodies fade away.

Only to be rejoined in holy paradise

Surrounded by comforting lights, peace, love

And the only access is a visit from death

Teacher: very good Jacob

Jacob smiles and sits back down

Casey: that was great

Jacob: thank you ( smiles)

And Casey smiles back.

The rest of the class goes except the three girls that left to thItbathroom. Thirty minutes later all three of the girls come back with huge smiles on there face.

Teacher: dis you fall in?

Girl: it was a girl problem

Girl 3: I have a stomach flu, I couldn't stop throwing up.

Girl 2: I didn't wanna leave them behind

Teacher: (sighs) your old enough to make your own decisions, you don't need to stay with your friends like your afraid they are gonna get lost. You had a responsibility to be back her but instead... You ruined your privileges.

Derek comes back.15 minutes later with a nag of food.

Teacher: Mr. Venturi! What took you so long

Derek: ( smiles) there was a long line and a lot of food to choose from, I apologize but I had to eat the food there. I just couldn't control myself.

Teacher: well next time, please eat before hand or make sure to bring snacks.

Derek: yes,sir.

The bell rings

Teacher: OK class, don't forget to write your other poems and don't forget auditions are after school.

Everyone leaves.

Casey and Emily and Noel leave class together

Casey: that was so fun

Noel: I was stressing so much, I'm glad its over.

Casey: well I couldn't tell, you were perfect.

Noel: thank you babe

They kiss

Emily: aww you guys are so adorable

Casey and Noel laughs