An Incompetent Irritation
Happy April, readers! Sorry that I took so long to write this chapter. Writer's block sucks phenomenally. Anyways, I've taken into account all of your wonderful reviews on what play Austin and Ally should do, and let's face it, I would've done this play without the suggestions anyways. I hope y'all like the choice, though.
Enjoy!
Previously:
I'm taken aback by his sincere comment and I'm hesitant for a moment.
"Thanks," I decide to say. "So, are you ready to start…partner?"
Austin flashes me his beautiful smile.
"Yeah, let's do this, partner."
Ally's POV
"You're kidding me, right?"
I stare at Austin, dumbstruck. He just pitched his idea for what our scene should be, and I didn't know whether to be angry or laugh at him.
I look around the music room, contemplating my thoughts. After a moment, I burst into laughter. I double over on the plush couch, grasping my sides.
"R-really?" I splutter, tears pooling on my lashes. "Y-you think I'll actually…actually perform a scene from 50 Shades of Grey? With you? In front of our whole class?" At this point, I had to stand up off the couch or risk falling off; my body shaking hard with laughter.
"Y-you know that movie is, like, ninety percent sex, right?" Austin opens his mouth to retort but I beat him to it: "Don't try to lie, you totally want to do a scene from that ninety percent."
I laugh some more until my throat is raw and I finally calm a bit. I take my seat back on the couch next to Austin.
"Just putting it out there," he starts dryly, eyeing me cautiously, as if I'll burst into laughter again, "I really was kidding." He seems genuine, but I don't buy it. Though I do let it go.
"Alright then, now that we have the bad ideas out of the way, what scene should we do?" Austin tips his head back to look at the ceiling. We'd been throwing around ideas for about half an hour now to no avail. We ruled out mystery, action, fantasy genres; fairytales, or anything related to princes and princesses, though Austin would look delectable in a suit, and just now, we crossed sex-based scenes off the list.
"Wait!" Austin snaps his fingers, a childlike grin spreading across his face. It takes me by surprise. Before now, I've only seen his smirk and occasional grin. This smile lights up his face and brings a non-sexual sparkle to his eyes. I catch myself wishing he'd show it more often.
"I can't believe I didn't think about this earlier! Let's do a scene from Romeo and Juliet!" Austin stares at me, hopeful, and although I want to make a sarcastic remark about the honeymoon scene in that play, I bite my tongue. He just looks so damn excited.
"Um, why that play?" I ask, slightly bewildered. Even more so when Austin looks down into his lap, almost shy-like. Okay, what was going on here?
"Well, it's my favourite play. Something about their love overcoming ever obstacle to keep them apart is just…inspiring." But Romeo and Juliet die in the end? I don't say that, because I know what he's getting at. Still, where is the playboy-jerkface I am starting to get used to? The one who cheats and has a different girl on his arm every period? I want him back, because I hate to admit that I can't control how I felt about this sentimental, non-jerk.
And I am feeling quite a lot. Fuck.
"Uh…okay. Let's do that play then," I agree, trying to keep my newfound emotions in check. I jump off the couch and head to the computer, putting some distance between Austin and I. it doesn't work, however, as he follows right behind me. I can practically feel his excitement eminating off of him and he watches me load the browser and find the play online. Once I have it loaded, I ask Austin without turning, "Which scene do you want to do?"
"The balcony scene," Austin replies, no hesitation in his voice whatsoever. Okay then.
I quickly find Act 2, Scene 2. As I skim it, I realize that the scene was quite long and there was no way I could memorize all those lines, even with a week until the performance date. Austin leans over my shoulder as I'm scrolling, and as if he can read my thoughts, he suddenly points at a line.
"There," he says, his breath swirling my hair into my face, "we can stop there."
"O-okay," I say. Fuck, no stuttering Ally. I busy myself with printing out two copies of the scene and once it slides out of the printer, I hand one copy to Austin. I have a brief moment of indecision as I decide whether to call it a day since we have our play now, or—.
"Do you think we can go over the scene once before calling it quits?" Austin asks, smiling that genuine smile down at me. And there goes my willpower.
"Sure," I sigh, knowing that there's nothing that smile can't give him. We go and sit on the couch again, and Austin takes a minute before starting.
"'He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!'"
Throughout his monologue, Austin doesn't look up from his page, and thank God, because then he would've seen me staring at him open-mouthed. I was positively in awe. Austin didn't even seem to be trying his hardest and he was killing it. He sounded tortured, passionate, and in love.
I could feel myself melting into a puddle on my couch. And we were just starting.
"'O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!'"
Austin looks up all of a sudden, and I realize that it is my turn.
"'Ay me!'" Oh, that sounded pathetic compared to Mr. Poetic over here.
"'She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air."
Austin looks up again, and there's this fire in his eyes that makes him so completely Romeo.
And I am his Juliet.
"'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.'"
"'Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?'"
"' '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. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.'"
I'm breathless as I finish those lines. Take all myself. Take all of me in exchange. This scene suddenly felt too personal, too overwhelming.
I leave the couch for the third time now and Austin jumps in surprise. My eyes meet his, and I freeze as the passion from earlier is still hiding in his brown eyes. He's staring at me with a new intensity that's not all Romeo, but not the Austin I'm used to either. Is this emotion coming from the…other Austin? The non-jerk one?
I stumble back half a step, and our gaze breaks.
"I think that's enough for today," I say, wishing my voice didn't sound as confused as I felt.
"Oh, okay," Austin says, and did he sound almost disappointed, or was it just me?
In silence, we walk back to the front door. It was fully dark outside; I hadn't realized how late Austin had stayed until.
He takes a step outside the door before he turns around to face me. His expression is the non-jerk one, but as if a switch is flipped, his signiture smirk is back.
"Goodnight, Juliet."
Austin walks down the steps and into the darkness, and I close the door.
A second later, I lean back and take a deep breath.
I don't know what to do with the new Austin I've seen today, so until I do…
I'm glad to welcome the playboy back.
Never thought I'd say that.
Since it took me around 4 months to update again, I really hope this chapter met your expectations. Truthfully, this story has hit a crossroads and is now taking a new path that I didn't plan in the beginning. I hope y'all will stay by this story as it goes on a wild adventure.
As always, please review for me.
Thank you.