Author's note: Thanks for everyone who's reviewed chapter one. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Metroid13: Thanks for taking time to read and critique. I go to a small school, and we don't have a specified "drama" department, so we do things through the English class. Sorry if it confused you. And the Firefly reference was just supposed to be for humor.

LittleAlbatross: Love your pen name. Sorry, no singing or dancing in this chapter, though I'm glad you got the HSM reference. :)

ThanosofTitan: Cameron isn't a normal highschooler, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't had any experience with locker thieves. Besides, the only people she told the combination to were John and Riley.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Terminator.

Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo?

John sat at his desk, arms crossed, as Ms. Darbus began to list the cast for Romeo and Juliet. "Romeo will be played by John Baum," she recited, "with Jason Reynolds as his understudy. Juliet will be played by Ms. Riley, with Ms. Phillips as the understudy…"

John didn't hear anything else. He was going to be Romeo, with Riley as his Juliet. He couldn't gauge Cameron's reaction.

Ms. Darbus walked up to John. "Now, I know you didn't want this role, and I've heard you have a very…overprotective mother."

John held back a laugh. "More like obsessive," he muttered.

"That being the case, I have decided that there will not be a kiss scene," Ms. Darbus said. Jason Reynolds overheard her.

"What?" he demanded. "But it's Romeo and Juliet. Where's the fun in that?"

"We will be having a fake kiss," Ms. Darbus stated calmly. John raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean?

"We will have Romeo and Juliet positioned so that the audience will not be able to tell they are faking," Ms. Darbus said. "I don't want any issues with parents." She glanced over at John. "Especially not yours. Now, rehearsals will be after school Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Your scripts will be waiting for you then."

**********

"You're in a what?!" Sarah demanded.

"A play," John repeated. "Romeo and Juliet." He saw Derek roll his eyes. "I had to!" he protested. "It's either this or I fail English. Your choice."

"It's not like he needs English," Derek pointed out. "What with the world ending and all that."

John nodded emphatically. "See, that's exactly what I thought!"

"Derek, shut up," Sarah ordered. "As long as he can, I want John to have a normal life. If that includes school…and plays…so be it."

Derek rolled his eyes once more. "So who's Juliet?"

"Riley," John said.

Derek smirked and Sarah frowned disapprovingly.

"Don't worry," John said, trying to placate his mother. "There won't even be a kissing scene."

"But it's Romeo and Juliet," Derek said. "Even I know what that is. It's a love story. With lots of death."

"Sounds like your kind of play," Sarah muttered.

Derek shrugged, not bothering to deny it.

"It'll still look like a kiss," John explained. "But we're going to be angled so you can't tell. Don't worry." He hesitated. "And don't, like, jump up on stage at any time, especially when I'm fake sword fighting." He directed the comment at Derek.

Derek scowled and glanced at Cameron. "Is tin miss in the play, too?"

"I'm Juliet's understudy," Cameron stated bluntly.

"Great," Derek muttered to John. "You better hope Riley doesn't get sick…or miss emotional will ruin your little play."

Cameron cocked her head to the side, detecting his sarcasm. "I am capable of producing emotions."

"A metal Juliet," Derek smirked. "Yeah, I'd like to see that."

**********

A few weeks had passed, and John was still trying to learn his lines. It was times like these where he envied Cameron. She's read the script through once, and recited the entire thing back to him word for word.

Machines, he thought with a sigh. Can't live with them. Can't live without them. Though I could certainly do without Cromartie…

Cameron was simply watching him as he read over Romeo's dying lines.

"I think I would be a more believable Juliet than Riley," she said.

John sighed, slapping the script down onto the table. "How is that?"

"I would be able to actually stab myself with the dagger," she replied.

"Yes, but you can't do that," John tried to explain patiently. "People would freak out and you'd blow our cover. That kind of wound kills normal people. In case you haven't read that far, Juliet does die."

"I know all about Romeo and Juliet," Cameron replied. "I can recite the entire play from my memory bank."

"Yeah, I know," John mumbled. "Fine, how about you practice Juliet's final lines. In case Riley actually does get sick."

Cameron launched into a remarkably well spoken performance, "O happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust and let me die!"

John was taken by surprise at the emotion she had projected into the lines. "That was…actually really good." Maybe a metal Juliet wouldn't be so bad after all...

"I told you," Cameron said bluntly.

John felt inclined to agree.

*********

During rehearsal the next week, Riley studied the dress she was going to be wearing as Juliet. Next to her, Jessica Duncan was modeling her "Lady Capulet" attire.

"So what's with the fake kiss?" Jessica asked, adjusting her hair in the mirror.

"Ms. Darbus doesn't want any issues," Riley said, rolling her eyes. "We're supposed to be positioned so that John's back is to the audience and they won't be able to tell the difference."

"Why should it matter if you kiss?" Jessica questioned. "You and John are practically dating anyway."

"We would be if not for his psycho-adopted sister and control-freak mother," Riley replied with a scowl.

"You could totally switch it onstage," Jessica advised with a conspiratorial grin. "Just position yourself so he has to turn sideways to the audience. Then you'll have to kiss to make it look realistic."

Riley smiled thoughtfully. "That would definitely make this whole drama more interesting. I mean, what's Romeo and Juliet without the kiss?"

"Besides," Jessica added. "John's really cute and this is a great way to get to him without his weirdo family."

Riley nodded and smiled. "That's not a bad idea."

She didn't see Cameron Phillips listening in from outside the door.

********

When the night of the performance arrived, Cameron was putting on Juliet's costume as Riley entered the dressing room. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm here; you didn't need to get in your costume."

Cameron didn't respond until she had finished adjusting the dress. "Ms. Darbus wants you to go get the retractable dagger from the props closet," she stated.

Riley frowned. "She didn't grab it already?"

"No," Cameron said. "I was supposed to tell you earlier."

Riley scowled. She was beginning to realize just how much damage those brain experiments had done to John's "adopted" sister.

Finally she sighed. "Fine. I'll go get it, though I don't see why you couldn't have. You aren't even performing tonight…"

Cameron silently followed Riley to the props closet, making sure that the other girl did not hear her. When Riley entered, Cameron quickly closed the door and locked it, wedging a chair under the handle just in case Riley was stronger than she looked.

Cameron allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction and pulled out the retractable dagger from where it had been hidden in her sleeve. She heard Riley's protests from inside the closet and ignored them.

Juliet was needed on the set.

author's note: This chapter is more of an leading up to the actual drama, which is in the next chapter. Don't worry, there's more John/Cam coming.