Hi Everybody. THANKS for your awesome reviews. Really. I think this one's pretty cute, myself. Definitely a throw-back to my first stories. I don't know how many of you have read Romeo and Juliet, but the scene Phil and Keely are practicing is when Romeo and Juliet meet at the party at the Capulets' house in the very beginning. In the Leonardo Dicaprio movie version, they keep hiding in an elevator during this scene to kiss and stuff. Anyway, hope you all like this.

Chapter 2

"Kissing by the Book"

"Phil, I don't even know what all this stuff means," Keel said, staring at the Xeroxed copy of the scene she and Phil had to memorize. She collapsed back into the pillows on her bed. Phil sat across the room in Keely's desk chair. They had come to Keely's house right after school to get in a little practice before Mrs. Teslow got home from work.

"We read this play in ninth grade, Keels, remember?" Phil reminded Keely.

"Um, can you say Cliff's Notes?" Keely said.

"Right. Cliff's Notes," Phil rolled his eyes. "Well, can you remember what happened when Romeo first sees Juliet at the party?"

"Um, it was sort of a love-at-first-sight type deal, right?" Keely asked.

"Yeah," Phil said. "So basically, in this scene, he's trying to kiss her and she's being all coy, but I think she actually likes it…" Phil said.

"So she's flirting with him," Keely said.

"More or less," Phil said. "She's playing hard to get, and he's relentless."

"Okay… so… um, how should we set this up?" Keel asked.

Phil stood and walked to the bed. He held out his hand to Keely. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "I was thinking that since they're at a party, we could set it in a present day high school dance or something."

"Oh, and when Romeo says 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand,' then maybe it could mean how he touches her when they dance!" Keely said, her eyes lighting up.

"Now you're thinking," Phil said. "So, um, maybe…" Phil put his hands lightly on Keely's waist. "Something like this?" Phil had never really been so close to Keely. He pulled her body into his. Their faces were only inches apart. This feels… really… good, Phil thought. Too bad it's fake. Keely stiffened. "Just relax, Keel…" Phil whispered.

"But, I, um, I mean Juliet, probably would be kind of nervous, right?" she asked. She could only concentrate on the gentle pressure Phil placed on her lower back. She prayed that her breath was good. He smells amazing. Are we actually going to do the kissing part? she wondered. Phil smiled at her drowsily. His eyes looked sleepy. Keely didn't know what to do with her hands, so she let them fall softly around Phil's shoulders. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand," Phil said, "This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this…" When Phil said 'This holy shrine' he pulled Keely in even closer, their bellies smashed together, legs, chests. Keely took in a sharp breath, her eyes growing wide. He's only acting, she reminded herself. Only acting.

"Phil—" she said quietly.

"My lips," Phil smiled and licked his lips, staring into Keely's eyes. Keely stared back. I can't believe this is happening, she thought. "Two blushing pilgrims, ready stand"—Phil took a deep breath—"To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Keely thought. She shut her eyes.

"What do I do?" Keely asked. He voice was sort of panicky.

"Keels. Relax," Phil whispered into her ear. "Improvise. What would Juliet do?"

"Um, she'd…" Keely floundered and opened her eyes and looked at Phil. "Um. I don't know."

"Well, what would you do?" Phil asked. "What would Keely do?"

"Say the line again," Keely said.

"My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand," Phil recited again. "To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." This time Phil swallowed hard, shut his eyes, and made a move to kiss Keely. He could practically hear the blood rushing through his ears. He felt weak and powerful at once. He squeezed Keely tightly, as if for dear life. Moving his hands up her back, his finger caught the hem of her t-shirt, and he felt her soft, warm exposed skin. He bumped his nose against hers and turned his head slightly and just when he thought lip contact was about to happen, Keely put a finger between their mouths. Phil opened his eyes and saw Keely smiling.

Phil sighed loudly. "That's exactly what Juliet would do," he said and rolled his eyes. "What a tease." His racing heart screeched to a stop. I almost did it. Acting or not, that felt real. I think that was real, he thought. Was it? He looked at Keely suspiciously.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much," Keely said, grinning sneakily. She reached around her back and took one of Phil's hands, releasing herself from his grasp. "Which mannerly devotion shows in this." Keely grabbed Phil's other hand, and they stood facing each other, holding hands. Phil couldn't stop smiling at Keely. He was enjoying himself. He felt playful suddenly, like a little kid. He tried to lean in and kiss Keely again, but this time she turned her face and he kissed her cheek, just above her jaw. He groaned. "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch," Keely continued. "And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Keely gazed into Phil's eyes. They were close enough that Phil could watch her eyes flit back and forth, almost as if she were studying his own.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Phil asked. He placed a hand on Keely's face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. He saw Keely blush, which thrilled him.

Keely pulled his hand off of her face. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Keely turned her back to Phil. Phil put his hands together and looked up at the ceiling, as if he were praying. Then he grabbed Keely's shoulders and spun her back around.

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." Phil bent down on one knee and pretended to beg Keely. She laughed and touched his head, gently tousling his hair.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Keely said. Phil stood up again and took her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. Keely tried to look away, but something about Phil's gaze prevented her from it.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." After Phil spoke these lines, neither of them said or did anything. They just kept staring at each other.

"Um, so—" Phil said. "Is this, you know, where the real kiss goes?"

"I don't know, Phil," Keely said. "You seem to understand all this stuff. What did the lines mean?"

"It means that he kisses her," Phil said.

"Um, okay…" Keely said. "We were doing pretty well, there—"

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," Phil said his lines again. He took a breath then cupped Keely's face in his hands and leaned in and kissed her lips lightly, barely brushing them with his own. It was the softest sensation Keely had ever experienced, like a feather had fallen on her lips, and it felt so completely natural and real that Keely suddenly forgot where she was and what they were doing—acting. For a moment, she felt dizzy, and she grabbed Phil's wrists with her hands and opened her eyes and looked at him. Phil seemed scared. Vulnerable. Nervous. Did he just feel what I did? Keely wondered. He had to. Come on. Phil? Did you feel that?

"Keels?" Phil asked after a minute.

Keely looked at Phil. How long had she spaced out like that? "Hey," she said, still sort of dazed. She dropped her hands from Phil's wrists.

"You okay?" Phil asked.

"Me?" Keely said, pointing at herself. "I'm great, Phillip. Never better." She shook her head around to snap herself out if whatever trance that kiss had put her under. It was only a little peck, Keely. Get a grip. It didn't mean anything. Come on don't be a total freak. Calm down. Keely thought.

"Okay, then Keels, you have a line," Phil reminded her. Keely turned and picked up the script.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took," Keely said with a confused expression. "Whatever that means."

Phil smiled at her. Keely smiled back and rolled her eyes. "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again," he said.

"Wait—" Keely said. "We have to do it again? Messerschmitt didn't say anything about doing it twice, Phil."

"It says 'again', Keely. Pucker up, buttercup," Phil said. And before Keely had a chance to respond, Phil grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her again. Keely shut her eyes in anticipation, but Phil didn't kiss her. He watched her face. Just watching her this close made him smile. Her nose twitched. She rubbed her lips together. Then she opened one eye.

"What are you doing, weirdo?" she asked him. Phil felt her warm breath on his face.

"Thinking," he said. He blinked. He touched the tip of her nose with the tip of his.

"Thinking?" she said. She looked into his eyes. "About?"

"What to do next. I mean, Romeo was a kid, you know. I don't think he'd be so bold… In fact, I think Juliet probably kissed him, anyway. Romeo tells her to give him his sin again…" Phil said.

"Come on Phil, let's just get it over with. My mom will be home soon," Keely said.

"You get it over with," Phil said, grinning. "I'm waiting."

"Oh God, Phil," Keely said. "Come on."

"What?" Phil was enjoying this. "Now you know what a guy feels like."

"Huh?" Keely said.

"We're the ones who have to initiate all the kissing. It's pretty stressful. So now you, Miss Juliet, can see for yourself. It's agony. Really, it is," Phil said.

"Fine," Keely said. And with her eyes wide open, she kissed Phil hard on the mouth. His lips were slightly parted, as if he was about to say something, and she was afraid maybe she'd accidentally touched his teeth with her tongue. I can't believe I did that, she thought.

I can't believe she did that, Phil thought. "You kiss by the book," he said. He wore a stunned expression. He couldn't believe how much emotion was packed into that kiss. It was almost desperate, it was so hard and fast. I think I felt her tongue on my lips. He really liked it and he really wanted her to do it again. A ripple of goosebumps washed over Phil's arms.

"That's my line, genius," Keely said. Phil let her go. She sat down on her bed. "See, that proves that Romeo is supposed to kiss Juliet. Not the other way around." I'm a terrible kisser. It was too hard. Too fast. Too sloppy. Too frustrating. What is my problem? Phil sat down next to her.

"Hey Keel?" Phil asked after they sat in silence for a couple long minutes. "Are we cool?"

"What do you mean?" Keely asked, staring at the carpet.

"Well, I mean, this kissing stuff?" Phil said. "I mean, it wasn't that bad, huh?" He leaned into her arm and gave her a playful shove.

Keely felt really awkward. She twisted her fingers together. "No," she said. "I, um, haven't exactly kissed anyone since you came here… I'm a little out of practice, I guess."

Phil looked at her from the side. He wanted nothing more than to make things official with Keely. But they were so inexperienced in these matters and had become such close friends that it was a difficult transition. And now they were being forced to kiss each other. On a stage. In front of people. This was no way to get a relationship up and rolling, was it? He couldn't enjoy the kisses when they weren't just for him, when they were required. When they were being graded on them, for crying out loud. "I never thought our first kiss would be like this," Phil said. As soon as he said it he couldn't believe he had. He held his breath. Maybe Keely hadn't heard him. Maybe, please, God, please…

Keely didn't move. Did he just say what I think he said? she thought. She didn't know how to respond. So she didn't. But, timing is everything, the saying goes, and at that exact moment, Keely's mother shouted from the living room that she was home from work. Thank God. Keely looked at Phil. "Don't worry about it, Phil. Really," she whispered. He turned his head and smiled at her. Keely wasn't sure what she meant exactly, but it was a vague enough response to his statement about their first kiss. This kissing today didn't count, she was certain of that. They were just acting. For a school assignment, of all things. She could have just as easily been paired up with another boy. Thank God she hadn't been. It was hard enough kissing her best friend boy who she was secretly in love with. The thought of having to kiss someone she didn't even know was hardly a better deal. All these feeling are just… in the way, she thought. We like each other, right? We do. Then what in the hell are we doing? She wanted to shout it out loud.

"Hi Keely, sweetheart. How was school!" Keely's mother said from the doorway, breaking the tension and silence that had enveloped the room. Phil had an urge to move away from Keely. He sort of leaned away from her on the bed.

"Hi mom, school sucked as usual. Phil's here. We were practicing this play thing for theater class," Keely said. She was really tired all of a sudden. Her brain had been working overtime. "Phil's just leaving. Right Phil?" She glanced at Phil. He looked startled.

"Um, I guess?" he said. It sounded like a question.

Keely grabbed his hand and led him out of her room and past her mother into the kitchen. Keely needed to be alone. To think about all this. She had kissed her best friend today. Twice. And it was confusing, to say the least. "I'm sorry, Phil…" she said. "I just…" she looked up at him for something. She didn't now what. Some sign that told her he understood. There was a glimmer in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings by ushering him out like this. She was just overwhelmed.

"Um, okay…" he mumbled. "You're sure? I mean, Keels, I'm… I'm sorry." He looked at the floor.

"It's not you, Phil…" Keely said. "Sometimes I just feel weird and I need to think and kind of be alone. You know what I mean?"

"I think I do Keel," Phil said. He smiled. But it was like an "It's okay" smile. Not an "I'm really happy and excited" smile. Keely liked that. She gave him one back and punched him softly on the shoulder. "So, walk you to school tomorrow?" Phil asked.

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning, mister," Keely said. They were good. That's why she was in love with Phil Diffy. He just got her. He got her better than any person ever had. "Bye."

"Bye," Phil said. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the kitchen, onto the back porch, and down the steps. What just happened? he thought. The more I'm with her, the more confused I feel. But the more I'm with her, the more I fall for her. He didn't know how he was going to get through the next few days. It was some kind of cruel joke, kissing Keely for a theater assignment. Can my life get any worse? he thought. Then there was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. It can always get worse. By the time Phil got to his house, he was completely drenched. And cold. And shivering.