Hey, sorry about the wait. Christmas and all. Anyway, they're finally undercover. Still no reviews. Happy reading!

Chapter 5

"Okay, listen up everyone!" The director walked out to center stage. Kelvin Greene was about Shawn's height with sandy blond hair and an extremely pale complexion. He looked down at the rest of the cast and crew, who were sitting in the auditorium. "This is Scott Winslow and Rachel Steward. They're hear to replace Zach and Ashley as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. I've been assured by their previous theaters that they're the best."

"I thought we were canceling the performances," a balding man who had recently had laser eye surgery judging by the glasses impressions on his nose bridge called from the second row.

"Not canceling," Kelvin answered. "Delaying, until these two know the script."

"It this going to affect the rehearsal schedule for Wicked?" asked a woman who straightened her hair far too often.

"Auditions for Wicked will be in February as scheduled," Kelvin replied.

"What about Mr. Donahue?" asked a man who, from the looks of it, had had his left ear pierced until the earring had been ripped out. "Did he approve this?"

"Yes," Kelvin answered. "In fact, he'll be down this afternoon to meet Scott and Rachel for himself. He likes to meet all of his actors," Kelvin added, turning to Shawn and Juliet, both of whom nodded, even though they were fairly certain that this was not the reason he was coming to meet them.

"Let's see a demonstration," called a boy who had clearly just gotten his braces off because of how he was running his lips over his teeth. Kelvin turned to them.

"Do you have anything prepared?" he asked quietly. Shawn and Juliet looked at each other.

"Romeo and Juliet!" Shawn suddenly exclaimed.

"Right," Juliet replied. "We were both in productions of Romeo and Juliet," she explained to Kelvin.

"Good, go," he said, starting to move towards the curtain.

"What scene should we do?" Juliet whispered to Shawn.

"The balcony scene, of course," Shawn answered.

"Shawn," Juliet sighed.

"Fine," Shawn replied. "How about Act I, scene V?"

"Shawn," Juliet repeated.

"Come on, Jules," Shawn said. "If we expect these people to take us seriously as actors, we have to show them something convincing."

"Fine," Juliet sighed. "The balcony scene."

"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" Shawn began, turning to face Juliet, who had stepped up onto a stack of wooden planks that had been left on stage by the set crew. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

As Shawn continued, Juliet scanned the crowd. She noticed that the cast seemed to sit on one side, while the crew sat on the other. "Aye me!" she said when Shawn paused.

"She speaks," Shawn gasped. "O, speak again, bright angel!" He continued, beginning another smaller monologue.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" She called when it was her turn. "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?" he said, turning away from Juliet to portray an aside.

"'Tis a name that is my enemy," Juliet began. "Thou art thyself, not a Montague." She began her first short speech, Shawn, all the while, watching from below. "Take all myself," she finished. Shawn stepped up onto the stack of wood, and Juliet took a step back in surprise. Shawn noticed.

"Calm down, Jules," he whispered. "I take thee at thy word," he continued more loudly. "Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo."

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night," Juliet said. "So stumblest on my counsel?"

"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am," Shawn answered. "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee; had I it written, I would tear the word."

"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound," Juliet said. "Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"

"Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike," Shawn replied.

"Who camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?" Juliet asked. "The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here."

"With love's light wings I did o'er-perch these walls," Shawn said, moving closer. "For stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt; therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me."

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee," Juliet whispered loudly, taking a step back."

"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords," Shawn said. "Look thou but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity."

"I would not for the world they saw thee here," Juliet replied.

"I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight; and but thou love me, let them find me here," Shawn said, slipping his arm around Juliet's shoulders. "My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."

"By who's direction found'st thou out this place?" Juliet asked.

"By love, who first did prompt me to inquire; he lent me counsel and I lent him eyes," Shawn explained, moving his face much closer to Juliet's. "Calm down," he repeated when her felt her stiffen. "It needs to look convincing. I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far as that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea, I would adventure for such merchandise," he finished.

"That's all we have time for," Kelvin interrupted, hurrying back onto the stage as the cast started to break into scattered applause,. "Let's start…let's just start from the beginning and see how far we get, okay people? Let's move."

"I thought that went well," Shawn said, letting go of Juliet.

"Yeah, real well," she replied sarcastically. "Next time, I'm choosing the scene.

"What, Jules? It worked," Shawn said quietly as she started to walk away. "We're in."

She looked back over her shoulder to acknowledge she'd heard him, but continued to walk, leaving him alone at center stage.