Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful Shakespearean play mentioned.
Recap: "Yeah. We're best friends, always have been, and always will be," Taylor stated proudly.
And after he said that, I just couldn't figure out why it felt like my heart was breaking into a million pieces.
3. First Day
The five minute bell rang, and I looked at Mia and sighed, "Well, that's my cue. Guess I better get going." As I started to head off, Taylor grabbed my arm.
"What class are you going to?"
"Bio. You?"
We started walking, and he replied, "Physics. Joy oh, joy."
I laughed. "Hah, yeah. Have fun with that one."
He chuckled along with me. "Yeah, thanks. What's your schedule?"
"First is Bio, second-English, third-Theater II, lunch, fourth-PE, and fifth is Spanish," I replied.
He smiled his gorgeous, brilliant smile and said, we have third, fourth, fifth, and lunch together."
"Hey, that's good, now you won't be all alone for lunch without anyone to protect you from all the swarming fangirls with raging teenage hormones!" I said sarcastically.
He smiled and lightly pushed me. "Shut up," he mumbled.
I laughed again. "Hey, it's not my fault you're a big-shot Hollywood heartthrob. That was all you, babe." He smiled as I said the nickname that we used for each other before he moved. I don't really know when it started, but at some point in time, we just started calling each other 'babe' as a joke, and it stuck around, I guess.
"Yeah, I guess…" he trailed off thoughtfully. The two minute bell rang, and we both mumbled muted goodbye's as we headed off in separate directions to our first hours.
I got to my biology class and I couldn't shake my mind off anything that wasn't about Taylor. And lucky me, there was a CAAP test that day! Woohoo. Great. Nothing like failing a test because I couldn't stop thinking about some boy. Just lovely.
"Aria, you okay?" my friend Anna asked.
Her voice broke me out of my trance, and I jumped slightly. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I-I'm fine," I replied.
"You sure?"she pressed.
"Yeah. Don't worry about me."
"Okay…" she said skeptically, and finally the bell rang.
I jolted out of the room, and on my way to my English class, and was plagued with more thoughts of Taylor. His smile, his eyes, his laugh, his hair… his muscles. I thought he looked buffed up in pictures, man, in person his muscles were only more pronounced.
I got to English—my favorite class—and was only able to concentrate because we had to act out scenes from Romeo and Juliet as we read through it. Romeo and Juliet was my favorite Shakespearean play, and I loved to act, so it's only natural that I would get really into it. I was getting really hungry, though.
"Alright, class! Don't forget to memorize your monologues to recite! We will be presenting on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!" my teacher said over the ringing release bell.
Finally. It was third hour and Theatre. I could eat. I was always starving by third hour, so when I would get seated in the auditorium, I would take out my pop tarts and eat. The teacher didn't mind, and a bunch of other kids ate, too. Also, and I kept trying to convince myself that it wasn't why I was excited more than usual for third hour, I would get to see Taylor again.
God, I'm acting crazy! I thought. I've only known him my whole life, and now, all of a sudden, I—what?—like him?
When I entered the auditorium, it was empty as always. I was always the first one in there. I took my usual seat in the front row, and pulled out my snack and started to eat, as more people started filing in from all of the entrances.
I had finished my snack, and gotten up on the stage to socialize with my friends when Taylor walked in. The whole room went silent as he walked down to the front row. I continued talking with my friend David who was—like Taylor—a Junior, and one of my other friends, Andy, came up behind me, and picked me up.
I screamed, and thrashed around, trying to get him to let go of me. "Andy, put me down!" I yelled. All my friends in the room started laughing as I scowled in his general direction, since I couldn't see him.
"Nah, I don't think I will. You'll just kill me if I put you down. I find it easier to keep your feet off the ground," Andy laughed.
I huffed. "You're EVIL!" then I turned my attention to David, who was standing in front of me, laughing his ass off. "David, help!" I whined.
His laughing ceased, but the smile never left his face as he said, "Andy, dude, come on, put her down."
Andy sighed jokingly, "Fine…" and he set me down on me feet.
I immediately pushed myself away from him, gave him an evil, but joking glare, and jumped off the stage right in front of Taylor.
"Hey," I smiled.
"Hey," he returned the greeting. "What was that all about?" he nodded his head toward Andy and David, who were currently trying to judge who's biceps were bigger as they flexed.
I sighed. "Daily routine." He gave me a disbelieving look. "No, seriously. That happens every day. Andy does something to me, I pout, and David helps me. And then they try to one up each other."
"They pick on you every day?" he asked incredulously.
"Yup." I popped the 'P'.
"Why?"
"Well, you see, because," I pointed to David, "Junior," I pointed to Andy, "Sophomore," and I pointed to myself, "Freshman."
He contemplated my explanation and smirked at me. "I'm a Junior. Does that mean that I get to pick on you, too?"
"No. You picked on me enough when we were kids," I answered.
He laughed. "Fair enough. I'll just be your protector, then ."
I nodded. "Sounds good."
"Alright, I need the student director on the stage! We will start auditions for our class play today!" my teacher projected as she walked in. She passed out scripts for our play.
Kate, our director ascended the stairs to the stage, and stood confidently in front of the whole class. "Okay. Now, I know this is pretty clichéd, especially for a Theater class, but based on the class' acting abilities, Mrs. Johnson and I have agreed that Romeo and Juliet would be the best play for this class. Now, it's going to be difficult, but a challenge will only make you stronger. So, with that said, we'll start the auditions. Hmm… Lexi, why don't you come up here and go first?" she stated.
Kate left the stage and took a seat in the front row while Lexi, a freshman girl with short hair, walked up the stairs to the stage.
"Okay, I want you to read for Juliet. Recite Juliet's 'O Romeo' speech."
"Okay," Lexi said. She opened her script, and began. Now, Lexi's one of my friends, and I love her, even though she can be a little crazy sometimes and it scares me, but that's beside the point. When I see her act, or hear her recite lines, I'm just not convinced. She finished, and Kate mumbled a 'thank you' as she jotted down notes on a paper in front of her.
If all the girls had to recite that monologue, I'd be in luck. That was my monologue for English class. Next, my friend Brittany went, and she was really good. She'd always been a really good actress.
A few more girls went, some good, some bad, but it was my turn next.
"Aria, you're up," Kate said.
As I was getting up from my seat, Taylor pushed me slightly, so I turned back to him, and stuck my tongue out at him and he just laughed. I shook my head as I ascended the stairs and stood center stage.
"Alright, Aria, anytime you're ready, you can start," Kate said.
"Okay," I replied and started.
"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.
'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 finished.
I had poured everything I had into that monologue, trying desperately to get the part, and luckily, everyone in the audience looked amazed. I hoped that was a good sign. I then looked to Taylor and at first he looked stunned, and then his eyes met mine, and his face burst into a bright smile, which I gladly returned.
Kate was writing some things down on her paper, and as I started to head off the stage and back to my seat, she said, "Thank you, Aria."
I returned to my seat, and Taylor nudged me with his elbow. "Missy, you never told me that you could act," he accused jokingly.
I smirked at him and replied, "You never told me that you were going to bulk up massively for a role." He was about to defend his role as Jacob Black, so I added on, "Not that I'm saying it's not a fun role, I'm just saying that you never told me. And if I couldn't act, why would I be in a Theater class?" I gestured to the area around us.
More auditions for Juliet were going on as we were conversing quietly. "Um… maybe to learn how to act, because you look up to me so much," he popped his collar, and I tried so hard not to laugh. It didn't work, but I didn't laugh loudly.
"Ah, yeah. Sure. That's why I took a theater class. Because I just look up to you so much," I said sarcastically.
"Yep. I'm positive that's the reason. Anyway, what else don't I know about you anymore?" he asked.
Kate then stood up, successfully getting all of our attention and began, "Okay. That's all the girls, we will now hold the auditions for Romeo. Um, Taylor. Why don't you go first and show the rest of them how it's done?" she joked.
Taylor shrugged. "Alright."
I looked at him, and he looked back at me. "I'll tell you when you get back from being a lovesick Italian puppy," I joked.
He sighed dramatically. "Whatever…"