Quotes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. love that play...

November 16th 2009

They were about a month into the school year, and school was taking its toll on Buffy. Her goal to memorize the periodic table was failing, geometry was trying to strangle her, and Mr. Pratt made Romeo and Juliet seem too intense. She guessed it was supposed to be intense, it was Romeo and Juliet, but he made them think so hard about every line in the play. A few days ago they started on Shakespeare; this apparently was his favourite author. Every day, they auditioned and everyone had roles for the day. Today Xander was Romeo, and Buffy was Juliet.

The two teens stood on the tops of the desks and everyone else looked up at the two, Xander doing his best to try and convey the emotion in his lines. He looked up every so often from his book as he spoke,

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blush-"

Xander stopped mid-line and looked at Spike, "Mr. Pratt… I can't do this scene… Maybe I can pull off being the amazing Mercurcio, but this sappy romance crap is too much…" Xander stepped down from the desk and sat next to Anya, leaving Buffy alone atop the desks.

Spike sighed and looked around, "Anyone else wanna be Romeo?" No one spoke up, "Fine…" Spike hopped up on the desk, and without the aid of a book began reciting the lines,

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

Buffy blushed and looked down at her book, feeling quite inadequate since he seemed to have the book memorized,

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

Spike smirked and took a step closer to Buffy, that bubble that had formed so long ago at the Bronze suddenly returned,

Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

Buffy looked down at her book, then back up,

Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

The entire class had gone completely silent as they watched the two. Spike had definably fallen into the role of Romeo with ease,

O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Buffy began blushing after he said that line; she glanced down quickly to read her own line,

Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

Spike had moved across the desks by now and was now standing in front of Buffy,

Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

This is where the entire room stopped breathing, the kissing scene, Spike hadn't thought ahead for this one. Quietly the class started chanting "Kiss Kiss Kiss" and Buffy began blushing uncontrollably. Spike looked around, the bubble Buffy and him were in was just popped as the class grew louder. Quickly before they disturbed any surrounding classes he stepped off of the table, "Quiet! We're done for the day… return to your seats…"

Spike went to the white board, his back to the class as he pushed away the flush he knew was creeping up his neck; he pulled out his expo marker and held his hand up trying think of something to write. Suddenly the bell rang, "Thank god…" he said to himself as everyone filed out of the class.

Buffy sat during lunch in the courtyard of the school, reading Romeo and Juliet, but she still wasn't getting it. "I'm just gonna have to go in after school or something…" She said not looking up from the two lines she has been trying to figure out for the last 15 minutes.

"That's gonna suck sooooo much…" Cordelia said as she looked up from her lunch.

By the end of the day Buffy was tired of school, but she had to get some understanding of the play. So she bid her friends goodbye and went towards Mr. Pratt's room. When she got there she opened the door to the dark classroom, for a moment she was almost relieved, and then she noticed the light in his office was on. Quietly she closed the door and forced herself to his office; quietly she knocked on the door and opened it.

Spike looked up to see Buffy walk into his office, He smiled, "Buffy… what can I do for ya…" asked as he shuffled some papers together in an attempt to tidy up his desk.

She sat down at the chair in front of his desk and started digging through her bag, finally pulling out her book and setting it on the desk, "I don't get it…"

"You don't get what?" He asked as he picked up the book and begun thumbing through it.

"Well I'm at the whole balcony scene and its soooo much to take in, like why can't he just say, 'I love you, Juliet' and kiss her…" Buffy explained her confusion.

Spike chuckled, "Because that's not Shakespeare's style, pet…" He neglected to see Buffy blush as he spoke, still looking through the book, "Okay… this scene Romeo leaves his friends to find Juliet… he finds her and tells about how much he loves her. Then she starts talking about…" By now Buffy had zoned out, she was tuck staring at Spike's eyes. Even through the dance and the kissing scene she had never seen his eyes. She was transfixed on them and missed almost everything Spike had said, "Pretty soon though she starts trying to send him away as her nurse starts calling for her. They have a couple in and out from various windows and Juliet leaves…"

There was a long pause between the two as Buffy still stared, "Are you alright, pet?" Spike asks.

Suddenly Buffy snapped out of her little world and blushed, caught in the act. "I ummm… I'm fine… I just…" She leaned over the desk and snatched the book from Spike, "need to go home…"

Spike stood up as she practically bolted for the door, "You sure?" she stopped and turned around, "I was just about to head out… and I drove my car today… could drop you off?" He knew he sounded like a 15 year old boy, but he felt safer if she had a ride.

Buffy thought hard for a moment, she knew it was a bad idea, but she really hated walking. Especially walking home to an empty house since her mom was at the gallery for the night. "Okay…" she finally said.

"Right… ummm… let me…" Spike scrambled around his room, grabbing various papers and books, then shoved them all into his bag. "Okay… lets go…" he started walking towards the door then quickly turned around, "To drive the car we need the keys…" He said out loud as he picked them up from his desk.

Buffy giggled and walked out to the hall, and waited as Spike locked the door behind him. It seemed like the longest walk to the front of the school Buffy had ever experienced. A thick silence formed between them, it was awkward and deafening. Once they reached his car, he unlocked the passenger's side then walked around to the driver's side.

He started the car as Buffy settled herself in and buckled up, "And we're off!" Spike said as they pulled out of the parking lot.