Chapter 19 - Will

    "You can't tell me what to do anymore, Dad!" Analise roared, shaking her head in disappointment. Toby and I watched on from side stage, between the curtains. She was playing her part as the irate daughter well.

"You will not disrespect me in this house, Darcy! You live under my roof, you live by my rules!" Tommy yelled just as loud, playing her dad. It was kind of funny to me that the guy so blatantly in love with her was playing her dad, but I kept it to myself. He looked awkward playing the part, a fake mustache placed above his lip, and I know that he wasn't thrilled about playing her dad.

Analise dramatically shrugged her shoulder, taking two steps back. Her hand hovered over the prop gun she was about to use, but not in an obvious way. "Then I'll move out."

Tommy ran towards Analise, lunging for her before she lifted the gun, pointing it at Tommy and the sound of gunshots came over the speakers. Tommy fell to the ground, clutching his chest, and the lights to the stage turned off.

Toby and I jogged out onto the stage, taking our places and facing each other.

I looked out into the crowd of people, before looking back at Toby, who was playing my best friend in this play. "I love her."

"But why?" Toby asked, completely in character. "You can't be with her, you're wasting your time! Her father-"

I sighed dramatically, hitting my hand on the table in front of me. "Her father killed mine."

The crowd gasped and I had to seal my lips together to not laugh at their reaction. I couldn't believe people were enjoying this play, written by a high schooler. It was called Our Forbidden Love and it was actually a disturbing play. But so was Romeo and Juliet, and they taught that in school, so I guess I couldn't be too surprised.

Toby's eyes widened, and he looked all around himself dramatically before stage whispering, "Does she know that?"

I shook my head. "I don't have the heart to break hers. I love her too much."

"Wow, Victor, she must be something if you love her so much. I always thought Darcy was weird."

I thought about Analise, who played Darcy, and a genuine smile crossed my face. She reminded me a lot of the character she played. Different, closed off, and of course beautiful, since they were the same person. "She's... different. But a good different."

Sound effects of gunshots rang out, and as we were supposed to, Toby and I got under the table on the stage. They turned the lights on stage off, giving us enough time to switch places with Analise and Tommy. Analise passed me as she was running off stage, and I caught her arm, giving her a small smile. "You've got this, Annie."

She nodded in thanks, giving me a chaste hug before heading off stage, Tommy in tow. He was glowering at me, and instead of sinking back into the shadows like I normally would, I stood my ground, straightening out and looking him in the eyes. The upcoming scene was the kissing scene, and I knew Tommy was less than happy about it.

"Make it short and sweet, Gryer," Tommy warned.

I chuckled lightly. "This conversation? You got it. The kiss? No thank you."

Tommy took two long strides towards me, raising his fist but the theater teacher walked in front of him before he could do anything to me, ushering him towards the stage and chastising him. I would have been scared, but I was so sick of Tommy I could scream. He treated Analise like she was his property or something, and she wasn't. She was her own person.

I peeked out the side of the curtain just as the stage lights came back on and Tommy was laying sprawled on the ground, fake blood everywhere. There was a couch instead of a table this time. Analise was crouched next to him, a gun beside her with a shocked expression on her face. She looked adorable.

"Dad! I'm so sorry, Dad, I-"

I ran in then, putting a hand on Analise's shoulder, telling her it was okay. She faked a couple tears, although they looked very real. "It's okay," I said into her hair. It smelled like flowers. "We heard the gunshots. What happened?"

"I killed him," she sobbed into my chest, yelling. "I killed my dad! We were talking about you and he attacked me!"

I tilted her chin up so that she could look at me, "You did what you had to do."

This was it. This was the long anticipated kissing scene we had both been so nervous for. I looked into her brown eyes, seeing apprehension, and I glanced down at her lips. I yearned to kiss those plump pink lips. I started leaning in, my heart beating out of my chest with force. I was finally going to be able to kiss her.

I've never kissed anyone.

But she didn't want her first kiss to be like this, on a stage in front of a hundred people.

I just want it to be with someone special to me, and I haven't found that person yet.

She wanted it to be special.

You're the first person who's made me feel like a person worth getting to know.

I looked into her brown eyes, seeing apprehension.

I couldn't do this to her. We were so close by this point I could feel her warm breath fanning my lips, the smell of flowers and strawberry gum invading my senses. I couldn't take her first kiss like this. In a very last millisecond decision, I turned my head, kissing the cheek on the side of the audience so it looked like we were kissing to them, but we weren't. I lingered, staring into her confused and appreciative eyes, so that it looked like a long kiss. After we broke apart, the crowd roared in applause, and Analise just stared at me in curiosity and... rejection?

I leaned close to her ear, whispering, "Believe me when I say I wanted to kiss you. I wanted to kiss you so bad." I paused, shaking my head and smiling a little to myself. "But you deserve to have your first kiss the way you want to."