"What- You- What do you- You- What?" Charlie spluttered, but Pace was already walking towards the door, leaving her alone in the dormitory.

"What was that?" she wondered breathlessly, making her way into her room. "Why did he do that? Why would he- kiss me?"

For the longest time, Charlie lay on her bed, bewilderedly clutching Lilly and trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"He wasn't being nice," she decided at last. "He was just trying to mess with me because he's still mad about Printz. Printz!" Charlie gasped. "I'm supposed to meet him soon!"

Rushing about as quickly as she could, she grabbed her play script and began getting ready.

"Stupid jerk Pace," she huffed as she brushed her hair. "Trying to get me all flustered. Well, it's not going to work," she added, clasping on her necklace and heading back to the common room. "I have much more important things to think about," she told herself, sitting down and opening her script. "Like my lines. And my date. Yes. Much more important things."

Charlie took a deep breath and began to look over her script, but as Romeo kissed Juliet, her mind soon trailed back to Pace.

"Stupid jerk!" she repeated. "I'll show you!" she grinned, getting back up and retrieving her nightlight from the twins' room. "Hahaha!" she smirked as she replaced the bright light back in the outlet in her and Pace's room. "Let's see how you like that!" she laughed, but just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, Charlize," Printz smiled down at her. "You ready?"

"Absolutely," said Charlie, stepping into the hall.

"What about your script?" asked Printz.

"Oh. Oops," Charlie limpingly hurried to get her script from where she had left it on the sofa and rejoined him in the hall.

"Sorry. I would have grabbed that for you but I don't really think I should go back in there..." Printz frowned.

"Yeah. Some people in Athens aren't very friendly," Charlie said spitefully.

"Oh well," shrugged Printz. "Shall we?" he went on, pulling Charlie's arm around his shoulders as he had down the previous night.

However, as he began to assist her down the corridor, Charlie's mind suddenly returned to Pace's piggy-back.

"Ugh! This is totally ruining my time with Printz. I bet this is exactly what Pace wanted," Charlie tried to shake the thought from her mind as they continued down the hall. "Printz is actually nicely helping me down the hall without saying anything mean. Although Pace's way of helping me was a little easier on my foot... Ah! Stop it!" Charlie pushed away the memory of Pace carrying her to the dorm and focused back on Printz.

"So, have you been practicing your lines?" Printz asked her when they had made it to the stage to rehearse.

"Mmhmm," Charlie nodded and opened her script. 

"Me too," grinned Printz. "And I gotta say, I'm really excited to try out this scene today."

"Uh-huh..." Charlie gulped, suddenly recalling which scene they were supposed to practice.

"Why don't you lie down there and I'll start my lines," Printz pointed to the bier where the character of Juliet would receive her kiss from Romeo.

"Okay..." Charlie nervously laid upon the platform as Printz began to recite his part.

His acting was smooth and believable, but when he reached his final lines, he began to lean closely above Charlie.

"...with a righteous kiss..." he whispered, leaning even closer yet, coming in for the kiss.

However, just before his lips could touch Charlie's, to her shock, her mind began to imagine Pace moving near her, not Printz- and instead of receiving his kiss, she jumped up with a squeak and hobbled towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Printz called after her, but Charlie had already left the theatre and was hurrying down the hall.

"Stupid Pace!" she breathed. "He's ruining everything!"