Draft Number 1: (So, completely unedited/ no revisions yet, so it's a very rough draft)

Warning: Slight language

This is the last of Act 1! So from here, it progresses very fast :D Tbh, this chapter itself is a biggg jump from what usually happens in these parts.

For anyone who was reading through, I made a major addition to chapter 1 and finished chapter 4!

"Julie!" her brother yelled from outside her room. "Your alarm went off twice, and it's literally still going off!"

She groaned, pulling the blankets off of herself and turning off the irritating alarm on her phone. She straightened her back, putting her arms above her head to stretch out her rigid spine.

Today was the day.

With another morning grumble, she stepped off of her bed, slowly treading down the carpeted stairs. Jayden was at the table arranging a small sandwich for himself before heading out. He grinned at the sight of his sister, putting down the butter knife he was holding.

"Look who decided to wake up."

"Oh, shut up," she told him, walking over to the cabinets to grab a bowl for her cereal.

"I think you're forgetting something, Jules."

"What?"

He gestured to her face, and she ran back up to her room to brush her teeth. Jayden paused for a moment to take in the silence of the house. He had already gotten word that Rowan was going to show up, but for once, he wasn't against it. Julie came back down, looking slightly more refreshed than before.

"Hey," he started. She looked back at her brother as she slowly opened the pantry. "If you're going with Rowan, don't let Pierre know. I think he's changed."

"Um, thank you?" she said, setting the container down. He grabbed his bag and walked out the door to their dad who was waiting for him.

Julie's phone rang in the pocket of her sweats, and she took it out to see that it was Nessa.

"What's up?" she asked, stumbling to the fridge.

"What are you doing right now? Weren't we supposed to meet up an hour ago?"

"Crap, I forgot."

"Clearly," Julie could practically see her rolling her eyes, laughing at her forgetfulness. "Anyway, get here as soon as possible. I have something for you."

"What is it?" she asked, her voice lined with curiosity.

"You'll see, Jules. Now, get out of your house!"

"Ok, ok," she mumbled, running to the door in her pajamas. Nessie's house was just across the street, so she ran through the empty roads, getting to her house within a minute. She knocked on the door heavily, still partially asleep.

Vanessa opened the door as if she was waiting by it for her arrival.

"Welcome, your majesty. Would I like to know when you woke up on this fine day?"

"You don't want to know, Nessa."

"I assumed," she said, opening the door completely to let her in. She grinned, messing up her sleepy friend's hair as she walked in. Julie swatted her hand away playfully, letting out a small smile. Her feet walked to Nessa's room without any instruction since she'd done this thousands of times.

Without hesitation, she opened the overly decorated door, jumping onto the bed as she did every time she went there. Her friend shook her head in sarcastic disapproval, sitting next to Julie. She sat up to see Nessa's face, waiting expectantly.

"What did you get for me?"

She grabbed one of the flowers out of the vase on her vanity without hesitation, handing it to Julie. She took it slowly, questioning why she had been called over for a simple rose.

"For your dress," she explained. "I thought it would match if we put in your hair or something."

"You know me so well, Nessie."

"Of course I do. I'm amazing."

"On the other hand..." she said. "I don't like roses anymore."

"Oh shut up!" Vanessa laughed, gently pushing her friend away.

...

Micah ran a lint-roller over Rowan's suit every two seconds, repeatedly checking for any imperfections. He stepped back when he thought his job was done, proud of himself. Ben came in with a rose, stuffing it in the front pocket of the jacket.

"Is this really necessary?" Rowan asked, tugging the tie at every opportunity he got.

"Of course it is, don't be ridiculous," Micah told him, ignoring his constant complaints about his clothing. "What time is it?" he asked Ben.

"Almost time to go," he muttered. "You two take forever."

"It's called preparation, Ben. Ever heard of it? Now, we should probably get going or we're going to be late."

"Right..." Rowan mumbled. "Can I at least know who the girl is?"

"You'll find out," he said simply. "Start the car. I'll join you in a moment."

Ben nodded affirmatively, sprinting out the door to the garage. He opened the door, making the entire room rumble with the sounds of the gears turning.

"You'll love her. I swear."

"What do I get if you're wrong?"

"I'll throw myself out the window if it makes you feel better," he said, his tone completely serious. "But I'm confident."

"Sure..." Rowan told him, walking out to follow Ben who was waiting in the passenger seat.

"You'll thank me later!" he yelled out as his friend walked out of the room. "Gosh, the things I do for him, and do I get a thank you? No," he whispered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Rowan yelled back.

"Where's my thank you then?"

His head popped up from behind the door frame, his lips curled into a smile. "It's outside that window you promised to throw yourself out of. Why don't you go find it?"

"Fuck you, Rowan."

...

Julie placed the final decorations on the tables, stepping back to see her completed masterpiece. Rosaline was nowhere to be found, and Nessa had gone outside for a breath of fresh air. She pulled out one of the chairs, plopping herself down and drooping her head onto the table.

"Is anyone here?" She heard a voice call. She looked up to see Micah waving at her, smiling gleefully.

"You're early," she stated. "Too early."

"But this place looks ready, right?"

"Just because it's all set up, doesn't mean we're reading to start letting people in." She stood from her chair, kicking her legs forward to stretch them.

"I heard a lot of people are coming, right?"

"What's with all the questions?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in confusion. "Go ask Nessa. You two are dating, aren't you?"

"Ok, fine. Also, I would never date your friend, just saying."

"Really?" Nessa asked. She came in from the back door, holding another bundle of flowers. She resisted the urge to throw it at him, but he didn't know anything about her feelings.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "We're just friends, Vanessa."

"Is this because you saw my birthmark that one time?"

"No," he insisted.

"Whatever, and to answer your question, yes. There are lots of people coming. Now get out."

He walked to Nessa, whispering in her ear, "You told me to get here early."

"Just Rowan," she said in the same volume. "You can excuse yourself before I make you."

He let out a small tsk and walked out, slamming the doors as he left. She let out a shaky breath, not looking at her friend for a few moments.

"Don't say anything," she pleaded.

"He didn't mean it that time."

"He said it was ugly. I heard it."

Julie strutted to Nessie, pulling her into a tight hug, not saying a single word. She rested her shoulder on hers, sinking into the warm embrace.

"I think it's pretty," Julie said, pushing her back slightly to look at her eyes. "You shouldn't have to cover it up for someone else."

"Thank you," she said, her voice small.

...

People had begun arriving, slowly filling up the large room. Julie was dragged into a powder room to fix a couple of things. The faint reverberation of sound seeped into the room. Julie, Nessie, and Rosaline were fixing themselves in the room, but more specifically, fixing Julie up. Ever since she unconsciously confessed liked Rowan, her two friends made it their goal to make the two of them a couple. (Yes, I have to edit. I never mentioned this part.)

"Do I have to Nessie?" Julie groaned.

"Of course," Rosaline said, walking towards her. She shot Nessie a secret look, which gave her a signal to tell Freya to keep Jayden occupied.

"But why? It's not that big of a deal." She looked back at Rosaline who was fixing her hair up. Her other friend, Nessie, had left the room and was nowhere to be found.

"Come on," She said, tugging Julie out the door of the bathroom. The loud music filled their ears instantly, taking Julie out of her tired mind. Rose spotted Rowan in the distance, slightly ducking below the crowd at the sight of him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, ducking down to meet her friend's gaze. Her crystal blue eyes showed clear panic, coming out of the fear that if Rowan saw her, it would be game over.

"I- I need water," she muttered. She shot up, her spine straightening itself to an unhealthy extent. She gave her friend one last smile before rushing off to find something to occupy herself with.

Julie stood in the crowded room, feeling as if she was all alone. Someone rammed into her left shoulder and caused her to lose the very little balance she had on her heels. But suddenly, a warm hand caught her flailing one, leaving her suspended in the air.

"Are you ok?(1)" The person asked. She was already breathless and tired beyond comprehension from the long week. Her other arm moved forward to grasp the one holding her from falling onto the ground. Julie pulled herself up and took a breath before looking at the person who just saved her.

"Rowan?(2)"

"Julie?(3)" he said with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. He glanced around the room and let out a small tsk with his tongue. "I knew it. They left me here.(4)"

"It's not just you. My friends also abandoned me here.(5)"

"Looks like we have something in common,(6)" he commented, stating the obvious. They both awkwardly stared at each other while the music continued in the background. A loud thud came from outside the house, then another bang leaving everyone confused. The sounds died down as well as the songs. A silence lingered for a few moments until Julie broke it.

"I guess it was nothing-(7)" An additional crackle of what clearly seemed to be lightning took down the lights. The room became pitch black and a collection of "What happened?" or "Did the power go out?" came from all around the room.

Rowan had still been holding her hand, and rather tightly now. His grip was increasing by the second, until it escalated to the point of Julie wincing from her fingers being crushed against each other.

"Sorry... I'm not a big fan of the dark. (8)" Rowan mumbled.

"That's ok,(9)" she assured him. "Do you need anything? Should we get out of here?(10)"

His squeeze gave her the confirmation to pull him out and outside to the gardens. Since the lights in every building nearby had gone out, the stars had become slightly more visible. They both stood on the porch since it had begun to rain and the ground was drenched.

Rowan finally took a moment to examine Julie, but not from her appearance. Her consideration towards his emotions and feelings drew him towards her. Suddenly, his feelings for Rosaline began to fade away as his heart became more inclined towards a new person. Even the smallest bit of affection from a stranger was enough to warm his rigid thoughts.

"Rowan..? Are you ok?(11)" She asked. He hadn't even realized he was staring at her. He was falling for her way too fast. Maybe the first few encounters had a bigger impact on him than he would've liked to admit. Julie stared at him expectantly, wanting his excuse for dozing off. He shook off the strange feelings he was getting, gaining the ability to speak again.

"I'll join the play. I'll be Romeo. On one condition.(12)"

He just had to make sure. The question had haunted him for what seemed like an eternity.

"What condition?(13)"

"Does she like me or not?" he thought.

He moved closer to her and took her hands back into his. A small smile appeared onto his face when he began to speak again.

"Kiss me,(14)" he requested.

Julie looked at him, flabbergasted for a few moments before realizing this was what she wanted. She had a small sprout of feelings for Rowan that wanted to grow, but didn't have what it needed. Her lips also broke out into a grin as she leaned in, closing her eyes. Rowan closed the gap between their faces.

Time seemed to slow down. Every thought, daydream, and emotion was shut out, replaced with a feeling of comfort. A wave of cheers came from inside the ballroom, most likely because the lights had come back on. After running out of breath, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes.

"Are you going to explain why you did that?" Julie asked, her smile unwavering. His gaze remained fixed on hers as he spoke.

"I like you," he whispered. "I really really like you."

"I think I do too," she responded, her voice small and timid.

"Julie?" Nessie called from behind. Her eyes had widened in shock when she realized what she had just witnessed. "I wasn't expecting this to happen in the first two hours."

"I think it's safe to say neither of us did," Julie told her.

"Pierre was looking for you, and your mother was calling you earlier." She glanced at the two roses they had on them. "I guess you two didn't notice all the effort we put in to get you to match."

Julie looked down at her dress then back at Rowan, her eyes widening with realization. He recognized the similarities at the same moment as Julie, turning away in thought.

"Ah, it makes sense now. The weird phone calls and secretive whispering. Sad that I didn't notice earlier," Rowan said. "I think my friends were communicating with her. Pretty sure they wanted us to match."

"Clearly," Julie said, crossing her arms. Her expression was a mixture of happiness and betrayal by her friend's secret plot. "We'll talk later. For now, let's go inside and enjoy today," Julie suggested. "And Rowan," she said, looking directly into his eyes. "You better not back out. Auditions are in a week. Be there early."

"Don't worry about it. I won't back out of this."

She smiled one last time and took Nessie's hand, dragging her back inside. Her face showed that she was still reeling back from the event she just witnessed. Although it didn't seem like a lot, Rosaline's plan seemed to be working.

Almost too well.

***It is numbered because it's the iconic 14 line sonnet that Romeo and Juliet share before their first kiss! I couldn't resist :)***

Ps: This is probably the worst thing I've written so far- it requires HEAVY editing. I also wrote parts of this before chapter 1, so when I changed the plot, some things in this chapter didn't change. If you catch anything wrong, let me know :,)

Leaving votes helps my dying motivation!

-Hershey