My drama teacher droned on, "Now, the essence of drama all relates back to motive. What are the characters' intentions? What does the director want to achieve? And most of the time it relates to one thing. Miss Wednesday, what might that be?"

"Love, ma'am," she said in a floating voice.

Everyone but me seemed to be intrigued with this. I wrinkled my nose, "Love? Seriously, why does everything relate to love?"

My drama teacher suddenly sent me a beam, "Exactly! Thank you, Miss Roberts. That is your assignment for the time you're here."

"Miss, I don't understand the project," a lazy voice drawled from the front of the class. How did Shawn ever become vice-president of DAB? 

"That would be because I haven't explained it yet, Mr Roberts," she sighed loudly. "The project is to create a class production in the month you are here to perform on the last night. Half the class will be on backstage roles and the other half will be performing."

"And how does this have anything to do with my question?" I asked, as politely as I could. 

The teacher sighed, "You'll be performing Romeo and Juliet. And through this, I want you all to examine how the characters motives are all based on the idea of love."

I slumped onto my desk. Of course... she just has to choose the most cliche love story of all time. I hadn't meant why are everyone's lives based on love, but actually, why does everything that swamps me relate back to love. Even when I'm sleeping!

"Please raise your hand if you want a backstage role."

I glanced to Em to see she already had her hand stuck up, "Costumes! Please!"

"Okay, Miss Wednesday," the drama teacher rolled her eyes. A few others shouted out their requests and then she continued, "And those looking for either Romeo or Juliet?"

I glanced to Shawn first to make sure he didn't want Romeo. But he had always told me he preferred Mercutio. Then I put up my hand for Juliet, "I'd like Juliet, Miss."

Unfortunately, at the same time that I'd said that the husky voice that I'd memorised said, "I'd like Romeo, Miss."

We spun to glare at each other. Before I could refute my decision the teacher - I think her name was Miss Holt or something - clapped her hands together, "Perfect! I hope you two can get to memorise your lines within a week."

The bell rang and I leaped out of my chair, satchel already packed. I made sure to hit the back of Par- Christian's head on the way out.

***

"You need to go back and say no," Christian said later that night. 

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're joking right? I volunteered first."

"No, I did." 

"Nuh-huh."

"Yuh-huh," he mocked, "I'm not doing Romeo and Juliet with you."

"Hey! My dreams are just as bad as yours!" I shouted at him, "You aren't the only one that found meeting each other horrible! I am so lost and confused right now and I have no idea what's wrong with me," I couldn't see. Tears were blurring my vision. I cried out, "I would go back to being fourteen with the anorexia and sleep apnea just so I didn't have to suffer through this stupid shit! I hate having to wake up every morning knowing that the guy I just dreamt about making out with just had the same exact dream across the hall from me! I'm lost, Park! Park... I'm lost in my own life..."

I fell to the side and leaned against the doorframe. Christian's hand was hesitant on my shoulder, "H-hey... uh, please don't cry..."

I let out a small laugh in the midst of my sobs. So he doesn't like girls that cry, huh? 

Christian began patting me, awkwardly, "I don't exactly know what to do in this situation..."

I took a deep breath and looked down onto the tiled floor in front of me, "Park... we seriously need to go talk to the doctors."

"But they won't let us," he winced.

I looked up at him - my fault for being so short - and wiped away the last of my tears, "When we can, we ask. For the moment... we're going to have to live with this."

Christian murmured, "I hate not knowing as well, okay, Natalie. This scares me too."

"Are you always this truthful?" I asked Christian.

He shrugged, "I try to be. There's no point in being a liar."

I sniffled - an aftereffect of crying - and nodded, "True that..."

Christian gave me a small smile, "We'll do Romeo and Juliet and try and act like normal human beings."

"Until the doctors tell us what the fudge is going on, of course," I smiled back slightly.

"Fudge?" he crinkled his eyebrows.

I almost let out a laugh. With his eyebrows furrowed together he just looked so damn young and cute... cute? I dismissed the thought, "My version of f-u-c-k," I spelled the letters out. 

"You mean, fuck?" he chuckled at me, his reddish-brown eyes lighting up. 

I rolled my eyes, "Yes. That."

A bell rang, signalling dinner time. Emily pushed past me, "Sorry, lovebirds!" And she ran for the first elevator.

"Lovebirds?" we chorused in disgust. 

Everyone was running for the elevators. Christian tried to call out various times for them to slow down, but does anyone ever listen? Probably not. Especially not Year Eleven students who think they rule the world.

I watched as the inevitable happened and a girl and boy tripped over eachother on the tiles. I sighed deeply, "Come on, Park."

"Already moving," he replied.

I helped Diana off the floor, "Are you okay, Di?"

She rolled her shoulders, "Yeah, my left knee is just a bit sore..."

"Can you walk on it?" I chewed my lip, knowing it would be hard to get around on crutches. Em was thankful when she didn't need them herself.

Diana placed her foot on the ground and leaned the tiniest bit towards the middle before letting out a painful screech, "Nope! No, no, no, definitely not!"

I brought her arm around my shoulder and helped her towards the elevator before turning back, "You coming, Park?"

The other boy was on the ground clutching his shoulder like his life depended on it. 

"Broken collarbone," Christian told me, "He's in quite a lot of pain as it is. I'm not sure if he'd be able to stand up without fainting."

I helped Di to sit down next to the boy, "I'll run and get one of the doctors then."

I ran for the stairs instead of the elevator and jumped down the flights with speed. I landed at the bottom and ran into the dining hall. Principal Mosbey had already been in the middle of the address. I winced, and quietly made my way to Dr Weston, who was near me already. 

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Yes Natalie?"

"We have a slight issue on the dorm room level," I said, "Christian thinks one of the boys has a broken collarbone. My friend Diana hurt her knee. They both tripped over each other."

Dr Weston sighed, "I'm coming."

I led him back to the elevator and we rode in silence. Finally, he asked, "No twenty questions today?"

"Christian told me not to say anything."

"And you'd listen to him?"

"More than I'd listen to you or the other doctor."

The elevator doors opened and Dr Weston hurried over to where the boy was finally starting to calm down, "Zach, where are you hurt?"

He knelt down in front of Zach and applied a bit of pressure with his fingers to where Zach had gestured. 

Zach let out a slight cry at it and I jumped back, towards Christian. He caught me again. I stepped forward after being taken by surprise. Zach nodded weakly, "That's the place..."

"You're right, Christian," Dr Weston said, getting out a thump ice-pack from his kit, "You ever interested in becoming a doctor?"

"You already know that," Christian muttered.

"Oh, right..." Dr Weston laughed slightly, "I have so many names and answers running through my head right now, I'm sometimes forgetful."

Christian leaned against the wall with his arms crossed again. I forcefully directed my attention to Diana rather than his biceps. 

Dr Weston put the thump ice-pack against Zach's collarbone and said, "Just keep that there for ten minutes, stay where you are. I'm afraid you'll be missing out on some dinner, Zach. As for you, Diana, I'll be back in a couple of minutes with some crutches."

"But you haven't even-" she began.

He cut her off, "I can see by the way you are sitting that your knee has been badly sprained."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Mine did too - this guy wasn't too bad a doctor for noticing that.

Christian said slowly, "You guys wouldn't mind if we headed down to dinner, would you?"

"Go ahead," Zach murmured. 

I walked to the elevator this time, right behind Christian. He leaned against the far wall and studied me for a bit. As the doors opened he said, "We work well together."

Then he moved out before I could say anything in return. 

He's not wrong though.

Song: Teenagers - My Chemical Romance

xx Sharky (^.^)/*