Isn't Leo DC just babe? *faints at his perfection*

"Hi everyone!" I began, "Welcome to the first and final presentation night to be held by us at the Facility."

A polite round of applause went around the room. 

"We're your student body presidents, Natalie and Christian," Christian continued.

Bree yelled out, "We know!"

I let out a small giggle, "Of course, Breeana."

Christian went on, "Anyway, we'd quickly like to thank Dr Demonico and Dr Weston for having us. They'll be talking late about what everything they gathered was actually used for."

A chatter rose in the room.

I fake-cleared my throat to gain the attention back. The voices dialled down. I spoke, "However, before that happens, there's a lot to get through. Please join us in the school pledges before we hand the mic across to our principals."

***

I'd like to say I paid attention during their address being a student body president and all, but I almost fell asleep. They practically drone on and on about pointless things that we've already been told before.

After them, though, was the drama production. Between Principal Wednesday's speech and Principal Moseby's speech I was dragged to the place backstage of the auditorium to get changed into my Juliet costume. It was quite intricate - a floor-length floral gown with a sharp square neck and flowing material. Vivian - assigned as a makeup artist - had pinned my hair up quite tightly into loops and left most of it hanging down in blonde curls. 

The drama teacher examined me before grinning, "Perfect! You're stage ready. Now, where is our male chorus to begin?"

A few boys hurried up, including my brother, and she shooed them towards the stage, "You're on!"

She was quite right. The principals had already moved off. 

Their voices rang around the auditorium, "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge, break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean..."

They went on, their voices layering over each other in a creepy manner before they were came off in the lights down. 

Two of the boys from the prologue went back on as Sampson and Gregory to run through their lines and soon two more joined them onstage. Then, one of the major characters, played by a boy called Ryan, went on as Benvolio, "Part fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do."

Within the next few moments quite a lot happened and I was reminded of just how much I hated Romeo and Juliet. All the characters are horrible. Romeo and Juliet themselves were obvious idiots, Tybalt looked for a fight wherever possible and both sets of parents had too much pride to let their children do what they want. Heck, even Friar Lawrence - the father of the church - was one of the people responsible for their deaths. 

The boy playing the Prince moved on to begin his speech and although I hate Romeo and Juliet, I was struck by the beauty behind Shakespeare's words. Although they made no sense half the time, he was a talented playwright, "Once more, on pain of death, all men depart."

Everyone exited the stage in a hurry, leaving Ryan and two people pretending to be Mrs and Mr Montague. They went on about Romeo when I jumped. Someone grinned at me from their sneak-up, their hands still on my shoulders but it was still too dark to see.

I narrowed my eyes, "Seriously? Scaring me?"

A familiar husky voice whispered, "It was funny to see you jump."

Christian.

"Just too bad I can't see what you're wearing yet."

I grinned, "It'll add to the effect of 'lovers at first sight' later."

"Pfft," he scoffed, "I gotta go."

Christian moved slowly on to the stage, his head tucked down in a thinking stance. He moved to sit on a bench set up in place.

Montague's actor said, "Come, madam, let's away," and he and his 'wife' exited. Ryan moved to sit beside Christian. 

Ryan began, "Good morrow, cousin."

"Is the day so young?" Christian asked, in a tight voice. 

I got a good glimpse of him and granted myself a little smile. He wore a tight white button-up shirt with short sleeves and beige pants. His shoes were polished and black and his hair was unnaturally ruffled. He looked good. 

"Out of her favour where I am in love," Christian sighed, leaning back with his hands behind his head. 

I furrowed my eyebrows at the intensity of his words. Boy, he was one great actor.

"O brawling love! O lovin' hate!" he suddenly stood up, " O anything, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness, serious vanity!..."

I leant slightly against the wall, watching him act in a sort of intrigue. He was just too good at acting. 

When the pair went off the other side of the stage and some other actors went on I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. How had Christian not been spotted yet? 

He moved back on with Ryan soon enough and I drew my attention to Vivian who was whispering my name. 

I turned to her, "Yeah?"

She smiled gently, "We forgot makeup."

"Right," I said quietly and she guided me back to another chair and began applying BB cream.

I could still hear them talking as she powdered and prepped and swiped and whatever it was. Some actors were in the middle of planning a party. None of them spoke with the same skills that Christian had possessed, though. It was like he was the star of the show. 

Well, he didn't earn the title of Romeo for nothing.

A stagehand rushed to me, "Quickly, you're on!"

"Where's this girl?! What, Juliet!"

Crap, that was me. 

Vivian whispered, "Just in time."

I rushed out of my seat and onto the stage slightly breathless, "How now? Who calls?" I guess the breathlessness added some kind of effect because they worked it in - Bree and Olivia, I mean.

"Your mother," Olivia responded, gesturing to Bree.

"Madam," I bowed my head slightly to Bree, "I am here. What is your will?"

"This is the matter," Bree began, continuing with her lines. 

How could Lady Capulet be so... so... alright with practically giving her thirteen-year-old daughter away to a man for marriage? 

Olivia ran through her speech. Her gestures and enthusiasm were incredible - that much was true - but she skipped over words here and there so much that not even Old Bill would be able to make sense of them. 

"Enough of this!" Bree sighed, "I pray thee hold thy peace!"

Olivia ran over her lines quickly again and I cut in, "And stint thou, too, I pray thee, Nurse, say I."

They went over talking about marriage quickly and I shook my head frantically, "It is an honour I dream not of."

Good! At the beginning, at least Juliet had some sense in her. She wasn't a marriage-addicted tween at least...

Then came some famous lines of Juliet's, "I'll look to like, if looking liking move; but no more will I endart mine eye, than your consent gives strength to fly."

Yeah, and how well did that work for you when you fell hard for Romeo? 

***

Shawn's speech went well too. He looked slightly mad, even. His speech about his dreams was supposed to be scary. Christian had to intervene like written, "Peace, peace! Mercutio, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing..."

That could be said easily. Mercutio was a scary, freaky character. These days his character would just be called 'high', 'stoned' or 'a crack-pot'. Yeah...

The next time I entered it was alongside the guy who played Tybalt and all the guests for the beginning of the party. Ugh, the party, where history's most tragedic love-story all really began. Romeo entered soon, I knew his cue, but I wasn't allowed to see him here on the stage yet, however, I clearly heard his lines, "Did my heart love 'til now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty 'til this night."

Tybalt and Capulet had their quick quarrel and then I was able to turn around. My eyes connected with Christian and he raked me up and down, from the front. He cocked a small smirk and said, "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."

Me too, I thought.

"Good pilgrim," somehow I got the words out, "You do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrim's hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss."

Christian moved towards me steadily, "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, good pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," I said, with a small smile. Granted, I hated the story, but the words and phrases were beautiful.

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

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayer's sake."

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus, from my lips, my sin is purg'd," he stage-whispered and his hands moved to cup my face. 

I was entranced in his reddish-brown eyes as he kissed me lightly. A few cheers and claps arose in the audience, causing me to blush. 

The moment was too short as we both pulled away - myself, much reluctantly. I went on, "Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again?" he whispered and I lent up to kiss him again. Again, much to quickly it was over. 

I lied straight through my teeth, "You kiss by the book."

Olivia interrupted, "Madam, your mother craves a word with you."

"What is her mother?" I heard Christian ask her as I moved away. He didn't seem as entranced as I was, despite being a good actor. Like before, I wondered, did he like me or not? 

I was left onstage with Olivia soon enough and though we ran through our lines, I still felt a rush from the two kisses. 

Of course, there were many more kisses and the unfortunate death scene. All left me in a daze after being with Christian. After the show, I found myself leaning against the same wall as before, wondering what on Earth those doctors did to me.

***

Song: Mr Brightside - The Killers

xx Sharky.