It was only the second day of Liya and me being alone in the house, and it already felt strange. I woke her up early, shaking her gently, “Hey, Liya, get up. We’re going to be late for school.”
She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "Five more minutes."
“Come on, don’t make me carry you out of bed,” I said with a smirk, tugging the blanket slightly.
After a bit more playful banter, she finally rolled out of bed. We both got ready for school, grabbing some quick breakfast before rushing out the door.
We made it to school just in time, and as soon as we entered the classroom, the whole group turned to stare at us. Their faces were filled with curiosity, and Ryan was the first to speak up.
“So... what happened last night?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Nothing. Seriously, you guys need to calm down,” I said, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as the others grinned. I noticed Mei staring at me suspiciously, clearly not convinced.
The bell rang, and class started. Ms. Romero walked in, clutching a folder of papers, and after a brief rundown of today’s lessons, she made an announcement.
“Alright, class, as you know, the cultural festival is next week, starting on Monday. So, what are your plans?”
Ryan immediately perked up, raising his hand. “How about a stage play? We could do Romeo and Juliet.”
The class murmured in agreement, and Ms. Romero smiled. “That sounds like a great idea. Does anyone have suggestions for other events?”
Yvonne chimed in, “We could use this room for a cosplay café!”
Again, the class agreed enthusiastically. Ms. Romero nodded approvingly, writing everything down. “Great ideas, everyone! Lastly, there’s a beauty pageant happening on the second day. Anyone interested in joining?”
Silence. No one moved.
Suddenly, Kris shot her hand up and said with a mischievous grin, “Mei told me earlier that she’s excited about it and really wants to join.”
Mei's eyes widened in shock. “What?! I never—" she sputtered, her face turning crimson.
Ms. Romero smiled. “Perfect! Mei, we’ll add your name to the list then.”
Mei glared daggers at Kris, but there was no escaping it now. I stifled a laugh as I watched the situation unfold.
“Alright,” Ms. Romero continued, “now, who’s going to play Romeo and Juliet in the stage play?”
Before anyone could speak, Ryan spoke up, “Obviously, Levi and Mei should be Romeo and Juliet.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, nearly choking. “Why us? Why don’t you and Yvonne do it? You two are already a couple.”
Ryan shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not good at acting.”
I shot him a look of disbelief. “Not good at acting? You literally played the judge yesterday in your fake courtroom!”
The class erupted in laughter, but Ms. Romero had already made up her mind. “Alright, it’s settled then. Levi and Mei will be our Romeo and Juliet.”
I groaned inwardly, but it was clear there was no getting out of this. I glanced over at Mei, who looked just as shocked as I felt, but then something changed in her expression. She sat back, seemingly accepting her fate.
“That’s it for today,” Ms. Romero said as the bell rang, “but remember, the stage play will be on the last day of the festival, so make sure you’re well-prepared. I’m counting on all of you.”
The class started packing up, but I stayed in my seat for a moment, staring at the floor. Romeo and Juliet? Seriously?
Mei caught my eye and smiled slightly, as if to say, Well, we’re in this together now.
Just as the class was settling down, Ms. Romero peeked back through the door. "Oh, and one last thing, class—this week is all about preparing for the festival. So, take your time, tidy up the room, and start planning."
With that, the entire room buzzed to life. Groups immediately began forming, discussing decorations, costumes, and ideas for the upcoming cultural festival. Mei and I didn’t even have time to breathe before Jessa, Brianna, and Rusven from the cosplay club rushed over to us.
“We need to measure you guys for your costumes,” Jessa said, already pulling out measuring tape.
Brianna added with a grin, “Don’t move, okay? This has to be perfect. After all, you’re Romeo and Juliet!”
I shot a glance at Mei, who gave me a half-smile, clearly still wrapping her head around the whole situation. We stood still as they took our measurements, making quick notes and already discussing which fabrics would best suit our characters.
While that was happening, Ryan suddenly appeared beside us, dropping a thick stack of papers on my desk. “Here’s the script for the play,” he said with a mischievous smirk. “You’d better start memorizing, Romeo.”
I groaned, picking up the script and flipping through it. This is going to be a nightmare.
As I looked around the classroom, my eyes landed on an empty seat. Wait… where’s Liya? I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but she wasn’t in class. It wasn’t like her to just disappear without saying anything.
Mei seemed to notice my confusion. “Looking for someone?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nah, it’s nothing,” I replied, shaking it off. Liya could take care of herself. I had more pressing matters—like memorizing this script without embarrassing myself in front of the entire school.
As we were wrapping up the measuring, Jessa smiled at Mei. “You’re going to look amazing as Juliet, Mei. We’ll make sure of it.”
Mei blushed slightly, still not fully comfortable with the idea but nodding politely. “Thanks. I just hope I don’t mess up.”
Brianna grinned. “Don’t worry. You’ll both be great. Besides, the cosplay café will keep the whole festival buzzing. It’ll be a hit!”
As the conversation faded, I was left staring at the script. Romeo and Juliet… How did I get dragged into this?
Liya's POV
I hesitated for a moment, but then I walked up to Ms. Romero at her desk. She looked up from her papers and smiled, noticing me standing there.
"Yes, Liya?" she asked kindly.
I took a deep breath. "Uhm, Ms. Romero... I want to join the beauty pageant."
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but then her smile grew even bigger. "That's wonderful! I'm glad you're interested, Liya. I think you’ll be a great addition."
I nodded, feeling a little more confident now that I had said it. "Thank you, Ms. Romero."
"Alright, I’ll add your name to the list. The pageant will be on the second day of the festival, so make sure you’re prepared. I’m sure you’ll do great!" she said as she scribbled down my name on her clipboard.
As I turned to walk away, I couldn't help but grin to myself. If Mei thinks she’s the only one who can steal the spotlight, she’s got another thing coming.
I glanced over at the others, watching as Mei and Levi were getting measured for their Romeo and Juliet costumes. Mei seemed focused, but there was a competitive spark in her eyes whenever she glanced at me.
This is going to be interesting, I thought, already plotting my next move.
YOU ARE READING
You And I
RomanceLevi's life was ordinary-school, friends, and the quiet rhythm of everyday life. That is, until he met Mei, a mysterious girl who quickly became the center of his world. Their relationship blossomed, and for the first time, Levi felt like he had fou...
