The Juliet Dilemma

BADminton

"Alright time to partner up! We are starting our badminton tournament!" Mrs. Holt boomed.

In a flash, people began scrambling to get to their friends first. Immediately Romeo noticed a parasite was attached to his best friend.

"Oh come on, Anthony!" Romeo groaned. "You're ditching me for a girl?"

Anthony smiled. "Sorry, dude!" His girlfriend chuckled.

Well, at least if Ivy was paired up that meant that Julie was partner free at least.

Apparently she was a more popular choice. Romeo, Troy, and Anna Zeller all reached Juliet at the same time. Troy and Romeo glared at each other immediately.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Sorry, boys! She's mine!" She giggled, grabbing her fellow blonde by the arm. Julie laughed and shrugged at Romeo.

"Sorry, Cameron! Maybe next time."

Romeo stuck his tongue out at Julie, as immaturely as he could. Okay, did anyone he knew and liked have a partner? Emily and Mark were fighting over Eric while Alicia watched, so all four of them were out. Ivy and Anthony were paired up. Julie was with Anna. Was there anyone tolerable left?

"Don't got a partner, Romeo?" A familiar high-pitched chirp wondered. Romeo resisted a groan. Rosie...

He had nothing against Rosie, still. He just didn't like her in the same way she liked him and she was starting to get a bit worse about it since their date, which was only yesterday. She had found ways to talk to him in every class they shared- which wasn't very many- and tried to talk to him in the hallway between classes every chance she got. However he didn't have many choices.

"Ro, your team against ours!" Julie shouted halfway across the room. She gestured to herself and Anna as she said 'ours'. Her face fell a bit when she spotted the short brunette next to him.

Seeing that Julie hadn't grabbed a birdie Romeo did so for her. He ended up with the oldest most ragged birdie he had ever seen. As he rolled it over in his hand he could feel that the round tip felt tougher than other birdies. It was very stiff. He shrugged. There weren't anymore left. Romeo grabbed badminton rackets and handed one to Rosie as they made their way to Julie and Anna.

"You're going down, Cameron!" Julie smirked.

"Not going to happen, Hunter." Romeo teased.

Julie threw the birdie up in the air. At the right spot she smacked it, sending it across the court to Rosie.

The brunette girl dived for it and sent it to the other side. Gracefully, as if she was dancing, Julie gave a miniature twist and the birdie tapped her racket before zooming towards Romeo. She gave the boy a little wink at the play.

The back and forth between them continued with more than badminton on the students' minds.

Rosie could only notice how distracting Romeo seemed, despite his good performance.

Anna rolled her eyes at her friends obvious flirting. Why weren't they dating? Or were they? She didn't even know.

Romeo could only think about how he should just ask Julie out again! If she didn't like him, he could play it off as a joke and if she did... He smiled to himself. He was also distracted by the way Julie looked in her P.E uniform. Only she could make anything look good.

Julie was thinking about how brave and stupid she was being. Was she being too obvious? Why was she trying to flirt at all? She probably looked like an idiot! Why did she like Romeo in the first place? Why was she trying to do something about it? What was wrong with her. She should just quit now. Thoughts raced through her mind.

They were going until fifteen according to Mrs. Holt, unlike the usual twenty-one.The score was close at 14-13 with Julie and Anna winning.

Julie served, throwing the birdie up into the air before smacking it to launch across the court. Romeo dived to hit the birdie, instead of letting his partner get it like he should have. He smacked it hard, causing it to zoom quickly across at his opponent. Perhaps it had been too hard.

"Eep!"

"I'm so sorry!"