High School Romance ✓

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

"I'd be happy to buy it for you," Blake said. That was only part of what he wanted to say. The rest of that sentence was, "As long as I'm the one marrying you." I gave a sad smile. He was so obvious, to everyone, except Courtney. She nodded twice, thinking hard about something.

"We should go home now," she said. "We've been out a long time."

"Yeah, okay," he said. He looked at his watch, "You need some sleep for the festival tomorrow night anyhow...Juliet."

She smiled, "Well, Romeo needs some sleep too." They walked home with Blake carrying the bags (he refused to let her carry them). He dropped them off at her house and went next door to his.

***The next morning***

"I can't believe she's actually going to that stupid geek fest. And she's going with the world's biggest geek," Ethan said. Well, geeks happen to be the ones who rule this world, I thought angrily. Courtney never heard him, but I'm pretty sure that Blake did. He made a wise decision not to tell her. She would've "flown off the handle," as they say. She wouldn't have taken to it well, Ethan making fun of her best friend in the universe and all.

The day flew by and soon enough they were walking home. Courtney was bouncing up and down with excitement. Blake smiled at her and shook his head. Courtney started getting ready the second her feet walked into her house. Blake sat reading a book for most of the time. She slipped the dress and shawl and shoes (they were light pink, almost like ballet flats) on and curled her hair again (she curled it every morning). Finally, after her hair was curled perfectly to her liking, she put the crown of flowers on. She looked beautiful. I was instantly jealous, like any girl would be, of how amazing she looked at the moment. Eventually, Blake got ready, 25 minutes before they had to leave. He put on his costume from a few years back when he played Romeo in the school's version of Romeo and Juliet. He had a dark green shirt and beige pants with shoes that looked almost like they belonged to elves, that matched his pants. He ruffled his hair, and put on a dark green beret, but didn't take his glasses off.

"Hey, you ready?" he asked after knocking on her door.

"Yep, all set," she said. She giggled at him once she saw his old costume.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, still laughing.

"Okay, breathe," he told her. She had forgotten when she was laughing.

She breathed in. "Let's go."

Blake nodded twice. They set out for the library, which was where the festival was.

They saw a huge stage set up and many chairs. The chairs were half filled. They took a seat in the middle, but closer to the front. Soon, mostly all of the seats were filled. The sky was almost completely black by that time. The floodlights flickered on and the curtains rose. The people clapped and cheered.

"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.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.

The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;

The which if you with patient ears attend,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend," the narrator proclaimed.

***Some Time Later***

"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," Romeo said to Juliet.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss," Juliet replied.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

"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 prayers' sake."

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!

Give me my sin again."

"You kiss by the book."

"You made a better Romeo," Courtney said.

"Not really," Blake said.

"Yes, really." They looked into each other's eyes. Courtney leaned forward a little. They were three inches apart. I could tell that they were about to kiss, just like Romeo and Juliet had. I held my breath, waiting for it. It never came. Blake pulled away at the last second and I cursed under my breath. Why would he do that? He was so close!

The play continued on, but the three of us were too distracted to watch it.

***Some Time Later***

"A glooming peace this morning with it brings;

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;

Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

The prince said the last lines. The curtains closed and clapping erupted from the crowd. The people started filing out of the outdoor theater to go back home. Blake linked his arm with Courtney's so that she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. "Aw," a voice said to them. It was a girl a year or two younger than them. "I wish I had a boyfriend like that," she continued to them. She winked at Blake. He sighed. Courtney looked jealous, which was the weirdest part of the entire encounter. She wore a glare that said, "Back off, sister." I would've ran if it was directed at me.

They walked home, not saying a word. They slipped into their own houses and changed into pajamas, then went to bed.

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