The Boy Next Door's Brother

Chapter Four

Ryan and I have been friends for a week. We hang out at lunch everyday and hang out after school all the time. We love to have movie marathons and go swimming in the lake. He is my best friend.

I walk into English to see him looking upset. I ask him what was wrong but he says family stuff. I don't want to pry so I drop the subject.

"Hey, I know this is last minute but can you come over to my house for dinner Friday? My family is having a dinner and my brother will be there. I want you to meet him"

"That is tomorrow Ryan, what if I had already made plans?"

"Oh come on Taylor. You do not have any plans"

"Fine, I will go but I don't want to hear you tell them about my past life. That was the old me"

"Of course"

Later, my history teacher hands me a yellow slip. I ask her what this was for and she told me that the counselor wants to talk to me. Uh oh. What did I do now?

"Good morning Taylor. I would like to talk to you about your plans after high school. Do you intend on going to college?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well you need to participate in extra curricular activities if you want to get into a good college.  We offer some here"

"Like what?"

"Book cl-"

"-no"

"Okay...um how about theatre? Ms. Hartman needs people for the play. As you already know the performance is in December"

"I don't know"

"It is that or book club."

"She is in room 203 right?"

I walk into her classroom right away and ask her if I can join and she is ecstatic.

"Yes, yes, yes. Here let me get you a paper. What made you decide to be apart of the play?"

"My counselor says it will be good for college"

"Oh. Well I'm glad you joined. We are short on people so I am even forcing students in detention to participate"

I laugh and then I start to walk out the door but she stops me.

"First rehearsal is today at lunch"

I give her a fake smile as I walk towards math.

I tell Ryan in our science class about how I am forced to be in the play. He laughed for about five minutes straight.

"It isn't funny!"

"Yes it is. Picture it, you acting on stage. What if you are Juliet?"

"I can't act. I promise you, I am not going to be Juliet. I will probably be a person at the party or a guard"

"I hope you are juliet. You would make a beautiful juliet"

I punch his shoulder lightly and he rubs his arm and stares deeply into my eyes and then scans me up and down. He must really want me to get a good role.

I walk into the theatre classroom at lunch and I am shocked by the amount of kids stuffed into such a small room. They are probably all from detention. 

"Attention class! Attention. I have decided the roles everyone will play. We are all beginners here so there is no need to try out for a part. I gave it to the person I think would fit the part the best"

She passed around a piece of paper with the roles on it.

Romeo: ky evans
Juliet: taylor adams
Mercutio: justin barin
Tybalt: luke watson
Rosaline: veronica peterson

Oh my god. I am juliet. I can't even act!!

And who the hell is ky