Acting On Love

After spending the evening going through Romeo And Juliet, and working myself up about all the scenes I would have to act out unconvincingly, morning finally came. I was nervous as I got dressed this morning, which I thought was stupid of me. It wasn't like anything was going to happen...he'd probably never look at me in that way, afterall.

I arrived quite late to acting, since I got lost trying to find the theatre, and partly because I was - on some subconscious level - trying to put it off for as long as possible. As I opened the door, I quickly realised everyone was waiting on my arrival. They all turned around and watched me walk in.

They seemed to be standing in positions for a scene. My eyes landed on Ville immediately, and my stomach twisted in agony of just seeing his stunning face. He was looking at his own copy of the play, when his eyes shot up to meet mine. I shut the door behind me.

"Kristen..." he smiled, standing up from his chair. "Did you get lost?"

I blushed. "Uh...maybe," I admitted, embarrased.

He chuckled lightly under his breath. "I'll have to escort you more often, then. We can't have our Juliet getting lost."

For a moment, as he kept his eyes on mine, it felt like we were the only 2 people in the room. Until someone stole Ville's eyes from me.

"Mr. Valo? Are we going to start?"

I looked over to see Jake, holding his copy, ready to start acting.

"Of course, Jake," Ville said, going up onto the stage.

I set my bag down with everyone else's and pulled out my play, feeling even more nervous. I stepped up onto the stage, where everyone else was.

"Alright, so if we can take it from Act 1, Scene 4, where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time," Ville instructed from the side of the stage.

Oh no.

I flicked through my copy, to the scene he was talking about and gulped. Jake stood a metre from me, and began reading his lines.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers, too?" he asked. I stared at him blankly for a moment. What did that even mean?

"Uh...ay, pilgrim, umm...lips that they must use in prayer," I stuttered. I felt my cheeks quickly turn red - I could hardly hold my play still anymore.

He gently pressed a hand against my cheek, and looked into my eyes. "Oh, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

I looked down at my play again. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," I read.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," he placed his other hand on my other cheek and began to lean in towards me.

Was he going to kiss me? I felt myself cringe away in fear. I didn't want to kiss him - especially not in front of Ville.

"Easy, Jake. You don't have to kiss her," Ville said, stepping in so he was standing right next to us.

"But the script says to," Jake pressed, frowning at Ville. He was still holding my face in his hands. I looked at Ville with desperation filling my eyes.

"Jake, you don't have to kiss her every time it says to," Ville said, laughing. His laugh sounded strained today. Almost forced. Did he not want Jake to kiss me, too?

The next few seconds happened all in a blur. Jake leaned in towards me, anyway - totally ignoring Ville. Before I could cringe away from him, his lips were on mine. His eyes were closed, but mine were still open. I looked at Ville, who stared at Jake, appauled. He stormed off to the side of the stage, where he sat down on a chair and stared at the curtain.

Finally, Jake released my lips. I was gasping for breath. I stumbledbackward from him, hardly believing what had just happened was actually real. He stared at me with a smile on his face for a few seconds.

"Then have my lips..." he prompted me.

I looked down at the play and then back at him.

"Alright, let's do another scene," Ville said, standing up from his chair.

I'd never seen his face look so cold. His forebrow was creased with anger, and his warm eyes had turned to ice.

Jake flicked through his play. "Which scene, Mr. Valo?"

"How about one without both of you..." he said, signalling for Jake to leave the stage.

I was too busy before, thinking about the kiss I'd had to endure with Jake, that I hadn't stopped to wonder why Ville seemed so pissed off. Why was he angry? A smile managed to sneak onto my lips, which I tried to send away. Could he be..? No, surely not. Was he...jealous?