Did You Get What You Deserve?

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

“Come on, James, one more time, we need to get it right.”

He made a frustrated noise.

“I just don’t get it. I mean, I can say it, but it sounds so disjointed. I don’t understand what I’m saying.”

I took his script out of his hands and made notes in the margin.

“There you go. Just follow that. It won’t help with the understanding, but it will help with the rhythm.”

He examined the tiny writing.

“Iambic Pentameter?”

I nodded. He looked at me blankly.

“Um, what?”

I groaned.

“Do you not pay attention in English? Mrs Arbelle mentioned it a few weeks ago.”

He shrugged.

“Okay... I guess I wasn’t listening. Anyway- Oh wait, is that that heartbeat thing?”

I nodded.

“Oh, right, I remember it now! Okay, I got it.”

We went on with the scene. I smiled inwardly as I thought how strange it would seem to someone walking in. Two teenagers sitting in a messy bedroom reciting Shakespeare and occasionally banging on the wall to tell a certain younger sibling to shut up. When we were finally sick to death of the scene, we moved on to a particular favourite: the death scene. I sprawled out on James’ bed while he did his speech.

“O, true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick.
Thus, with a kiss, I die.”

He leaned forward and kissed me. My heart leapt up into my throat, and I couldn’t keep a smile from my face.

He pulled away, amused.

“What?”

“What what?”

“Why are you smiling?”

“I’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

“I am not. And anyway, you’ve supposedly just drunk poison. You’re supposed to be dead, mister.”

“Oh right.”

He fell to the floor, twitching. I laughed.

“Where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo?”

James raised his hand and waved at me.

“Down here.”

I kicked him.

“Shut up. You’re dead.”

“Ow. Now I am.”

I giggled and went on.

“What’s here? A cup, closed in my true love’s hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips;
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,
To make me die with a restorative.”

I leaned forward to kiss him. He puckered his lips and made noises like a fish. I giggled and poked his face. He sat up.

“You’re smiling again.”

“No, idiot, I’m laughing. Now die so I can kiss you.”

“What, so that’s the only time you’d kiss me?”

I nodded, laughing.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

He thought for a moment.

“What if I kissed you?”

I shrugged.

“Then I suppose I’d have no choice.”

“Good.”

He kissed me. My heart jumped into my throat again. I could barely breathe, but this time it was due to excitement. When James let go, grinning, my heart settled sadly back into its proper place.

“Well, I suppose I have to wait until I die for you to kiss me again.”

I shook my head.

“No, you don’t.”

I kissed him gently. Then we heard a giggle from the doorway.

“Shit. Dani!”

Dani grinned and turned.

“No, Dani, no!”

Too late.

“DAD! Guess what?”

“What?”

“I caught James and Alec making out!”

“Shit. I’m gonna kill you, Danielle.”

I heard Mikey laugh.

“Really? Well, tell them no sex until they’re old enough.”

Dani turned back to us.

“Dad sa-”

“We heard, Dani.”

She giggled and sat down on James’ bed.

“So, are you guys going out?”

I looked at James.

“I suppose we are.”

He nodded. Dani clapped her hands.

“This is so brilliant!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Right. Now piss off so we can continue our make-out session.”

She screamed and ran out, slamming the door behind her. I grinned at James.

“So, are we actually going out?”

He shrugged.

“Why wouldn’t we be? I like you, I’m hoping you like me-”

“I do, very much so.”

He grinned.

“Then we are going out.”

He shuffled over to sit beside me.

“I could think of something sweet and corny to say, but you’d just laugh at me.”

“Damn straight.”

“Then I’ll settle for this.”

He put his arms around me and kissed my cheek. I sighed and checked my watch.

“Holy shit! Look at the time, Dad’s gonna kill me.”

“Awww... bye then.”

I jumped up and ran out into the hall. As I reached the door, Mikey came out of the kitchen.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“Home.”

He grinned.

“Were you and James really...?”

I blushed.

“Not quite as Dani put it.”

“But what actually happened? Just so I know what to tease James about later.”

“God, you’re a good father, aren’t you?”

He laughed.

“No, seriously, what happened?”

“We... kissed...”

“That’s it?”

I nodded.

“Good.”

He gave me a brief hug.

“I wondered how long it would take you two to work out you’re in love with each other.”

I raised an eyebrow. He grinned.

“Yeah, Frank and I have a bet on as to how long it takes you to get together.”

“And?”

“I won.”

“I thought as much. Thanks Mikey, it’s good to know my father is making money off who I hook up with.”

He laughed.

“It’s been on since James was born. I remember at his christening, I said to Frank, I wonder how long it’ll take them to get together. I said fifteen, he said ten.”

“TEN?”

“Ten. So I win.”

“Ah, but see, there’s a flaw in your plan. I’m thirteen, James is twelve. So we’re actually halfway between, depending on whose age you’re going by, which I’m betting you didn’t specify.”

He sighed.

“Dammit.”

“And also, Dad has the upper hand, given as the bet was established after James was born so he can say you were guessing how many years it would take instead of how old we would be. So you see, Dad won.”

“Damn. Any chance you could refrain from telling him until James’ birthday?”

I laughed.

“We might, but Dani certainly can’t.”

He sighed again.

“Oh well. Hopefully he will have forgotten. Anyway, you’re gonna be in deep shit if I don’t let you go home now.”

I laughed.

“Okay. Bye.”

Once the door was safely closed behind me, I burst out laughing.

**Author's Note: Sorry it's so long. There wasn't really a suitable point to break it in two.

Anyways...

I'm serious guys, it's really disappointing to go to all this effort and have no-one comment. I know you read it. I look at my mibba page and I see something like ten readers and no comments. It's quite saddening really.**