The Little Bandit
Chapter Seven: The Bet
“Oh no, not Rome and Juliet again,” I grunted when I saw a poster about a play which was performed annually in my school. All senior students were expected to take a place in this play, as a screenwriter, director, music arranger, decorators, and actors. I hated it. I couldn’t act, couldn’t decorate, couldn’t do anything regarding to this play. What should I do? Cathy had written down her name in costume designer team, Adam – who came to school today, by the way he explained to Cathy that he got an accident falling from his bed which made burst to laugh – had signed up as decorator team, so did Max. I was the only one who couldn’t decide what I would do.
“You can be the screenwriter, Al. You love writing,” Cathy suggested, while we were having lunch.
“Nah, I don’t think so. I am a terrible writer, besides, Dylan Willis has signed up for that part. It’s impossible for me to beat him.”
Adam hid his smile. We continued discussing about the play when Aiden passed our table. He leered at me for a slight second. Why on earth did he do that? Couldn’t he just walk through me? It was enough looking him in the office. He was so frustrating. Adam saw my face and turned to see Aiden’s back. He grinned.
“By the way,” Adam said, “I heard from someone that Aiden Norton has been asked to be Romeo but he refused.”
“Why?” Max asked.
Adam shrugged.
“What a shame. He is handsome, good, and everything. He’s a perfect Romeo,” Cathy said. Max cleared his throat. “Relax babe, I still love you,” she said to his boyfriend.
Max and I laughed, except for Adam. Suddenly, he was busy with his sandwich.
~
I was sitting behind the desk at Adam’s secret room which we used as our office. I was busy answering the email. They were right, there were so many requests. I printed them; put them inside a folder so I could give it to Adam. Meanwhile, Adam was sitting in front of his large screens, programming something. I didn’t know much about computer. Aiden and Dylan were doing their job right now – it was a case about a reporter who refused to attend the court. They had to track him down. Adam told me that it was easy case, Aiden and Dylan took this case just for fun.
“Adam,” I called, suddenly remembered something.
“Yes?” he looked at me.
“You like Cathy, don’t you?”
“And you like Aiden, don’t you?”
I shocked. “How do you know that?”
“Of course I know. It is so obvious. Besides, I’m your best friend.”
What else did he know? “Yeah, you’re my best friend, but you never told me about your double life.”
“Sorry Al, I do have to. But look at the silver lining, now you are part of us. And I bring Aiden to your life.”
“Come on, it is just a minor crush. I will get over it soon. So tell me, since when do you like Cathy?” No, it was not a minor crush, it was a very very major crush. Huge crush.
“Since our freshmen year.”
“All this time?”
Adam nodded.
“Why don’t you tell her?”
“I was going to, but Max was faster than me. He kind of cut me off.”
“You should have told her, I would be very happy my two best friends dating,” I said, wondering.
“Hey, why don’t we spice things up a little?”
“What do you mean?” I asked him warily.
“If I can convince Aiden to take Romeo’s part, you have to be Juliet – wait,” he raised his finger when I opened my mouth to complain, “on the other hand, if you can make him not to change his mind, I will tell Cathy that I like her.”
Interesting. I would win though; Aiden was not this type of person who would perform the drama in front of people. He had enough attention already. “Deal,” I told Adam.
~
But I was totally wrong. The next day, I heard from Cathy that Aiden had signed up for the role Romeo. I rotted in my place while Adam whispered, “Good luck,” to me. Adam must’ve cheated; I even hadn’t had a chance to speak with Aiden yet. How could he change his mind so sudden? I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Adam.
So, one day before the audition, I registered for the role of Juliet. “Tomorrow will be the unluckiest day in my life. I will do something fool and make fun of myself in front of everybody,” I told my best friends. They didn’t say anything to cheer me up because they knew my words were mostly right.
“You can be the screenwriter, Al. You love writing,” Cathy suggested, while we were having lunch.
“Nah, I don’t think so. I am a terrible writer, besides, Dylan Willis has signed up for that part. It’s impossible for me to beat him.”
Adam hid his smile. We continued discussing about the play when Aiden passed our table. He leered at me for a slight second. Why on earth did he do that? Couldn’t he just walk through me? It was enough looking him in the office. He was so frustrating. Adam saw my face and turned to see Aiden’s back. He grinned.
“By the way,” Adam said, “I heard from someone that Aiden Norton has been asked to be Romeo but he refused.”
“Why?” Max asked.
Adam shrugged.
“What a shame. He is handsome, good, and everything. He’s a perfect Romeo,” Cathy said. Max cleared his throat. “Relax babe, I still love you,” she said to his boyfriend.
Max and I laughed, except for Adam. Suddenly, he was busy with his sandwich.
~
I was sitting behind the desk at Adam’s secret room which we used as our office. I was busy answering the email. They were right, there were so many requests. I printed them; put them inside a folder so I could give it to Adam. Meanwhile, Adam was sitting in front of his large screens, programming something. I didn’t know much about computer. Aiden and Dylan were doing their job right now – it was a case about a reporter who refused to attend the court. They had to track him down. Adam told me that it was easy case, Aiden and Dylan took this case just for fun.
“Adam,” I called, suddenly remembered something.
“Yes?” he looked at me.
“You like Cathy, don’t you?”
“And you like Aiden, don’t you?”
I shocked. “How do you know that?”
“Of course I know. It is so obvious. Besides, I’m your best friend.”
What else did he know? “Yeah, you’re my best friend, but you never told me about your double life.”
“Sorry Al, I do have to. But look at the silver lining, now you are part of us. And I bring Aiden to your life.”
“Come on, it is just a minor crush. I will get over it soon. So tell me, since when do you like Cathy?” No, it was not a minor crush, it was a very very major crush. Huge crush.
“Since our freshmen year.”
“All this time?”
Adam nodded.
“Why don’t you tell her?”
“I was going to, but Max was faster than me. He kind of cut me off.”
“You should have told her, I would be very happy my two best friends dating,” I said, wondering.
“Hey, why don’t we spice things up a little?”
“What do you mean?” I asked him warily.
“If I can convince Aiden to take Romeo’s part, you have to be Juliet – wait,” he raised his finger when I opened my mouth to complain, “on the other hand, if you can make him not to change his mind, I will tell Cathy that I like her.”
Interesting. I would win though; Aiden was not this type of person who would perform the drama in front of people. He had enough attention already. “Deal,” I told Adam.
~
But I was totally wrong. The next day, I heard from Cathy that Aiden had signed up for the role Romeo. I rotted in my place while Adam whispered, “Good luck,” to me. Adam must’ve cheated; I even hadn’t had a chance to speak with Aiden yet. How could he change his mind so sudden? I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Adam.
So, one day before the audition, I registered for the role of Juliet. “Tomorrow will be the unluckiest day in my life. I will do something fool and make fun of myself in front of everybody,” I told my best friends. They didn’t say anything to cheer me up because they knew my words were mostly right.