Start a Revolution

"You turned in the essay today, right?" Drew asks as she plops onto her bed, the phone cradled between her shoulder and ear. She curls her legs under her as she opens her copy of Romeo and Juliet before her on her mattress. "I don't remember you going up to put it on Bobbet's desk—"

John's laugh cuts her off. "Of course I turned it in. Don't worry, kay babe? We have got this project in the bag." He chuckles, the warm sound caressing Drew's ears.

She sighs. "I just want everything to be perfect. I need a decent grade to pass."

"And so do I. Would you stop worrying, hun? The presentation tomorrow is gonna be badass and everyone is gonna be so jealous of our clever show-and-tell that they'll be begging us to be their partners for any project after this." Drew laughs out loud, slapping a hand over her mouth when she remembers her parents were in bed, along with Mitch. "And speaking of tomorrow...ready for our classy-ass date?" She could hear the grin in his voice.

"I surely am, mister," Drew smiles, picking her pen up and writing a question down on one of her the note cards before her. This presentation needed to be perfect. "You?"

"Fuck yeah," he retaliates swiftly. "I can't wait to take you out and show you how I treat a lady."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the first steady girlfriend you've had since seventh grade."

"So?" John scoffs as Drew just laughs again. "Doesn't mean I haven't been taught by my father how a woman should be treated." There were a few moments of silence as Drew writes another question down on a note card. "And anyway, we haven't been out on a date since the Renaissance debacle, and I don't call that a date since you ran off in the middle of it."

Drew scoffs much like he did. "You kissed me and I was surprised. And don't be complaining since the following school day we started dating and I defended you against Joey."

John, a few blocks away, nods. "True that."

The girl rolls her eyes. "You're dumb."

"Why thanks, darlin'!" he chortles, making her laugh for what felt like the millionth time tonight. "Anyway," he continues, "I have to be off. I have to go meet up with someone and if I am late, this person will kill me. I'll see you later, kay babes?"

"Kay babes," she mocks making him chuckle. "Bye, John."

"Bye, love."

Ah, his pet names. She would never get enough of them. They click off and she sets her phone beside her on her bed. She returns to her world of forbidden romance, tapping her pen against her lips as she reads over different passages. What if I discussed the irony of the deaths at the end? I could introduce the topic and then relay part of the information to John before pulling out the note card and asking...

Drew shakes her head. Why is she getting so into this project?

The idea of having that relationship, so full of fire, so full of excitement, the anticipation of getting caught, the adrenaline knowing this was wrong, the thrill of the forbidden romance...

Suddenly, she sits up straight, the pen falling from her hands.

Her and John were the fucking epitome of Romeo and Juliet.

Drew couldn't believe it took her this long to realize it. Their families were the Montagues and the Capulets. They were Romeo and Juliet. They were the fucking product of Shakespeare. And suddenly, Drew felt like she was going to be sick.

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..." she stands up, shaking out her hands nervously.

What if the only reason John was interested in her was because of that heat? That fire you get, the thrill, from the forbidden romance? What if the only reason he wanted to be with her was because it was new and exciting? What if their parents find out and John dropped her because it wasn't new and it wasn't exciting and there was no longer a spark?

"Shit, shit, shit..." Drew rubs her palms together. "This is not good."

"What's not good?"

Drew jumps and spins around, practically screaming at the sight of John climbing into her bedroom through her window. He had a sly smirk on his face. He was holding what looked to be two bottles of root beer. And, of course, he looked amazing.

"What are you doing?" Drew hisses, taking the few steps to stand in front of him. She looks behind her, at her door. "My parents are here!"

"And they won't know I'm here if we just stay quiet."

She goes to protest, but John cuts her off by pulling her into a kiss. The feel of his lips stopped her and she responds. She hears him set down the drinks, his arm wrapping around her waist. It was like they were the only two people in the world, the only two people that mattered. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest and his rib cage expanding against hers every time he took a breath. She could feel his hands squeezing at her hips, like he was trying to get her closer, closer, closer even though they were as close to each other as they could get.

Before she could do anything, John was falling back on the bed and she was falling with him. She lands on his chest as he reconnects their lips, his hands sliding up her shit so his fingers rest on the bare skin of her sides.

She pulls back once she feels his warm palms on her cold flesh. "John, I realized something."

He mouths starts moving down her neck, tingles shooting down her spine. Fuck, the things he does to her. "What did you realize?" he murmurs against her skin. God, it was so soft.

She takes a shaky breath. "Uhm..."

Being so close to him was mushing up her brain. What did she want to tell him? Something about Romeo and Juliet? What was it? Shit...man, were his lips warm...

A thump sounds from the hall.

Both of the teenagers freeze, John's lips ceasing their kissing and his hands ceasing their wandering. "What was that?" he mumbles, their breathing shallow and their hearts racing at the idea of actually getting caught.

"I don't know," she says truthfully. "But you should hide."

Footsteps were heard against the hardwood flooring. In one swift move, Drew rolled off of John as he falls to the floor as quietly as possible. He slides under her bed and she was reading Shakespeare again. Fortunately, this all happened in a few seconds before Drew's door was clicking open. That's when she noticed the two root beers she forgot to put away.

"Drew?" her father mutters groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Why are you still up?"

"Finishing up my English project," she says. She could feel John moving around underneath her. She pretends to accidentally kick the wall to make him stop. "Almost done."

"Hm," he says, shaking his head. "I could've sworn I heard a second voice."

Her throat goes dry. "Just me and the air conditioning."

Her father gives a wry chuckle, walking into her bedroom. Her heart pumps faster and louder. "Get some sleep, sweetie," her dad says before pecking her forehead. "See you in the morning." She nods, watching as he slowly walked out of her bedroom.

He spots the root beers. "Two?"

"I was thirsty."

A smile pulls at her dad's lips. "Do you mind me snatching one?"

She shakes her head as an indication. He grabs one and snaps it open. "Night, Drew." He makes his way to the door, grabbing hold of the brass doorknob.

"Night, Dad."

He then closes her door behind him, his footsteps growing dimmer as he walks back to his bedroom. Once he was no longer heard, she lets out a long breath, dropping her head back against her pillow. Moments later, John comes crawling out.

"He took my root beer."

Drew laughs, throwing her book aside. "Get over it."