The Cult of Romeo

XIV. Not a Love Story

Act 2, Scene 4

Mr Donahue was young, with a strict personality and lips that were stuck in a straight line most of the time. Now, though, he seemed dejected. He stood tall as though poised for battle with a dark expression washed across his face and hooded eyes.

Khaleel's discomfort was clear from beside me as his whole body tensed up but reluctantly, he followed my footsteps closer and closer to the Latin teacher, even through the rain that just felt like background noise now.

"I didn't know you two would be here so early," Mr Donahue spoke. His voice was baritone and I felt its low grumble in the pit of my stomach. "Normally, nobody is up."

Obviously, Mr Donahue was used to roaming the schoolyard this early and I wondered why. He was dressed in a white button-up accompanied by a dark red tye and his large puffer coat as though he had a class in only a few minutes. It was early enough that the sky was still tinted a dark blue of night and the birds sang their sweet song of morning. 

"What are you doing here, sir?" Khaleel asked. I heard the slight tremor of hesitance in his voice. 

Mr Donahue clicked his tongue and the sound was loud in my ears, before turning back to the memorial with downturned brows. He looked seriously pained and I thought back to our days rehearsing for Romeo and Juliet. Mr Donahue was there often, sulking backstage or helping D'Angelo with the positioning of characters. He'd even commented on how I played the instruments once or twice. I thought back and tried to see whether he and Elijah ever really knew one another. I didn't recall Elijah ever talking about him, I didn't recall seeing Elijah ever talking to him either. 

"You know, Uranus' moons are named after Shakespeare characters." Mr Donahue smiled as though he were reminiscing on something, with a faraway look in his eyes that was directed towards the abundance of bouquets. It was as though he was trying to solve all the mysteries but had no idea where to start. An odd mix of bitterness but acceptance clung to his slumped figure and dimmed eyes.

"The planet was named after the Greek God Uranus, who was the personification of heaven. It has twenty-seven moons and each one named after various Shakespeare characters. I suppose that's why I volunteered for the production. I think I was curious as to what these astronomers saw so enticing about his characters all those years ago."

Mr Donahue seemed scattered. His beard was messy, the bags under his eyes dark and his voice hoarse and uncontrollable with ramblings. It was like watching a candle slowly burn out right in front of my eyes. I thought about everything I'd heard about Donahue. I thought about Elijah and Jackie and the horrible ways that they had left us. 

I thought about the wild look in Elijah's eyes that bugged out of his skull while performing his last scene. I thought about the paranoia that stilted Jackie's tense figure and the bruises that lingered on her neck when I saw her in the corridor with Nora. 

"What do you think happened?" I spoke up, pointing my head towards Elijah's plaque.

Mr Donahue grimaced as he flinched back from my words. "It's best to leave it to rest, I think."

It seemed that the Latin teacher was suffering and I wondered whether it was grief. For Elijah perhaps? But it didn't quite make sense. So, I took a chance and guessed.

"Like Jackie?" I queried with big innocent eyes. "Let it rest like Jackie?"

Mr Donahue gave me the exact reaction I needed to continue. His warm brown skin paled and his thick eyebrows shot right to his hairline.

Before he could've recovered, I continued. "Poor little Jackie. So beautiful, wouldn't you agree?" 

"W-what?"