Until I Met You

23 | "what do you want, Luke?"

"It's with a heavy heart I inform you all that we are almost done with the reading of Romeo and Juliet," Ms. Edwards says to the class, the wisp of a smile on her lips. "Although I'm sure you're all secretly excited to hear this."

I can't deny that I'm somewhat relieved at the thought of almost being done with the play. Reading has never really been my thing, plus I can't stand the idea that Romeo and Juliet stands for. I think the play is much too heavy on love, and romance has always made me uncomfortable.

"When we complete the reading we'll start practicing the skits I'll be grading you all on. Remember that your skit has to be a scene from the play—it doesn't particularly matter which scene, but the more important the scene you choose to perform is, the higher your grade can be. You'll be working in pairs of two, and I'm still picking your partners, so don't bothering asking me about it."

A few groans arise from around the classroom.

"I know, I know. I'm such a terrible person for not allowing you to pick partners." Ms. Edwards rolls her eyes, smirking. "Since I've given you all a relatively easy quarter so far—no quizzes or tests, just reading—a lot is riding on your skits. So for those of you who like to slack off—you know who you are—I'd encourage putting effort into this. It's the only test grade you're getting for this portion of the quarter, and anything below an eighty is really going to hurt your overall grade."

I share a glance with Emma, biting down on my lip. I'm not necessarily the best actress, and the fact that we're performing Shakespeare only makes things harder. I mean, I understand it's only a class performance, but I still want to do well.

I hope that Emma ends up being my partner, as I know I'll be a million times less stressed with her by my side. Not to mention, we often work well together.

"Without further ado," Ms. Edwards says to grab our attention, "please grab your copies of Romeo and Juliet so we can read our final scenes before the story comes to an end."

I make the mistake of glancing over at Luke as I lean down to grab my book. I'm not sure why I'm slightly surprised to find him looking back at me, a smile making its way across his lips as our gazes lock. I hesitate for a moment, my eyes lingering on his.

I have a feeling that Romeo and Juliet isn't the only thing coming to an end around here . . .

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"You came!" Liam exclaims as his gaze meets mine, his face lighting up as he grins. I take in his dimple and wide brown eyes with a smile, a laugh escaping my lips.

"Of course I came," I say in response. "I told you I would!" As if I could possibly miss the first lacrosse game of the season. It's an exciting event for both me and Liam, as it's his first game and my first time seeing him play.

Liam's expression morphs from lighthearted to serious as he glances down at me, biting down on his lip. "You look good."

I try to downplay the compliment, glancing down at my clothes. The school games are probably some of the only school functions where students don't have to wear uniforms, which I took advantage of. I wear a long sleeved off-the-shoulder shirt with ripped jeans and sneakers, perfectly comfortable.