You hesitantly push open the wide door with a bold sign reading “play auditions.” Nerves make your hands tremble and legs shake. Upon entering the auditorium your eyes fall onto the two figures on stage. A petite girl with cropped black hair clutches her script tightly, voice wavering as she speaks. Beside her is a much more poised and natural Kevin Woo, your best friend and Romeo in the school play. Seeing him makes you relax significantly. You’ve read your lines with him a billion times and he was your closest friend. Of course you were calmer knowing he was the one you were auditioning with.

A little more confident you walk down the aisle to the table where the director sits idly scribbling notes. You check in briefly then get shooed backstage by a volunteer student council member to await your turn. There are two other girls ahead of you. One is visibly jumping in anxiety at the front of the line, while the other stands stiffly with her arms crossed and lips pressed in thin line behind her. The fidgety one catches your eye and you give her an encouraging smile. She returns it weakly. Noticing your exchange the other girl between the two of you rolls her eyes, huffing exasperatedly.

“You both look like nervous wrecks.” she mutters, distractedly checking her nails.

What the heck?

The other girl shrinks at her comment and fiddles uneasily with her script. You on the other hand, glare and set your jaw stubbornly. The girl uninterestedly returns your gaze with a smirk, running a hand through her long, wavy black hair.

“What? It’s true. You should just leave, if you’re this nervous for auditions you’re obviously not cut out for the real thing.” she states dismissively.

“What makes you think you’re cut out for the real thing?” you snap. Her arrogance was really getting on your nerves. You couldn’t stand girls like her. Putting themselves up on a pedestal and thinking they were above everyone else because they were pretty. Well, that wasn’t going to get them anywhere in life, let alone in school. With a passive wave of her hand she brushes you off and returns to studying her nails.

Okay, now you’re really ready for this audition.

After the girl on the stage finishes (“Good but, try not to hide behind your script.”), the next girl goes up, legs shaking as she climbs onto the stage. That left you and the haughty girl behind at the stairs. You peer over the steps see if she’s calmed down at all.

She hasn’t.
 

Standing beside Kevin only seemed to make her nerves worsen. Her cheeks flare pink as she stutters over her lines, shooting quick glances up at Kevin that make her redden more.
It was always funny to you how girls would get so jittery around him. Well, yeah, the guy was attractive but, he was your best friend. You had a crush on him as a kid but, you outgrew it. That was ancient history and a long forgotten blip in your friendship. Besides, you doubted either of you could feel that way about one another, now or ever. You were too close like siblings even.

Still, it is fun to about being such a girl magnet. He’s always getting confessions.

It’s actually a little concerning at times.

Half way through her lines the girl on stage squeaks unintelligibly, bows to the director and Kevin, and then scurries off the stage. An uncomfortable silence hangs in the auditorium. It’s soon broken by the girl in front of you. Tromping up the stairs with conviction in her stride she captures the attention of everyone in the auditorium. Clearing his throat the director pulls up another sheet of paper and calls “action.”

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.” she says without a script in hand. Her words come out easily, flowing naturally as if she were Juliet. You begin to feel uneasy. She was good, really good.

Maybe you aren’t cut out for this like she said…

No, you’re still going to try. For Kevin’s sake, you have to. You highly doubt he’d want to be stuck with her for the next month of practice, even if he wouldn’t blatantly say it. With renewed determination you mentally prepare yourself to upstage her.

When she finishes you hear a booming clap from the director. “Brava! That was excellent! We may have our Juliet!” the director announces. Your heart sinks. The girl’s face lights up smugly, eyes darting to see Kevin’s reaction. To his credit he doesn’t, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

And there goes the last of my confidence…

“Not just yet, there’s still one more girl that needs to go.” Kevin reminds politely, turning to you with an encouraging smile. Instantly all eyes are on you, the auditorium silent with expectation and anticipation. Making a mental note to get back at him later you take a deep breath and walk up the stairs to the stage.

The intensity of the lights blinds you momentarily. As a result you nearly lose your footing, tumbling a few paces. You hear Kevin chuckle and jab him in the side as you take the, now sneering, girl’s place beside him. You watch her toss her head and walk off the stage with so much grace she could’ve been walking on a runway.

Your hopes of upstaging her crumble.

“Alright, you’re the last one. Let’s see what you got. Action!” the director calls, now scribbling on your paper. Your heart pounds and the lights feel way too hot. Do stage lights even feel hot? You couldn’t recall if that was normal.

“Hey, look at me,” Kevin whispers grinning, “just like practiced. It’s just us.” Nodding slightly you take a deep breath and focus on your best friend’s face. It was just the two of you, just another practice.

You can do this.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.” you recite, just as you had a hundred times before. You were comfortable enough with him that you didn’t need to look down at the script in your hand. Flashing another quick grin at you he delivers his own lines with just as much practice.

“Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?” The amount of confliction in his voice makes it hard to believe he’s actually acting. He really does sound like he can’t decide and is feeling this right now.

“Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name!” You run through your lines with as much emotion as you can muster. After getting past a few lines don’t feel nervous anymore. This is actually fun. Just another run through with your best friend like you’ve already done so many times before. Not a problem.

Of course there was one part that you had some difficulty with…

“O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” you say, trying your hardest to sound dismissive.

“What shall I swear by?” he asks so earnestly it makes you pause. It didn’t help that he takes a step toward you with his eyes boring into your own. It was like he was trying to see your soul through your eyes. It was disconcerting.

“Do not swear at all; or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I'll believe thee.” you murmur, looking up at his dark chocolate eyes that hold your own.

“If my heart’s dear love-”

“Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract to-night: it is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden; too like the lightning, which doth cease to before one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night! This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest come to thy heart as that within my !” The two of you are close enough now you can see every long individual eyelash fringing his almond eyes.

“Oh, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” his breath ghosts over your skin. You take an involuntary step back, the realization of his sudden proximity making you uncomfortable. You never feel uncomfortable around him, ever.

Yet, there’s a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach that says otherwise.

“What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?” you almost stumble over your words, though it suits the line and no one seems to notice.

What is this feeling though? Whatever it is, it’s throwing you off…

“The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.” Dang it. Why was he so good at this? He sounded like he was going to die if you didn’t agree; like this was all he wanted in life.

Dang it.

“I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: and yet I would it were to give again.” you reply slowly, trying to get a grip on yourself.

“Cut!” the director shouts and startles you. Kevin gives you a brilliant smile and thumbs up as he breaks character.

“That was awesome! Best yet!” he cheers shaking your shoulder playfully.

Still a little befuddled you shove his hand off and turn your attention to the director. He’s staring very intently at two papers on his desk. They’re too far to see whose they are, but hopefully one of them is yours. After much deliberation, and pen chewing, the director looks at you then the girl that went before you, then back again.

“I’ve made my decision,” he says nodding as if to assure himself he made the right one, “I’ve decided that you’ll both be Juliet.”