Remember When #featured #AllStars

Chapter 13

ROMEO.JULIET

Over the following weeks, I spent so much time with Trip Wilmington that it was ridiculous. At Totally Videos, our schedules lined up so that we were together two out of the three days a week that I worked there. Even though I had passed my driving test and gotten my license, I still didn't have a car yet, so Trip offered me a ride to and from work every Monday and Friday.

In school, I saw him every day in between; hanging out at lunch, walking with him through the halls and then sitting near him during English class.

On the weekends, we'd normally bump into each other at parties, and sometimes, Lisa, Pickford and I would carpool with him to go to the football games on Saturday mornings.

On top of all that, I had him all to myself every Tuesday afternoon while we worked on our English project. It was my favorite day of the week, because for all the time that we spent together, the Shakespeare thing was always just the two of us.

It's not as though I could report some romantic version of our film collaboration. I wish I could tell you about the passion-filled hours spent rehearsing the balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet, or, better yet, the "morning after" scene where they're all spoony and basking in the glow of Romeo's proposal having just spent the night screwing like a couple of bunnies.

No. The fact of the matter is that our assigned scene was Act 3, Scene 3. Which, if it's been a while since you've brushed up on your Shakespeare, means Trip got to play the charming, dashing, lovesick and romantic hero, Romeo. I, on the other hand, was cast in the role of... the nurse. Yep. The ugly, old, obnoxious nurse, who was nothing more to the story than a third wheel, the comic relief, and eclipsed in every scene by the beautiful object of Romeo's affections. Basically, that's how I felt anywhere in the vicinity of Trip's girlfriend, so let's hear it for method acting!

Tess wasn't making too many appearances, but I knew that they had to still be dating. At least I assumed they were. It sounds weird, but for all the talking that we did- and we talked a lot- we never really discussed it.

Preferably, I would have bypassed some of that riveting conversation for a little more making out, as it would have been nice to be more to him than just a "buddy".

But the way I saw it, I was happy enough that Trip and I kind of had this unspoken thing. I don't mean like boyfriend/girlfriend, but when we were together, we were just... us. He was a different guy with me than the one he was at school or at parties, and I knew I was the only one to see that side of him. And he knew that I knew.

But even barring any romantic inclinations, our relationship was pretty great. I think the Tess thing was always there in the background, keeping us just friends. It didn't stop me from looking for hidden meaning in the fact that he never discussed her with me, however. It had to mean something that he never wanted to ruin us by bringing up her.

I liked to think that Trip really liked me a lot, and maybe under different circumstances he would have even made me his girlfriend. But it was understandable that he wasn't about to trade in a Tess Valletti for a Layla Warren.

I still found my knees going weak sometimes (okay, always) whenever I was near him. But it wasn't like some all-consuming anxiety for me anymore. The more time I spent with him and got to know him as an actual person (you know, as opposed to a Greek God), the more comfortable it was to be around him. Funny thing was, we actually made really great friends.

Lisa chastised me for accepting a "consolation prize", but truth be told, it turned out I really liked the guy. And not just "like" liked, but genuinely was able to get past the pretty face- somewhat- to see the great person behind it.