Why I Hate Romeo and Juliet

Why I Hate Romeo and Juliet - Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

“Hey Hazel,” Lucas called down the hall. “You’d better not talk shit on the Bard today!”

“Language!” A teacher hissed. Lucas just scowled at him.

“How have you not gotten a detention yet?” I laughed as we walked into Literature. “And I’m not making any promises. I might be able to handle myself when it’s, I don’t know, Macbeth? But when it comes to Rom and Jules, I’ll be ruthless.”

He narrowed his eyes at me as we took our seats. Spencer walked in shortly after us.

“We’ve gotta cancel the movie tonight, I’ve got study group,” he said, setting his books down and sitting next to Luke.

“Aw, Spence,” Lucas whined in a high-pitched voice.

“And hey, why are we not in your study group?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Haze, if you and Luke were in my study group, there’d be no studying getting done,” Spencer said, with a smile on his face.

“Remember that time we tried to study at the Library?” Lucas looked at me and I thought back.

“And we ended up pretending to be super-secret-spies?” I grinned at him.

“God. How old are you two?” Spencer scoffed.

“Says the boy who’s favorite movie is still Finding Nemo,” I added.

“No Hazel. I sit here and watch Luke take the Shakespeare crap, but don’t you dare say anything bad about Nemo,” Spencer looked at me seriously. Then we both broke out laughing.

The bell rang. “Hey, where’s Erick?” Lucas said to me. I shrugged. “Didn’t you have art with him?” I nodded.

I never really saw Erick in art. He was always being mysterious in that back room. I wonder if he was making me something, like I asked.

Probably not.

Asshole.

“Alright class! Romeo and Juliet!” Chapman sat on his desk eagerly. “What’d you think of it?”

Chapman pointed at a girl near our table. Gracie? Yeah, Gracie, that was her name. “I thought it was beautiful. Lots of people don’t like the story, but I did, a lot. The way they go to such lengths to be with each other is so gracious,” her voice cooed passionately.

I snickered and mumbled to Spencer. “Yeah, and the way it works out in the end is so gracious too.”

He chuckled quietly, but Chapman caught on. “Have something to say, Mr. Kingston?”

Spencer flushed white. “No, sir. Hazel was just telling something funny.”

I shot a look at Spence. He just threw me under the bus. Son of a…

“And mind sharing, Ms. Wray?” Chapman looked at me expectantly.

I looked at Lucas. He shook his head at me. “I’m sorry sir, I don’t think Lucas would approve.”

“He can handle himself. I’m in need of a laugh, anyways,” he smirked at me. I wasn’t getting out of this one.

But just in time, the door open, and Erick walked in. He handed Chapman a small blue pass before sitting next to me.

“Where were you man?” Spencer asked curiously. The class had erupted into a small murmur as Chapman fixed the attendance.

“It took me a while to clean up after art,” Erick shrugged.