The Fairest Stars

Chapter Fifteen: 'My heart's dear love is set.'

She was doing more than a good job: she lived and breathed Juliet. You could almost feel as if you were there, as if you were the one falling in love with her, and you were the one willing to die rather than live without her.

They went back to the beginning again, Isis pretending to be up on a balcony, Callum down on the ground.

‘Oh, you angel,’ murmured Callum, who was acting like one entranced. Kael could see that that would be extremely easy. Had he been playing Romeo, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop. ‘You truly are like a winged messenger of heaven, sailing upon those dreamy white clouds.’

Bit over the top, but then again, they were dealing with Romeo and Juliet- a pair who ended up dying quite, thought Kael, unnecessarily.

‘Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?’ Isis called, her hands clasped to her chest, looking just like a lovestruck young girl. She caught Kael’s eye, a half dreamy smile on her face. ‘If only you could get rid of that name; deny your father!’ She stopped, sitting wistfully down, looking out amongst the area of the stage where Romeo was. ‘Or, if not… be mine, and I won’t be a Capulet.’

Callum turned, eyes wide with surprise. ‘I will!’ he called, making Isis jump. They’d decided to change around the order a little, rather than having Romeo talk, and Juliet somehow not hear.

‘Who are you?’ she called, pretending to hide. ‘Show yourself!’

‘I don’t know how to tell you: I hate my own name!’ Callum protested. ‘If I could write it down, I would tear it up. I hate it because it’s your enemy.’

Isis’s entire face lit up. ‘I haven’t heard you say even a hundred words yet, but I recognise your voice. You’re Romeo, the Montague.’

‘I won’t be either, if you dislike it,’ Callum said, walking up to where she stood, eyes raised as if he was looking up.

As Kael continued to watch, Callum pretended to help Isis down from the balcony as they continued to talk. They were doing a remarkable job; you could almost think that they were a couple.

‘It’s not you that’s my enemy,’ Isis was saying softly, her face upturned to Callum’s. ‘It’s your name. And your name isn’t consequential at all- a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.’

Callum smiled, gently, Isis reaching up to cup his cheek in one hand. The gesture was so natural, so unrehearsed that Kael felt a little mind blown. She truly was a sensational actress.

‘Romeo, get rid of your name, and have me instead! Surely then it’ll all be alright?’ Her tone was perfect- innocent, yet seductive. Well, to Kael’s ears at least. But then again, anything Isis did seemed to be seductive to him.

Mrs Robson clapped her hands from the wings. ‘Would it be natural for the two to kiss at this point?’ she asked no one in particular, addressing the question seemingly to everyone.

No, thought Kael, wishing he could see anything but that.

‘I think so,’ Lydia piped up. ‘If I was Juliet, I’d be all over him by now!’

Isis laughed. She turned, bright eyed, and looked straight at Kael. He almost melted beneath her gaze. She smiled at him, a dazzlingly beautiful smile, and turned back, looking up at Callum. ‘If you want to try, we might as well get it over and done with?’

Callum laughed. ‘Ah well, why not?’

Kael almost felt the need to squeeze his eyes shut. The pair of them ran through the last bit of dialogue once more, and then, Callum reached out, and, putting one arm around her waist, pulled her to him, their lips meeting. His other hand trailed up to her neck to hold her mouth to his, slipping a little into her hair.