Gifted

7. Drama everywhere

'Let's start with the auditions, shall we? First up are Alexis and Chase, act one, Egeus just left. Alexis you're Hermia and Chase, you're Lysander. And action!' Our teacher yells loudly. 

'How now, my love! Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast?' Chase starts.

'Belike for want of rain, which I could well beteen them from the tempest of my eyes.' 

'Ay me! For aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth; but, either it was different in blood,--' 

'O cross! Too high to be enthrall'd to low.'

'Or else misgraffed in respect of years,--' 

We walk towards each other, we need to look like we're in love. I put down my script, I know these words good enough to do it without a script. This is one of my favourite plays, I've read it like a thousand times. Shakespeare's plays are timeless and I love them. 

'O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.' 

'Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,--' 

'O hell! To choose love by another's eyes.'

Alright, maybe I need to say "O" a bit too much, but it's still genius. A few more lines and I'll be done, she can't keep us on this stage forever and other people need to audition as well. Suddenly, Chase steps closer and touches my arm. I take his hand and look at him like I'm in love. My reason it really looks like I'm in love, I think of things I love, mostly my family.

'Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, war, death, or sickness did lay siege to it, making it momentany as a sound, swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night, that, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, and ere a man hath power to say 'Behold!' The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion.' 

'If then true lovers have been ever cross'd, it stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, because it is a customary cross, as due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers.'

We'll have to stop after these lines, since the teacher hasn't picked a Helena and she'll be needed very soon. I glance at the teacher, she has a big smile on her face. I'm guessing she likes it or she's just being nice. 

'A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager of great revenue, and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues and she respects me as her only son. There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee and to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then, steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night and in the wood, a league without the town, where I did meet thee once with Helena, to do observance to a morn of May, there will I stay for thee.' 

'My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow, by his best arrow with the golden head, by the simplicity of Venus' doves, by that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, and by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen, when the false Troyan under sail was seen, by all the vows that ever men have broke, in number more than ever women spoke, in that same place thou hast appointed me, to-morrow truly will I meet with thee.'