By the time Isis got to Drama the next day, she had been through at least four retellings of her date with Kael, and she was still smiling. Her mum had been the first to interrogate her, awwing and sighing over the romantic nature of the date, and then producing several more outfits she’d been working on in Isis’s absence, shortening and modernising the old clothes to make them suitable for her. She was wearing one of them today: one of her old tops tucked into a denim skirt her mother had adapted, that was actually on trend, wearing thick tights to keep out the winter cold.
Kael had beamed when he saw her. And that had given her a bigger confidence boost than the most expensive designer clothes could have done.
Seb and Freya had both clamoured for retellings after she’d told her mum, Seb that evening and Freya the next morning, both of them excited for their sister and her shot at romance. Xavier had asked her about it, a sly grin on his face, and now, Isis was about to face Lydia, who, no doubt, had probably been snorkelling in the lake at the time in order to spy on the pair of them.
As expected, Lydia almost leapt on her as soon as she got in. ‘Isis! You look fantastic!’
Isis flushed. ‘Thanks.’
‘Xav just told me you went on a hot date with Kael last night!’ she said, enthusiastically bounding about. ‘Kael’s being uncooperative and not revealing what you did though, which makes me think that the pair of you got naughty together… am I right?’
Isis caught Kael’s eye. He was sat in the corner, watching her with a sweet smile she wanted to remember for as long as she lived. Just to have someone smile at her like that was really enough to keep her romantic side going for quite some time. ‘No!’ she protested. ‘I just went to his house, and had a lovely time.’
Lydia raised an eyebrow. ‘His house, huh?’
Isis gave her a light shove. ‘Nothing scandalous happened.’
‘Not even in his bedroom?’ Lydia probed. ‘You’re both lusty young teenagers, I wouldn’t be surprised if-’
‘Lyds, sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn’t even see his bedroom,’ Isis told her, with a grin at Kael.
Lydia laughed. ‘What good children you are. We wouldn’t want you to get too carried away, now, would we?’
Isis rolled her eyes. ‘You’re ridiculous, Lydia.’
Going over, she sat down next to Kael, who gave her a secretive smile which let her know that he was thinking back over the date, just like she was. She’d barely stopped thinking about it since it had happened.
Part of her felt as if it wasn’t quite real. Things like this only happened in romance novels; they didn’t happen in real life, let alone to people like her.
Sitting back in her seat, she smiled even wider as Kael’s hand gently rested on the top of her thigh, an intimate, yet somehow very casual touch that reassured her that this was most definitely happening in real life, and most certainly happening to her too.
Mrs Robson, dressed in swathes of sequinned red material, held her hands up for silence. ‘I hope you’ve all been learning your lines!’ she called, brandishing a script. ‘Mr Willoughby and Miss McKinley have been working extremely hard on this, along with others, and I think it’s safe to say that the result is absolutely beyond my expectations.’
Isis flushed, shooting a proud glance at Kael, who winked at her.
‘However, do keep in mind that the performance is getting closer and closer by the day, and that we do not,’ she paused, looking sternly around the class, ‘ and I repeat, do not have time to mess around. So, let’s get cracking. Isis, Callum, I’d like you two to work on your scenes in the corner, the rest of you get inot groups and find a scene you can practise. Alright?’
Nodding, everyone shuffled into positions. Isis headed over to join Callum, who smiled at her in a friendly way. ‘Ready to go?’
She nodded. ‘Definitely.’
‘Oh, you angel,’ Callum began. ’You truly are like a winged messenger of heaven, sailing upon those dreamy white clouds.’
On the other side of the room, Kael was reading through lines with Xavier and Jack, the boy who was playing Benvolio. One of the other boys stood in for Callum, who was otherwise occupied with Isis.
‘Come on, Mercutio,’ Jack began. ‘Let’s go home. It’s a hot day, and those Capulets are about. If we meet them, we’ll end up in a fight: the hot weather always brings it out in us. Come on.’
Kael rolled his eyes. ‘Benvolio, you’re like one of those boring men who, when they go into a tavern, puts your sword aside and says ’Oh, I won’t need that!’’
‘Am I?’ asked Jack, looking bewildered.
Kael nodded. ’Moody, too.’
As they carried on, Isis watched Kael from the corner of her eye. He was really getting into it; seemingly having a great time with the boys he was acting with. Isis wondered just how much he had changed since that first day, when she had thought his only expression was one of disgust.
Suddenly, her reverie was shattered into a thousand pieces by an angry shout. Spinning round, Isis looked over at the source of the sound: Mrs Robson.
‘What do you mean?’ she inquired, hands on hips, glaring angrily at Rupert, who was looking a little frightened. ‘You can’t drop out of Drama, not at this stage! You’re playing Paris, for heaven’s sake!’
Rupert mumbled something inaudible, handed Mrs Robson the bright yellow dropping out form, and ran from the room.
‘I do not believe this,’ Mrs Robson said, glaring at the piece of paper. ‘We’ll have to do auditions for a new Paris, and there won’t be time, and it’s all going to go awfully wrong, and I’ll-’
Lydia went to her side. ‘Don’t get carried away now, Mrs R,’ she told her, signalling to Lucas to go and get her some tea. ‘We’ll work it out, won’t we?’
Mrs Robson grunted. ‘This is just typical,’ she said grumpily. ‘It’s going to be a failure.’
Isis shot Kael a worried look. Mrs Robson seemed to be getting more and more angry.
He came to her side. ‘I have an idea,’ he said, in a low whisper.
‘Do you?’ Isis looked up at him hopefully.
He nodded. ‘I think so. What if I played Paris?’
‘You?’ Isis frowned. ‘But you’re Mercutio…’
‘Yes,’ he said, with a chuckle. ‘But, I get killed off. I miss out on all of the fun stuff. I could easily put on a wig, do a costume change, easy peasy.’
‘Do any of Paris’s scenes clash with yours?’ Isis asked, looking at her script.
‘Ah.’ Kael hadn’t thought of that. He flipped through his script. ‘Nope. No clashes at all.’ Thank goodness. It would have been rather embarrassing for him. ‘I know all the words, you see,’ he said. ‘I have a good memory for things I typed out.’
Isis smiled. ‘It sounds like the perfect solution.’
‘I’d better run it past Mrs Robson,’ he said, looking over to where Lydia and Lucas were consoling her with a strong cup of tea.
‘Probably best,’ Isis chuckled.
‘Wish me luck,’ he told her.
She did better than that. Standing up on her tip toes, she brushed her lips against his cheek. ‘Good luck.’
He grinned. ‘Any more luck you’d like to give me, fair Juliet?’
‘Nay, Mercutio, begone!’ she told him, laughing. ‘Go get it over and done with, you wimp.’
He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Just because I like your kisses,’ he said, sticking out his bottom lip.
Isis gave him a shove in the right direction. ‘Go on, mister.’
Heading over to Mrs Robson, he cautiously cleared his throat.
Her head snapped up. ‘Oh, fantastic! Now Mercutio wants to leave too, no doubt! Why don’t we all just give up?!’
‘I have an idea,’ Kael said.
Mrs Robson flicked her hand at him, dismissively. ‘Good for you.’
‘It’s about what to do now that Rupert’s left.’
‘Leave too?’
‘No! I’ll take on his part,’ Kael explained.
Mrs Robson sat up straight, and looked at him. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I know the words, and there are no clashing scenes. I could wear a wig to be Paris, and it would all be very simple.’ Kael watched her expression, feeling rather proud of himself. His parents would be over the moon to hear about his dedication in taking up not just one part, but two.
Mrs Robson frowned. ‘Could you pull that off?’ she inquired.
‘I’d like to think so,’ said Kael, attempting to be somewhat modest.
She was still frowning. ‘It seems a little silly to have one person playing two roles,’ she told him, slowly.
‘We could always give it a go?’ suggested Kael.
Mrs Robson’s face broke into a smile. ‘I like you, Mr Willoughby,’ she told him, raising her tea to take an almighty gulp of it. ‘You’ve got quite some spirit in you. I should imagine you’re rather like a dog with a bone: you won’t let go, no matter what happens.’
Kael felt distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Er, I’m not sure about that.’ He glanced to his side to see Isis grinning and Lydia shaking with silent laughter.
‘I think you should be,’ Mrs Robson told him, wagging her finger at him. ‘You’re an intelligent lad.’
Isis was now biting her lip to stop herself from laughing. He’d get her back later, he resolved. ‘So, er, do you think I could try playing Paris, then?’ he asked tentatively, not wanting to rush her.
Mrs Robson nodded. ‘Why don’t you try out that scene with Isis: Act 4, Scene 1? We can see how that goes.’
Looking over at Isis, he watched as she flipped through to the right page, and, as she looked up and smiled, he began.
‘What a pleasant surprise, my lady and my wife!’ he called, in a slightly smarmy voice that he’d always thought would suit Paris rather well. After all, he was dealing with a man who had been eager to marry a thirteen year old.
‘I’m not quite your wife yet,’ Isis replied, looking uncomfortable.
‘Ah, but you will be next Thursday,’ Kael said, sidling closer to her. ‘I look forward to it,’ he whispered loudly into her ear.
‘What must be, shall be,’ Isis answered, looking downcast.
Lucas, who was playing the Friar, broke in. ‘That’s a certain text.’
Kael shot him an irritated look, and had to stop himself from smiling. Playing Paris really was a lot of fun. ‘Have you come to make a confession to him?’ he inquired of Isis.
‘If I answered that, I would be confessing to you,’ Isis replied.
‘Ah, well, as long as you don’t deny to him that you love me,’ Kael said, edging closer again.
Isis took a step back. ‘I will confess to you that I love him,’ she said, with a quirk of her eyebrows.
‘And also that you love me,’ persisted Kael, with a rather creepy smile.
‘If I do,’ countered Isis, ‘it’ll be worth more if I say it behind your back than to your face.’
Kael looked bemusedly at her. ‘Your face?’
‘No, yours.’ Isis rolled her eyes.
‘Ah yes, your face is mine now, isn’t it?’ he told her, coming closer and running a finger down the side of it. Isis acted as if she was disgusted by his touch.
‘Er, Father?’ she addressed Lucas, slipping out of Kael’s way. ‘Can I confess now? Or shall I come back later?’
Lucas smiled, in a fatherly way. ‘You can come now. My lord, may we have the time alone?’
Kael gave a dismissive nod of the head. ‘Juliet, on Thursday, I shall have you. Until then…’ As he paused, he reached out to her, and kissed her firmly on the lips. Isis fought the temptation to sink into his arms and let him ravish her. ‘Keep this holy kiss.’
With a rather ridiculously flouncy bow, he left.
Mrs Robson burst into a round of applause. ‘Oh fantastic, fantastic!’ she cheered. ‘Utterly brilliant! You’re the perfect Paris, my dear!’
Kael grinned at Isis, gleeful at their success. Part of the reason why he’d wanted to play Paris was because he wanted to be acting with Isis. And he got to kiss her onstage? What could be better? He had a good idea for a later scene with her in it, too.
When she came up to him afterwards, giving him a tight hug around the waist, he kissed the crown of her head fondly.
‘You were brilliant,’ she said, looking up at him from where she was encircled in his arms. ‘Very, very brilliant.’
He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Alright, alright, don’t swell my ego too much,’ he told her, with a grin.
She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘I think Mrs Robson’s done enough of that for one day,’ she informed him, with a mischievous grin.
He smiled back at her. ‘I get to kiss you on stage,’ he said, and, dropping another kiss to her lips, he rested his forehead upon hers. ‘Can’t we just make out on stage?’ he asked. ‘I’m not too good at holding back.’
‘It’s fine for you!’ Isis protested. ‘I have to pretend to be disgusted!’
‘And you’re not?’ Kael asked, teasingly.
Isis laughed. ‘Mmm, well…’
However, as Kael touched his lips lightly to her own once more, she soon retracted all the value of that statement by responding with a fervour that couldn’t be described as disgust at all.