On the other hand, James looked completely relaxed as he continued to inhale more vaping fluid than oxygen.
“I saw the old movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, and Romeo definitely smoked. Does that mean that smoking didn’t make him look like a bad boy at the time?”
“It’s beautiful and damned, James,” The teacher said.
A wave of feminine giggles made me roll my eyes.
Suddenly the collective laughter gave way to the clickety-clack of Taylor’s footsteps. She stopped right below the stage looking anything but happy.
“I’ll stick that vape pen where the sun don’t shine!” she shouted, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Miss Kavanagh looked like she was about to faint.
“Miss Hart!” she reprimanded weakly.
But Taylor obviously wasn’t paying attention. She pointed a finger at James, who looked down at her with his usual impudence.
“I called you eight times yesterday!”
“Congratulations, do you want a standing ovation for being the most insufferable Juliet in history?”
“No, the applause should go to the airhead you were banging at the party the other night while knowing that you were already spoken for!”
“Miss Hart!” James taunted, mimicking the assistant. “Anyhow, if you’d like to think there was only one, be my guest,” he added.
“You son of a—” Taylor lunged toward the stage.
“Guys!” Miss Kavanagh exclaimed.
“Please, don’t interrupt, there’s a real tragedy about to take place!” James exclaimed, amused. Jackson and Marvin laughed like two idiots.
“You’re the one who’s gonna have a tragic ending when I cut off what’s between your legs, asshole!”
Taylor was going for the jugular, and I wasn’t complaining.
“Go fuck yourself, James! Look, Romeo and Juliet can go fuck themselves for all I care. I’m not playing her anymore!” Taylor shouted, directing all her rage at the poor teacher, before channeling her anger at James. “But I’ll watch the show. You know why, you half-wit?”
“Why?”
“Because Romeo dies, and I can’t wait for you to meet the same ending. Dickhead!”
A standing ovation—that’s what that girl deserved. I would’ve given her one and clapped so hard that my hands turned red. But I’d be the only one in class clapping, so I held back.
Taylor ran off flushed and seeing red.
“Okay, apart from that pause that was a little too eventful for my taste, uh, we need to move forward with rehearsal. The play has to be ready by December.”
“That was a hell of a show, huh,” I commented.
Brian smiled. “They do it every month and then they get back together. If they aren’t soulmates . . .”
“Soulmates?” I muttered, confused.
I’d forgotten that Brian held on to that bizarre romantic notion. Meanwhile, the assistant was now a nervous wreck.
“We need another Juliet!”
I sank into my seat when the teacher turned toward us and looked right at me.
