Chapter 44
742 Words
Alice’s POV*
Everyone knew.
The minute Mr. Bryant announced the project partners, it spread like wildfire. Alice Harper and Lucas Stone—working together on *Romeo and Juliet.* You’d think it was a royal scandal.
By lunch, people were already whispering.
Some joked we’d kill each other before Act III. Others said it was fate. And of course, Amelia looked like she was about to throw her lunch tray when she heard.
I ignored them all.
Barely.
Now, sitting across from Lucas at the library table after school, I was trying to focus on Shakespeare—not the fact that people were peeking through the shelves, pretending not to eavesdrop.
“So,” he said, leaning over the book with that smug grin, “Juliet, wherefore art thou so grumpy today?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not funny.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
I groaned. “Can we just finish the scene?”
He grinned wider but nodded. “Fine.”
We read through it again. I was Juliet, he was Romeo. And somehow, we didn’t argue. Too much.
“I still think your delivery is a little stiff,” he said after I finished.
“And I think you’re overacting.”
“Maybe that’s the point,” he said. “Romeo *is* dramatic.”
“Like you?”
He gave a mock gasp. “Are you calling me dramatic, Harper?”
“If the oversized ego fits.”
He laughed, and I felt something shift. Just slightly. His laughter was… different today. Not teasing. Just genuine.
When we finished reading, there was a small silence. Comfortable. Surprising.
“I don’t hate this,” I said quietly.
He looked at me. “The project?”
I nodded. “Working with you.”
His brows lifted. “Careful. If you keep saying nice things, I’ll start thinking you like me.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched.
“Still,” I added, “we’re not friends.”
“Sure,” he said, smirking. “You just spend hours reading love scenes with me for fun.”
I threw a pencil at him.
And he ducked, laughing.
Everyone knew now. There was no hiding it.
But maybe, just maybe…
I didn’t want to hide anymore.
The next morning at school was chaos.
I hadn’t even made it through the gates before someone from Class C grinned at me and said, “Hey Juliet, where’s your Romeo?”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Oh come on,” they laughed. “Lucas. You two at the library yesterday? Looked serious.”
I kept walking, pretending not to hear. But it didn’t stop.
In the hallway, I heard someone whisper, “Do you think they’re actually a thing?”
Outside homeroom: “She’s probably just using him to get an A.”
And the worst—*Amelia’s voice.* Loud. Sharp. Cold.
“She thinks she can sit there reading lines and suddenly be special? Lucas is just bored. He gets
over things fast.”
I gritted my teeth and shoved my books into my locker. I didn’t care what they said. I didn’t.
Okay… maybe I did. A little.
When I entered class, Lucas was already there, slouched in his seat, arms crossed like nothing could touch him. But I saw the flicker of irritation in his eyes when he looked around.
I didn’t say anything as I passed.
But when I sat down, I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
He *liked* the chaos.
And that irritated me even more.
After class, he caught up with me near the stairs. “You hear the rumors?”
“You mean the entire school pretending we’re starring in a romance film? No. Not at all.”
He chuckled. “I kind of like it.”
I shot him a look. “Of course you do.”
Lucas leaned against the wall, looking too relaxed. “We could play into it.”
“Absolutely not.”
He laughed harder, like this was all a game. “Alright, alright. Just saying—maybe Romeo and Juliet did have fun before it got tragic.”
“Lucas?”
“Yeah?”
I narrowed my eyes. “We’re still not friends.”
He grinned, stepping back. “Sure, Juliet.”
And before I could throw anything at him, he disappeared down the hall.
And I hated that I was smiling. Just a little.
- Writer
