Chapter 3: A Battle of Wills
1222 Words
Sophia ought to have realized that nothing about this absurd school production would go without a hitch.
She felt the change the moment she entered the morning corridor. Just a second too long later, the sideways looks, the soft whispers, the way people turned to gaze at her turned away.
It was something more than the typical critical looks she had become accustomed to.
More brutal. More laughing. More precisely.
She never knew until she got to her locker.
Then saw what was taped on it.
Her body turned cold all around.
Her face was crudely pasted onto the body of an over-the-top, exaggeratedly large Juliet from some medieval painting. Under it was a caption: "A Juliet with too much love for cake."
She listened for laughter all around.
Sophia's abdomen tightened. Heat crawled up her neck, but she pushed herself to keep her face neutral. She forbade them from seeing her flinch.
Rather, she tore the paper off her locker, crumpling it in her fist then packing it into her bag.
She heard him then as well.
voice of Liam Carter.
"Wow," he said, sloppily stopping next to her. "They really went all out, huh?"
Sophia turned to face him, her expression precisely blank. She doubted her own ability to talk yet.
Liam's eyes strayed to her bag, where she had crammed the embarrassing picture.
"You are not going to cry, are you?" Though his voice was playful, underlying it was something else. She couldn't quite place something.
She let out a slow exhaled while tightening the bag strap. "Why?" asked "Would that cause you to feel guilty?"
The smile Liam wore was unflinching. If only somewhat, it expanded. "Guilt: come on, Bennett. What, in your opinion, could I have possibly contributed to this?
Sophia laughed. "I have no idea, Carter. Perhaps because you rule this institution? Nothing happens here without your knowledge, thus nothing happens here."
Liam slightly leaned in and dropped his voice. "Flattering, but you credit me too much. Apart from... "He slanted his head, eyes shining. "You really think I would let someone else have the fun of embarrassing you?"
Her pulse jumped.
Her stomach turned over something about the low, deliberate, mocking way he said it.
The words themselves were not the thing here. He presented them in this way. Like he was experimenting on her. Like he wanted to check her break schedule.
Sophia raised her chin, not going back down. And here I considered you to be the golden boy of the school. You seem to be another miserable coward hiding behind a throng.
Liam's smile wavered for a split second or less.
Just enough to enable her to see it.
Just enough for her to know she struck something.
But it was back just as fast later. He shook his head and low laughed. "Mindful, Bennett. People start thinking you actually enjoy our little back-and-forth as you keep talking to me in that manner.
Her jaw locked.
"I like showing you wrong," she corrected.
Liam raised a smile. "Same thing"
She turned on her heels and dashed before he could get another word in.
Her concern was not whether she was acting dramatically. She sought distance.
Because, among all of this, the worst aspect is?
He was hardly mistaken at all.
Sophia had hardly been able to let the residual annoyance from their conversation go by the time rehearsal started that afternoon.
She ought to have knew better.
Liam was already there, waiting for her, with that same damned smile, as soon she set foot on the stage.
He teased, "Back so soon," as she got close. Thought you might run off once more.
Sophia drew in through her nose. Do not kill your scene partner. That's illegal.
The theater director clapped his hands together before she could launch a counter attack.
"Okay, let us pick up where we left off. Sophia, Liam; today you two are running the balcony scene.
Sophia grew stiffer. the scene from the balcony.
Most famously, among the whole performance, this one. Romeo looks up at Juliet like she's the only thing that counts; Juliet is pouring her heart out, totally vulnerable.
Stated another way, her worst dream.
Liam raised a brow at her obviously delighted response. "Something right, Bennett?"
She glowed at him, leveling him. Not quite at all.
Liam laugh. You definitely sure? You seem a little; what is the word? Nervous.
Sophia let her eyes roll back. Just shut up and get into position.
He raised a smile. "As you wish, princess."
He was already retreating, sliding into character so naturally it was infuriating before she could respond properly.
She had to say he was decent.
He had an instantaneous change in him. He was the haughty, nasty, angry Liam Carter one minute. Romeo was the next.
His features softened, his customary mocking smile replaced with something more subdued. more fervent. More dangerous.
And Sophia's breath stopped when his eye locked hers.
She missed this was an act for a split second.
Ignored that his eyes locked and his expression was incomprehensible—just a performance.
"Juliet," he said, his voice low, steady. "What color breaks through your window? East is it; Juliet is the sun.
The words were rather known to me. hence practiced.
Still, his manner of saying them made her vulnerable.
Sophia pushed herself to concentrate by hard swallowing.
She had work to complete.
She raised her chin, straightened her shoulders, and moved forward with clear voice.
"O Romeo, Romeo! Where then is art Thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I will no longer be a Capulet.
There was silence over the theater.
Not even the typical whispers—the silence among the other students—had broken.
Because Sophia, the girl they had all expected to fail, was holding her own.
She could see Liam staring at it.
The flutter of something nearly like interest.
She considered he might possibly say something genuine for a fleeting, terrible moment.
Then, though, his lips quitched just as rapidly.
And the moment vanished as well.
He back-off slightly and let out a low breath. "Not bad," he said silently.
Sophia focused her eyes narrows. You say that, like you're surprised.
He started to smile once more. "Let's say I'm impressed you made it through without tripping over your words."
Her patience broke. "Oh, I'm sorry. You are the authority on acting, and I had no idea.
Liam raised a smile. "you wound me, Juliet."
Sophia let her eyes roll back. "For the love of just let me do my job, Carter."
His eyes flicked over her, something unreadable hiding behind his laughter.
"That's the thing, Bennett," he said, speaking softly. "I sense you beginning to enjoy this."
Her breath stopped.
Because, in fact, the worst part is?
She wasn't sure he was mistaken.
And among all else, that terrified her more than anything.
Sophia's head whirled by the time practice stopped.
That Liam had gotten under her skin infuriated her. Furious that she couldn get the way he had stared at her during the scene gone from her.
But most importantly?
She detested the twisted, absurd part of her that was yearning to do it all over once more tomorrow.
- Writer
