The Uncrowned King

Éclair Martizo cluck her tongue for the umpteenth time that day, dragging a huge bag behind her with all the energy she could muster. She didn't enjoy being bossed around so early in the morning. "Éclair, hurry up with those props!" Reverie Estalilla, her college best friend, shouted at her. Reverie walked in quick strides, holding a dozen paper bags in her arms and swiftly avoiding early risers in the street with a skip of her feet, sunshine smiles and long bouncy curly red-dyed hair. "And be careful with it!" Reverie reminded, walking backwards and smoothly twirling around a suited guy before she bumped into him and apologizing at the same time. The guy was too stunned to stammer a reply. "Why am I here again?" Eclair asked petulantly, heaving the huge black plastic bag on her shoulders and keeping up with her friend without skipping. The cold scent of morning mist tickled her nose. Rays of sunshine just shyly peeked out from the dark clouds of the night. A reminder that it was too early for her to be prancing outside when most her class schedules are in the afternoon. Only a dark chocolate can keep her moving at this hour and Kate had dutifully supplied her. Éclair could scent the conspiracy. “Oh, you know why. Juliet~” Reverie giggled, hair swinging left and right. Oh yes, she did. It was Lance. Lance Presto. The guy who had cornered her into this role. Éclair gave her friend a glare. Inwardly pouting. Their friend has an unhealthy habit of picking on her. It was getting out of hand. It felt like she had spoiled him too much in their years of friendship to have her push around like this. "Pres!" Arthur Biennes voice rang clearly on the street as he turn from organizing the carefully crafted items lying behind a red BMW. Reverie skipped pass by him, quickly opening one of the car's door and sticking her baggage. Arthur bounded towards Éclair, arms outstretch to relieve her of her burdens. Bless his soul. Her shoulders are starting to get stiff. Of all things that Eclair picked out from the mystery box, it had to be Romeo and Juliet. It is for the play in the Foundation Day of their school. Every department is required to perform. And Eclair had to play the role of Juliet. That was a huge slap in the female populace of their University. Lance Presto is Romeo, period. Multi-talented Lance. The BOSS of the Univesity’s Dance Crew. Voice of an angel singer. Admired by all women in their school. And coveted by the Arts Department. It was unanimous agreement. Éclair felt the serene approval of the *Educs Department with that choice. If only that jerk didn’t demand something ridiculous in exchange she would be breathing easier. But, there’s always a ‘but with that guy. He would take the role as long Éclair is Juliet or else they'll have to find another one. Éclair stopped breathing back then. She was no acting material. She was way too lazy to make actions with her words. Everyone agrees in the Department. Even Reverie. And Reverie adores her! She will do well in the backstage. But Lance stubbornly stuck with his demand. He doesn’t want anyone but Éclair. Isn’t that a little bit childish? Éclair had no choice really. He’s perfect for the role. Lance is capable of carrying the whole play. They can’t lose him. Oh no, not when the Educs are watching them like vultures circling a carcass. The howling still continues in her head. She pissed off more students in their University other than the Educs Department. The guy had a lot of admirers, fans, and stalkers. Eclair was surly tempted to deviate from the plot and kill him herself. Wouldn’t that be more tragic? She sighed heavily as she keep on walking. Morning always had a way of unleashing her temper and murderous thoughts. It was never a good combination. The sight of her car parked in the lot of space in front of the flower shop Arthur's family owned, simmered her rising ire. It covered the display of beautiful flowers but not their fragrance. Flowery scent mixed in the morning mist. So was the old scent of paper from the bookshop next door that Lance’s family owned. Arthur and Lance are friends since childhood, practically joined by the hip. One would think, they're together with all the touching and can't go without the other thing especially with the eyes of judgmental teenagers. But seeing those shop line up together, Éclair could understand their closeness. Envy it actually. She never grew up with anyone. Nannies or maids are the most common in her memory. "Oh wow! It's heavy!" Arthur commented once he got hold of her luggage. The blond gave her a confused look as they walk. "How did you carry all of this from Kate's house?" Arthur got a pretty face framed with spiky blond hair and baby blue eyes, he might as well be an angel. Exaggeration much? Well, she got a soft spot for this one. He’s adorable like a puppy. "I dragged them mostly on the way here." She answered simply, rolling her aching shoulders. "Kate said it's good but you still have to be careful with them. Don't want to waste any of their hard work." "You should have just let us do the heavy lifting, Pres." Arthur replied. "I know. But it takes too much time." Éclair stand beside him, yawning. The blond is good in organizing. If only weren’t for Lance scheming he might have been the President of their Department but no, the jerk had to go and made her the President. And Arthur, the puppy, actually followed him and accepted the position as her Vice. That election was shitty at best, full of black mail and threats. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her University? "Aren't you just eager to finish the job and take a nap?" Lance Presto – the bane of her existence, the devil to Arthur’s angel - smirked catching the sight of her as he stepped out from the back seat. The curly fringe of his black hair bounced with his movements. Her fingers twitched to sweep it aside. The undercut really suit him. Lance is a silent troublemaker. Behind his charming smiles and polite words lies a conniving sly snake. He's good at almost everything when he puts his mind into it. Manipulating and blackmailing people is what he mostly uses. He have information on many people she doesn't want to hear that he shares with them. He's like the Mother of Gossips. It was honestly disturbing. Her personal favorites among his many skills are his dancing and singing skills. God, the guy could dance. It was mesmerizing how Lance could move any part of his body the way he wants to. A little shake and a little twist of his hips always caught her attention. And coupled it with his voice, smooth baritone singing and smiling through his dance routines was like a shot of caffeine to her system. Hook, line and sinker. Éclair Martizo was fully awake and blatantly staring. Éclair scrunched her face at the man before her. How can someone like him be so talented and annoying? Her reaction seemed to amuse him, lips quirking in that annoying smirk of his. “Get inside. We’ll handle this.” Lance said, right hand casually reaching out to pat her head. “Kay.” She shrugged, not really in the mood to start an argument. As soon as she slipped into the backseat, Éclair noticed Reverie already sitting on the passenger seat. A bunch of paper bags was placed covering her feet. Éclair nudged the collective backpacks on her own feet. It seems like one of the boys will be driving. She doesn’t have the energy to take the wheel and keep her eyes open for the road. “Rev, do you have a comb with you?” Her hand slipped into her still wet hair, taking off the tie that’s holding it up in a loose bun. Her long hair was a wavy mane of black with a habit of tangling on anything within reach. “Yup. Here.” Éclair shook her hair for good measure when Rev slapped the comb in her outstretch hand. “Sooo…” Reverie started. All of Éclair’s attention instantly focused on her, eyes narrowing suspiciously. There was a sly note in her friend’s voice. That doesn’t sound good to her. “Have you guys practice the kissing scenes?” Éclair automatically wince. Yes, she did read that in the script and yes, it did have kissing scenes. Arguing to their so called Directors led to nothing but embarrassment. Lance, the jerk had done nothing at all. Also, pulling rank on those people never work. Being President of their department sucks. She was practically bullied into that position and no one listens to her. “Do we have to?” A whine escaped her lips as she drop the comb on her lap. Glaring balefully at her friend as she shifted in her seat. As a girl with no boyfriend since birth, the thought of kissing one of her boy bestfriend never occurred to her. “Duh. How will you guys perfect it?” Reverie giggled again, clearly enjoying her obvious discomfort. “Gee. Does it have to be perfect?” “You have to take responsibility, President.” Reverie dutifully reminded her the sentence that doomed her to the role of Juliet. It was rotten luck she pick out that piece of paper. “Dammit.” Reverie laughed. “Come on! Don’t tell me you don’t want to kiss Lance?” “Do you?” Reverie answered by c*****g an eyebrow while smiling deviously. “A lot of girls want to kiss him, you know.” “Don’t I know?” she chuckled, rolling her eyes. “And I’m asking you. Though it sounds like you’re one of them.” “Maybe. A little bit.” Reverie answered, blushing adorably. “Just a curiosity, you know. But I like Arthur more. He’s cute.” “Oh. You’re a dead meat.” Éclair gave her friend a sympathetic look. Arthur’s admirers are rather wild compare to Lance’s. He’s cute and girls are protective of cute things. “Oh come on, Éclair! You can’t be afraid of those fangirls when you judo flipped Rosa Reise into a pool!” “Hey, I kicked her not judo flipped her!” “She still end up wet in the pool and choking in water! You can’t be afraid of them!” “I’m not afraid. They’re just so troublesome. I don’t want to deal with them the whole semester.” They tend to grate her nerves and temper. Not to mention disturb her naps. “Well, just throw the lot of them in the pool again. I’ll help you. Make sure it was out of school boundary. So we got no records in OSA.” “Wow. Thanks.” Éclair drawled. “You’re welcome.” Her friend cheekily grin. “And let’s get back on track.” “Hmm.” “Lance. Play. Lips. Kissing.” “Never really occurred to me.” Éclair think carefully back to their years of friendship and come up with no notion. Lance is attractive, yes. So is Arthur. But kissing? “Well, have you two talked about it? You know, for the play?” “He said it’s my call.” “Sooo?” “I don’t know.” Éclair shrugged at the expectant look Reverie was giving her. “Come on, Éclair!” Reverie moaned. “Aren’t you a little bit curious? Besides it’s no Romeo and Juliet without the kissing. They fell in love at first sight and kissed each other without knowing each other.” She talks like a professor talking to a particular hard headed child, mushing her cheek on the headrest. “Kissing is a must.” Éclair tilted her, taking pity on her friend and think carefully. Reverie seriously look put out by her lack of interest in the kissing scenes. She couldn’t help herself. It’s already taking too much effort to emulate emotions into her words for the play. What does she knew about love exactly? Nothing, really. It’s hard to be f*****g Juliet when you don’t understand love. God, she couldn’t even give Romeo a proper loving look. But curiosity. Curiosity, she could tap on that. “I guess, I’m a little bit curious too.” She muttered making Reverie squeal in girlish delight. “Then tell him and practice! And tell me the details! I need details!” “Oh god.” Éclair leaned back as her eyes rolled upwards in exasperation. “Just be there on the reading of my will.” She waved her hand, hoping to dispel the unrelenting giggling of Reverie.