Bound To YOU

Chapter 7: Who is Juliet?

"O brother Montague," a male student said holding a book on his hand. "Give me thy hand. This is my daughter's jointure," he moved his hand in an act. "For no more can I demand."

Everybody clapped their hands as I sighed.

We were doing our audition in the drama class and it was boring. I mean, nobody memorized the quotes so everybody was looking at the book and staring at their quotes for the audition.

I saw Ms. Henry scribbling down something on the notepad.

"Next," she spoke.

Another person came in front of the class to tell her lines. I glanced at the book where my lines were and kept practicing.

The boy in front of the class cleared his throat and began.

"How oft when men are at the point of death," he said in a high tone, almost yelling. "Have they been merry, which their keepers call," he bent his knees and put his hands in the air. "A light'ning before death! O, how may I call this a light'ning?-O my love! my wife," he moved his hands in the air and cried out until Ms. Henry interrupted.

"Slow down, Michael," Ms. Henry sighed. "None of us are deaf here."

Everybody laughed as Michael felt embarrassed.

He stood upright and peeked at his book, "Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty."

Everybody clapped as he rushed to his seat.

I sighed, leaning on the table.

Goodness! I hoped I wouldn't do such a thing when I do my audition. It would be humiliating.

Emily looked at me, "Next is your turn, Yumna."

I looked at her in shock.

"Don't look at me like this," she said. "There are only two people left for the audition after Michael which is you and Omar. I didn't think Ms. Henry would ask Omar first since he has a reputation for being a good actor."

"But I am not ready!" I whined.

"Yumna! It's your turn now," Ms. Henry said.

I was sitting on the first desk. I got off the seat and looked at her. "Ms. Henry, can I please have some more time to practice my lines?"

"What were you doing all this time?" She asked. "You don't have to act. Just say your lines."

"But-"

She sighed. "Is this is your first drama class?" She asked.

I nodded. "It is and I am a new student here as well so I am not used to saying lines in public."

She nodded. "I understand," she looked at me and then Omar and then at me. "Oh I know. Why don't Omar show you? He is going to do the audition after you anyway."

Wait, what?!

I was shocked.

"Omar," Ms. Henry looked at him. "Why don't you read the lines when Romeo first meets Juliet. Go to page 125. Both of you."

I sighed and flipped the page to page 125.

"Alright, Omar will start and you will follow the lines and say it when you think you are ready," she stated.

I expected Omar to object because he was usually pushy but he didn't object. He came out of his seat and stood in front of the class, just a few steps away from me, without any book.

Was he going to say his lines without any book?

Darn him!

How did he memorized the lines that fast?

Omar held his hands and moved them, focusing his attention on me. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand," he began is a soft smooth voice. "This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

I kept looking at him in shock. His voice sounded so natural and he was confident. I could see it in his eyes.

He knew what he was saying.

I looked back at Emily and saw her showing me a thumbs up.

I took a deep breath and looked at the lines in my book and said, "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much," I paused to look at him and noticed him began to step closer to me. "Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

Omar was now standing close to me. His eyes looking into me, making me nervous, at the same time, confused. I was angry at him. But the way he was speaking . . .

It was such a clam and smooth voice.

Emily was right when she said that he was good at this.

Omar leaned closer, a few inches away from me. "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" He said in a much softer voice.

I didn't need to go look at my lines. It just came out of my lips, naturally. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," I said softly, looking at Omar.

"O, then, dear saint," he paused for a moment and bend his head a little lower to be as the same level as me. "Let lips do what hands do. They pray, grant thou, lest faith turns to despair."

I stepped a bit back and put my hands behind me and softly said, "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

Omar stepped forwards. "Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take," he whispered as he looked into my eyes.

I wasn't used to being in a staring contest like this, where I was having a hard time, trying to turn my face away from him and his fangirls were shooting glares at me.

"Stop! That's it!" Ms. Henry smiled as she got off from her chair and made her way towards her.

Omar pulled away from me and looked away.

I looked at the floor, trying to find my voice back.

"So students, I have decided," she said as she came near Omar and me and put her hands on both of our shoulders, making Omar and me look at her. "Omar is going to be our Romeo."

We heard girls cheering. "Yay!"

"Now as for Juliet," Ms. Henry began. "We need a student who can show her feelings with her words and that student is-"

"Me!" A girl waved her hand.

"No, me!" another waved her hand.

"Oh, me!" another waved her hand.

"The girl who will get Juliet's role is," she looked at everybody who was patiently looking for her announcement. "Yumna!" She announced making me and Omar looking at her in shock.