"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized, henceforth I never will be Romeo," Jimmy uttered, staring down at his book. Just the way Miss Peters insisted they read it- word for word. She refused to cut off any lines or scenes, even if it would make the play easier, but Jimmy knew he would have to be up on that stage in full costume and makeup for two hours at most. The way Shakespeare wrote it, or whatever. Jimmy could've swore Miss Peters was in love with that guy, even if he was dead and in the ground somewhere.

Gary flipped the page. "What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, so stumblest on my council?"

Letting his book fall to the floor, Jimmy sighed and plopped down onto his bed. He was tired, not only from rehearsing after class, but rehearsing now, here, with Gary. Jimmy never practiced his lines outside of rehearsal, and Gary seemed to have the balcony scene down, so why did Gary need to be here at all? He even bragged about knowing the lines earlier.

Jimmy looked back over at Gary, who was now staring at him, fortunately not angrily. "You already know all of the lines, don't you?"

"I know Juliet's lines, and I know your lines, and I know most of Petey and Trent's lines. Not by choice."

"So why do we need to practice?" he grinned lazily, sitting up now. "Let's go eat. If you already know everything, we don't need to be here." Jimmy stood up and slipped his feet back into his sneakers.

Gary hesitated before speaking. "Well, I don't really know the- the death scene. Miss Peters didn't rehearse it that much." Jimmy turned back around to look at him, and he could immediately tell something was off, but he didn't know what. It made sense, though- Gary hadn't been to practice two of the days him and Beatrice rehearsed the scene.

Jimmy thought some more, and something wasn't adding up. "Uh... you want to... practice that?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"All you do is lay there and pretend to be dead." He grabbed his phone from his nightstand, narrowing his eyes at Gary.

Gary seemed defeated for a moment, before he spoke up again. "Well, don't I-... I wake up afterwards and kill myself? When I find out that you're dead?"

"That's a different scene, I think. But I can be the other people in it, if you really don't... I'm pretty sure it's just a couple lines."

He nodded in return, but seemed disappointed. Jimmy couldn't even begin to think of why. Gary enjoyed... practicing?

"You just wanted me to kiss you, huh Gary?" he teased, pushing open the door and stepping out into the corridor. "That's what it is."

"Why the fuck would I want to kiss you?" Gary snapped, seemingly out of nowhere, although Jimmy knew it was at his prodding. He didn't need to be so pissy, though, it was only a joke.

Jimmy continued walking with him, trying not to let Gary's defensiveness get to him. "'Cause I'm hot. Don't worry, we get to do it on stage in front of everyone." He smiled at him, but it was forced. He knew he shouldn't be joking about kissing, because it was only a matter of time before Gary got sick of him and hit him or threw something at him.

After considering what Jimmy said for a moment, Gary let out a breathy laugh and smiled back. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we do."

Jimmy was unsettled by this at first, but after getting out of the building and walking in the cool, fresh air, Jimmy decided he would try not to think much of it.

By the time he was in the lunchroom, sitting next to Gary and shoving lasagna down his throat, he was still unsettled and thinking about it. Kids were throwing taunts and jeers at them for being Romeo and Juliet somewhere across the lunchroom, but Jimmy couldn't be bothered to pay attention. What was up with Gary? Why was he so concerned about the death scene, and why did he just shut down like that?

He turned to look at Gary one last time, and he looked completely fine. Gary was eating his sandwich, throwing death stares at the kids who were taunting them, but otherwise it didn't seem like he was bothered by what Jimmy said anymore.

Swallowing the last of his lasagna, he stood up and went to get rid of his tray. Maybe it was nothing.