Chapter 16: Lines Meet

Ten years have passed since I last saw Glace. We had no contact all those times. During the years, I fell in love with a girl named Hera. She was as beautiful as her name and she made me feel special. She was no actress like Glace but she never broke my heart. We adopted a child and named her Freeda. She was as beautiful as her mother and made me the happiest.

I was kidding of course. There was no Hera and I didn’t fall in love with anyone else. My heart still belonged to Glace and at the back of my mind, I knew she would always have it. Ten years didn’t pass either. But today was the school play and everyone gathered in the auditorium to watch us. So you felt bad because of my little trick? Bite me.

I heard the announcer- aka my English teacher say that our class was up in 30 minutes. That gave me more jitters that I didn’t need at the moment. I was nervous as it was and it just got worse. My classmates and I were currently backstage. Or at the back of the makeshift stage if you want to put it that way, preparing for our performance.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Denise approaching at 3 o’clock. “Hey babe,” she greeted as she got near me. “Did you see my sterling act?”

“Uh huh,” I mumbled while trying to breathe through the corset I was wearing inside. It was, as the song went, killing me softly. Why did Juliet have to wear such clothing? It was beyond me.

Denise twirled her blonde hair with a finger, waiting for me to speak. “So what do you want?” I asked.

“I’m here to wish you a good luck of course.” She leaned near me and whispered. “I won’t give you up for anyone Dulce. Not for any bimbo girl and definitely not for Frio.” She pasted a bright smile on her face. “I just wanted to tell you that. Bye hotshot!” Denise turned around and walked slowly from me, pushing a couple of my classmates out of her way.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her gone. She was always too difficult. Nothing could ever shake her. Speaking of difficult, I peeked behind the curtain and saw all the seniors, teachers, our parents, not to mention the whole student body sitting on the other side. I groaned loudly.

What the hell should I do now? I never should have agreed to become Juliet. It was a bad idea. I blame Glace. No. I blame my classmates, Tim, and Patty.

A quick glance at my wristwatch told me that we only had 20 minutes left before the play starts. Fudge! I needed to prepare mentally. When I turned around, I was nearly knocked on the floor by someone.

“Oops sorry Dulce. I didn’t see you there.”

“Eris?” I asked in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

She patted my arm softly. “Frio asked me to keep the paparazzi out remember? I was only making sure that it happens.” She flipped her straight hair behind her shoulder. “I am still her manager you know.”

I raised my eyebrow. “I thought she’s not going to act anymore? What does she need a manager for?”

Eris stifled a smile. “She’s just taking a break Dulce. Frio belongs in the limelight. Sooner or later she has to return, or her fans won’t like it.” She tapped her stiletto impatiently on the floor. “Let’s just say that I’m allowing her to play hooky for now.”

“I think we have to leave that decision to her,” I said with my arms crossed.

She smiled widely this time. “Manager knows best little virgin,” she said in a singsong voice. I rolled my eyes at her. “And are managers supposed to kiss their talent?”

That wiped the smile from her face. “What are you talking about?” I gave her an impatient stare. “I saw you that day in her kitchen.”

She glanced at the ceiling and seemed to be recollecting something from that day. When she looked back at me, it was clear that she remembered. “Oh! You mean when Frio removed something from my eyes?” A laugh escaped from her lips. “What? You thought we were kissing? You wish!”

Eris placed her hands on her waist and leaned near me. “Look here Dulce. I may be a tease, but my relationship with that girl is strictly professional. Besides, she’s like a sister to me. And believe me. I won’t fuck my sister if I have one.”

“And you’ll sleep with everyone else?” I asked with annoyance. But honestly, I was feeling guilty. I lied to Glace because I thought I saw something. I was so screwed. I’d make it up to her somehow.

Eris looked hurt at my question, but soon recovered her expression. “I don’t sleep with just anyone Dulce,” she said in a suggestive voice. “You have to look good, you have to smell nice, and you have to be experienced for me to even glance at you.” She tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “But I’m willing to bend the last rule with you Darling.”

Oh my God. This girl really was an animal. I was about to get away from her when Patty saved me. “Uhm, excuse me Dulce but we only have 10 minutes till the show. Are you ready?” she said to my right.

Eris smiled coyly at me before bringing her hand down. “I guess I’ll see you around,” she murmured with a wink.

Before she was able to walk away, Patty surprised me by speaking up. “Wait!” Eris stopped midstride and turned her head to Patty. “Yes?”

Patty picked up something from the floor and headed to Eris. “Here,” she said while handing over a pink handkerchief. “I think you dropped this.” Eris took the hanky and stared at my friend in wonder. “Have we met before?” she asked.

“I don’t think so,” Patty mumbled and raised her eyes to meet Eris’ brown ones. “I mean, I would have noticed someone as beautiful as you.” Eris blushed. What the heck? THE wild thing blushed?! The world is coming to an end.

“I’m sure I would have noticed someone as cute as you too,” Eris said. “So uhm. Well ahhh.”

I shook my head while watching them from the sideline. I do not believe this. Eris turned into a babbling idiot and all because of a blue eyed someone. Well, well it seemed like Patty’s more charming than I anticipated. After opening and closing her mouth for 5 seconds, Eris turned on her heels and walked away. Patty just stood there, completely baffled.

I was about to go to her, but the acting director’s voice brought the class to attention. “Gather around,” she said. My eyes roamed around the area but Glace wasn’t there. Where could she be?

“We’re all going to nail this thing,” said the director. “We practiced hard and arranged all the props. I won’t get anything less than an A for this you hear me? I need this for film school.” She turned to me. “Break a leg Juliet.” Oh snap.

The few minutes we had to ourselves has come and gone but Glace was nowhere to be seen. At the last moment, she stood beside me behind the curtains and gave me a wide smile before leaning to my ear. “You look beautiful as always Juliet.”

My heartbeat accelerated, but I was able to reply. “So do you Romeo.”

She leaned back and run her hands through my hair. “I love you Dulce. Dazzle them all.” The curtains began to move up, signaling that we were about to begin.

“I love you too Glace,” I whispered so only she could hear me.

She gave me a wide-eyed stare, completely stunned of my revelation. “We have to talk about this.” Her voice was breathless. Urgent. And the expression in her eyes was of pure happiness. The curtain was nearly exposing our faces. “After the play,” I said with a promise in my voice. Everyone in the auditorium clapped for us, cutting our conversation short. And then the audience fell silent.

The play started like clockwork and all of us did our best. Tim and Patty handled the sounds, while Nadia and her crew focused on the lights and other effects. As for me, Glace, and our other classmates, we dazzled everyone with our performance. The audience laughed when we delivered our funny lines, and cried with every sad expression.

Actually, the dazzling part was left to Glace. She was so beautiful and delivered her lines perfectly that all of us were mesmerized. Even me. Ok, ok. It was more like I was her number one fan. I was completely starstruck.

Finally, we said our last lines and it was time for the closing scene. The part where both of us die. Glace said, “Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips, O you. The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss. A dateless bargain to engrossing death.”

I waited for her to kiss me, but the kiss never came. She stayed true to her promise that day when she said that she knew better than to kiss me. But while her promise was true, the fact that she wasn’t my present was a lie. Because she was the one I was in love with. Now and forever. Not Denise. And I was going to show her that.

After I said my own lines and stabbed myself with the pretend dagger, both of us lay sprawled on the stage. The whole auditorium was deathly quiet, and then they erupted into a cheer. What was left was for the lights to turn off, the curtains to come down, and the introduction of the cast.

On cue, the lights were cut off. It was the moment where Glace and I should lie still and wait for the curtains to close. But me being me, I didn’t do that at all. I rolled on top of her while we were practically invisible in the darkness, making her gasp low in surprise.

“Dulce,” she said in a whisper. “What are you doing?”

“I love you Glace Mckenzie,” I whispered back. “I lied about Denise. I’m so in love with you that my heart is going to burst.”

“You are?” she murmured hurriedly.

“Yes I am Glace and I can’t wait till later to say this.” I reached for her face and cupped her right cheek with my palm. “I have mastered our lines for the play. Now it’s time to memorize your lips.”

I leaned down to her and closed the remaining distance between us. At last, our lips touched. And what a kiss it was. It erased all the other kisses before that, leaving me gasping, choking for air, but at the same time, not feeling the need to breathe at all because she kept me alive right there.

I tasted her soft lips. I breathed her creamy scent. I felt her heart beating against my own chest. With each feeling, I died and was reborn, stripped away of all other desires but the one I had for her.

They said that home was a place where you dwell in. But you know what? Sometimes home could be a person too. And with her I was home.