Iva- Juliet

"I had truly planned to tell her everything today. But after talking to you, I realized, that I still don't know how to tell it to her. Let alone, whether I'll be able to or not. Maybe I'll hurt her again. Maybe not now, but when the time comes... for sure, when I'll be able to face her and myself, I won't run away that time."

I found myself pressed against the door, sinking slowly to my knees. My face buried in my legs, I felt as if I could hide away from the entire world. Everything seemed to happen out of nowhere—Noah's messages, and then suddenly my grandma passed away. In the midst of it all, Noah's here, but it feels like he's miles away from me.

Strangely, the most piercing wounds were not inflicted by his words but the unspoken sentiments lurking in the spaces between. Knowing he had never truly loved me didn't wound as deeply as anticipated. Perhaps, somewhere within, I had already sensed the truth, but I held onto a glimmer of hope that things might change. Yet, that hope didn't matter anymore. At least, I finally got the answer I had been searching for. Even if it wasn't the whole truth... 

I'll wait, Noah. I'll remain patient until you grant me the closure I need, and then I'll muster the courage to bid farewell.

In the end, Noah departed without us sharing a single moment. Months drifted by, still no word from him. As we neared the close of the first semester, exams were finally behind us, but classes persisted. I don't know if it's the same in every school, but I don't think they need to keep the classes going on and just end the semester already.

Amidst the drudgery of our everyday classes, there was a beacon of excitement that made it all a little more bearable—the school cultural event. As we're approaching the end of our high school journey, this event held even more significance, for it was our final performance together. The thought of creating lasting memories and leaving our mark on the school was enough to make everyone in our class truly enthusiastic about this year's cultural event.

At our high school, the cultural event kicks off in the morning and keeps going until nighttime. The whole place comes alive with various food spots and stalls to check out. But the really important part is every class putting on a big show together on the auditorium stage. It's not just any small thing – we're talking plays, musicals, and stuff like that. Oh, and there's the music and dance club from school that performs too. The best part is that our parents can come and watch us in action as well.

I sat in my usual spot, surrounded by the excited chatter of my classmates, as the class president, Sarah, stood at the front of the room with a big smile on her face. Her beaming smile set the perfect tone for the moment, as we gathered to decide our performance for the last cultural festival of our high school journey.

"Alright, everyone, let's get this show on the road!" Sarah's claps resonated through the room, and a hush fell over us, ready to hear her lead the way.

One by one, ideas were presented, each met with consideration, yet eventually meeting the same fate— all being shot down. The pressure was on; it was our final cultural event, and everyone yearned for it to be unforgettable.

Sarah scanned the room one last time, her eyes searching for any remaining sparks of inspiration. "Aren't there any more ideas?"

Amidst the sea of suggestions, I had something on my mind, but hesitated to share it while others spoke. "Romeo and Juliet," I finally whispered. The play had captivated me since I borrowed it from the library last week, and it's been in my mind since then.

"But isn't that a bit too tragic? I don't think everyone will like it," someone expressed their concern.

A flicker of hope kindled within me. "Yeah, it can be Romeo and Juliet. But we can write the story in our own way, steering it away from tragedy."

As my words spread, a murmur of agreement began to ripple through the gathering. "Can we even do that though?" came a collective query.

After reading the play, I was actually a bit sad about how their love ended. Every time the story is ever read, or the play is performed, Romeo and Juliet remain forever apart. In every iteration, destiny tightens its grip on them.

"But it's just a play. It doesn't necessarily mean that we need to follow the story all the way through." If anything, "Let's give Romeo and Juliet the ending they'd wished for."

Sarah glowed at the reaction, "Yes! I think it could be absolutely brilliant! What do you all think?"

The room erupted with excitement. It was decided; our class would perform the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet for the cultural event... but in our own way.

"But who shall play the roles of Romeo and Juliet?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, scanning the room for volunteers. I could feel my heart race, secretly hoping to be chosen. There were a few you could tell just by looking that they really wanted to play the role. But there were no hands in the air at the end.

Sarah nodded. "Let's put it to a vote then."

After tallying up the votes, Sarah finally announced the names. And surprisingly, it was my name up for the Role of Juliet. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I had been the first to propose the idea. It's not that I didn't want the role; in fact, my eagerness felt unparalleled. I was never on the stage before, let alone do anything significant during the cultural event except for handling the lights. So I was really excited about it this time.

However, what truly took me by surprise was when I heard Alan's name being called for the role of Romeo. My eyes darted around the room, trying to hide my blush. Alan caught my gaze, and a knowing smile danced on his lips. After an awkward moment, we both looked away.

The class continued to buzz with enthusiasm, and Sarah clapped her hands to regain attention. "Alright, let's get started with rehearsals next week! I can't wait to see how our Romeo and Juliet bring this classic to life."

While I was walking back home that day, I heard my name being called from behind. Swiveling around, I spotted Alan hastening to catch up.

"Iva, wait-"

"Oh, Alan. Did you get the printouts of the scripts done?"

"Yeah." He said, reaching out one to me he already had in his hand. "Here's you one."

"It was fast. I thought I'd have to walk back home today without you."

"Well, it's just the script of the actual play. We still need to rewrite the part at the end though."

"I wonder how the story will end up." Despite my excitement for the performance, I couldn't help feeling a bit nervous around Alan. I tried not to maintain too much eye contact with him, fearing he might see my uneasiness. Maybe I felt a tinge of embarrassment at the thought of playing Juliet opposite Alan's Romeo. But amidst the nervousness and embarrassment, there was also a sense of happiness. I wanted to conceal these conflicting emotions from him, not wanting to reveal too much.

"It'll be fine. Everyone seems really fired up."

"Maybe you're right, Alan. Let's both do our best too."

"I just wish that I don't forget my lines on the stage. I've got bad memory after all."

"Don't worry. We still have time before the event. You'll not mess things up, I'm sure."

"Thanks." His smile seemed to radiate even brighter than usual, drawing my eyes back to him irresistibly. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention. There's something I want to tell you, but I'll wait until after our performance in the cultural event."

"Wait, why can't you tell it now?"

"I'm sorry, but it's a surprise. You'll have to wait."

"But that's not fair." I pouted, "Now I won't be able to stop thinking about it."

"Just bear with it. Let's get going; we can't stand here all day."