folks. I mean, Shawn gets along with them but Luke’ll drop by just to hang with my dad—which, I guess, makes him less like one of the girls. But he’s as easy as one of the girls. Maybe that’s my point. This is okay. I’m okay here. Shawn shouldn’t care. No big deal.
***
Luke lounges in Dad’s huge chair; I’m sprawled over the couch and we’re both stuffed with chocolate popcorn.
I’m wiping tears at the end of the second movie. Well, it was West Side Story , not Romeo and Juliet , but I’ve wiped each eye over and over again. My chest is heavy from how they were torn apart, but at least Maria’s smart enough not to kill herself at the end.
“You need to stop crying at the endings.” He teases, as he stands to stretch. “You know what happens.”
“ You’re the one who brought them. And it was just two. Anyway, I think I’m done.” I roll onto my back. “I feel like a big wimp, crying like this.” I make one last smear with my palms and suck in a deep breath. Done.
“You think deeply. You feel deeply. That’s not something to be ashamed of.”
I glance at him crouched in front of the TV. He watches me with such goodness and friendship in his eyes. I love Luke like a brother, or a cousin, or something. He’s comfortable, like family. Better than the odd tingles from the other night. “Thanks.”
He turns back to his task. “Let’s at least watch the beginning of the newest one, okay?” He stuffs the last movie into its case and pulls out the next. “I mean, it’s really not actually new, but it’s the most recent.”
“The DiCaprio one, right?”
He smiles wide. “With the kick-ass cars and music, that’s the one.”
And I do love this one. I love how visual it is. Luke grabs us each another soda and the last bits of chocolate popcorn and sits down on the floor in front of the couch. He leans back and I pat him on the head like my little Luke pet.
But the movie starts and before the narrator’s done, I’m absorbed—once again taken in by the language.
“ Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whole misadventures piteous overthrows. Do with their death, bury their parent’s strife .”
Each word hits my chest and I know I’ll be crying at the end of this one, too. Luke was right to bring so many versions—so many ways to say each line. My breath catches when Romeo and Juliet smile through the fish tank. LOVE it. Love the costumes. I love the break between dialogue, and the passion that practically radiates off the screen. Everything. And I know I’m just watching it, but after hearing the lines over and over every day after school I’m also in it. In the story.
“We should do that with ours.” I point out. I’m all smiles after watching them jump into the elevator and kiss.
“Do what?” He turns his head to see me.
“The costume party like this—Romeo as the knight and Juliet as the angel. I think it would be awesome.” Mostly I want to see Liesl all decked out with angel wings.
“It would be. I’ll talk to Blackman about it.” Luke thumps his soda can as he drains the last drops from his third Pepsi of the day.
My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.
“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.
Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?
Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except…I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me knew it was weird that Luke was here
***
Luke lounges in Dad’s huge chair; I’m sprawled over the couch and we’re both stuffed with chocolate popcorn.
I’m wiping tears at the end of the second movie. Well, it was West Side Story , not Romeo and Juliet , but I’ve wiped each eye over and over again. My chest is heavy from how they were torn apart, but at least Maria’s smart enough not to kill herself at the end.
“You need to stop crying at the endings.” He teases, as he stands to stretch. “You know what happens.”
“ You’re the one who brought them. And it was just two. Anyway, I think I’m done.” I roll onto my back. “I feel like a big wimp, crying like this.” I make one last smear with my palms and suck in a deep breath. Done.
“You think deeply. You feel deeply. That’s not something to be ashamed of.”
I glance at him crouched in front of the TV. He watches me with such goodness and friendship in his eyes. I love Luke like a brother, or a cousin, or something. He’s comfortable, like family. Better than the odd tingles from the other night. “Thanks.”
He turns back to his task. “Let’s at least watch the beginning of the newest one, okay?” He stuffs the last movie into its case and pulls out the next. “I mean, it’s really not actually new, but it’s the most recent.”
“The DiCaprio one, right?”
He smiles wide. “With the kick-ass cars and music, that’s the one.”
And I do love this one. I love how visual it is. Luke grabs us each another soda and the last bits of chocolate popcorn and sits down on the floor in front of the couch. He leans back and I pat him on the head like my little Luke pet.
But the movie starts and before the narrator’s done, I’m absorbed—once again taken in by the language.
“ Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whole misadventures piteous overthrows. Do with their death, bury their parent’s strife .”
Each word hits my chest and I know I’ll be crying at the end of this one, too. Luke was right to bring so many versions—so many ways to say each line. My breath catches when Romeo and Juliet smile through the fish tank. LOVE it. Love the costumes. I love the break between dialogue, and the passion that practically radiates off the screen. Everything. And I know I’m just watching it, but after hearing the lines over and over every day after school I’m also in it. In the story.
“We should do that with ours.” I point out. I’m all smiles after watching them jump into the elevator and kiss.
“Do what?” He turns his head to see me.
“The costume party like this—Romeo as the knight and Juliet as the angel. I think it would be awesome.” Mostly I want to see Liesl all decked out with angel wings.
“It would be. I’ll talk to Blackman about it.” Luke thumps his soda can as he drains the last drops from his third Pepsi of the day.
My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.
“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.
Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?
Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except…I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me knew it was weird that Luke was here
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