A/N- When we read Romeo and Juliet in my English class, this just happened to pop into my head. It just WOUD NOT leave me alone, and I had to write it down. I'm trying something a little different this time with it being all human, so I hope it turns out right.

I couldn't force Alice to stop bouncing, which, in itself, I suppose, was nothing new. I had known it the second I woke up this morning, and checked my calendar, that she would be just about as hyper as the Energizer Bunny on steroids.

She had picked me up that morning in her canary yellow Porsche- a sweet sixteen gift from her parents. That car was her most prized possession, and the only thing she managed to keep for the better part of two years. That one surprised all of us, as she was always looking for the next best thing, however she could upgrade her things, she did so accordingly, be it a new phone, or the latest fads in fashion, whatever it was, she had to have it. It was a wonder she didn't drain her parents dry.

It was seven fifteen when she rolled out of my driveway. She was wearing jeans, designer, no doubt, a deep red halter top, her favorite black leather jacket, and matching high heeled boots. Her hair was spiked out in a halo around her head, and her make-up was perfect, as per usual. She tried to dress me up, again, but I politely declined, siding instead with my faded jeans, Linkin Park concert tee, and a pair of flats. She had scowled at that, but eventually let it go.

"So Bella," She started, barely containing her enthusiasm. "Are you excited?" She was practically vibrating in her seat now, and I briefly wondered how much coffee she had consumed today. I eyed her travel mug wearily. It sat in its usual place in the driver's side cup holder, filled to the top with scalding hot caffeine.

"More nervous than anything; I feel like I'm going to lose my breakfast, Alice."

"You'll do great, Bella," Her blue eyes flickered from the road for a brief moment to smile encouragingly at me.

I really wished that I could believe her, I mean, we had been friends since second grade, and not once in ten years, had she been wrong. It scared me at times, how precise she could be. It was almost as if she could see the future, but then again, that was just Alice. I was used to it by now. Still, I had my doubts.

"I don't know Alice. What if I forget my lines? I don't even know what scene the audition will be. What if I freeze on stage? What if I vomit on Ms. Williams?" Maybe I was taking it a bit too far. It was unlikely that any one of those things would happen, but, knowing me, the accident prone klutz, anything was possible.

Alice rolled her eyes at me, laughing. She was laughing. "Be realistic, Bella," She chided. "You know every word in the play. You've had nothing to eat in the past fifteen hours," She frowned at this. "I know you want this very much. You won't freeze up. You'll know what to do."

We lapsed into a comfortable silence as I mulled over her words. Alice Cullen had more faith in me than anyone. She was the one who had pushed me to audition for the lead in the school's spring production- Romeo and Juliet. Alice was one of a select few that knew of my secret passion. I absolutely loved acting. It was something, the only thing I could imagine doing with my life. I was just too shy to take that first step, to get over my fears. Those fears were silly though, and Alice knew it. That is why, as of two days ago, my name was printed neatly on the sign-up sheet taped to the door of the black box theater.

My eyes closed on their own accord, and I tried desperately to calm myself. I could do this. Alice believed in me. Alice was never wrong. I concentrated on my breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. By the time I had calmed down considerably, I found that we were already in Forks high school's tiny parking lot, wedged in between a familiar red BMW M3, and Jeep.

The rest of our small circle of friends was waiting for us next to their vehicles. Jasper was sitting in the passenger side of his sister's convertible, waiting for Alice, no doubt. The two of them had been together since eighth grade, when the Hales moved here from New York. Alice's burly bear of a brother, Emmett was facing the back of his car, holding Rosalie against it as they kissed ferociously.

When we exited the Porsche, Emmett looked up, seemingly embarrassed. I didn't mind them though. Every one of us knew that Emmett Cullen was smitten with Rose from the moment he laid eyes on her.

Thankfully, I didn't fall on my face as I exited the car, like I had done yesterday. I fallowed Alice over to the convertible where she embraced Jasper, and they proceeded to talk eagerly about everything, and nothing. Alice and Jasper were strange like that. Even when there was nothing to talk about, they still wound up talking, just to hear the sound of the other's voice; just to be close.

After a moment, Alice mentioned something about the play, and Jasper's eyes moved to me. "Don't worry about it," he said to me, and I could automatically feel my nerves calm. Jasper was absolutely amazing when it came to calming people down. "You'll do great." I nodded to him, not really believing him though. He wasn't able to comment on my obvious lack of confidence, as the bell rang before he could get the words out.

The day progressed rather slowly, much to my dismay. I was already nervous, and now I couldn't concentrate on any of my classes. Each period, I would sit in the back of the room, reading over various parts of the play. In Spanish, the teacher had to repeat the question four times before I understood what he was saying, and was able to form a simple Spanish sentence in reply. I could hear giggles from the front of the room at that. P.E. was a blur of bruises and failed attempts to try. Fun. I spent trigonometry in a daze, this time, not due to my lack of understanding.

By the time lunch rolled around, all I wanted to do was sleep. I had so much Romeo and Juliet stuck in my head, it was a wonder anything else would fit.

The cafeteria was crowded when I finally got there. I made my way over to the line, which was way too long. After ten minutes, I was able to grab a salad. At that point, I happily skittered away. Hopefully my friends would let me take a nap, and not keep me up with all of their chatter.

I gently put my head down on the table, resting my cheek on the cold surface. "Bella?" Came a voice next to me.

"Let me sleep, Alice." I mumbled to her.

"You know, you've really got to get over this." She stated, and I could imagine a pout that was so cute, it hurt to look at, had covered her face. "I know you're nervous, but you don't need to be. You'll do great," I thought she was done, but then she started again. "And anyways, the spring production is nothing to lose sleep over."

"Speak for yourself," I shot back. There was a reason my love of acting was a secret. I had stage fright. It wasn't very bad, but it was there. How ironic. I was the world's first stage fright actor. It didn't make a lot of sense. Acting was my passion, and yet, it also scared the crap out of me on most days. Because of that, I hadn't managed to get a lot of sleep these last couple of days, ever since Alice put my name on the sign-up sheet.

It was silent for a moment before, "Bella,"

"What is it Alice?" I asked her grumpily.

"He's staring again," And that was all it took for me to bolt up straight, and uncharacteristically begin fixing my hair. Alice giggled. "You're so cute," My eyes roamed around the room until I found his shiny green ones. He was indeed looking at me. "You should go talk to him, Bella." She exclaimed happily. Rosalie nodded in agreement from the other side of the table.

"And say what, Alice?"

"Well, tell him you really like him. Ask him if he wants to go out."

"What do you think this is, kindergarten?" I shuddered, recalling that in kindergarten, Mike Newton, who is still a pain in my rump, followed me around everywhere, and insisted that I was his girlfriend.

"No," she said. "I think this is senior year, and you're running out of time."

I suppose she was right. I had harbored a major crush on Edward Masen, from the moment he moved to this little town in the beginning of soft more year. It was unrealistic, and I knew it. I was the shy book worm with only a handful of friends. He had practically been labeled the bad boy of Forks high. He never did his assignments; he only came to class when he felt like it; he only hung out with the popular kids, Mike, Tyler, Jessica, Lauren, Tanya, and a few others they deemed worthy to be included in their group. And to top it all off, his shiny black motorcycle was parked right outside the front office. I wondered how he pulled that one off.

"This is ridiculous, Alice," I retorted, shaking my head and turning away from the allure of his emerald eyes.

"Suit yourself." She quipped, ending the conversation.

I ate silently after that, disregarding Alice's words. How could I possibly listen to her? Edward was out of my league, in fact, it scared me just how impossible my fantasies seemed.

The bell rang shortly after that conversation, and I gathered up my things, muttered a goodbye to my friends, and headed to biology. It was my favorite period of the day for one reason only. Edward Masen was my lab partner.

We had spoken little to each other over the course of the year, yet I found that I knew a lot about him. I had seen, on more than one occasion, song lyrics and music notes in his notebook. Obviously, he was an artist. When he was in school, he paid meticulous attention; almost as if he was hoping to absorb as much information as he could before he disappeared again. I had asked him once, why he was out of school so often, and he shrugged, not looking up from his notebook. "Family problems."

On that day, I felt like I had been let in on a huge secret. Could that be the reason he acted the way he did? Was that why he didn't seem to care about anything? I wondered if I'd ever find out the truth, or if I did, how terrible that truth was.

Class was uneventful. Edward was there, but he didn't look up from his notebook. Just like every day. I managed to completely ignore him until the end of the period, taking extensive notes on a lesson I already knew. It was the epitome of monotony, but at least it kept my mind off of him.

Last period English was a free period. We had a substitute who obviously didn't belong here. The only thing he told us to do was 'study'. Right, because Ms. Campbell had nothing else for us to do. I spent my time again, with my head buried in my worn copy of Romeo and Juliet.

The shrill sound of the bell once again reminded me of my nerves. With it, came shaking hands, and a wildly erratic heart. I stumbled to my locker, brushing off my friends as they headed to the parking lot. With my books thrown carelessly into my locker, ready to be retrieved later, when Alice picked me up, I headed to the performing arts building.

When I got to the theater, I found that I line had formed near the side of the stage, where it looked like students were signing in. I quickly jumped in line, checking off my name with an unsteady hand when it was my turn.

I found myself a seat in the back, willing Ms. Williams to start the auditions. I watched as she made her way to the front of the room, her back to the stage, and proceeded to quiet us down. She smiled at us, making her opening speech about confidence and strength rather empowering. She told us at last that that supporting roles would begin the auditions, and the last two characters to be cast would be the leads. She also explained that the leads were to audition together, each Romeo auditioned with a Juliet. Whether or not a pair that tried out would be the same pair assigned to the roles was yet to be decided.

She started out simply, calling forward those who wanted the parts of Sampson, Gregory, and the other servants. When the end of those auditions came, there was a loud knock at the door, and then someone entered the theater. He walked down the aisle gracefully, handed a note to Ms. Williams at the end of it, who, in turn, frowned for a moment, and turned to find a seat in the audience.

Edward Masen was sitting not two chairs away from me, watching the people on stage.

I sat with bated breath, hyperaware of him. He sat back in the theater seat, his arms folded in front of his chest. He was wearing a simple grey tee shirt and dark washed jeans. His arms, which remained folded, were clad in leather. The jacket hung to his muscular arms, and made it nearly impossible to look away.

Still, I managed. Barely. I kept my eyes glued to the stage, as one by one, aspiring actors took the spotlight, to recite the words that have been remembered throughout centuries. It wasn't long though, before I felt someone's eyes on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward sneak a glance at me, in much the same fashion that I had been doing.

I blushed and looked down, embarrassed.

For the first time, I wondered what he was doing here. This was not a setting I would imagine him in on Friday afternoon. In fact, I'd imagine him outside of school plenty of times. It always peeked my curiosity as to where he went when he wasn't in class. I'd thought of things like bars and clubs. Things that required a fake ID.

But somehow, none of those things seemed to fit. I suppose no matter where he looked like he belonged, that didn't mean it was true. I thought back to all of the things I knew about him. He was an artist. He wrote music, and sketched. He was a very good student, when he was in class. He was out of class a lot. He didn't associate with his friends too often; like he was a loner no matter where he was, or what he was doing.

Then, there were other things. Things I'd learned outside of school. When he moved here two and a half years ago, I recalled that Charlie had spoken about him. He said that a new lawyer had moved to town with his son. Apparently, Mr. Masen was very accomplished, and had found a job in the little tourist trap known as Port Angeles. Charlie mentioned Mr. Masen's wife only once, explaining that the lawyer had escaped Chicago with his son just after his wife passed away. Though, I noticed that he made a strange face at the mention of the lawyer, as if he didn't quite trust the story of the happy rich man, and his son. He mentioned to me, on one occasion, that it bothered him, how little he really knew about Mr. Masen. One thing was for sure, I had never once seen him grieve for the loss of his wife.

Shorty after my mental investigations, all but the two main characters had been cast. After a few short minutes of silence, Ms. Williams stood up from her front row seat, and turned to face her audience.

"I've compiled a list of all of the Romeos and Juliets, and there just so happened to be an equal number of each," She whispered something to a student next to her, who then disappeared into the adjoining drama room. Moments later, I noticed the girl, Kayla return with a rolling white board. Ms. Williams then proceeded to copy down her list of names.

With each pair she wrote, I became more anxious. Who would I be paired with? Would I be comfortable with pretending that I was in love with him? Edward was still sitting there; what was he doing here? Surely he was not here to audition? And, if he was, the only roll left was Romeo. As the list began to grow larger, the possibility of my being paired with him grew as well.

Finally, Ms. Williams wrote out my name. I sat there, nearly holding my breath, as she wrote another name across from mine. My eyes widened when I could see his name sitting next to mine, and I quite liked the look of it there. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see something that I did not expect. Edward's eyes were locked on the board as well, and he was smiling. It wasn't just a little smirk, no; it was a full blown 'I Just Won The Lottery' type of grin. This confused me once again. I had seen his face when he walked in. He did not want to be here. How could I possibly change that?

For the first time since I met him, I wondered if it was at all possible for him to feel the same way about me. I had a huge crush, though Alice would call it an obsession, on him since the beginning, but it had never crossed my mind that he could feel the same for me in any way. Maybe Alice and Rose were right, maybe I didn't see myself clearly.

Whatever the case, Ms. Williams drew ever closer to where our names sat together at the end of the list. All the while Edward's beautiful, slightly crooked grin did not dissipate. I turned away from him then, to watch the others deliver their lines. It was then that I finally realized what scene she had chosen for us.

Each pair had to perform the most famous, and possibly the most romantic part of the play- the balcony scene. I vaguely recalled her explain to us that she wanted the lead characters to have some level of chemistry on stage so that it would be more believable. How was I ever going to do this? I already had stage fright, and now I had to profess my undying love to my crush, who may, or may not want anything to do with me.

At long last, it was our turn. I moved to the stage hesitantly, only tripping once. When we were both standing in front of Ms. Williams, she smiled to us, and asked if we would need scripts. I shook my head automatically, and he did as well. That surprised me. Ms. Williams reminded us to start at the beginning of the scene, and sat in her seat front and center, waiting for us to begin.

I looked over to Edward, and was surprised once again, to see the intensity in his eyes. So many emotions flitted across his face in a single instant. He was slightly nervous, it seemed, and I wondered why he would feel that way. He was the most confident person I knew. But that wasn't what caught my attention. He was staring at me like I was important, not just in general, which I didn't believe anyway, but important to him, specifically. Like he really cared about me. I realized that he did know an awful lot about me, due to the fact that I never could keep my mouth shut when I was around him. Maybe, like my friends seemed to believe, he really did care.

And then, he was speaking. He had such a perfect voice; smooth and soft, like honey, if it were at all possible for honey to be velvety, or maybe it was more like satin.

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

Was it just me, or did he flinch at the word Juliet, as if he almost said another name?

"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art more fairer than she:"

His eyes were alight with something I could not name.

"Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!"

The word sent shivers down my spine. Suddenly, as if hearing it had somehow made it more real, I could name the strange emotion I saw there, buried deep within his emerald eyes. It surprised me yet again, that such a thing were possible. Could it in any way be true that this man loved me? He knew me well enough, and I was practically his stalker. I internally grimaced, though I was sure he could tell. He didn't look at all surprised by the blush I knew was covering my cheeks.

"O, that she knew she were!"

Those six words held so much in them, it was impossible not to believe him.

"She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:"

I was almost certain now, that he felt something for me.

"Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return."

I felt myself blush again.

"What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night."

The way he spoke, it was so easy to believe he was speaking to me, and I desperately wished that were true.

"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"

He then reached out slowly, cautiously, to trace my rosy cheek with one pale, perfect hand. The sensation was amazing- something I'd wanted for quite a while now. It was not so much that he was touching me, no; it was what happened when he did. A powerful jolt of electricity, though not unpleasant, wracked through my body.

"Ay me!"

The response was quiet, and breathy, and it had nothing to do with my acting skills.

"She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art
As glorious as the night, being o'er my head
As a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy, pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air."

It seemed as if he was really speaking to me now, and not at all pretending that I was Juliet. It was a dream, a fool's paradise, that he should speak to me that way, as if I was an angel. The prospect of it was absurd. I was absolutely, completely ordinary.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name:
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

He angled his head down slightly, to look at the floor.

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title, Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself."

In truth, those words were completely sincere. I liked him, a lot. But I was painfully aware that we were not meant to be together. Like Romeo and Juliet, we would only end in disaster. We were just too different. I hated it. And now, that it seemed like Edward might care for me, in the way that I cared for him, things were different; it was like everything was backwards, upside down, but at the same time, that was the way things were meant to be.

"I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth, I never will be Romeo."

I wondered idly if he would change for me. It wasn't that I didn't like who he was, but I feared that his friends, and the life he had, would not agree with a new addition.

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my counsel?"

"By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word."

He seemed so sincere, as if, again, he were not speaking to Juliet, but to me, to Bella.

"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"

This whole conversation felt like it was not between two characters, but just between us. Just Edward and Bella. I wondered if he could sense it too; that I wasn't speaking to Romeo, but to him.

"Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike."

I was about to recite the next line, when suddenly, a loud and furious clapping could be heard.

"Wonderful! That was absolutely wonderful! I think I've found our leads!"

Ms. Williams was completely gushing, and I could see that the other students in the auditorium were pleased as well. Even those who had auditioned as Romeo and Juliet before us were excited. I grinned. I couldn't believe I'd made it that far. This morning, I was so sure that I would screw up, but I didn't, and I was exceedingly proud of myself.

In my rush of excitement, I didn't see Edward leave the stage. I only noticed when I saw his figure retreating through the theater doors. I looked back to the audience once, and smiled to Ms. Williams before making my exit as well.

I found him in the lobby, his hand on the glass door of the performing arts building.

"Edward, wait!" I called, catching up to him.

His tall frame was ridged as he turned around.

"Bella," he said, "you should probably go home."

"No, I want to know what happened today. I don't get it. You've hardly ever spoken to me, and then what? You pulled that emotion out of a hat?"

"I was acting, Bella."

"No, you weren't. I could see it in your eyes." I briefly wondered if I was being too bold. He obviously didn't want to talk, but I didn't want to let him leave yet.

Something changed in his eyes. The fire died down. He gave up.

"So what if I wasn't? That doesn't change anything."

"Why not?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. "It changes things for me."

"We can't be together," he said, looking away. His jaw clenched. "No matter how much I want to."

My eyes widened a bit at that. He admitted it.

"I get it," I said at last. "We're too different. We come from different worlds. I guess I just don't fit into yours."

I didn't understand why I felt so rejected. I had always liked Edward. That was true, but he was always forbidden, unexpected. It was like having a crush on a celebrity. You'd obsess over it sometimes, but it was completely impossible, and totally improbable. I never expected to get this far. Shouldn't I just be happy with that?

"That's not what I meant," his green eyes were brooding now, smoldering in the late afternoon sun. "My world is not for you. It's a place you shouldn't see, and I don't want to drag you into it."

With my confidence suddenly restored, I spoke again. "I don't care. Please believe that." I begged.

"You don't know what you're saying; you don't know anything." Though he was clearly angry, I couldn't stop myself from noticing again how soft, and sweet his voice was.

Then, suddenly, like I'd just found that last missing puzzle piece, the one that frustrates you to no end because you have to sit there looking at a picture with a hole in the middle, it all snapped into place.

I gasped. "It's all true, isn't it?"

He gave me a funny look.

"My father's a cop, you know- the Chief."

His eyes widened to an impossible size. "How did he find out? I was careful. So careful." He backed away from me then, looking afraid.

"He had a hunch, in the beginning. But he gave it up." I muttered. I was just so shocked that his was happening; that this was real. "Are you okay?"

He sighed. It looked like he was still freaking out. "Bella, I like you, a lot, maybe even love you," My heart stuttered at the word. "But," he paused, "my father, he's… dangerous."

I was shaking. "W- What do you mean?"

He paused for a moment, wincing. "My mother died when I was sixteen, just before I moved here. My father started," He paused again. "drinking. Just trying to ignore the pain, I guess. Now, he," Another pause. "well, he's got a really bad temper."

I shuddered, moving closer to him.

"I don't care," I repeated myself. "We can get through this together."

As I said this, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and buried my head in his chest. He froze for a moment, before he tilted my chin up, and touched his lips to mine. At first, the kiss was slow, as our lips meshed together. Then, of course, everything sped up when his tongue traced my lip, asking for entrance. I complied, and then the kiss skyrocketed into a burst of passion.

After a few minutes, we broke apart, both of us breathing heavily.

"I- I think I love you, Juliet." He murmured. I could feel the vibrations of his voice pass from his body to mine.

I hugged him tighter. "My Romeo."

There was a lot we'd have to figure out. I knew I couldn't let things continue the way they were. I'd have to talk to Edward, and Charlie about how to solve this terrible problem. But we'd get through it. I'd do what Juliet couldn't. I'd save my Romeo. I didn't know how, but I would. One thing was for sure though; I'd have to thank Alice, every day for the rest of my life. Maybe she really is psychic.

A/N- Okay, this wasn't exactly the ending I had imagined, but I think it worked well. I wanted it to be sort of like Romeo and Juliet in real life, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it to go deeper than 'Edward and Bella just have different friends, and sit at different lunch tables'. Also, I didn't want Edward to be the bad guy. He's not bad, just trying to do anything he can to escape his real life. I realized about half way through, that the only way to achieve this was to make them different on another level. Which, is where Edward's insanely crappy life came from. I really hope you all enjoyed this, as it is my first all human story, so I am a little nervous.

-S.