Page 152 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
As the tragedy struck, and the star-crossed-lovers were laid down together after their demise, the auditorium erupted in a grand applause that echoed in my ears. Mr. Castle whistled while others gave a few more cheers. The sound was so reminiscent of the cheers at a football game that I was almost convinced that if I closed my eyes, I’d be able to smell the grass. The parallel almost made me smile.
The actors started coming out onto the stage for their final bows, and the clapping kept going. Danielle shot Trevor a thumbs-up when he bowed with the fighters from the beginning, and he had an excited smile on his face when he spotted me.
And then Logan stepped up with the actors that played Juliet’s parents, and they all held hands as they bent over, bowing to the audience. Mr. Castle even stood up to clap for his son, and when Logan straightened, his gaze drifted over. I assumed he was looking at his dad, but Logan’s eyes found mine first. His face went from smiling to slack-jawed in an instant.
Even from here, I could see his shoulders slump as if the air itself had knocked the wind out of him. He took a step forward, and for a heartbeat, I swore he was about to step off the stage. The girl holding his hand tugged him back.
My pulse stuttered, and heat prickled at the back of my neck. If it weren’t for the three rows of seats between us, I might have risen to meet him, drawn by the same impossible pull.
The theater teacher came onto the stage with her mic again when everyone finished their bows. “Family and loved ones, if you want to stay to congratulate the cast, please feel free!”
Danielle and Logan’s dad chatted about the play, chuckled about how Noah missed one of his lines, but I could barely focus on anything. Not when the cast members began coming out of a side door, and the room filled with more claps that greeted them. Restless energy caused my legs to bounce.
Everyone around me got to their feet, and the room grew louder as conversations picked up. Noah came up to us first, still wearing his puffy Romeo shirt with the collar undone. Danielle threw herself at him, and he wrapped her up immediately, drawing her off her feet and intohis chest.
“You were so good,” she murmured into his neck. “Even when you called Juliet,Julia.”
I could see Noah’s grin over Danielle’s shoulder. “Of course you noticed that.”
“Gotta keep my man humble.”
He pressed a kiss to her cheek, setting her back down. He noticed me then, and something in his expression softened further. “Logan got caught by our principal by the side doors,” Noah told me, tucking Danielle to his chest. “You should go save him.”
“Yeah, Mr. Oliver really doesn’t know how to stop talking,” Danielle added, leaning her head onto Noah’s shoulder. “And Logan will be excited to see you.”
They couldn’t have been more subtle if they tried.
I turned toward Mr. Castle, awkwardly offering my hand to him. “It was really nice meeting you. Even though we didn’t get a chance to really talk.”
“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon,” he said as he gave my hand a quick shake, his hint clear. Apparently, subtly wasn’t a Jefferson thing. It nearly made me laugh.
I brushed around clusters of people, spotting Amir and Charlie talking with a few other kids in their grade a few rows up. A bit further down, Trevor was gesturing animatedly with presumedly his family. I followed the direction Noah had tipped his head toward, scanning for a side door, scanning for a broad-shouldered, golden-haired boy.
And then I found him.
Logan, indeed, had been caught by someone older—andcaughtwas the right word. The man’s hand was firmly clamped down on Logan’s shoulder, holding him in place despite the clear unease on Logan’s expression. From here, a few rows away, I could see his lips move.
“Thank you,” he was saying, trying to sidestep out from underneath his grip. Logan’s eyes cut through the crowd back toward where his father stood. “I—I really appreciate it, but?—”
And then his lips stopped moving, and his eyes widened. They jumped over the crowd of people, frantically bouncing, clearly looking for?—
Our eyes met, and Logan visibly let out a breath. The sight of him caused something to pull from underneath my ribcage, like there was a magnetic force drawing me to him. His lips started moving again, but before I could make out what he was saying, someone stepped in our path, shielding him from view.
Now, though, I suddenly became too afraid to step forward. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to meet him. It wasn’t like we could talk now, anyway, not when so many people wanted to congratulate him on his performance. His dad was even here, for crying out loud. I couldn’t just hijack tonight when it was supposed to be his.
Instead of moving toward Logan, I turned, ready to make my way out of the auditorium.
And I got only a few steps away before a hand caught my wrist from behind. When I turned, I found Logan there, having crossed the room at a superhuman speed. “Don’t,” he all but gasped out, and even though the room was loud, his voice was the only thing I could hear. He’d ditched his overcoat, and the white shirt he had on was so thin that I could see his tanned skin underneath. “Don’t leave.”
“I wasn’t,” I said honestly, blinking my wide eyes. “I was just going to wait in my car, so you can talk?—”
“I don’t want to talk to anyone but you.” The wordscame out of him in a rush, fingers tightening their desperate hold. “I want?—”
“Logan!” A voice boomed between us, and another man came up to him. He, too, jostled Logan by the shoulder, and in the process, brushed his grip off of me. “You died quite realistically. I was impressed!”
Logan nodded distractedly. “Thank you, Mr. Zink, thanks. If you’ll excuse?—”
“I missed last year’s performance, you see,” the man went on, blissfully unaware of Logan trying to make his departure. “My wife was sick then. Pneumonia. Thought we’d lose her. But she’s still kicking!”
