Rosaline's Role

There were a couple of things in Rosaline Dawson’s life that she knew to be true.

One, was that she was born to play a role in Romeo and Juliet. Not only did her own name make it seem like fate, but ever since she had joined the drama group at Eastview Academy, she had wanted to begin furthering her talents as an actress. It was her dream to become a star and ‘tread the boards’, as a seasoned actor might say and, what better way to do that than being the star in one of the most iconic plays than the bard himself?

The second thing the teen knew was that Noah Anderson was, without a doubt, the most handsome guy at school. Despite only being one year older than Julia’s 15-years of age, the rugged teen radiated effortless amounts of cool to many of her fellow high school peers. Adding to his good looks, he was charming, passionate and, to her dismay, incredibly likable. He pretty much ticked all the boxes for the teen girl heartthrob of the month.

Which is exactly why it was no surprise that, when the school announced their end-of-year performance would be that of the iconic tragedy, Anderson was cast as the leading man of Romeo himself. Despite being part of the ‘cool’ crowd, Eastview’s very own Lothario was more than just good looks. As it turns out, he could also act. It made Rosaline want to hate him, yet she knew in her heart that she couldn’t.

What did come as a surprise to Rosaline, was that she did not receive the major role she wanted in the production. The leading lady of Eastview Academy’s Romeo and Juliet production was that of Isabella Maxwell. Which is exactly how Rosaline finds herself during one of the production’s last rehearsals playing the role of The Nurse, one of Juliet’s most trusted advisors in the play.

No matter how hard she tries, Rosaline finds that she can’t fault Isabella in the titular role she so badly wanted. With her fair colored hair, large doe eyes and all around ‘girl next door’ appearance, Maxwell was the polar opposite to Eastview’s charismatic leading man that was Anderson. Maybe that’s why, as Rosaline watches the two young actors performing one of the play’s scenes, she must begrudgingly admit that the two of them work quite well as the leads. 

Yet, as she watches from the side, hidden from view in the shadow of the stage curtain, the young teen can’t help but feel robbed of some special moment. She can’t tell if it’s from her long-awaited destiny to perform on a main stage, or from getting the opportunity to act alongside one of the academy’s favorite students. Granted, she was still figuring out how she felt about the latter, and it wasn’t like Eastview’s stage was anything spectacular. In fact, it was just a small platform at the back of the lunch hall. But, hey, every young actor had to start somewhere, and Rosaline was willing to take what she could get.

At some point during her own internal musings, Rosaline hadn’t realized that her peers were nearly at the end of their scene. It’s act one, scene five to be precise. Hidden out of sight, the spurned youngster can’t help but feel a tiny twinge in her chest as she watches Maxwell and Anderson lose themselves in the moment, completely oblivious to her presence throughout the scene, even though it has always been there, watching from a distance.

Romeo: “O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”

Juliet: “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.”

Romeo: “Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take.”

It’s just an innocent, brief meeting of lips, a whisper of skin against skin. Yet, it has Rosaline downright flushing with the sting of rejection. It’s the unrequited heartbreak that only a teen girl can know of. It is one filled with longing glances from afar; a first love that is one-sided and all-consuming every time you stare at them and realize, you’re not even in the same league as the one who has your heart.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, fat drops of moisture beginning to pool on her lashes that she quickly wipes away before they can spill. The embarrassment she would feel if she were to be discovered crying over a performance is enough to make her swallow back any further emotion threatening to bubble up.

Those same tears threaten to come back the moment Noah and Isabella take a quick bow to a rapturous round of applause from an audience that is so far made up of their classmates. The numbers may not make up for a full audience, but the enthusiasm a bunch of often rowdy teenagers can create when they get to skip class to watch Shakespeare should be studied, Rosaline thinks. Then again, it doesn’t really surprise her, especially when the class darling was up on stage, even if they hadn’t done anything to deserve the role. Not like Rosaline had.

As Eastview’s junior Romeo and Juliet quickly make their way to exit the stage, Rosaline quickly schools her emotions like the good damned actor that her drama lessons had taught her to become. She wonders what either of them would think if they saw her a minute ago. Would they think their performances were that good? That they were both worthy of eliciting such a reaction from little ‘ol her?

“Wow, we didn’t know you were there watching us, Rosie”, she heard the deep husk of Noah’s voice before he materializes in front of her, the stage lights keeping him in momentary darkness for a second longer than normal.

When he does, it’s not just the nickname he alone had coined for her that had her flushing red. He catches the reaction with a quick wink before stalking off. She’s always been able to appreciate he was good looking, and so could he, but the nervous giddiness that happened around him was one that came from being recognized by the one guy everyone at school deemed a heartthrob. It was just a natural reaction and she had come to accept that.

“Did you like the performance?”

It’s nothing like the nervous butterflies she can feel in her stomach at the sound of that lilting voice actually addressing her. It was one that she had only heard from snippets in corridors, drowned out by the ruckus of their classmates around them, or from during rehearsals, when they were more professional than anywhere near personal. As sweet as Isabella was, she was still part of the ‘popular crowd’ who all hung in the same social circles, only venturing out into the wilderness of the rest of their classmates when they were forced to. Like right now.

“It was fantastic. Award worthy for sure”, she finds herself quickly stammering out…and it makes her want to kick herself at how stupid she must sound to someone who came across as such a breeze.

It’s the feeling of soft fingers clutching around her arm in a friendly gesture that her quickly taking inhaling a sharp breath. “Thank you, Roz. That means a lot coming from you, because I know how much this play means to you.”

At that moment, she decides she likes Roz much better than Rosie. She can’t say why, but coming from the likes of Isabella Maxwell makes her want to mold herself so that it will fit. Even if they never have another interaction again outside of their school play, she will always remember the moment that The Isabella Maxwell gave her a nickname.

“Y…you’re welcome”, is the only thing that she can stammer out, her heart beating so fast she is sure that Isabella can feel it through her skin. If she does, she doesn’t say anything except flash a friendly smile before dropping her hand and Rosaline instantly feels the loss of the connection.

“Does Noah always have this effect on you?”

She knows it’s a teasing question because, of course Isabella would think that it’s the school’s Lothario that has her blushing. His attention on a meager theater kid such as herself might cause her to feel appreciated, but what she was feeling now was something entirely different. It made her feel nervous and excited at the same time. It made her heart thud erratically and her thoughts go scattering about in her brain.

Isabella takes her silence as confirmation of her so-called feelings for her Romeo. “Don’t worry, he has that affect on everyone. Even I think he’s quite charming.”

The leading lady gives her a knowing smile, in what Rosaline thinks is an attempt to make her feel better. As if to say, “It’s okay. I totally understand what this feels like”. Or something similar that teen girls say to each other when they both have the same crush on the most unobtainable person ever.

She'd appreciated the gesture if it wasn’t so misguided. Yet, since it turns out she is not as good at schooling her emotions as believed, all Rosaline can do is simply put on a smile, one that hides how she really feels and says: “Yeah. I guess it’s something like that”.

As she lifts her gaze, she watches as those beautiful doe-eyes are filled with a longing she knows is not directed towards her, but like all the other girls in school, towards Noah. Rosaline just wants to see them shining with happiness.

Just as the moment is broken, and Isabella goes to head backstage, she finds herself quickly blurting out: "Your performance is great, by the way. You really were born to play Juliet."

Her comment has the intended affect, as those sparkling eyes finally light up with the compliment only one can truly appreciate coming from a fellow teenager. This time, it's not Rosaline that's a little flushed, as Isabella's cheeks quickly redden with appreciation.

"And you're doing a really good job as well. I really enjoy when we share scenes together".

It's all Isabella says as she quickly walks away with a friendly smile. The small acknowledgement making Rosaline suddenly feel seen. She wonders if this is something that a leading actor feels when they see all those eyes watching them, or hears the thunderous applause after a well-received performance.

The interaction leaves Rosaline sure of just one thing.

It was that she was born to play a role in Romeo and Juliet. Her namesake all but made it destiny. In a twisted sense of fate, unlike the Rosaline in the play, she was the one destined to feel the sting of an unrequited love that could not be reciprocated.