Read Knee Deep for Free Online

choir. The list is long. She and Luke will look great together. I wonder if she’ll be his next girlfriend.
    Each person gives their name and role, or job. A lot of them are here to help with costumes, sets, lighting, stage manager…things that I hadn’t given much thought to before now. I think only half are acting. This is somehow unexpected.
    Mr. Blackman chuckles. “That was fun. Luke and Liesl? You two both know the rules for playing opposite each other.”
    The group immediately breaks out into whispers. I’m lost, but the tension is thick, and I lean forward in anticipation.
    Luke’s cheeks begin to glow in this pinkish red color, which is something I’ve never seen.
    I’m biting my lower lip in anticipation.
    Luke sighs and lets his shoulders slump, but anyone could see he’s teasing. Liesl moves to sit in front of him like an old pro. Guess she knows what to expect.
    He leans forward, touches the bottom of her chin with his fingertips and kisses her softly, with a slight hesitation, right on the mouth. Shivers run down my spine—I wonder what it was like to be on the receiving end of that . I get warm and tingly just sitting next to him. No wonder Luke doesn’t have a hard time getting girls.
    “Perfect.” Mr. Blackman laughs. “Now you two have kissed, so it won’t slow us down. And you, Ronnie, will get to kiss this fine young man if Liesl backs out.” Mr. Blackman grins over his clipboard.
    I make a face at Luke, narrowing my eyes and scrunching my nose. “Well, I’ve already kissed him once and…”
    ‘Ooohs’ echo from the group.
    “I’m curious as to who I get to kiss if he backs out?” I fold my arms in front of me, acting way braver than I feel.
    “That would be…” His finger runs down the list. “Curtis.”
    Curtis offers a quick wave at me from across the circle; his cheeks are redder than his hair which is almost, but not quite, as red as mine.
    “Just curious, thanks.” I try to lean back and let my shoulders fall to show I’m totally relaxed, which I’m not. Kissing was the part of all this that I hadn’t really thought about when I tried out. Should have been obvious, being Romeo and Juliet , and all.
    ***
    The read-through pulls me straight into the story—the tingles of first glimpses, the intensity of first kisses, first loves, the desperation of finding a way to be together against all odds. And even though I know the end my breath hitches, and I have to touch the outside of my eyes to stop the tears from escaping for the two lost lovers.
    Luke chuckles softly as our eyes meet. He rubs his hand a few times across my back, really just making me feel more like a kid who needs protection. But he’s also warm, and his touch calms some of the rawness of emotion.
    “Get used to it, Ronnie,” he whispers. “They die every time.”
    But the thing is, I always hope—each time I read or watch this story. I hope that he sees her wake up before he takes the poison, or that Juliet can somehow save Romeo before taking her own life. And it just never happens. The problem is that when you change Romeo and Juliet’s story it ends up like that ridiculous Taylor Swift song. And that’s not what people love about Romeo and Juliet .
    When rehearsal is over, I follow Luke up the aisle of the theater and he holds the door open for me, letting me outside. I love having people in my life who I don’t have to ask, or check with because I already know what’ll happen. Luke and I will walk home from rehearsal together. It’s a given.
    “I can’t believe you remember our kiss.” And for the second time in one day Luke’s cheeks are pink. The dimples he’s trying to hide as he watches his feet on the pavement makes me feel like he might be a bit proud of that moment between us.
    “It was my first game of spin the bottle. You don’t forget momentous occasions such as that.” I give him a gentle slug to the shoulder. It was my first real party. Luke begged me to come with him;