High Noon [H.S]

a picture worth a thousand words

The loud beating of the heavy rain seemed to be the only thing that was keeping my attention. I had always been known to have a pretty short attention span, but listening to Professor Arnold go on and on about the works of Shakespeare for the dozenth time since term started would have made anyone start to doze off.

"Now take Romeo and Juliet for instance." I could vaguely hear his words, but my focus was fixated towards the droplets hitting the window beside me. Trying to stifle my third yawn in a row, I watch the rain as it smacks hard onto the window, before sliding down the glass and disappearing below. "The tale of two people who shouldn't have been together, whose paths shouldn't have crossed, but they did. Now does anyone know the main theme of the story?"

"Um, death?" a student in the back questions in a small voice.

"Ah, death. While there is a common factor of it throughout the tale, that isn't quite what I was looking for," he continues, now pacing around the room. "Romeo and Juliet is a tale of two star-crossed lovers, of two people who loved each other so deeply that they didn't want to be without each other. They would've rather been in another life together instead of being in this world apart. It is about love."

Niall scoffs loudly beside me, finally taking my attention away from the view outside. "What a load of shite. He could've just moved onto the next fit bird."

"He was in love," Jay interjects from the other seat beside Niall, repeating Professor Arnold's words.

"No, he was an idiot," Niall mocks, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back into the wooden chair. "She must've been a great lay."

His comments earn an eye roll from both Jay and I. "You are such a guy," I whisper.

"Hey, don't categorize him with me." Jay stares at Niall with a look of disgust before turning his whole body towards me. "I don't know what kind of species he is."

"Oi, Jay. Do you want to, oh- I don't know, stop talking about me as if I weren't sitting right beside you?" Niall scolds.

Jay pretends to look round his surroundings before leaning over, completely ignoring Niall's demands and asking, "did you hear someone talking to me?"

I let out a loud snort, which is immediately followed by widened eyes as half of the class turns around to stare at us. Professor Arnold stops his lecture mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry. Is there something you lot wanted to share?" he asks, with a sarcastic tone, but I can tell he's waiting for a legitimate answer. His raised eyebrows and tight-lipped smile says it's not rhetorical.

I try to think of an excuse, but I wasn't so good on my feet, so I grab the coffee I had gotten from Janet earlier this morning and take a long sip, using it as some sort of shield from Professor Arnold's intense stare and wait for Jay or Niall to answer.