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Tonight, Amanda had a date with Diana. A special night between the two of them. Amanda waited for Diana in her room, having set up everything to see a movie together, pillows set against the wall and as many blankets she could find. On the other side of the room was a screen Constanze had made, she had let her use it for tonight. All Amanda needed was for Diana to get here, she just needed to be… patient.
Twenty or thirty minutes passed, Amanda was getting anxious, she had gotten everything she needed. She had food and drinks, she had tonight's movie set up, but she was now stuck, fidgeting in every way she could think of to keep her busy. But finally, a knock came to her door, and Diana walked through.
"Finally!" Amanda stretched her arms and legs in an overly excited manner.
"Sorry, I had more to help with than I thought. I could have probably stopped a while ago."
"Well, now we can get started. I've been excited to show you my favorite movie." Amanda pulled out a case from a pile of things for the night. On the case was two teenagers in front of an orange sky, the young girl in an angel costume and the young man in a tropical shirt and black pants, his hair slicked back. The title at the top was William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet.
"I would not think that you would be interested in Romeo and Juliet. You seem like someone who would find it boring."
"Well, I think most of them are, but this one is good. C'mon!"
Amanda turned out the light and sat with Diana to enjoy the movie, Diana sitting mostly upright with her back leaning against the many pillows Amanda had gathered for them. Amanda lied on her side, her head resting on Diana's lap as the movie started.
The film began with a slow push toward a small tv, a newscaster opening with the famous lines. And as she did Amanda whispered them along, "Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."
And then again the famous opening played, but now with a narrator, with sweeping motions establishing the scene of Verona Beach. Diana had never seen this movie before, but she was well acquainted with Romeo and Juliet, she had seen many plays of it and read the original several times over. Diana was surprised by how wild and erratic the camera seemed, overflowing with excitement and tension. And all the while, she would hear Amanda as she would recite the lines along with the characters.
Amanda looked toward Diana with a coy smile as she said, "Peace. Peace? I hate the word," alongside Tybalt. Amanda's silly quote telling to Diana how aware she was of her own recklessness. But it was endearing, in a way, to Diana, just like Amanda herself was.
As the movie reached the party sequence, Diana was already enraptured, but she was even more drawn in by the fiery love that blossomed between Romeo and Juliet. She found herself leaning forward in intrigue as the two shared bashful glances across the small aquarium. Romeo, with his slicked back hair and knight costume felt so romantic alongside Juliet's simple, yet graceful, angel costume. Diana and Amanda each squeezed the other's hand, reminding the other, and themselves, of their presence, establishing an understanding of care and love. When Romeo and Juliet stole away in the elevator, sneaking from the Capulet family, kissing passionately, Amanda lightly touched Diana's face, staring directly at her. Diana bent down to give a gentle kiss on Amanda's lips, both smiling over the silent affirmation of love.
Later on, Diana found herself reciting lines along with Amanda, "O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Amanda said.
"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." Diana finished, Amanda looked at Diana in complete adoration for her partner, feeling the connection between the two grow stronger.
"Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, That tips with silver these fruit-tree tops-" now Amanda had solely begun taking on Romeo's voice.
"O, swear not by the moon, the inconsistent moon, That monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy prove likewise variable." Diana was quickly becoming more and more entranced, passion filling her words as if she herself were Juliet.
Amanda reached her hand up to Diana's face, cupping her cheek, "What shall I swear by?"
Diana leaned into the hand and said, "Do not swear at all. Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self."
Later still, the excitement of the events caught up to the two, no longer quoting the movie, no longer sharing glances, only staring at the screen as the events unfolded. As scenes moved past, they grew closer and closer, the two overlapping in proximity. From the wedding to Romeo and Juliet's bedroom scene, the two only shared the grasp from the other's hands in tension and comfort.
And as the movie quickly sped towards a close, Romeo with Juliet in the Capulet mausoleum, Amanda was becoming undone, her chest closing around her heart as she saw the two in tight embrace, as they would slowly lose themselves to death. Amanda whined, "Nooo. No no noooo." Her hand gently, but forcefully hitting the bed in distress as she saw Juliet's fingers twitch as the sleep toxin was losing hold and Romeo drank his poison. Diana held Amanda's hand tightly, hoping to comfort Amanda, and hoping to relieve her own stress, seeing the two in such tragedy. And eventually, both slowly started to cry, saddened by the terrible suicide of Romeo and Juliet.
As the credits rolled, Amanda and Diana wiped the tears from their face.
"That was good. That was very good, Amanda."
"I'm glad I got to show you, though I didn't think I'd cry this time."
"Neither did I." Diana leaned in toward Amanda and gave her another kiss, but this one was deeper, seemingly inspired by the passionate, dangerous love they had just witnessed. It was infectious, but that passion always stayed with the two, and it was something they shared together.