Living Backwards by Tracy Sweeney Read Free Book Online

time to think up a good excuse to plan a study date with her.
    It wasn’t until I walked into the room and looked at the blackboard that everything fell into place. If things with Luke had gone smoother, I might have been fully convinced this was heaven. On the board was a quote: ‘O, I am fortune’s fool!’
    We were reviewing Romeo and Juliet for the final exam. And we were obviously focusing on the scene after Tybalt’s death where Romeo sees himself as a victim of fate instead of taking responsibility for his role in the deaths of both Mercutio and Tybalt. I knew the exchange from Act III very well having studied it in depth for a class on Shakespearian Literature in college. But even if I hadn’t had the scenes from the play burned into my brain from the grueling papers I needed to write, I would know this scene by heart because of Danielle. I had watched Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in Romeo + Juliet probably two-hundred times. Danielle had a really, really unhealthy obsession with Leo. I didn’t complain. It was common ground for us. I loved Shakespeare even if it was butchered. She loved Leo reciting…well, anything. She made such a spectacle of herself watching his movies. With Romeo + Juliet , she’d whisper Juliet’s lines along with Claire Danes while gazing longingly at the television. The first time I saw her doing it, I couldn’t help but make fun of her. I mean, she was swooning and sighing like a schoolgirl. But after she threatened to steal Joan and hide her from me, I decided that I would just need to get used to hearing both Claire and Danielle recite the lines together. Now I was finally beginning to see the payoff for all of the times that she yelled “Jillian, thou art a villain!” at me for not playing along.
    Time seemed to move very slowly as I waited to speak to Danielle. At the end of class, Mr. Gilbert passed out a sheet of possible essay questions for the final. I hung back, pretending to study the sheet as I watched Danielle pack up her tote. As she passed my desk, I stood up quickly, bumping into her and causing her books to spill all over the floor.
    “Oh my goodness!” I cried. “I’m so sorry!” I added, bending over to help clean up the mess. “I was just so distracted by how hard those essays look.”
    “Oh, no worries,” Danielle replied in her usual airy tone. “And if you’re worried about the final, I might as well call it quits!”
    “Don’t be silly,” I said shaking my head. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. I definitely need a refresher so I’m renting Romeo + Juliet tonight.” I watched her eyes grow wide. “If you’re going to study, you might as well have a little DiCaprio eye candy to keep you sane.”
    “Leo?” Danielle groaned. “Best movie ever, Jillian. If Leo starred in all of the Shakespeare adaptations, I swear I’d get an A in this class.”
    “Well,” I began trying to sound unsure of myself, “You’re welcome to drop by. I know it’s a Friday night, but I figured I’d curl up with some popcorn and watch the movie.” And now for the pièce de résistance. “Maybe make some Pad Thai.”
    “Pad Thai? You know how to make Pad Thai?” Thanks to my Food Network buddy, Alton Brown, yes I do. “I love Pad Thai,” she added dazed and wide-eyed.
    “Then it’s settled,” I replied. “Leo and Pad Thai at my place tonight.”
    “Oh no,” she whined. “I have plans with Megan tonight, and I try very hard not to cancel on Megan. You do not want to see what she’s like when you cancel on her.”
    I’d been there many times and completely agreed. Like the time I tried to cancel plans to go to the Giants game because Mark Jensen asked me to a study group he was hosting at his apartment. I assumed she’d understand. I mean, Mark Jensen…in his apartment…discussing The Philosophy of the Marquis de Sade. I thought it was a no-brainer. Megan disagreed, spending an entire evening schooling me on the fact that we choose “bros