Oddey arrived at school as she got out of the car and politely thanked the driver. She was all sunshine and butterflies on a Monday morning while walking to the main gate of campus. There were not a lot of people there until she happened to almost bump into her ex when she was about to enter a building.

"Oops. Sorry, Gage," she apologized, yet her tone was cheery.

"It's... cool," He blurted since he was a bit startled to nearly collide with her. Gage noticed something about her that was different, good different, that he ended up staring at her for so long between the doorway.

It was taking so long, so Oddey managed to glance away from his eyes. "Ahem... since you're here, there's something I've been meaning to... return," she said.

"Return?" The architect student looked at her in a weird way.

The Juliet took the love knot from her bag and gave it back to him. "Here, I think you might want this back."

Gage was stumped to see the red wristlet. It felt like that was where it should end their ties once and for all. "Oh... right, thanks," he uttered. "Hey, hold on."

It got the young lady's attention, and she turned around to face him before walking away from him. "Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you too," he confronted her calmly. "When we were together, was something about it true? Because I have been honest to the whole time."

The Juliet looked him in the eyes and nodded. "Believe it or not, I love... loved you."

"If you truly loved me, why did you have to lie? Did you use me to get to my Dad or something?"

"No, of course not..."

"Then what?" Gage questioned her.

"Why should it matter why...?" Oddey snapped.

"You have no position to say what matters. I want to know the truth. You owe me that."

"Everything was real when I told you about my past, my dreams, and especially how I feel about you. I just lied to you about who my parents are."

"A lie is a lie, Oddey."

The girl whimpered and tried not to cry. "Believe me, I didn't know it at first until my Dad told me about your parents that..."

"Wait. When did he tell you?"

Oddey was dreading the moment as she put her head down. "The day after... we were trapped in... the elevator."

Gage was dumbfounded and in disbelief at the answer. "That long, huh? Wow," he huffed, feeling angry again. "I am so stupid. So the time when my parents had problems after what your Dad did, and I went to you for comfort, you were enjoying it all along?"

"No, I felt so bad that that happened, and I was not part of that either."

"It's very hard to believe everything you say right now."

"I know, and I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, I do, but my Dad convinced me not to, but I went so deep on how I felt about you that I don't want to lose you. I know it's not an excuse..."

"That's right, it's not. I'm glad you know that." The heartbroken guy looked at her with disgust. "All I feel is hate towards you. I feel like you played me in the palm of your hands, and the worst part is that I'm going to lose my Dad because of yours. Just get out of my life."

Oddey felt like a stray knife went through her heart, and she could not pull it out after listening to those hurtful words. She knew in her mind that this was the price to pay for being dishonest, and she just stood there quietly watching her ex-Romeo turn his back on her and then walk away it seem though it could be their last time.

As for Gage, he felt he got the closure he needed from the confrontation while he walked away from his ex. However, he was contented that he said what was in his mind, though a part of him still felt miserable.

---

Fortunately, later in the classroom, The art student still had a smile on her face even after looking up towards the ceiling since she was so thrilled for her parents to be married and that they would be one happy family. Also, imagine what the wedding would be like.

"Someone is in a good mood," Rita chimed in once she arrived and sat next to her.

"Oh! hey, bestie."

"What's up with you? You look glowing more than I remembered. Did Gage ask you to get back together?"

"No, of course not, far from it actually," Oddey snickered. "He just told me to get out of his life before getting here."

"Oh, yikes. That's kinda harsh."

"No, it's fine, I get it."

"I can see that. You're happy while your Romeo kicked you out of his life."

"It's just that Mom and my Dad are engaged this morning," Oddey squealed.

Rita's mouth dropped to the ground, and her eyes almost popped from its socket. "No!" she gasped.

"Yes!"

"Oh, my God! I'm so happy for them."

"Me too. I dreamed of this day would come for them to be together and get married, you know," The Juliet expressed her delight. "After everything that my Dad had been through, he's gonna have a happy ending."

"Well, I bet their wedding will be ah-mazing," the best friend replied.

"Yup, this is so wonderful. If it weren't for the play and the finals, I'd be celebrating with them."

"You should. You deserve it anyway. So... if you don't mind me asking, you're not upset anymore about you... and Gage?"

Oddey smile slowly vanished from her face. "The pain is still in there," she replied with her tone changed at the same time, which made her remember the incident in the precinct. "But... I... accept that our relationship is beyond repair after what I did, and what he thinks is what my Dad did."

Rita sympathized with her best friend's damaged relationship. "This sucks. It can't be over for you and Gage," she moaned. "I can't accept that."

"And yet, it happened. I'm gonna be fine. At least something good came out of it, and that's the two people in my life who are going to be happy to be together forever."

"I guess you're right. Okay, I'm sorry that if I bum you out about mentioning Gage."

"Hey, it's okay, I get it," Oddey assured her.

"Alright, no more about him for a while, or a long, long, long time. We can have our own celebration this Friday for your parents," her best friend suggested.

"I'd love that. Hmm... like what?"

Rita began thinking. "Oh! Felix invited me to watch his movie this Friday for his club. One of the member's uncles owns a drive-by movie theatre. Why don't you come along?"

"Sure. I remember Gage told me that." However, she realized the flaw in the invitation after mentioning the name. "But, wait..."

"Don't worry, Gage and Courtney won't be there."

Oddey was taken aback by that and confused. "Really? I mean, that's a relief, I guess. But wouldn't they want to support their friend?"

Her best friend just shrugged. "I don't know. It hurts me too when he said that they're not going to see his movie, but he doesn't seem to mind."

"Well, if they're not going to be there for him, we're here to cheer him on."

"Absolutely. And, we can get pizza after that."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Bestie," Oddey said to her.

----

Later in the afternoon, Gage was having lunch with his two best friends. However, his ex-girlfriend and his buddy's girlfriend were also there, sitting at the table in the distance, and he could not help, but look at her again.

He watched her giggling with her gal friend while they looked at something on their phones. Anyhow, Courtney started talking. "Hey, Gage, you ready for later for the dress rehearsal?" She asked, then put her head up and immediately saw he was inattentive once again.

"Uhm... yeah, I think so," the Romeo replied and continued eating.

The jealous actress could tell right away where her crush's eyes were looking when it was aimed at Oddey. "I have a handkerchief in my bag. Do you want me to cover your eyes so you wouldn't have to gawk at your ex?"

"Very funny," Gage responded dryly.

"Leave him alone, Court," Felix interjected.

"Hey, some friend you are. You're dating his ex's best friend."

Before Felix could argue back, Gage stopped those two from going at it again. "Guys, guys, that's enough."

"Sorry, man," his buddy apologized.

Courtney watched the two girls with disgust. "Look at them. Laughing like cheerleaders."

"Leave them alone, Court. They have reason to be happy."

Gage glanced at his roommate in a weird way. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Felix cringed while chewing a nugget after blurting some personal information that his heartbroken friend did not have to know. "Well, you're gonna know somehow. Why don't you just wait..."

"Why not now?" The architect student scowled at him along with Courtney.

"Alright, Rita told me that Oddey's 'mom'." Felix air quoted that last part with his hands. "And her father is engaged this morning."

Gage had no qualms at Mr. Magnum and Oddey's fake mom getting married. Although he was dismayed at the idea that while his parents were suffering, his ex could have a happy complete family. "Good for them then," he said.

"Yeah, who cares?" Courtney added.

Felix just rolled his eyes and then just finished his food.

After lunch, there was not much the set and props designers would do since they had finally finished the backdrops, costumes, and all the other things for the play.

All they had to do was watch the actors do a dress and rehearse every scene from the top to the end with the clothes and the props. They even did the lighting that Oddey suggested when she presented her design for the set, that it would look as if they were in painting like in the movie Loving Van Gogh.

"This play is gonna be lit," said a female assistant director to the art student. "Madame Vestia was not wrong to choose you for this."

"Thanks," Oddey replied, feeling all flattered that her ideas were appreciated and executed in a college play.

However, her positive mood was cut a tad short whenever she had to watch Gage do a kissing scene with Courtney. They also had to act the consummate after the secret wedding.

Perhaps not literally, the Romeo had to go up to Juliet's room by climbing up the balcony, and they kissed until they went inside the bedroom. Afterward, the next scene showed that Gage was undressed with a cloth from the waist down while Courtney had to cover her upper torso using the sheets from the bed, though she was not completely naked under it, just a tube top.

Oddey wanted to leave, but she couldn't because she had to make sure that the set was stable and nothing was going to fall over any of the actors' and actresses' heads.

She would rather watch a live operation of a person by a medical student than see her ex and his annoying best friend torturing her every tender moment they had to act right before her eyes.

Nevertheless, Gage was not enjoying what he was going through. He never wanted to act, especially when it was the lead role. It was bad enough that he had to kiss Courtney right in front of so many people. He had to act like they sort of had sex and be topless. The only good thing about it was that he did not have to wear tights to make it more Shakespearean.

When he was waiting for his part to come, the Romeo, happened to glance over to Oddey and he could not tell if she was sad or bored since she leaned back on the audience seat somewhere at the middle, sitting sloppily with those tired eyes the whole time she was watching.