Grahams pov

"So what are you doing today?" I asked her.

"Well right now I don't have a first class, so I was just going to go for a walk or something."

"I don't have a first class either," I said, internally grinning.

"I didn't know that."

"Probably because you sleep in every Tuesday." She gave me a knowing smile. "What about after that?"

"I have my acting class and I have to present this shakespeare sonnet," she said deep breathing, meaning she was stressed. 

"Are you nervous about it?" I asked, already knowing, I wanted to see if she would tell me. She nodded. "Nora, you're so talented, why are you nervous?"

"I don't think I need a reason, and I wouldn't tell you," she snickered.

"I'm so hurt," I said sarcastically. "But honestly you should present it to me and I'll tell you if you need to be nervous."

"Really?" She asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes. She continued, looking away and not letting me answer. "No, I don't think I'll be comfortable with that."

"Let me. We'll go for a walk, you can have a smoke, and then just casually present it. It's no big deal. I know little about acting or theatre or whatever you call it, so you will get my untainted reaction. It will help you." She looked at me for too long and then she finally spoke, standing up.

"Fine, let's go then. And I'll take one of your fags thank you very much," she said and as we walked outside she reached into my jacket pocket and grabbed my cigarettes. I lit it up for her, and then lit my own.

Eleanors pov

We walked in silence for about 10 minutes before I went towards a gazebo. It was weirdly comforting to just walk and smoke with Graham. 

"I think I am ready," I said. 

I hated when I got nervous about performing because I would get in my own head and stuff up or just not perform as best I can. This sonnet made me nervous because instead of playing a character I had to connect with it and use my own emotions. 

He sat on the long seats that circled the inside of the gazebo and he faced me where I stood in the middle. 

"The floor is yours Miss Hamilton," he said and I smiled at him. I took a deep breath and I closed my eyes to begin with, as getting calm did not work when Graham was looking at me with those eyes.

"Alright, it's Sonnet number 147, so here I go." I heard him laugh and I tried to ignore his presence.

"My love is as a fever, longing still

For that which longer nurseth the disease;

Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, 

The uncertain sickly appetite to please. 

My reason, the physician to my love,

Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, 

Hath left me, and I desperate now approve

Desire is death, which physic did except.

Past cure I am, now reason is past care,

And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;

My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,

At random from the truth vainly exprest;

For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,

Who art as black as hell, as dark as night."

I opened my eyes now and I noticed he had leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. He seemed to have listened carefully. I spoke it slow, yet not softly, because the sonnet is about how love his driving him to become a madman and it's because the physical side of him isn't being pleased. He no longer cares what rational means are, he can only think about his love and how her beauty on the outside is innocent yet what's underneath is something obscene. 

That's how I interpreted it at least. 

"I'm glad you spoke relatively slow so I could decipher it. But I thought that was brilliant. You would have made my sister cry." I laughed, because he never seemed to cry and obviously he was aware of that. 

I thought back to how I spoke and I started walking back and forth seeing what I can do to make it better. 

"I feel like it's lacking that dramatic sense that Shakespearean plays need, that they have to make it Shakespeare. That emotion. Because I've got my own interpretation of the meaning but I have to invoke that emotion on others." I was pacing so much that I didn't notice he had stood up and was only two feet away from me. 

"Well, it's about how old William is so obsessed with someone but he can't have her and it's driving him insane," his voice was so deep, so gruff, it made me get goosebumps. "Right?" He asked.

"Yes, more or less," I managed to say. He stepped closer, and we were both breathing audibly as only 1 inch was left between us. 

His eyes were looking into mine, and I didnt know my mouth was slightly open until I felt him lift my chin to close it. 

"Present it now," he said and I swallowed, my throat dry. 

"My love is as a fever, longing still

His head dipped lower, and then lifted again.

For that which longer nurseth the disease;

Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,

The uncertain sickly appetite to please.

My reason, the physician to my love,

Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,

He stood straight but was still standing close. I felt like yanking him back down close to me.

Hath left me, and I desperate now approve

Desire is death, which physic did except.

Past cure I am, now reason is past care,

I looked at him, he stepped back and I gulped,"now reason is past care", I repeated, more desperately.

And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;

My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,

I felt like a madman myself as I spoke, I was frantic, like I was about to die. 

At random from the truth vainly exprest;

For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,

Who art as black as hell, as dark as night."

I looked into his dark eyes, his dark hair, how it was messy yet it sat perfectly. The last two lines reminded me of his eyes. They were bright yet had a dark nature about them.

"That was absolutely flawless," he said, bringing me back to reality. "Present it like that to the class, and you'll be like forbidden fruit." I had completely forgotten where I was, and what I was doing. 

"Well, um, thank you. That was good, great. If I ever need help I know who to go to." His jaw clenched, and he looked me up and down, torturously slow.

"Anytime," he exhaled, still tense. 

I had gone to class later that day and performed just as I had that second time with Grayson. I had to close my eyes and picture him there just before, in order to perform it to that effect, and I did it. My teacher had given me a 100 straight away and told the rest of the class to strive to my level. I only felt bad for a second and then I grinned so wildly. 

I walked out of the class with said grin, and then I saw Graham approach me. God he seemed everywhere lately, everywhere I went, in my personal space.

"How did it go? No guys tried to kiss you?" He asked jokingly, although I don't think he was kidding. 

"No, but my teacher gave me a perfect score straight away, and talked me up to the rest of the class. So basically it went excellent and I am the best student ever," I gloated and I saw him smile. Like for real. 

"I'm glad." We continued walking towards my building, he just walked beside me. 

"Are you walking me back home?" I asked sarcastically. He didn't really do gentlemanly things. 

"I guess so, yeah."

"I've got a bit of time to kill before soccer practice, I was just going practice some lines." 

"Sounds like fun," he said in a humorous way, as he just invited himself to my room. 

Back in my room, he sat comfortably at the end of my bed, and I was at my desk reading lines. 

He must be bored, I thought, and I turned around to face him in my swivel chair. There he was sitting, and watching me. Now that I had turned he wore a stupid smirk on his face. 

"How's it going?" He asked. 

"Fine," I said lost in thought. I wonder what he's been thinking. 

He had taken his jacket off when coming in, and was left wearing a shirt. It gathered tightly around his biceps, which was something I tried not to look at. I looked at him further down, to where it was tucked into his trousers. I quickly looked back up. 

"Why did you turn around then?"

"So you are happy with how we're going?" I asked, not answering his question.

"Are you?" Just tell me.

"Well, I guess so."

"Then I guess so too." He was so infuriating. 

I wanted to be intimate with him. I wanted to taste him again, feel his hands on me. I was trying so hard to remember why we said no sexual stuff. Those things are important to a relationship. It would definitely make my feelings clear and concrete. Or am I just horny?

We kept looking at one another, and not saying a word.