EDIT: There is now two endings on this story. The first one, the bad icky ending(with full explaination), and the second ending, the true good and happy wonderful ending. Enjoy both. : )

Forbidden Hearts.

This is a story about a girl. A girl I know, and the one she loves. And the only barrier of love…

Being in a play, especially community theatre as a teenager is an easy part of life. It’s almost an expected part of life to someone who wants a future on the stage. But everyone always makes the same mistake. They don’t count on the feelings and relationships that develop in the short time together, or the memories that quickly fade.

I couldn’t have been luckier that summer. The love bug didn’t bite me, and I didn’t try to bite it. I wanted my summer to be a happy one, so I quickly decided love wasn’t going to be a part of it, and it happened exactly the way I wanted it. If only Lily had been so lucky.

I met Lily the summer I turned sixteen. The day after I turned sixteen to be exact. It was the first rehearsal, and everyone was sitting around the lobby of the theatre, waiting for the rehearsal to start. Unfortunately, I didn’t know a person in the room. Of course, there were others who had done plays for the company before, so there were small groups who knew each other.

When you’re sitting at a table alone, you can really observe and think about things. I knew that within the next few days, I would get to know these people, and the day sitting there alone would be quickly forgotten so I didn’t let sitting alone bother me. As I was sitting there, thinking and watching, a girl walked into the room.

She was tall, with awe-inspiring presence. She didn’t say a word when she walked in the room, yet everyone noticed she had. People greeted her, and she just smiled, and headed for my table. Where I was still sitting utterly alone.

"Hi, I’m Lily." She said with a smile, sitting down and extending her hand.

"I’m, I’m Catalyst." I said shyly, shaking her hand.

"That can’t be your name." She said, withdrawing her hand, and giving me a look.

"But it is." I said, my shyness dropping. "Offended?"

"No, not at all. It’s a great name." She said, smiling her smile that I would soon recognize as her trademark.

I swear on the book that those were our exact words. It happened to long ago, but that day still feels like yesterday. And the days that followed still linger in the air as a fresh memory, though their long dead.

The day after that was Lily’s birthday. I was shocked to find out that it was only her thirteenth birthday. Thankfully, I wouldn’t be the only one.

We went the first week of rehearsal without many of the characters. Some were on vacation, but for other parts, we just didn’t have actors. Everyone made calls to friends and family.

I almost lost my promise of a love free summer when I called one of my friends for one of the lead male roles, but thankfully for me, Rickie showed up. As we neared opening night, I wasn’t so thankful.

Lily’s happy demeanour just become happier and happier, until I realize it was almost forced. She was upset, but she wasn’t talking, and I didn’t want to push her for reasoning for fear I would upset her more. Until I just couldn’t take it anymore.

We both arrived at rehearsal early one day, and were the only cast members in the building. Once upstairs in the dressing rooms, I approached her.

"Lily, I think we should talk." I said with a somber tone.

"Talk?" Her smile faded at my tone. "About what? Is something wrong?"

"You tell me. I know there’s something wrong, and I can’t just watch as it bothers you."

"There’s nothing wrong." She said quickly, before smiling again. "Don’t I look happy?"

"Yes, and that’s the problem. Something’s wrong, and I want to know, so I can try to help. I’m older and wiser remember? I’ll help you the best I can, just let me."

Lily sighed, and sat down in a chair. She wouldn’t look at me at first.

"It’s Rickie." She said softly.

I thought of interjecting, but I sat down as well, and waiting for her next comment.

"I’ve really started to like him." She paused again, and I felt like beating myself in the head with something for not realizing it sooner.

"What’s wrong with that?" I asked softly, hoping my question was innocent enough.

She didn’t answer me at first. She looked around the room slowly, and then finally, she looked at me.

"He likes me to." She said barely audible.

"But he’s turning eighteen." I said, maybe a little to harsh.

"And that’s where the problem is!" she exclaimed, turning away from me.

"Alright," I started, standing up, and beginning to pace. "This is a tough one. Now that I’m done mentally beating myself in the head for not realizing what the problem was, I think there might be a solution to this one."

"I wish I could be so hopeful."

"And you can." I said, going over to her. "There’s hope in everything. You just have to look for it."

"You don’t think it’s obvious though, do you?" she said, standing up to face me. "That me and him, you know."

"You’re seeing each other?" I said, in complete disbelief at both the thought and the fact I was saying it.

"No, but, you know." she said, her almost full of fear.

"Well now that I know it obvious." I said, as she sat down, a look of defeat on her face. "Only because I know though, so cheer up dolly. I would have assumed good mutual friend, because of the age difference, but wow. This is a shock and a half."

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’re going to worry,"

"Worry? Me? No. Not quite. What I’m going to do is find you a solution."

"A solution?" she said, standing up, almost angry.

"A solution to what?" one of the other cast members said, coming into the dressing room.

"Nothing" we said at the same time, and I exited the dressing room to go to my own to think.

For the next few days, I did some serious thinking, though I would always throw out a few outrageous ideas.

"Move to the middle east." I said to her one day.

"What?" she said, looking at me as if I was crazy.

"Well, eight year little girls marry fifty year olds. A thirteen year old and a eighteen year old would be overlooked easily."

"You’re not funny Catalyst." She said, storming away upset.

I chased her, not wanting her to be upset. I grabbed her arm, and made her look at me, though it was probably the last thing she wanted to do.

"Listen to me Lily,"

"No! You’re nothing but full of ridiculous ideas, and I hate it." she said angrily.

"I’m seriously thinking about it Lily, you have to understand that. I’ve known for four days, and this is a really big thing with no easy solution. You have to give me a break."

She nodded slowly, and hugged me with apologizes. I hugged her back with a smile, glad she wasn’t to mad at me, as I had been throwing out stupid ideas like the middle east one since she told me.

"Let me tell you one thing though Lily, your happy ending is in sight."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Don’t you read books anymore? Watch movies? All our favourite heroes overcome the greatest of obstacles."

"But we have the greatest one."

"The only barrier of love, I know. But everyone makes it in the end."

"No! No they don’t!" she said, quickly, getting upset again. "What about the tragic romances? Romeo and Juliet? Jack and Rose? Satine and Christian? They were the forbidden hearts, just like Rickie and me. There was no happy ending for them."

"And that’s why those were just stories." We both jumped at the new voice in the conversation.

I turned to find Rickie standing there, leaning against the wall. Neither me or Lily moved from our spot, but he came forward.

"Cat is right. Everyone one of those couples you mentioned had their happy ending, even though things ended tragically. And if you look past the suicide thing, we aren’t much different then Romeo and Juliet. She was fourteen, and he was almost twenty."

"That was the sixteen hundreds." Lily said skeptically.

"But nothing has really changed in the field of emotions." He said, coming to stand in front of her.

"Wow, the clown can be serious." I said, backing away from the two. "But I’ll leave the love birds to talk."

And leave I did. That day seemed almost suspended in time. I remember the rest of that rehearsal went by so slowly, the three of us giving each other the odd glance, yet we didn’t say any more to each other. Rehearsals continued like that for the rest of the week until opening night.

"Lily, have you talked to him since that day?"

"Yes."

"You’re lying. Talk to him."

"We do talk, about stuff." She said, trying to break away from me.

I grabbed her arm, not letting her leave.

"You have to have a real conversation. You can’t let this go."

"But I’m scared! We’re both scared. We don’t know what to do. What can we do?"

I let go of her arm, and took a step back. I shook my head and tried to smile.

"Make the best of it. That’s all you can do."

"We tried, and it doesn’t work! There is no best in this situation, but to stay away from each other."

"Don’t tell me you told him that." I said, eyes wide.

"We agreed mutually." My face must have been showing a reaction, because she quickly continued. "I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you would be just as upset as us, but there’s no way we can be together. Besides, I’m young, care free, I shouldn’t be thinking of something as serious as he’s looking for. You know that as well as I do."

"Why not? Lily, I promised to find a way to make things work for you two,"

"But things change."

"Have your feelings changed? Have his? Why should I break that promise, if those feelings are still in place?"

She never did answer me. She walked away, head high. I could have killed her on the spot, but I knew what was going on. And just because I knew, didn’t mean I was going to stand for it. I went straight to Rickie, and didn’t care who heard me.

"Do something." I commanded, coming to stand right in front of him.

He looked around at the people around us, and glared down at me.

"Now isn’t really the time to be discussing this."

"Grand. Do something."

"Like what?" he asked, sincerely perplexed.

"I don’t care, but do it. You know better then anyone how to make things right."

"But I don’t, or I would have." He said, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"You do. A song."

"A song?"

"A song. Because the world is truly wonderful." With those words, I walked away. I hoped he would listen to me, because he was the only one that could show her things would be all right.

And he took his sweet loving time. He waited until closing night, the cast party, with everyone watching. It was that night I learned at karaoke is indeed a dangerous thing. He got up on the stage, the mike in his hand, and gave it his all.

"I’m afraid the song I want isn’t on any of our CD’s, so I’m going to sing this one on my own. Some of you might know it, Your Song, from Moulin Rouge. Since everyone else seems to be dedicating their songs, I want to dedicate this to my Lily of the Valley."

With that, he began to sing. He blew everyone away with the song, but I couldn’t help but notice the look on Lily’s face. She was so shocked, but there was almost a sense of relief on her face, that I couldn’t help but grin.

After that, the secret was out, but neither of them seemed to care. They were too transfixed with each other, just happy to share in each other’s presence that one last time. And it was one last time. Of course they still talked, but rarely saw each other. Many would say their feelings faded, but what would be the point of the story if that were the case?

That summer I learned a valuable lesson. Love is not sunshine and roses. Forbidden hearts still beat in unison, the passion still burns, and you can feel it stronger then any life force on earth. But I also learned, that once forbidden, is always forbidden and that’s the cold fact.

Author Note: Here is ending number one. The gross bad evil one. My explaination, sometimes chocolate can't heal everything. (no pun, nothing directed at anyone, just needed to get this one out before I actually killed someone)

You may still be wondering the relevance of my encounter with these two people. The relevance is the memory, as I stand with two roses in my hand. You see, fate has a funny way of bringing people together when you least expect it. I’m sad to announce Rickie was more then right when announcing their relationship was like Romeo and Juliet’s without the suicide.

Lily, now twenty-three, was in Australia, traveling with a theatre group. Rickie, at the ripe age of twenty-eight was promoting his new book in the Maritimes. They both died in a car accident on the same day.

I place the roses on their separate caskets and take a step back. Fate works in mysterious ways, and gives us what we want when we truly deserve it. I hope they don’t mind, that I’ve put it down in words, that a rose is meant to blossom, as a heart should be free.