I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they're not mine :-( except maybe for the exception of Mr. Lawerence, but I'd gladly trade him for Michael :-) Roswell and all the characters are owned by..whoever it is that owns them, and "The Taming of the Shrew" is by William Shakespeare (well, duh). The lines that are in * *'s are from "The Taming of the Shrew". Yet another alt-universe ('cause there's always a happy ending in the alt-universe (as long as I'm in charge), no meanie t.v. writers to mess things up) sort of deal, just pretend a lot of stuff didn't happen. I wrote this after I got some responses on my last story, asking if I was going to do another story, which made me really want to do another one, which made me think of this...hope you enjoy :-)

Alright, this originally started out with everyone trying out for Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" but I figured that would be much more of a Max/Liz thing. I think "The Taming of the Shrew" suits M&M a little better, this being an M&M story and all....If you'd like a little more background into "The Taming of the Shrew" I suggest you go to: http://www.sparknotes.com/guides/shrew/ Or just go out and rent "10 Things I Hate About You", that's basically it... Oh yes, and of course, please don't steal my story, if you want to post it somewhere, e'mail me.

Criticism of any kind accepted and greatly appreciated.

P.S. Hey, anybody catch the little joke I put in during the auditions?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, come on Maria, you should try out...you have a very...theatrical personality," Liz Parker said, trying to hide the devious grin on her face from her best friend, Maria DeLuca.

"If you're so excited about it, why don't you try out!" Maria spat out, frustrated by her friends insistensy. The fliers were up all over school, "Come one, come all, Shakespeare calls!" they said in big bold letters, underneath, was written, "The Taming of the Shrew, a great Shakespearean comedy" proclaiming the school's latest attempt at getting the students of West Roswell High involved in the arts.

"As if enough kids today aren't stuck up and melodramatic, now they're making us put on a play that'll just give these people more of an excuse to be stuck up and melodramatic? It just makes me sick," Maria said, ripping off the ad for the auditions that someone had taped to her locker.

"Oh come on, Maria, you know you want to, you've been imagining yourself as Juliet since we were five years old," Liz grabbed the crumpled ad out of Maria's hand, uncrumpled it, and stuck it on a nearby locker.

"Actually, I always thought I was more like the Nurse, and you were Juliet. Besides, you're thinking of the wrong play, sister, this is the Taming of the Shrew..you know...Kate, Bianca? Petruchio? I can't believe it! Little Ms. Honor Roll didn't pay attention in English class? I'm very disappointed in you, Lizzie," Maria said sarcastically.

"Oh, whatever, it's all Shakespeare, isn't it? Please? Come on, I'm sure you'll have fun," Liz whined, grabbing Maria's hands and looking her straight in the eye, "What can I do to make you audition for this play?"

Maria thought a moment, thinking of the worst thing she could make Liz do, so that she wouldn't have to try out for this play. Honestly, the idea of playing Kate did intrigue her slightly, Kate was rough, and stood up for herself, so Maria sort of admired her. Especially since she didn't let men get in her way, ever. But she just didn't feel up to it, she was still getting over her latest break up with Michael, her math grade was starting to slip, and she really should have been spending more of her time figuring out how to keep her mother away from Sheriff Valenti....

"I know," Maria answered,"I will try out for the play...if you try out, too!"

Liz stared at her friend, stunned. "Maria, I don't think...."

"Hey, do you want me to try out or not?"

"But Maria, it's not really my thing, and...."

"Yes, or no?" Maria said smoothly, knowing Liz would never in her life try out for the school play.

"Uh..." Liz looked around desperately, hoping for a diversion, but there was none, "Alright, fine! I'll try out! Meet me in the auditorium after school, that's where the auditions are being held," and she walked off, surprisingly confident.

Maria looked after her friend in shock...."Yes!? You said yes?! Liz! No, this is not going to work, you weren't supposed to say yes!" she called at her friends back, but it was no use, she was trying out, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Oh, come on Michael, at least come to the auditions, if anything, and give me moral support, you don't have to try out," Max Evans said, looking at a flyer for auditions for the school's production of "The Taming of the Shrew" with Michael Guerin standing beside him, looking skeptical and suspicious as usual.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with you 'overhearing' Liz and Maria talking about the auditions this afternoon, would it?" Michael gave Max an evil grin, the closest thing he'd ever gotten to an actual smile. Michael only got that grin when he was making fun of Max, or when he had just given one of the obnoxious jocks that seemed to be everywhere in West Roswell High a nagging rash.

"Not at all!" Max said, feeling the tips of his ears turning red, "I'm just...trying to get more involved, that's all."

"Yeah, that's it, get more involved..." Michael was still wearing that awful smirk as he started walking in the opposite direction.

"So you'll be there?" Max called after him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," Michael's back was still turned, as he waved the thought of what he was going to have to sit through at this audition away. Not only did he have to sit through a bunch of amatuer, untalented teenagers trying to do Shakespeare, but he was going to have to sit and watch Maria do Shakespeare. He was going to have to sit and watch her waiting to audition. Her going over her script, her eyes searching the page up and down for something to latch onto to make the character her own. Her tapping her pen nervously to pass time...

"Mud." He muttered angrily to himself, and continued down the hall.

"Alright, alright, everyone settle down," the director, Mr. Lawerence, called, trying to get the half-full auditorium's attention. "Here's how it's going to work," Mr. Lawerence spoke loudly, and clearly, showing he had lots of experience on stage, and as a teacher. "This is how it's going to work. All of the young women sitting here will be reading for Kate...ep, wait, don't start moaning and groaning yet, having everyone try out for the same role just makes things easier for me, alright? If I think you would be good for a specific part, then I will call you back to read for that part. All of the young men will be reading for Petruchio, and the same rules apply," the director paused for a moment, "Okay, does everyone have a script?"

"Yes," came the dull reply, sounding a little too much like the beginning of an AA meeting for the teacher's liking.

"Alright then, let's begin. First up, Appleby, S.," and the auditions began.

The auditions went slowly but surely along. Both Alex and Isabel had shown up, Alex to support Maria and Liz (and because he had seen Isabel heading in the same direction), and Isabel to offer her fashion talents for costuming and make up. Both Liz and Max got to audition before Maria, because they had both explained to Mr. Lawerence how they had jobs to be at. "Damn it," Maria thought, "Liz just had to schedule herself to work today and not me, it's just not fair." Maria had finally accepted the idea that she had to audition about half way through 7th period, and spent the rest of the day trying to find a positive side to this. Maria had to admit though, both Liz and Max were pretty good, even though they had both been blushing the entire time they were reading. Soon after they had finished, both of them split, along with Alex who made up some sorry excuse about having to go tune his guitar or something.

"Okay, next is DeLuca, M., and...." Mr. Lawerence scanned his sheet for the next boy on the list, who would read Petruchio with Maria, "Hmm..this is interesting, we seem to have run out of Petruchio's....". As Maria breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she wouldn't have to audition after all, Mr. Lawerence caught sight of someone sitting in the back row, hidden by the darkness, but somehow the person had managed to catch Mr. Lawerence's eye. "Excuse me!" her called, heading towards the back, "Excuse me! What's your name? Have you auditioned yet?"

"Uh, no, I, uh, was here to support a friend," said a voice, it sounded familiar to Maria, but a little to deep and fake, like whoever it was was trying to disguise their voice, "I'll just be going now," the voice continued, as the person who owned it started making a break for it.

"Oh no you don't," said Mr. Lawerence, grabbing the person by the arm, "You showed up, and now you are going to audition!" Mr. Lawerence started dragging the person towards the stage, soon reveiling the mystery man to be...

"Michael?!" Maria said, not realizing, or caring, how loud she'd said it. Michael ducked his head down, a sheepish look on his face, like he felt guilty for even being there.

"Okay, Mr. Guerin," Mr. Lawerence said, quickly recognizing the spiky-haired boy who he had often seen lurking behind corners,"Here's your script, you're reading for Petruchio, you start here," he said, pointing to a specific line, "Please join Ms. DeLuca on stage, and then we will begin." Michael decided to forget about the steps and literally leaped onto the stage, remarkably agile for someone of his height and weight. Mr. Lawerence couldn't help but wonder if Michael Guerin spent a little too much time jumping over things..such as..oh..fences, just as a guess.

Maria was about to open her mouth and say something extremely rude to Michael, but he decided it would be a good idea to start the scene before she did anything that anyone..namely himself...would regret. "Uh....*and here she comes, and now, Petruchio speak*," Michael read off the paper, "*Good morrow, Kate, for that's your name I hear*." Michael seemed a bit nervous, but not because he was on stage auditioning, but because he was on stage, auditioning with Maria, who looked like she was about ready to kill him.

"*Well, have you heard, but something hard of hearing, They call me Katharine*," Maria spat out the name, as if the words alone could injure Michael, "*That do talk of me...*"

"How dare he! That little creep, trying to ruin my audition!" Maria thought. She may not have wanted to audition in the first place, but if she was going to, she was damn well going to do a good job. She spoke each of her lines with more and more contempt, trying to make him cower in fear with her words alone. Instead, it seemed to be making Michael braver. As the scene went on, he got more and more arrogant, even adding in some movements as he read his lines. The scene continued like this until Mr. Lawerence yelled, "Stop! That was great! I think we've found our Kate and Petruchio!"

"What?!?" Michael and Maria both screamed at once. She was actually happy to have the lead, though she hadn't wanted it in the first place, but the thought of having to reherse day after day with Michael! It sent chills down her spine. Chills of disgust. At least that's what she told herself. So what if she sort of thought that they might be more like chills of excitement then chills of disgust...it didn't mean anything....

A few days later, Maria and Liz both sat at the counter of the Crashdown, drinking milkshakes while discussing the cast list that had just been posted. Maria, was indeed Kate, and Michael, was also ideed, Petruchio, Kate's arrogant, rude, but in actuality, kind suitor. Liz had gotten the part of Kate's younger sister, the beautiful, well-loved Bianca. It wasn't surprising that Max had gotten her love interest, Lucentio. Maria couldn't help but wonder if some of the casting had been influenced by some meddling Czechoslovakians. She quickly dismissed that theory though, because Liz and Max were actually very good, especially together.

"Can you believe how that Sherri girl was giving me an attitude?" Liz was saying, as Michael walked up to them. Both of them quickly were silenced, and consentrated on their milkshakes.

"Uh, look, I like this about as much as you do," Michael said to Maria gravely, "But it's probably a good idea if we got together some time and tried practicing together......," there was silence, "Okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," Maria said quietly, still not looking up from her milkshake. They stood in silence again for a minute or two, until Michael began to walk away. "I'll meet you at your apartment at about noon on Saturday, okay?" Maria said, twirling her straw between her fingers.

"Yeah, Saturday, good," and Michael was gone.

"Oh, Lizzie, this is all your fault! If you hadn't made me try out for this stupid show, I wouldn't have to be playing his girlfriend!" Maria threw down her straw in frustration.

"Yeah," Liz said, "But if I hadn't made you try out, someone else would be." Maria felt a tinge of jealousy at the thought of Michael acting with someone else, fighting with someone else, kissing someone else...but she let those thoughts slip through her head, and she got up to go home.

Saturday came much to quickly for Maria. As Maria waited for Michael to answer his door, she fidgeted uncomfortably with her script. She had nearly torn out one of the pages when the door opened. "Hi," she said, slightly startled. Startled from him answering the door, and startled by how attracted she was to him. She couldn't take her eyes off his spiky hair, she just wanted to touch it and see if it was still as soft as she remembered. "Down girl," she thought, "Concentrate."

Michael stepped away from the door and pointed her towards the couch, trying not to pay attention to whatever sweet smelling perfume she was wearing that day. "Uh..you hungry?" he asked, scratching his head simply because he didn't know what else to do, "'Cause I got some Cheerios if you want..."

"No, I'm fine," Maria replied, shedding the light jacket she had been wearing. "Why don't we just start?" Michael joined her on the couch and they quickly got to work. The reached Maria's favorite scene, the scene from the audition. She got to use all of her pent up anger in this scene, which was fun to do because she liked being able to yell at Michael. Everytime they did this scene, they seemed to get more and more energy by yelling at each other. "Sort of like our relationship in real life," Maria thought smugly.

"*If I be waspish, best beware my sting!*" Maria bellowed, getting very into her "Kate" character.

"*My remedy is then to pluck it out*," Michael said smoothly, very arrogant and calm as he imagined Petruchio would be.

"*Aye, if the fool could find it where it lies."

"*Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.*"

"*In. His. Tongue.*" Maria got dangerously close to Michael's face as she said this line.

"*Whose tongue?*" Michael said, but didn't wait for her to reply. He kissed her, right then and there, completely forgetting that they were supposed to be doing a scene, that he wasn't supposed to get involved, and that he was most definetely not supposed to kiss Maria.

Maria was in shock. He was kissing her. Why was he kissing her? That wasn't in the script? "Oh who cares if it's in the script! He's kissing you!" she thought happily, before coming to her senses and breaking away. "Uh, I gotta go," she said, quickly grabbing her jacket and script, "I'll see you at school," and she nearly ran to the door, leaving Michael sitting there, speechless and feeling quite stupid.

It was the night of the play. After the little incident in Michael's apartment, Michael and Maria had barely spoken to each other, accept for rehersals. Even though they didn't speak, people noticed that things seemed a little different. Both of them would be doing really wonderfully, getting their lines, knowing where to be, but whenever they got to that one scene, they seemed to hold back a little. The scene was still good, but it seemed like they were just a little afraid of each other, of what the other might do. After begging, pleading, and even trying to bribe them into giving a little more effort to the scene, Mr. Lawerence decided it was hopeless, and the scene would just stay the way it was.

"So are you nervous?" Liz asked Maria as they got into their costumes, which had been perfectly picked for them by Isabel.

"Nah, I'm not....okay, okay, I'm terrified!" Maria admitted, letting go of the control she had over her shaky hands. Liz quickly took them, gave her a quick hug, a "You'll be great" and a kiss on the cheek before having to rush out and get in her place for the opening. Maria was left alone, putting the finishing touches on her makeup, and trying to put her necklace on when Michael walked in.

"Here," he said, startling her. "Let me," he took the necklace out of her hand, moved her very real looking hair extensions (also courtesy of Isabel, and a little help from her "Czechoslovakian talents") out of the way, and fastened the necklace. Maria turned to face him, not really caring that they were standing pretty close together in the small room. Maria had to smile when she saw Michael in his costume. He looked so...so...un-Michael. The only way you could really be sure it was him was that Mr. Lawerence had let him keep his trademark hair as it was, saying it would "add to Petruchio's quirkiness".

"Thanks," Maria said quietly, looking into his eyes, which for some reason seemed to calm her nerves a little.

"No problem," Michael looked as if there was something else he wanted to say, but he just couldn't get the words out, "Uh...break a leg," he said.

Maria came out of her trance, "Excuse me?!" she said angrily.

"It's a theatre term," he explained, "it means good luck."

"Oh," she said, blushing a little, "thanks."

"Yeah," Michael said, still looking like there was something else he wanted to say, but couldn't. So he started to leave, only to be stopped by Maria.

"Michael?" she called, and he turned around. Maria opened her mouth, then shut it again, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. Finally she just gave up and said softly, "Break a leg." Michael grinned at her, an actual grin, and left.

The show had been going well, besides a few mishaps. Liz still seemed to be blushing as she held onto Max's arm during the wedding scene. That Appleby girl, Mr. Lawerence noticed, seemed to be giving Liz the strangest looks. And Michael and Maria still were holding back during that one scene, especially when they got to the line, "*Who's tongue?*".

The last scene. If they could just get through this, the show would be a huge success. On stage Maria seemed to have the attention of everyone in the audience, even the little kids as she gave Kate's famous monologue, adding a little wink at the end. When Maria had first read that monologue, she was furious, because it was all about giving into your husband. So Mr. Lawerence had let her wink at the audience, to show that Kate was really still the one in control. Then, finally, they got to the final line, "*'Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so.*" Max said, and the curtain fell. Soon followed by a loud cheer from the cast. It was finally over! And they had done great!

Losing total control over themselves, Michael picked Maria off the ground and swung her around, giving her a big kiss, as Max gave Liz a big hug and kiss at the same time. Michael finally broke away from Maria just as the curtain began to rise for their bows. Everyone in the cast took their bows, before Michael and Maria stepped forward and took their own bows, getting a roar of applause. As they joined hands and bowed again, Michael whispered to Maria, "Sorry about that, it was stupid." They rose, and Maria said, "Don't worry about it," took his face in her hands, and gave him a kiss on the lips, which made the audience cheer even louder.

"I told her she'd have fun if she tried out," Liz whispered to Max, wearing a devious grin.

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