If We Were Villains

Oliver notes that James being in his bed feels natural. He cannot decipher his feelings towards James. Caroline and Leah sneak up into Oliver’s room and goggle at the two men, calling James Oliver’s boyfriend. James doesn’t mind the teasing and tells them Oliver is hooking up with the hottest girl in their year. Leah and Caroline know this is Meredith and can’t believe she would date Oliver. Everyone goes off for breakfast; Oliver reflects that he had planned to join Meredith in Manhattan for the weekend. He now has to cancel on her, James appearing “like some kind of divine interference” (241). Oliver calls Meredith and tells her he won’t be able to come to New York.

The new term begins at the start of December. As part of Oliver’s work-study scholarship, he has to take over the cleaning and maintenance of the castle. As the others settle in, Oliver begins with scrubbing the kitchen. He sees Colborne and a junior police officer, Walton, enter the castle. He can hear them discuss Richard’s death. Colborne says this is not the first time a Dellecher student has died tragically; 10 years ago, a dancer died by suicide. According to the media, she was unable to cope with the school’s demand for perfection. However, Richard was the star of the show and it is unlikely he killed himself. Though the investigation has ruled Richard’s death an accident, Colborne suspects foul play. He knows Richard’s friends are hiding something. Oliver hears his name come up in connection with Meredith. Colborne also cannot piece together what happened to Richard after he headed into the woods with alcohol. Apparently, Richard met James and Wren in the courtyard. When Wren tried to stop him, he threw her across the yard and marched off. The Medical examiner has ruled that though Richard received a hard blow to the head, the cause of death was drowning. Something doesn’t add up. The detectives suspect Wren may have had something to do with Richard’s death. Oliver is overcome with panic.

Filipa, James, Alexander, and Oliver are studying quietly in the library. Wren and Meredith are yet to start classes. Wren appears, much to everyone’s delight. The friends surround her in a group hug. They are soon joined by Meredith. After the friends break apart, Oliver and Meredith are left alone. They have an awkward conversation before Oliver asks her if she would rather sleep alone. Meredith asks Oliver if he would rather sleep with her or James; Oliver doesn’t answer, and Meredith leaves. Oliver, unsure of how to proceed, walks outside and meets Alexander. Oliver tells him about the conversation between Colborne and Walton. Alexander says they should all just stick to their story and let the investigation blow over. They wonder what happened to Richard after he left the castle. Alexander discovered his body when he went out for a smoke. Strangely, while there was blood in the water, there was none on the dock. This pokes a hole in the theory that Richard hit his head on the dock and fell in the water.

In the wake of Richard’s death, most of the Dellecher students avoid the fourth-years. Oliver and his friends feel like they are in exile. The exile is broken when Colin brings the news that for this year’s Christmas masque, they will be performing “R and J” (261), shorthand for Romeo and Juliet. The Christmas masque—an annual tradition like the Halloween performance—is to go forward “as usual, in defiance of recent events” (260). Meredith goes off to grab their assignments. Oliver, angry at the way people stare at her, follows her to the mailboxes. Meredith hands him his envelope and Oliver asks her out for a drink. He is not sure about the nature of his relationship with Meredith but wants to explore it all the same. Meredith agrees. In private, Oliver sees he has been cast as Benvolio, Romeo Montague’s cousin and close friend. It is a relatively important part.

Meredith and Oliver go to the Bore’s Head for drinks. The crowd stares at the two of them. The friend group’s usual table has been usurped by other students. Oliver and Meredith joke about claiming it back. Meredith is tired of people staring at her and thinking of her as “the dead guy’s girlfriend” (267). She had been on the verge of breaking up with Richard when he died because he was “a bastard and a bully to me” (267). Oliver commiserates but cannot understand why the beautiful Meredith would want him. Meredith tells Oliver she likes him not because he is nice, but because he is genuinely good. Unlike the others, Oliver is not always playing a part. Oliver and Meredith hold hands. As they leave, Oliver can hear a student call them “shameless” (269).

It is extremely cold at Dellecher as Christmas approaches. The students are busy preparing for the Christmas masque and their upcoming tests. For midterm speeches (a kind of midterm exam), Oliver performs a monologue from King John. Gwendolyn and Frederick are very pleased with his performance. Wren follows Oliver, performing a monologue from Richard III. As Oliver watches her deliver her lines, Wren faints.

Oliver gathers Wren in his arms and rushes her to the infirmary. Once Wren opens her eyes, the nurses ask him to leave. Oliver returns to the castle and tells the friends about Wren’s fainting episode. James rushes off to see her. He returns late at night and tells them Wren is still in the infirmary. He wasn’t allowed to meet her. Colborne and Walton were there as well. The friends are alarmed the police is involved, but Alexander tells them all to do nothing and stay quiet. Meredith asks everyone to stop feeling guilty as no one actually killed Richard. But Alexander reminds her that “[they] just let him die” (276). He goes out for a smoke.

It is the night of the Christmas masque. The art department has painted elaborate, ornate masks for the performers of Romeo and Juliet. Oliver gets dressed for the performance and hurries down the stairs. He spots Alexander in the library, snorting cocaine. Oliver demands to know how long Alexander has been taking drugs. Alexander asks Oliver not to scold him and promises he’ll stop after exams. Furious, Oliver leaves the library and walks to the Hall, Alexander pursuing him. Alexander is surprised by Oliver’s aggressive reaction, and Oliver reminds Alexander that if Colborne finds the drugs in the castle, he will reopen the investigation.

The audience at the Hall are dressed in their finest with the boys all in white masks, and the girls in black. The Hall is beautifully, opulently decorated. Oliver still doesn’t know who amongst his friends is playing which part. He awaits his cue, and then rushes in to break up a fight onstage between two Montague servants. Tybalt Capulet—an enemy of the Montagues, played by Colin—enters to fight Benvolio. The squabbling group are interrupted by Prince Escalus. The part is played by Meredith, looking regal and imperious.

In the next sequence, Romeo appears, “a mythical figure […] caught beautifully between man and boy” (285). The part is played by James and Oliver is filled with possessive pride to see how wonderful James looks. Benvolio and Romeo begin to banter and affirm their close friendship. Through the lines, Oliver speaks both as his character and himself, lost in intense feelings for James. Alexander appears as Mercutio, Romeo’s witty, wicked best friend, and teases him over his love for Juliet Capulet. Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio gate-crash a ball at Juliet’s house. Romeo spots Juliet, played by an ethereal-looking Wren, and the two profess their love to each other. James kisses Wren passionately and Oliver realizes that James is in love with Wren. The fact makes him “blindly, savagely jealous” (292).