It's a Love Story, Baby. Just Say Yes.
It's A Love Story, Baby - Just Say Yes.
Sobs were heaving from me. My body was shaking as I tried to control the tears. My dress flowed around me, any other time I would have marveled, but not this time. The way it rippled would have had me mesmerised for hours, but not this time. I could hear the speakers pouring out a soft melody for everyone to pretend to listen to and dance to; I should have been with them. I could only imagine how blackened my face must be from the eyeliner escaping with my tears. I couldn't do anything but cry on the staircase, watching my father throw him out. His arms were still reaching out for me, despite the fact I was well out of his reach now. I watched the door block my view of his red hair with my arms clasped tightly around my knees, drawing them up to my chest.
"Stay away from Juliet," my father snarled to him, kicking his foot out of our door and closing it in his face.
"Romeo," I breathed, still staring at the door through my tears. "Please, don't go." I knew he couldn't hear me; it made no difference.
I shut my eyes and all I could see was the view from the top of the stairs. Seeing him stood there looking awkward and alone. His hands were behind his back and his head was moving continuously, my only guess being he had been looking for someone. Everyone else in the house had a mask on, but not him. It shouldn't have made him stand out to anyone. Had it been anyone else, it wouldn't have. My mask placed firmly over half of my face, tied securely under my blond curls. I watched as his eyes never left me making my way down the stairs. The moment my foot left the last step, I was whisked away. I tried my best not to look back at him, my attempts futile. He was still stood in that same spot, staring at me as I entered the ballroom.
I remember the breeze hitting my face as he opened the balcony doors. I had half expected another clean cut boy in a bow tie, waiting for me to fall at their feet. Well, I had more than half expected it. I didn't imagine it to be anyone but someone like that, or my father with someone like that. I didn't expect to see a mane of large, vibrant hair with converse clad feet. I didn't expect the blue eyes I saw shining in the fairy lights adorning the roses bushes either side of him and the rail of the balcony. I didn't know what to do; I barely remembered how to breathe.
"Why are you out here alone?" He whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
"You sound like a psycho," I laughed. "I needed some air, and some space." He stopped halfway to taking another step toward me.
"I'll leave you to it, then."
"No!" I said, suddenly desperate for no reason at all besides how I felt in his company, with his eyes on me. "I mean, I didn't mean I didn't want any company. You're welcome to stay with me." I watched a smile creep onto his face, making it's way all the way up his face, reaching his eyes and making them shine all the brighter. He took his final steps toward me and leaned against the railing next to me. "Juliet." I smiled.
"Then call me Romeo," he said, immediately flushing red. "Sorry, that was corny."
"Cute," I corrected.
I don't remember how long we stayed out on that balcony together, alone. I don't remember when his lips pressed softly onto my own and my father caught us. I still didn't even know his real name, but my father seemed to. I guess you could say he was furious, but to me it seemed like an understatement. I didn't know if there was a word out there to describe how he was at that point in time. I'd hardly seen him angry before tonight. As my father turned to face me, I picked myself up off the stairs and fled to my bedroom, door locking swiftly behind me. Steady knocking came from the door entering my corridor in our house, so I shut my bedroom door, too. My segment of our house could have been a luxury apartment had it had a kitchen. I had a fully furnished lounge area for kicking back and watching TV with my friends, thus keeping me out of my parents’ way when they had business to attend to downstairs, a bathroom and huge bedroom. I guess you could call me spoiled, but not to the point of insolence. I knew the difference between a want and a need, and never asked for wants excessively. No more than any other 19-year-old girl. The sound was muffled down to only a little tapping. I sunk onto my bed, wiping away the black marks that must have been covering my cheeks. I could still see specks of eyeliner and mascara clinging to my face, reflected in the mirror across from me. Any other time I would have gone straight for my makeup remover to sort the mess out, but not tonight. Tonight I didn’t care.
I hadn’t noticed the tapping on my door stopping until it restarted, only this time from my window. The tapping on the glass was so much quieter, and spaced so much further apart. I opened the window cautiously; afraid I was going to be hit in the face by a stone. My eyes lit up when I saw him, stood with another pebble in hand, arm pulled back to throw it.
“Juliet,” he grinned. “Change your dress, and meet me out here?”
"I can't," I groaned. My heart was screaming at me to go down and meet him in the garden and spend hours with him in the dark, but my head was telling me no, that my father would find out without a doubt. "I don't even know your name, and my dad's sure to catch us."
"If you don't come down, I'm coming up."
"Persistent, aren't we?"
"Only because it's you," he grinned. It made my heart flutter, I couldn't say no to him.
"Five minutes. Wait there." I ran back into my bedroom, quickly exchanging my dress for jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I looked in the mirror as I passed, doing a double take when I remembered the mess my eyeliner had left. I ran my fingers over the black marks, ridding myself of most of it, before running out onto my balcony and going down the drainpipe beside it. He was waiting for me at the bottom, and helped me down when I got close to the bottom.
"The name's Travis, by the way." I smiled up at him.
"I like it."
Midnight came and went as we wandered the garden, before I knew any better the sun was beginning to rise and my time with Travis was ending. I didn't want him to leave, I didn't want anything to tear us apart.
"I'll be back," he swore, kissing my lips softly as I leaned out of my bedroom window. "Wait for me, I'll come get you."
It's been a year and a half since that night. He never made good on his promise. He never came back to my house, he text and we met up so much each week, but he never came by to whisk me away into the sunset like I always dreamed. His band was getting bigger and bigger with every passing day, and I missed him almost constantly. He didn't seem to be around as much as he used to be.
'Meet me at the parking lot outside Barnes&Noble in an hour? ily. ^^'
My phone snapped shut, a smile planted firmly on my face. He'd been away on tour again for a while, I knew he was getting back today, but expected nothing more than him to spend the day with his family. My feet couldn't have moved faster if I'd tried, the excitement pumping through me was nothing unusual.
"Daddy, I'm going the bookstore and then for coffee with the girls. I'll be back later," I told my father, kissing his cheek and whisking out of the room as he muttered his goodbyes. Knowing I had an hour until I had to be there meant nothing to me, all I wanted was to see Travis again; to be in his arms once more. It was, of course, no surprise that I was sat in my car with forty-five minutes to spare. Sighing, I pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked over the road to Starbucks, there was no point waiting around if I had no coffee to keep me warm.
Forty minutes to spare and I was back in my car, hands placed tightly around the cardboard cup filled to the brim with caffeine. I could wipe the smile from my face, the girl at the counter thought I was insane. I couldn't blame her really. What person in their right mind would come into Starbucks on a freezing cold day with a smile on her face, not even lowering it a millimeter when they spill their coffee? I couldn't help it, I was giddy. He was coming home and nothing could put a downer on that.
A tap on my window fifty minutes later reawakened me to the real world, away from the pages of my book. My smile broadened at the sight of him, I hadn't thought that was possible, but apparently it was. I threw the book away from me as he opened the car door and launched into his arms.
"I missed you," I mumbled, arms wrapped tightly around his neck whilst his held me close to him by the waist.
"I missed you more," he replied, kissing the top of my head. He sighed, pushing me away from him, whilst still holding onto my arms and looking me in the eye. "Come with us next time."
"You know I can't," I told him, averting my eyes. I hated having to tell him I couldn't be with him. Especially because of my father. We had this conversation every time he came back off tour. "My dad wouldn't allow it in a million years."
"What if he did? Would you come then?" I bit my lip.
"You know I hate sitting around doing nothing, I like to be somewhere I can help."
"Then be our merch girl, you'd enjoy it."
"Travis, don't do this to me. You know I'd love to, but I can't sit around imagining what it could be like if my dad said yes. It won't happen."
"I-"
"So, it's true," a voice stated from our right. My head spun round, but Travis' hardly moved. "You do come here to meet him. He didn't lie."
"W-what?" I stuttered, looking between Travis and my father. Neither looked phased at all.
"I went to talk to him while you were waiting for me, Juliet. I told him everything," Travis told me. I tried to speak but nothing came out. All my words half formed before jamming themselves in my throat.
"Go with him next time." My heart started pounding. Did he just say what I thought he did?
"A-are you serious?"
"I'm not stupid," my father sighed. "I see the way you act when he's not around. You're miserable without him. I thought I was doing you good keeping him away, but obviously not. You're better off with him than without him."
"Oh, my God," I breathed. I removed myself from Travis's grasp and ran to my dad. "I love you, Daddy!" I squealed, hugging him tightly. He chuckled.
"I love you too, sweetheart." I let him go and turned back to Travis, his face nothing less than triumphant. He walked over to me, arms wrapping around me.
"I'll ask you again. Juliet, come on tour with me?"
"I'd love to, Romeo."
"Stay away from Juliet," my father snarled to him, kicking his foot out of our door and closing it in his face.
"Romeo," I breathed, still staring at the door through my tears. "Please, don't go." I knew he couldn't hear me; it made no difference.
I shut my eyes and all I could see was the view from the top of the stairs. Seeing him stood there looking awkward and alone. His hands were behind his back and his head was moving continuously, my only guess being he had been looking for someone. Everyone else in the house had a mask on, but not him. It shouldn't have made him stand out to anyone. Had it been anyone else, it wouldn't have. My mask placed firmly over half of my face, tied securely under my blond curls. I watched as his eyes never left me making my way down the stairs. The moment my foot left the last step, I was whisked away. I tried my best not to look back at him, my attempts futile. He was still stood in that same spot, staring at me as I entered the ballroom.
I remember the breeze hitting my face as he opened the balcony doors. I had half expected another clean cut boy in a bow tie, waiting for me to fall at their feet. Well, I had more than half expected it. I didn't imagine it to be anyone but someone like that, or my father with someone like that. I didn't expect to see a mane of large, vibrant hair with converse clad feet. I didn't expect the blue eyes I saw shining in the fairy lights adorning the roses bushes either side of him and the rail of the balcony. I didn't know what to do; I barely remembered how to breathe.
"Why are you out here alone?" He whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
"You sound like a psycho," I laughed. "I needed some air, and some space." He stopped halfway to taking another step toward me.
"I'll leave you to it, then."
"No!" I said, suddenly desperate for no reason at all besides how I felt in his company, with his eyes on me. "I mean, I didn't mean I didn't want any company. You're welcome to stay with me." I watched a smile creep onto his face, making it's way all the way up his face, reaching his eyes and making them shine all the brighter. He took his final steps toward me and leaned against the railing next to me. "Juliet." I smiled.
"Then call me Romeo," he said, immediately flushing red. "Sorry, that was corny."
"Cute," I corrected.
I don't remember how long we stayed out on that balcony together, alone. I don't remember when his lips pressed softly onto my own and my father caught us. I still didn't even know his real name, but my father seemed to. I guess you could say he was furious, but to me it seemed like an understatement. I didn't know if there was a word out there to describe how he was at that point in time. I'd hardly seen him angry before tonight. As my father turned to face me, I picked myself up off the stairs and fled to my bedroom, door locking swiftly behind me. Steady knocking came from the door entering my corridor in our house, so I shut my bedroom door, too. My segment of our house could have been a luxury apartment had it had a kitchen. I had a fully furnished lounge area for kicking back and watching TV with my friends, thus keeping me out of my parents’ way when they had business to attend to downstairs, a bathroom and huge bedroom. I guess you could call me spoiled, but not to the point of insolence. I knew the difference between a want and a need, and never asked for wants excessively. No more than any other 19-year-old girl. The sound was muffled down to only a little tapping. I sunk onto my bed, wiping away the black marks that must have been covering my cheeks. I could still see specks of eyeliner and mascara clinging to my face, reflected in the mirror across from me. Any other time I would have gone straight for my makeup remover to sort the mess out, but not tonight. Tonight I didn’t care.
I hadn’t noticed the tapping on my door stopping until it restarted, only this time from my window. The tapping on the glass was so much quieter, and spaced so much further apart. I opened the window cautiously; afraid I was going to be hit in the face by a stone. My eyes lit up when I saw him, stood with another pebble in hand, arm pulled back to throw it.
“Juliet,” he grinned. “Change your dress, and meet me out here?”
"I can't," I groaned. My heart was screaming at me to go down and meet him in the garden and spend hours with him in the dark, but my head was telling me no, that my father would find out without a doubt. "I don't even know your name, and my dad's sure to catch us."
"If you don't come down, I'm coming up."
"Persistent, aren't we?"
"Only because it's you," he grinned. It made my heart flutter, I couldn't say no to him.
"Five minutes. Wait there." I ran back into my bedroom, quickly exchanging my dress for jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I looked in the mirror as I passed, doing a double take when I remembered the mess my eyeliner had left. I ran my fingers over the black marks, ridding myself of most of it, before running out onto my balcony and going down the drainpipe beside it. He was waiting for me at the bottom, and helped me down when I got close to the bottom.
"The name's Travis, by the way." I smiled up at him.
"I like it."
Midnight came and went as we wandered the garden, before I knew any better the sun was beginning to rise and my time with Travis was ending. I didn't want him to leave, I didn't want anything to tear us apart.
"I'll be back," he swore, kissing my lips softly as I leaned out of my bedroom window. "Wait for me, I'll come get you."
It's been a year and a half since that night. He never made good on his promise. He never came back to my house, he text and we met up so much each week, but he never came by to whisk me away into the sunset like I always dreamed. His band was getting bigger and bigger with every passing day, and I missed him almost constantly. He didn't seem to be around as much as he used to be.
'Meet me at the parking lot outside Barnes&Noble in an hour? ily. ^^'
My phone snapped shut, a smile planted firmly on my face. He'd been away on tour again for a while, I knew he was getting back today, but expected nothing more than him to spend the day with his family. My feet couldn't have moved faster if I'd tried, the excitement pumping through me was nothing unusual.
"Daddy, I'm going the bookstore and then for coffee with the girls. I'll be back later," I told my father, kissing his cheek and whisking out of the room as he muttered his goodbyes. Knowing I had an hour until I had to be there meant nothing to me, all I wanted was to see Travis again; to be in his arms once more. It was, of course, no surprise that I was sat in my car with forty-five minutes to spare. Sighing, I pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked over the road to Starbucks, there was no point waiting around if I had no coffee to keep me warm.
Forty minutes to spare and I was back in my car, hands placed tightly around the cardboard cup filled to the brim with caffeine. I could wipe the smile from my face, the girl at the counter thought I was insane. I couldn't blame her really. What person in their right mind would come into Starbucks on a freezing cold day with a smile on her face, not even lowering it a millimeter when they spill their coffee? I couldn't help it, I was giddy. He was coming home and nothing could put a downer on that.
A tap on my window fifty minutes later reawakened me to the real world, away from the pages of my book. My smile broadened at the sight of him, I hadn't thought that was possible, but apparently it was. I threw the book away from me as he opened the car door and launched into his arms.
"I missed you," I mumbled, arms wrapped tightly around his neck whilst his held me close to him by the waist.
"I missed you more," he replied, kissing the top of my head. He sighed, pushing me away from him, whilst still holding onto my arms and looking me in the eye. "Come with us next time."
"You know I can't," I told him, averting my eyes. I hated having to tell him I couldn't be with him. Especially because of my father. We had this conversation every time he came back off tour. "My dad wouldn't allow it in a million years."
"What if he did? Would you come then?" I bit my lip.
"You know I hate sitting around doing nothing, I like to be somewhere I can help."
"Then be our merch girl, you'd enjoy it."
"Travis, don't do this to me. You know I'd love to, but I can't sit around imagining what it could be like if my dad said yes. It won't happen."
"I-"
"So, it's true," a voice stated from our right. My head spun round, but Travis' hardly moved. "You do come here to meet him. He didn't lie."
"W-what?" I stuttered, looking between Travis and my father. Neither looked phased at all.
"I went to talk to him while you were waiting for me, Juliet. I told him everything," Travis told me. I tried to speak but nothing came out. All my words half formed before jamming themselves in my throat.
"Go with him next time." My heart started pounding. Did he just say what I thought he did?
"A-are you serious?"
"I'm not stupid," my father sighed. "I see the way you act when he's not around. You're miserable without him. I thought I was doing you good keeping him away, but obviously not. You're better off with him than without him."
"Oh, my God," I breathed. I removed myself from Travis's grasp and ran to my dad. "I love you, Daddy!" I squealed, hugging him tightly. He chuckled.
"I love you too, sweetheart." I let him go and turned back to Travis, his face nothing less than triumphant. He walked over to me, arms wrapping around me.
"I'll ask you again. Juliet, come on tour with me?"
"I'd love to, Romeo."