We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

“Ah, freedom!” I sighed, twirling in a circle in my brand-new dorm room. Mom and Dad pulled some strings to get me one all to myself, since they’re professors here.

Here? Well, here is Johnson’s College of the Arts. Not a very original name, but whatever. I really don’t care, actually. I’m just glad I’ve finally made it to my first year of college. I thought this day would never come! Especially after I wrecked my car two months ago…

Whoa, that sounds bad!!! I’m okay, really! Just a sprained wrist, but it’s all better now, I promise! Anyway, enough of my random conversations with myself, right? I really need to unpack now. So, I drag my clothes suitcase over to the dresser Mom had brought up for me yesterday and open the top drawer. I start to put my undergarments in that drawer, and so on and so forth. After a half an hour-a new record!-I stretched and started to make my new bed.

I know what you’re thinking…If your parents teach here, can’t you live in your own house?

Well, the truth is, even though they teach here, the house is about a hundred miles away, so they keep an apartment nearby and only go home every few weekends. During High School, I pretty much had the house to myself, with Mom calling and checking up every other day or so. Pretty boring…pretty fun, I guess. No rules, except no wild parties and no drinking. Doesn’t mean I never had any parties, though. Hey, I was a high schooler, what did you expect? Me to sit around and be a perfect little Juliet---never mind. I never said that.

Okay, okay, I did. Juliet! Oh, Juliet!

“Did you find everything okay, Juliet?”

Oh. There’s Dad now. Dear old Dad, always calling me Juliet.

Oh, Daddy-dearest, call me Jules, wouldn’t you?

Of course, Jules, dear.

Oh, thank you, so much!

Yeah, I wish.

“Yup, thanks Dad.” I said instead. “Found everything.”

“That’s good. Now, are you sure you’ll be fine here? We’re just three blocks away, you could stay there, you know---”

“I’m fine, Dad. We’ve been through this before!” I laughed. “You don’t have enough room, and I get a discount on my dorm room and books, so it’s all good. Just focus on teaching, all right?”

Dad’s laugh rumbled from his chest. “Okay, Juliet. Just holler if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, I will.” I smiled and ushered him out of my room. When he was gone, I closed the door and leaned up against it, sighing. The ‘rents were just a little over-protective.
Just a little…
A lot…
Okay, a crazy amount of over-protectiveness. At least now that I’m in college. High school wasn’t as bad. I think they’re under the impression that I was a good girl at home and I might get rebellious and go to a crazy college party my first week. Geez, I’m not that stupid.

I’ll wait for at least two weeks…maybe ten days.

I laughed softly to myself and went into the little kitchenette.

Did I mention, Mom and Dad got me a full apartment-like dorm room? There’s only like, four of them at this school. I am so lucky! And giddy with excitement, can’t you tell? Tomorrow I start classes. Advanced English (my Dad, coincidentally), drama (there’s Mom), costume design with a Professor Davis, and then classic plays, the husband of Professor Davis, also a Professor Davis. Then I have a few random tid-bits, like my singing class and piano course. I really couldn’t wait.

I glanced at my brand new alarm clock and sighed. It was already ten! I had to get to sleep…I groaned. I never could fall asleep very easy when I was so excited.

But this time, it didn’t take as long as normal. I fell asleep almost instantly, just barely managing to set my alarm before my eyes drooped closed.

“Well, she’s not bleeding on the ballroom floor
Just for the attention
‘Cause that’s just ridiculously odd

Well, she sure is gonna get it
Here’s the setting: Fashion magazines line the walls now
The walls line the bullet holes…”

Panic! At the Disco…Who can live without Time to Dance? I know I can’t.

I jumped up in an instant…the first day of college!

I picked up the black tank, lacy top and bottom, that I had laid out last night, when I was still on a sugar rush. The faded blue skinnies went next, and I grinned. I put on a low cut gray tank over my black one, the lace still showing at top and bottom, and a pair of black converse with a little skull and crossbones on the outside near the heel. A little dark, but I absolutely love this outfit!

I let my naturally black, curly hair fall about my face in it’s soft curls and put on a bit of eyeliner. Eyeliner is the only makeup I can stand…and I guess Dad’s kind of thankful for that. I glance at my clock and think to myself that getting ready in twenty minutes has to be a record for me, so I go into the kitchen and get a bowl out for my cereal. Cookie Crisp has got to be the greatest invention of all time, I swear…well, next to the laptop and cell phones and converse and the original Mustang GT and-never mind.

But I do like the original Mustang GT…

I laugh softly to myself, realizing for the millionth time how sidetracked I get in my mind when I’m really nervous or excited or both. I finished my cereal and rinsed the bowl in my sink---I’d wash it later. I went to brush my teeth---I never saw the point in brushing before eating---and glanced in the mirror one more time. On a whim, I put on a dreamy expression, tilted my head up slightly, and sighed convincingly, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

I burst into a fit of giggles, grabbed my My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade bag and my keys and locked my door as I left.

Panic! At the Disco? My Chemical Romance?

Yup. Just a few of my bands. Let’s not forget…Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Secondhand Serenade, All American Rejects, and the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Big and Rich, Montgomery Gentry.
Then there’s REO Speedwagon.
Oh, and the occasional Slipknot, Metallica, and Godsmack.
And a whole bunch more.
What can I say? I’m a girl of many tastes…but not so much on the old country. Old Rock I can do, but new country is the only country for me. And very little rap…and there I go getting sidetracked again.

I bounced to the elevator---did I mention I was on the fourteenth floor? Well, technically the thirteenth, but they don’t put that ‘cause it’s supposed to be bad luck---and punched the lobby button. I was the only one in the elevator, all the way down. When I stepped out, the lobby was pretty empty, too. I pretend-waltzed through the lobby, the few people there laughing as I waved to them. I checked my map of the campus and located my father’s room, all the way on the other side. Good thing I still had twenty minutes---it was a ten minute walk, I estimated.

I plugged my headphones into the iPod and my music started. I hummed along as I walked. It started out as My Guardian Angel by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus…and I guess you know the type of music I had on there…(yeah…see my music rant above. That’s me when I get sidetracked…)

I got to Dad’s room about ten minutes later, like I’d guessed, and found a seat kind of towards the back. I pulled out my notebooks and the textbook, and put my iPod away in disappointment. I decided I’d spend a few minutes doodling idly on the back of my notebook.

Dad walked in about two minutes after I did.

“Juliet, you’re here already?” He grinned teasingly. “I was sure you’d be late.”

“Of course,” I grinned back, “I’m just that type of student, Professor Capula.”

Dad laughed and set about taking papers from his briefcase and organizing his desk drawers. It was a good thing, I guess, because a lot of students started showing up then. I kept my head down, not wanting to seem too eager for more schooling…everyone I knew wanted to get out as soon as they could, so I was a bit different. I blame my Shakespeare-loving parents.

Yeah. I blame my Shakespeare-loving parents. That’s right! I haven’t mentioned my full name.

Juliet Viola Capula.

Juliet, obviously from Romeo and Juliet.

Viola is from Twelfth Night.

And Capula is just so close to Capulet, also from Romeo and Juliet.

Oh, well. I love Romeo and Juliet, at any rate. I just don’t like the tragedy part. I mean, it wouldn’t be the same with a happy ending, but it would still be a great piece of literature. And Romeo’s a bit of a baby, but hey, it makes girls feel better about themselves. Haha---okay, that was mean. But it’s so true! That can’t be denied!

I laughed softly to myself, getting a look from the handsome guy right beside me. He had green eyes, and dirty blonde hair. His skin was tanned just right, and I could see he had an athletic build. I kind of waggled my fingers at him in a silent hello and he chuckled, waggling his fingers back. Just then, a bell clanged somewhere on campus.

“Okay, then, settle down!” Dad said good-naturedly. “Let me call role before we get to know each other.”

A few people murmured and laughed.

“Alright, Hanna Anderson?”

“Here!”

“Harold Appleworth?”

There were a few snickers at the last name, but he just grinned and waved at Dad.

“James Bernard?”

“Present.”

“Joseph Brunner?”

“Right here, sir!” he threw a fake salute. Dad playfully saluted him back.

“Juliet Capula?”

“You know I’m right here,” I grinned.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dad smiled. Then he laughed as he looked down at the role sheet.

“Professors Davis and Davis are your parents, right?” Dad laughed. “Romeo Davis?”

“Right here.” Said the guy right by me.

Great, I thought, bursting into giggles.

It’s Romeo and Juliet.