We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

Juliet’s Point of View

Taylor and I had hung up after two and a half hours, both of our phones very low on battery. Now, an hour later, I laughed softly to myself. I was thinking about me as a nervous wreck. If Taylor had been here before the rehearsal, she would have seen it so clearly it’s not even funny.

With these thoughts, my phone rang.

If it’s Taylor, I thought, what more could we possibly talk about?

It was Mom.

“Hey, Mom,” I answered.

“Hey, dear!” Mom said, her usual chipper self. “We’re getting hold of all of the cast members. What do you say to dinner at Applebee’s?”

“Uh…when?”

“Good answer!” Mom laughed. “In an hour.”

“Where is Applebee’s?” I asked.

“On Harris Street. It shouldn’t be too hard to find, it’s straight down the street where we went the night before callbacks, and it’s the fourth street that cuts across. Go left.”

“Alright. I’ll be there, then.”

“Good! And would you mind telling Romeo? We’ve still got to call everyone else.”

“Sure,” my heart jumped nervously, “no problem.”

“Thanks, dear! Well, I gotta go, talk to you then!”

“Yeah. Bye, Mom.”

“Bye!”

Sighing, I rolled off my bed and walked to the door.

Romeo’s Point of View

I’d long since shut of my computer and was now trying to concentrate on an essay for English. I had just finished my first paragraph when there was a knock at the door.

“It’s open!” I called, looking over to my assignment sheet to see what the second paragraph was about.

“Um…” came a small voice and I jerked my head up. I was sprawled across my bed on my stomach, my feet in the air at the head of the bed, and she was in the doorway.

“Oh! Hey, what’s up?” I said, scrambling to a sitting position.

“Mom wanted me to let you know that they’re inviting the cast to a dinner at Applebee’s.” She grinned. “In an hour.”

“An hour? Short notice…” I mused, putting my essay on top of my cooled down laptop on the table beside my bed. “How do we get there from here?”

Sure, I’d lived here my whole life, and I knew there was an Applebee’s, I just didn’t pay attention to what street it was on.

“By walking straight down Lewis Street, getting to the fourth street that cuts across---Harris---then going left. That’s what Mom told me, anyway.” she shrugged. “I’ve gotta get ready, anyhow. I’ll probably head down thirty minutes early this time.” here we both laughed, remembering the last time, when we had eaten with our parents and shown up late.

“Mind if I tag along, then?” I laughed.

“Not at all,” she grinned. “I’ll knock when I’m done.”

“ ‘Kay.” I nodded. “I should be ready by then.”

She caught the hidden joke, and rolled her eyes. “Not all girls take forever.”

“Sure.” I teased, and she waved sarcastically as she walked back out and closed my door. I couldn’t help teasing her like that, I thought as I went to find a change of clothes before I went and showered in the men’s restroom on our floor.

Juliet’s Point of View

I showered and changed and was in my room drying my hair in a span of ten minutes. Then I threw my hair up in a ponytail and pulled on a pair of socks. When I deemed myself ready, I pulled on my Converse and stood up. I grabbed my cell and my wallet, shoving them in opposite back pockets of my jeans, and just barely remembered my dorm key. I shoved it in my wallet’s pocket and locked my door as I left.

I knocked on Romeo’s door. He opened it a few seconds later, his wet hair in his eyes. I couldn’t help but kind of laugh at it.

“Gee, thanks.” he said sarcastically, locking his door and stepping out, his phone and wallet still in his hands.

“Looks like I got done quicker than you,” I teased.

“What d’you mean by that?” he asked.

“I’m not carrying my wallet and my phone, am I?” I retorted.

“Oh.” was his simple statement, as he started laughing and said, “Touché.”

He busied himself with putting his phone and wallet away, and I took my phone out at a tone. Someone was sending me a text, if I recall the tone correctly.

‘1 Unread Message’ the screen proclaimed, and I laughed when it showed Taylor’s name. I didn’t notice Romeo leaning over and looking until he said, “Taylor again, huh?”

I couldn’t help it, he’d surprised me and it slipped out. A squeak that sounded like a ‘meep!’ In embarrassment, I covered my mouth with my hand and I felt the flush rise to my cheeks. He just laughed.

“Sorry, sorry,” he grinned. “I’ll stop looking, then.”

“N-no, it’s okay. You just surprised me, I didn’t notice you were looking.” I waved it off with as much composure as I could.

“Okay, sorry.” he said again, grinning, as we reached the elevator. He pressed the ‘down’ button and we waited. A few moments later the elevator ‘dinged’ at our floor, and we got on. This time, I pushed the button for the correct floor, and we started down.

“I haven’t been to an Applebee’s for like, a year…” I mused out loud. He laughed.

“Me, either.”

I looked at him, “Really?”

“Really.” he looked at me with a grin, “I was always more of a Burger King type.”

We both laughed, and we surprisingly (well, surprising on my half) kept up a normal conversation, like we had all year so far when we had the chance.