We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

Juliet’s Point of View

So, we made it there on time. Well, ten minutes early. And that’s the first thing our parents happen to notice as we walk through the doors.

“Ah! They made it on time, this time!” Cathy cried teasingly.

“Yes, we did,” I threw in with a grin. “And not only on time, early!”

That made them all crack smiles - all, being the four adults and the three students already present. And one by one everyone else trickled into the restaurant and took their seats. I was still beside Romeo, and we were still talking. At one point, we were both laughing, and when I stopped and he did, our faces were less than five inches apart, and feeling the heat rising to my cheeks, I flashed a grin and reached for my Dr. Pepper, since the restaurant obviously didn’t have Voltage.

I took a drink to cool myself down and to pull my face away from the close proximity with his, because I felt that if I’d stayed that close much longer I would’ve kissed the poor unsuspecting boy. But maybe he would’ve kissed me…ugh. So confusing.

Romeo’s Point of View

I couldn’t help but notice that Juliet was blushing as she inched away and took a drink of her soda. And I also didn’t even try to deny to myself that I thought she looked perfectly innocent with the rosy dusting on her cheeks and her shy, downcast eyes. If I were one of those guys that were my age who liked to take advantage of the ones that looked innocent, I’d probably have ravaged her after seeing her in the blue dress the first day of class.

This is where I felt the flush rising in my own cheeks and I reached for a drink of my own soda.

Then my phone played a jingle and I reached to my back pocket to check the text. It was from Todd.

Dude, just so u kno, I found a dif college a few states away and am going there instead of the other

I stared for a minute, then replied with a, ‘That’s a bit late in coming.’

A minute later he texted back: Yeah, well…there’s this girl named Taylor, and she totally knows Juliet, she saw the pictures and won’t stop squealing, OMG THEY LOOK SO CUTE!

I choked on my drink and Juliet looked over at the sudden sound and clapped me on the back. “Calm down, geez. What is it?”

Wordlessly, wiping a spare drip of Pepsi from my chin, I pushed the phone her way.

“Pictures of what?”

Of course she wouldn’t know and I’d have to explain.

Juliet’s Point of View

His face went bright red at the topic of the pictures before he finally began, “Mom thought it would be a great idea to start a blog on how rehearsals have been…”

“Oh, no…” I said inaudibly.

He continued, “So, since it’s a blog, she’s obviously been updating regularly…and there are already pictures from today’s practice up…”

“She had a camera?!” I squeaked.

“Yeah…” he sighed. “And she put up a picture of Act II, Scene II’s…er, ‘moment’? Is that a good word to describe it?”

“Oh my gosh,” I rested my elbow on the table and pinched the bridge of my nose. “How embarrassing.”

“Tell me about it. Todd told me on MSN earlier.” he kind of chuckled.

“Wait a minute! Todd?!”

“Yeah…”

I laughed. “Taylor was going on about how there’s a guy from around here in her classes, too…and your text says that he met a girl named Taylor who ‘totally knows’ me…” I trailed off, and Romeo laughed.

“This is so weird,” he said, “my best friend and yours. That is so weird.”

“Oh,” I said and laughed again, “how you said that just now made them seem like a couple already!”

He rolled his eyes, but agreed, and our easy-going conversations continued, which I was immensely grateful for.