We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

Still Juliet’s Point of View

If it weren’t for not having quite enough clothes, Taylor hadn’t planned on seeing her family until New Years…so clothes was the one reason we’d gone to our hometown. And then she’d forgotten to bring some clothes, so we’d gone back over to her house together (after driving five minutes out of town on the way back, might I add) and picked up a few things. However, just a short time later, we, which includes Todd, Taylor, Romeo, and I, pulled up to Whitney’s. I knew exactly what the ‘surprise’ was when we pulled up.

“It’s hard to keep a surprise when they advertise it in the front window,” I remarked dryly, looking at the ‘Karaoke Night!’ sign in the window.

“Surprise,” Romeo and Todd said at the same time, jokingly and mockingly at the same time. I just grinned, and Taylor laughed. We got out, Taylor brushing lent off of her just-below-the-knees black dress, which was the dressiest thing she had brought with her. I felt almost underdressed next to her in a skirt and good ol’ Wal-Mart seven dollar t-shirt that boldly proclaimed ‘Mountain Dew’.

“Ha, ha,” I replied, still grinning in spite of myself. Romeo grinned and held out his arm.

“Shall we, Mademoiselle?” he asked, doing an imitation French accent that was, unsurprisingly, considering he was an actor, accurate.

“Sure,” I replied in a purely American accent, just to mock his French one. He just grinned good-naturedly and led the way into Whitney’s where they’d already reserved a spot in the back corner. We all sat down, taking off our coats and dropping them on the back of the booth.

I had a feeling they’d picked that table because it was the farthest from the small stage that karaoke was taking place at. It was just like Romeo to want to make me walk through all those people. It was as if he was saying, ‘That’s right. Everyone look at my girlfriend. No, it wasn’t Avril Lavigne who just sang Complicated, it was Juliet Capula. Take a good look at her, so when she’s famous you’ll have something to remember.’

I shook my head, laughing out loud and earning a slightly confused but knowing glance from Romeo. It was just like me to try to think about what Romeo was thinking when he chose the table…if that makes sense. How should I put it to make it make…more sense? That it’s just like me to…guess at what he was thinking? I guess that works.

“Earth to Jules,” Taylor waved her hand in front of my face, “what did you want to drink, she said!”

Taylor motioned to the waitress, and I flushed slightly.

“Oh, sorry. Mountain Dew, please,” I said, looking down. She laughed politely.

“I should’ve guessed. Your shirt says it straight out!” The waitress grinned, motioning. I grinned back, happy that the waitress didn’t seem too angry at having me zone out like that.

“I guess so,” I replied.

“So, then, I’ve got a Dr. Pepper, two Pepsis, and a Mountain Dew, right?”

“Yeah,” Todd nodded for emphasis.

“Anything to eat?”

“We’ll need a few more minutes, please,” Romeo said, a perfect gentlemen as always.

“All right then. I’ll get those drinks out here just as fast as I can!”

And she was off - thankfully without the horrible flirtatious techniques always used on my boyfriend. I actually sighed in relief before I could catch myself, and Romeo laughed, whispering in my ear, “Thinking the same thing as me?”

“What? The, ‘Oh, thank the Lord there’s no ass-swaying tonight!’ thought?” I whisper-retorted.

“Exactly.” He whispered back, and we both laughed, earning a slightly odd look from Todd but a knowing glance from Taylor.

“Glad to see you happy tonight,” a cheerful voice said from the walkway.

“Ryland!” Todd cried cheerfully, jumping up to give the newcomer a man-hug (or whatever they call it). “Haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I wasn’t aware that about four months was forever now, but whatever,” the one named Ryland grinned. The tall, lean yet muscular-looking brunette with curly hair and a tanned skin tone had a winning smile, Juliet noted. One that most girls would fall for instantly, in fact. In this first glance at him, however, Juliet also noted that he was not her type.

“Hey, man,” Romeo was now initiating the man-hug-bump-thing. “Long time.”

“Hey, señor Romeo,” Ryland greeted, a perfect Spanish accent making my slight suspicion that he was Hispanic true. “Now…this blue-eyed beauty must be your Juliet, no?”

He looked at me and grinned as I replied, “Juliet Capula,” and held out my hand across the table (Taylor and I had been pushed to the inside).

“Ryland Torres,” he replied, shaking back. “And the other is your friend Taylor, right?” he held his hand out to her next.

“Yes, sir!” She grinned at him. “Nice to meet you.”

“You as well.”

“A new addition!” The waitress was coming back. “What can I get you to---well, hello! Is that none other than señor Ryland Torres? Hóla!” She, too had a flawless accent, but she had lighter hair and blonde highlights to accentuate it. Her skin was a touch lighter than his, as well.

“Maria!” Ryland greeted with an even greater smile as the waitress - Maria - set down the glasses in front of the appropriate person. “How are you?”

“Good, good.” She gave him a brief hug. “What can I get you to drink tonight?”

“Just a water for now, if that’s okay,” Ryland said, still grinning.

“Sí, sí! Yes, of course. I’ll have it out soon!” Maria grinned and looked at the rest of us. “Will you all be ready to order when I get back?”

“We have…” Todd paused. “Wow, we’ve still got six more people to show!”

“Ah, just like old times,” Ryland sighed reminiscently.

“We’ll wait for them to show up. Thanks, Maria.” Romeo smiled at her, and she returned it. I had a feeling that they all knew each other, but she had liked Ryland in school, which is why she had addressed him by name. Taylor voiced this.

“She likes you, Ryland.” Taylor said bluntly. “Wow, does she like you.”

“She does?” he said, the picture of surprise.

“Duh!” I couldn’t help but join Taylor in this one.

“She didn’t say hi to the other two here, but I can tell she knows who they are,” Taylor pointed out. “And she hugged you, to boot!”

“We’re old friends,” Ryland shrugged. “It’s only natural.”

“Ask her out, and see if her reaction’s ‘only natural’,” I murmured, but it was loud enough for the whole table to hear. Taylor smirked and gave me a high five.

“Here you are, Ry,” Maria flashed a smile as she sat the water in front of him. “I’ll be back when your friends arrive to get their drinks and for refills. Until then, if you need anything, just flag me down, all right?”

“Gotcha!” Taylor chirped happily. Maria flashed her grin again and was off. This time she had a slight sway in her hips that made me giggle, and Romeo nearly choked on his Pepsi when he laughed.

“This is going to be so fun,” I remarked, as Todd jumped up at the chiming of the doorbell and announced that someone named James and his girlfriend - ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Sarah Hill!’ - had just walked in.

“Just you wait,” Romeo grinned. “I promise it will be.”