We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

“Are you following me?” I joked, at the exact same time as Romeo.

“No!” I gasped.

“No way!” He laughed at the same time.

“This is too weird,” I stated.

“I agree.”

“Romeo! Here already? I thought Professor Capula’s class was all the way on the other side of campus!” the professor cried, smiling. She was a homely sort of woman with a happy face.

“It is, Mom.”

“Wow! You must walk fast! You’ve still got…well, twenty minutes until my block starts.”

“Oh, then I’ll be leaving now…” Romeo said, and I could tell it was a joke. His mother laughed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Professor Davis, and you are…?” She addressed me, grinning welcomingly.

“Juliet Capula,” I muttered, smiling back.

“Ah, Juliet! I’ve heard a lot about you from your mother. I hear you’re a charming, intelligent girl!” Professor Davis grinned. “I suppose I’ll find out for myself in a bit, then?”

“I suppose so, Professor,” I smiled back.

“Oh, nonsense, nonsense! I’ll have none of that!” she waved her hands erratically in the air. “When we’re the only ones here you can call me Catherine, Cathy, Cath, Rin, or whatever you want, is that okay with you?”

“You’re asking me if calling you by your name is okay?” I pointed out with a soft chuckle.

“Ah, well, you know what I mean, Juliet!” She grinned good naturedly, bustling around and pulling a rack of costumes to the front of her room.

“Need some help, Mom?”
“Need some help, Cathy?”

Romeo and I looked at each other and I kind of laughed just as his mother said, “Oh, well--” then she burst out laughing. I could see she would be an easy-going sort of teacher and easy to get along with. She laughed a bit longer, then once she was regaining her composure, had to burst out laughing again because Romeo had.

“N-no, it’s alright,” She finally managed. “I’ve got it all under control!”

“Alright,” I said, breathlessly, “If you need help though, don’t hesitate to ask!”

“Oh, I won’t dear!”
“You sure you got it, Mom?”

“Oh, I’m fine, Romeo! You two go find seats. I’m sure I wouldn’t object to either of you up front,” Cathy smiled in a teasing way.

I happily obliged her wish to sit near the front, and glancing at me quizzically, Romeo went ahead and took the seat right behind mine. When she turned around, Cathy saw and laughed.

“Well, you sure can take a hint!” She grinned.

I flushed lightly at how others could take that line. Not that I cared, really, but it still made my over-active blushing tendencies act up.

The class started shortly after and I was immediately fascinated in the costuming designs of…you might have guessed it…Shakespearean plays.

The dresses, when done by hand in previous classes Professor Davis had had, left little to be desired. I particularly liked a navy blue dress that was made six years earlier and the creator didn’t want it. The creator was actually an assistant to a professor in the drama department, as Professor Davis told me when I mentioned how much I loved it.

“Oh, Darcy was brilliant! I wish she’d kept up with costume design!” Professor Davis cried. “She was probably one of the best that ever came through my class, and that’s all honesty.”

“She’s amazing,” I said, still in awe of the gorgeous dress.

“Go try it on!” Professor Davis said, excitedly and loud enough for the whole room to hear!

“I-I couldn’t!” I stuttered nervously. “It’s so beautiful, I wouldn’t want to risk damaging it---and it’s probably not my size anyway!”

“I have those measurements at heart, dear, so come here and we’ll just see if it’ll fit or not!” Professor Davis declared defiantly.

“Yeah, Jules!” Came the voice of a petite cheerleader named Sarah.

The class gave cheers of agreement and I groaned as Professor Davis measured---to her immense satisfaction.

“Perfect!” Professor Davis announced. “There’s a dressing room over there, shared with your mother’s class, of course!”

I---or so it appeared---trudged reluctantly into the dressing room.

In all reality, I was elated, ecstatic, down right giddy with glee. The dress of my dreams, and here I was, getting to try it on! I couldn’t be any more excited!

Until Professor Davis kind of downed the mood…

“And when you’ve got it on, come out to show us! It will not only make you look more beautiful than ever, but it’ll also complement Darcy’s hard work!” then she paused and cried excitedly. “Oh, Romeo! Go get Darcy! She must see her dress in use!”

“Sure, Mom.”

I gulped.

The creator of the dress of my dreams, here, seeing me in it?! Oh, the nerves! The horrible, wriggling nerves that make you want to puke. What if she doesn’t like me? What if she doesn’t like me in her dress?! I’m so nervous I could scream and I’d still be nervous. But I couldn’t force myself to stall, or to call that it didn’t fit, because it did, in fact, fit.

Perfectly.