We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

Juliet’s Point of View

“Over here, Sam!” Romeo called. I looked over at him and noticed he was pointing at me.

“Romeo!” I hissed. “Don’t you dare!”

“Ah, so this is Juliet, is it?” the man with the mic said, grinning. “Get her up here and we’ll see what she can do! Everyone, let’s give her a round of applause as encouragement!”

They did. I groaned.

“I hate you,” I said in a low voice to Romeo as they stood to let me out.

“I love you too,” he chuckled as I passed.

The walk up to the mini stage seemed endless. I felt like I was walking on broken glass, and I sincerely wished I’d worn a slightly longer skirt…I felt too exposed as I walked by. I felt queasy when a few people wolf-whistled but then I heard Trisha’s voice call out, “Stay away from my girl, jerk offs!” and Taylor replied with, “Don’t you mean our girl, dear?”

I laughed slightly, and a few of the whistles stopped.

Finally, I reached the stage and the grinning man with the microphone.

“What song will it be, Juliet?”

“Um…a request?” I suggested.

“Oooh!” came a chorus from the crowd, and I flushed slightly.

“Aha! What a brave soul we have here, eh? Let’s see what you’ve got. Do we have any requests?”

A few people shouted out things that blended together in a mass of words I didn’t understand. Neither did Sam, apparently, because he called out, “One at a time, people, or we can’t choose which one she should sing!”

The suggestions were not what Juliet would have liked. At least, not Womanizer or Love Games.

“Hey!” A call came out, and I recognized Trisha’s voice. Sam and I turned to her.

“Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson,” she and Ry called. It was the best suggestion I’d had.

“That’s a guy’s song!” Someone called out.

“And?!” Someone else cried, offended.

“I like that song,” I muttered under my breath, but Sam heard.

“Come On Get Higher, it is!” he handed me the mic. “Let’s giver her another round before she starts her ride to Whitney’s fame - or failure?”

My whole table booed this, but good naturedly. I assumed it was a usual announcement on karaoke night.

The applause died as the music started. I didn’t even look at the prompt.

“I miss the sound of your voice
And I miss the rush of your skin
And I miss the still of the silence
As you breathe out, and I breathe in

If I could walk on water
If I could tell you what’s next
Make you believe,
Make you forget

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

I miss the sound of your voice
The loudest thing in my head
And I ache to remember
All the violent, sweet,
Perfect words that you said

If I could walk on water
If I could tell you what’s next
I’d make you believe,
I’d make you forget

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

I miss the pull of your heart
I taste the sparks on your tongue
I see angels and devils and God, when you come on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

Sing sha la la la
Sing sha la la la

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

So come on get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire and the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me, drown me in love

It’s all wrong, it’s all wrong
It’s so right
So come on, get higher
So come on and get higher
‘Cause everything works, love
Everything works in your arms.”

I breathed heavily for a moment, completely aware that I’d probably made a fool of myself, but Matt Nathanson’s Come On Get Higher is one of my all-time favorites.

Silence greeted me for a full ten seconds, then the room erupted. I flushed heavily, but I was not scared to sing in front of people. It was plays that worried me.

“Not that it needs said,” Sam said to me from by the stage, “but you did great.”

“Thanks,” I replied, still breathless. Sam took the mic but wouldn’t let me leave the stage.

“Who wants an encore?!” he called out.

Cheers.

I sighed. I should’ve seen this coming. That’s what Romeo’s smirk implies.

“Give me the Listen to Your Heart remake by DHT, if you have it,” I decided. Sam grinned and went to the machine. The music came and I started.

“I know there’s something in the wake of your smile,
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah
You’ve built love, but that love falls apart
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark

Listen to your heart
When he’s calling for you
Listen to your heart
There’s nothing else you can do
I don’t know where you’re going
And I don’t know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye.”

I finished the song, and more cheers, but I refused another encore right now with the excuse that I had to ‘give my boyfriend a lecture on volunteering me to go first at karaoke night’, which caused laughter from the crowd.

It was only half true, though. I whispered to Sam what I planned, and he grinned and nodded. I went and sat down, and then Sam said, “All right, any one else going to stand up to that performance?”

“Hey!” I called, “There’s someone here who wants to give it a go!”

Romeo looked at me in confusion, then noticed me pointing…at him.

“No way, Juliet,” he said, freaking out slightly.

“Oh, Romeo, looks like someone wanted to get revenge! And, to tell the truth, you’ve never sang on karaoke night, have you? I thought we’d have to wait until you were old enough to get drunk!”

Laughter from everyone.

“He wants The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage, by Panic! At the Disco.” I called after him as he reluctantly headed to the stage.

He turned and gaped. He mouthed, “But Panic is so out of my league!”

“Try,” I mouthed back, smirking. He groaned, and Sam laughed.

I leaned back, waiting to hear my boyfriend sing for the first time.