We Don't Have to be a Tragedy

Juliet’s Point of View

The first week passed, but because of Romeo’s busy schedule, we’d only talked twice. I was starting to settle back into school, back into my dorm room, and back into the flow of things. At the last minute, I had joined the choir, which had practices every morning before classes from six to seven. I had also filled another slot of free time with piano lessons, eager to make more music flow from my fingers and into the world, taking my mind off of my troubles and immersing myself in my love for music.

My new ringtone for when Romeo called was:

Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight
I’m beginning to see the light

Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight
But I think I’ll be all right

Of course that was my new ringtone. It’s not like I’m obsessing over Hey Monday or anything right now, noooo…

Note the sarcasm in the tone of my thoughts.

So I was currently training for the audition for the musical - which, this year, was the fall. The play would be in the spring this time around. I would do my best to keep my singing voice in tip-top condition, while simultaneously working on my acting so I could shoot for a role in the play again.

I played a scale on the piano. It was in an old music room on the third floor, and it was kept tuned and everything, even though there were no classes. I got permission to use it, and so I spent a few hours of my free time perfecting the way my fingers floated across the keys. I practiced a few bars of a song from the Nightmare Before Christmas, then I cleared my throat and played A Whole New World from Aladdin, singing along.

I switched from Disney song to Disney song, practicing all the different speeds and tempos and such, so that I’d be ready for whatever they threw at me.

Then I went and played 6 Months by Hey Monday.

I’m wasn’t joking when I said they might just be my new favorite band.

Romeo’s Point of View

I groaned, falling onto my bed after a full day of practice.

Why did I need to practice so much so far in advance?!

I glanced at my phone, hoping for a text or something from Juliet, but there were none. Of course, she was at school most of the day. I couldn’t take it though - it was only six and I had to talk to her or I might just go crazy.

She picked up on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Jules,” I greeted, using the nickname she’d given the first time we’d met, but which I had never used. “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” she chuckled a little, and I heard a faint note fade away.

“Did I interrupt you when you were playing the piano…?” I asked, kind of uncertainly. I knew she had a few piano classes, but I didn’t know how good she was or anything like that.

“Yeah, but it’s okay,” she said, brushing it off. We were silent for a few minutes, then she asked, “Hey, if I played a song and sang it, would you tell me how I did?”

“The answer will be you did fantastic,” I told her teasingly. She laughed. “Yes, I would.”

“Being honest?”

“Yes. Being so honest it’ll hurt my dishonest self,” I said, “on my honor!”

“You aren’t dishonest at all,” she snorted. “It’s a song by the band that has stolen my obsession - at least temporarily - from Panic! At the Disco.”

“Called?”

“The band? Hey Monday,” she said, then I heard a click, and her voice from a bit farther away said, “you’re on speaker. Ready?”

“When you are,” I told her, sitting up and preparing to listen to her sweet voice.