Rosemary and Juliet

Christmas

Juliet

Rosemary's biggest flaw wasn't even the fact that she was irrational and childish. It was the fact that she thought she was clever.

Rosemary used the same username for everything.

She had finally found Rosemary's secret Wattpad, but what she discovered was almost shocking: she'd given JewlRose to the internet. There were only a few chapters up, but for whatever reason, she'd chosen the names Elisabeth and Chloe . . . the ship name was Chlizzy . . . How stupid was that? It didn't even sound right.

At least Aadarsh was pretty on point . . . Irritating twat ball. Great. But her character was all wrong. She did not think that way or act that way, and that wasn't even how they met! Sure, it said a lot was fictional but still. Very, very bad representation. Makes people vulnerable to ship it harder. Why would she be trying to do that? Juliet shuddered.

They had a running joke that if they gave Tumblr their relationship alongside made up names and mostly true plot, it would die over them, and also that in an alternate universe, they had a fandom that shipped JewlRose like no one's fucking business. But that was supposed to just be a joke! Rosemary was not supposed to actually give the internet JewlRose! And why call it Chlizzy??? So. Stupid.

****

Bringing the Taylor Swift "1989" CD her sister bought her for Christmas, Juliet walked up the steps to Rosemary's door. Seeing her over break was either going to help or seriously hinder her ability to get over her, but . . . they would just have to see.

"Hey!" Rosemary greeted, motioning for her to come in. "My mom's on a date, but she'll be home soon-ish."

"Okay, cool. Ooh." Juliet got distracted by the tea set (not like the kind for five year olds, that is, but a grown ass woman's tea set) sitting on the table. "Christmas present?"

"Yep! Along with the complete collection of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes, and some fandom shirts!"

"Awesome! Oh, I brought tea!"

"I shall make tea!"

"It's chai, so basically it's amazing," she told Rosemary as she stepped over the baby gate blocking her kitchen from the dog. "I see that there's mistletoe in the hallway . . . Guess we're not going over there, haha."

"Yes, avoid the mistletoe at all costs!" Rosemary cried dramatically, bursting into laughter. "So, anyways, how's your break been so far?"

"Good, haven't done much, but you know."

"Yeah. Good, I'm glad." The water came to a boil and she poured it over the tea bags in the pot. "Alright, incoming with tea."

"Great."

They sat at her table, sipping tea and talking, when Juliet started doodling with a gold paint Sharpie. Not for any particular reason, she reached over and dotted Rosemary's hand with it.

"Juliet, why?"

"Just because." Juliet knew that Rose hated ink on her skin, and she couldn't resist messing with her.

"Oh my god."

She tried to do it again, but Rosemary pulled away before she could. It was Bath & Body Works all over again. There was something fun about doing that sort of thing to her, like as soon as she got into a serious mode, just poke until the fun side came out.

"Jules, seriously . . ."

It became a chase, first around the dining table then into the living room. "Why do you refuse my art?"