Shakespeare got it wrong- chapter 13
Theo POV
I pull on my blue school shirt and the customary grey school shorts as well as my black converse. I grab my school bag and shove in a football, my football boots, my wallet and as an afterthought.. My books I need for today. I am actually trying in school this year. I don’t want to be the typical dumbass jock, which rules the sports team but fails in academics. Last year, I wouldn’t have even bothered putting in my school books, but since I graduate this year I think it is time to show those nerds what I can do. Plus Juliet needs a boyfriend that isn’t as dumb as dirt and can get a good job to buy her nice presents.
I shove my bag over my shoulder and stroll into the kitchen, I can smell the morning coffee that my mother insists on having, she says it lifts the soul and prepares you for awakening or something like that. I drop my bag onto the worn wooden floor of the kitchen, next to the bar and sit on a wooden stool that I made in woodwork class last year.
“Morning” I grunt out and my mother turns around with a box of cornflakes in her hand. She slaps them onto the table and sits down next to me. She wraps her tired old hands around the coffee mug and watches me while I eat. I can feel her eyes burning into the top of my head as I bend over my cereal and shovel it in, the quicker I am outer here, I will be able to avoid the conversation that I can feel hanging in the air.
“So, did you have a nice date the other night? What was it, two days ago and you still haven’t told me about it? Why won’t you bring her over? I would love to meet her. What’s her name?” She blurts out in a long line of chattering.
I look up and roll my eyes; my mother loves to know about my love life. I lick my bowl clean and stand to wash it up. She looks at me with her piercing blue eyes and nudges me to sit back down.
“Fine. It was great I really enjoyed myself; I haven’t talked to you because you have been working heaps and hanging out with that loser what’s his face? Bob?” I say as I rub my eyes. I don’t have time for this. I’ll miss the train.
“Bill.”
“What?” I ask, where is this conversation heading. That’s what I love about Juliet; she knows exactly how to have a good conversation with me. God, I am thinking about Juliet again.
“Bill, that’s his name, and he is nice when you get to meet him.” She rubs her wrinkled hands up her long brown arms, her curly brown hair is falling out of her bun, I feel sorry for her. Great now I feel like a complete dick.
“Sorry mum, what would you like to know?” I force a smile onto my face. Her eyes brighten up and she drags her chair in closer to the table.
“How much do you like this girl?” she asks.
How much do I like Juliet? Awfully much. Almost too much. I am obsessed with her. I think about her every moment I can. I dream about her. Heck, even on our date my little mate was craving her. I want to breathe her in and consume her at every waking moment of my life.
“I…….. Love her.” I say, almost choking at the realisation. I love her, I love Juliet. Not like, love.
My mother’s eyes start tearing up as she smiles a toothy grin.
“Don’t cry” I say as I reach across to give her a tissue.
“I’m not, I am just so happy, my little Theodore Montague loves a girl!” she sobs slightly and I cringe. Well this is getting awkward. I stand up and grab my bag and pull out my car keys. I have already missed the train and will have to drive, otherwise I will miss school, and as I said, I am aiming for at least a C in some subjects.
“So what’s her name?” she asks as she smiles and starts washing up her coffee cup.
“Juliet”. I say, and smile at the sound of her sweet name.
My mother’s shoulders tense and she hunches her back. Something I said? Why is she so tense, what’s worrying her?
“Juliet? Who?” she replies, throwing down the washing rag and facing me, she clenches the bench, her old knuckles turning white.
“Juliet Capulet, Why? Do you know her?” I ask, I stop fussing around and stare at her. Something settles in the pit of my stomach. I get the feeling I will not like where this is headed.
“I know her mother, and I know you and I know that you are to never, NEVER see that girl again!” she shouts, her face turning tomato red and her eyes start bulging. I stare.
“Juliet would never hurt anyone, what’s she ever done to you!” I compete.
“Nothing! But her mother ruined my teenage years, that selfish slutty bitch, she stole the man I loved, she married him and she did it just to get back at me. She was nothing before I met her. Just a useless wannbe that did drugs and beat up half the kids in school. I supported her and made her my friend and how does she repay me, HOW! She fucking ruined my future!” my mother screams, her anger fizzling out at all her seams. I shrink back. I have never heard of this, what is she going on about, this is not like my mother.
“But that’s her mother! That’s not her! Calm down mum, this isn’t you!” I say as I walk over to her and hug her. I feel the tension slowly seep from her body as she relaxes in my arms.
“ I know what will happen, I don’t want to watch you suffer, leave her and her family alone. They are not good for us…… Not good enough for you” she sniffles. My heart breaks. I can literally feel something snapping inside my chest. I can’t leave Juliet, it would kill me.
I take a step back and take in my mother. I scrutinise her, her skinny hippy like form, covered in colourful clothes and dangly jewellery. “It’s my life” I say as I grab my bag and head for the door, “and I will see who I wanna see”. I slam the door between us and hop into my shit ass car. I shift into gear and leave the house behind. All my troubles will have to wait till later. Right now, I have a façade to put on. Mr Popularity.
------------ After school-----------------
Ben chatters away happily at my side as I walk down the street towards the Girls private school. No matter what I told myself this morning, I have to talk to Juliet, and it has been killing me all day in anticipation.
“So what did Juliet think of Blue Jade and our dedication? She like it? Did she tell you?” Ben asks as he snaps me out of my thinking. I smile, Ben likes the thought that a girl actually came to the show and he likes it even better that she wants to go again.
“She liked it heaps, she really believes you guys can make it big” I answer as I whip out my phone and text Juliet: Meet me outside your school we need to talk J.
“That’s cool. You’re lucky you know, you have a proper girl, one with a personality and a stunning smile. While all I seem able to attract is sluts with their legs so wide open it’s like a subway tunnel.” He laughs. A group of girls dressed in Juliet’s uniform walk by chattering, with their skirts super short and their collars unbuttoned. Ben leans over and gives them his best sexy grin then gives them a wink and they all giggle.
“Yeah, I wonder why” I grunt as I pull out my phone to check if Juliet has answered yet. She is normally super quick to answer, and I usually text her at this time anyways. But there is no reply. I frown and quicken my pace. What’s happening, this isn’t like her.
Noticing my haste Ben quickens up. “ What’s wrong bro.” He asks as he takes in my worried state.
My palms and armpits start sweating, and I can feel my uniform dampening under my pits. Great, I will stink after all this worrying. My heart starts squeezing as I look at all the faces of the girls that pass. Nobody I know looks back at me, only girls with a ‘hook me up’ smile. I charge pass them and turn into the front entrance of the school, pushing the gate open with a bang.
The front entrance looks exactly like you would expect a fancy girls school to look like. Perfectly trimmed red rose bushes with a marble paved footpath leading to the office, which is a humungous building painted entirely white with polished windows and carpeted hallways. I can smell the faint smell of the roses as I hurry past them. Where is she?
Suddenly a girl with long brown plaits and darkish skin comes running at me. What is with this school and girls running at me! I quickly move to the side to dodge her and let her through but she comes to a halt in front of Ben and I. She gives us a smile and puts her hands on her knees as she puffs.
“Your Theo right?” she says as she straightens up. I look to the side to see Ben checking her out and looking at where the girls skirt has ridden up as she ran. I slap him over the head. The girl noticing what he is looking at, straightens and pulls down her skirt and blushes.
“That would be me, sorry but do I know you?” I ask, trying to be polite but failing miserably as I scan the empty playground for Juliet.
“No, I am Remy, Juliet’s best friend. I would love to stand and chat and I am sure you are lovely people but Juliet is in trouble.” She squeaks.
My heart thuds and I see red. Juliet in trouble?
“Where is she? Is she ok?” I ask as I shuffle from one foot to the other.
“I don’t know, she told me to tell you to wait for her at the bus stop but I think she may need some help, urgently, follow me!” she turns on her heel, almost hitting Ben in the face with her long brown plaits.
“Mind out of the gutter bro” I whisper as I take off after her. I break into a run beside her and we round a corner onto a green grassy field with trees lining the fence line. I look around and see some motion in amongst the trees.
Remy stops. “They’re in the trees”
They?
“I can’t go any further otherwise something worse might happen to her” she puffs; her face shows she is distressed. I bolt into a run. My footballer’s legs carrying me as fast as they can to Juliet.
“Stay with her!” I yell over my shoulder at Ben.
I burst into the trees and scan the area. Sure enough, over in the corner is Juliet, curled in a little ball on the ground, with her bag hanging in the tree above her head, way out of her reach. Above her a tall leggy blonde girl yells at her as Juliet whimpers. Her pain breaks my heart.
I run towards the bitch and shove her out of the way, knocking her over.
“Leave Juliet alone!” I yell as the girl stares at me. I recognise her from somewhere maybe I dated her once?
“Don’t tell me what to do with my sister!” she snarls and it hits me. This must be Grace, the one that tried to crack onto me.
“I don’t know about you but this isn’t normally how you treat your siblings, you know yelling at them at the end of school, now leave her alone” I say calmly as I help Juliet off the floor. She curls into my side, where she belongs, with me.
“Well I’ve known her my whole life, how long have you known her you creep” Grace snarls as she picks up her shoulder bag and challenges me. It’s like waving a red flag at a bull; I am ALWAYS up for a challenge.
“Couple of months, which is more time than you have ever spent with her” I reply as I turn around and ignore the girl as she walks off, looking over her shoulder every so often to shown me dirties.
I grab Juliet’s bag from the branch and fling it over my back, along with my bag. She kicks at the foliage on the ground and won’t look at me. It hurts to see her like this, but nothing hurts more than the fact that I can’t be with her.
I cup her face in my hands and nudge her to look at me in the eyes. I am expecting tears, sadness or pain, but Juliet shows nothing. Instead she gives me a sad smile.
“You probably shouldn’t have interrupted, the whole fight was about you anyways, and it didn’t really help my case” she sighs as she plants a small kiss on my neck.
“What do you mean I shouldn’t have helped, you were laying on the friggin ground and your bag was 12 feet in the air, would you have liked me to have taken a seat and watched?” I ask astonished.
A small smile graces her full lips. “Guess not. Thank you Theo, my knight in shining armour”.
“Of course madam” I clutch her hand and lead her towards where Ben and Remy are waiting nervously.
“What was the fight about again?” I ask cautiously.
“You. I am not meant to see you, and Grace knows that I am, I guess it was blackmail in some ways.” She shrugs.
“Why can’t I see you?”
“Something about my parents and sibling rivalry and the fact that I have a hotter boyfriend than her” she laughs, but it is fake, I know that inside she is hurting and I know the show is for my benefit only so I play along.
“Yeah, I got that from my mother too, this morning. I am not really supposed to be seeing you either.” I awkwardly laugh but she doesn’t laugh with me. She lets go of my hand and comes to a halt in the middle of the perfect grassy field.
“Oh” she sighs.
“Oh?” I ask.
“Well, I would just like to say that it was really nice knowing you and I would have loved to have spent more time……………….” She starts but I cover her mouth and cut her off. Enveloping her in my manly presence.
“I am not breaking up with you, I never want to leave you Juliet, it can be secret, I can make this work, Baby just let me try” I ask, hugging her closely to my chest, never wanting to let go.
A soft tear runs down her face. “But I am forbidden and you, you are not meant to be seeing me, why is this so hard?”
I pull her closer to my chest. “ Nobody said Love was easy Juliet, but with you it is slightly harder than usual, but I love you so damn much I would do anything to see you and keep you forever, I can make this work trust me. Please.” I plead with her. I plead for her.
“I trust you” she whispers as she hugs me closer.
“I love you” I whisper back. And there. She knows it. I Theo Montague love Juliet Capulet.
------------------------- Later that evening_________________
I head back to my car after seeing Juliet off on the bus. It was a dramatic and life changing afternoon. In my head I have planned out everything. I am determined more than anything. More than winning this season in football even; to make this work.
I walk over to my beat up old car, to see someone sitting on the bonnet, smoking a cigarette.
“Um, this is my car, so could you please move off” I say as I unlock it and slowly move towards the front of the car. As I get closer I see the figure is a women, even in the dark I can see she is wearing a tight top and short skirt. I stare to get my eyes to adjust.
The woman turns and I see her face. Juliet’s mum, is sitting on my car. At night time. By herself. In the dark. Smoking a cigarette. I blink to make sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me.
Mrs C?” I ask cautiously.
“Theo, Darling, how many times do I have to tell you to stay away from Juliet.” She replies in a husky voice. I shrug; do I really want to answer this?
“Hopefully this time you will get the hint, as for when I next hear about you two seeing each other I will hurt her. I will hurt Juliet.” She slides off the bonnet of my car. A stealthy black snake in this darkness, with her tight clothes on. She walks off into the darkness.
“And that young Theo, is a promise. Ask your mother about my promises”.