Hello readers! Welcome to my new story. I really like my idea for this story, and I have a lot of chapters already written up, so updates shouldn't take too long. Thank you for all your support on my other story. It isn't on hiatus, I just find it hard to update on that one, as it isn't in a modern day setting.
I would also like to let you know that although Romeo and Juliet happened in a week, let's pretend for the sake of my story they've been going out longer, ok?
If any of you don't know what a 'chav' is, it's British slang, just look it up on urbandictionary.
"That was not funny!" snarled Escalus, slamming his hands onto the desk. Romeo and Mercutio nevertheless sniggered. Benvolio shook his head and ran a hand through his messy hair. Tybalt, however, sat on the other side of the room, and seethed as he dripped with water. Mercutio gave a sideways glance, and laughed again.
"No! Don't laugh! It's not funny!" roared Escalus.
"Stop laughing, Mercutio" hissed Benvolio under his breath. Mercutio swallowed, and pursed his lips. The door opened, and Lord Capulet walked in.
"I've got you a towel, Tybalt"
"Thank you" said Tybalt, but poison dripped from his words like the water running down his face. Lord Capulet passed him the towel, and Tybalt wrapped it around himself. Lord Capulet leant back.
"So, Escalus, what kind of punishment will you hand out to these three... offenders?"
"I didn't do anything!" protested Benvolio. He was ignored.
"I am currently thinking of a solution" Escalus drummed his nails on the desk and sighed "But, as I'm sure you are aware, Tybalt was the one who began the fight"
"It wasn't me! They started making cat noises at me and saying stupid stuff about people with ginger hair and-"
"Enough!" Escalus commanded "Either way, you're all to blame. Tybalt, you're older than these three, and should know better. If you'd simply ignored them, and walked away, then you wouldn't have been chucked in the fountain in the first place!"
Tybalt gave him a filthy glare "I can't"
"Don't criticise Tybalt for taking pride in his family and appearance!"
The door banged open and Lord Montague stood there "What's all this I hear about Romeo chucking Tybalt in a fountain? That's ridiculous. Romeo might be strong but he's not strong enough to pick up an ugly brute like that chav!"
"I'm not a chav or an ugly brute like you say!" yelled Tybalt.
"You tell him, Tybalt!"
Romeo and Mercutio burst out laughing again.
"It wasn't me who did the picking up" sniggered Romeo.
"No, but you did the shoving" added Mercutio.
"And Benvolio did the splashing" Romeo added again.
"Stop it, it was a stupid thing to do!" hissed Benvolio.
"Well, at least it seems you've learnt your lesson" Escalus smarted. Benvolio nodded slowly.
"Hey, don't say that! We've just taught him to swear!" exclaimed Mercutio.
"This isn't a joke" Escalus stated "Right. I have reached a decision-"
"And hopefully your hell child nephew is going to get it in the neck this time. I don't know how either of you live with these little brats under your roofs" muttered Lord Capulet. Escalus slowly turned purple.
"Right. That's it. I have a better idea. For two weeks, you and Lord Montague are going to swap children. Tybalt and all under eighteens in your family shall stay with the Montagues, and Romeo and all under eighteens in the Montague family shall stay with you. The aim of this is to bridge peace by learning to understand one another, and besides" Escalus added as an afterthought "Most of children still have a chance to change their ways"
The six looked at him in horror. Tybalt was the first to speak.
"No. Way!" he shouted.
"Yes way. Do it, or I'll take your driving license away for the time you crashed your Vauxhall Nova into the palace walls"
Tybalt glanced down, colour flooding his cheeks. Romeo and Mercutio had begun to laugh again, but soon remembered the punishment.
"I'm not staying with Eugene" retorted Romeo.
"My name is Egues!" snarled Lord Capulet "And no, Escalus, I will not house these brats in my home! And I refuse for my daughter to live in the pigsty that is called the Montague Ranch!"
"How dare you insult my home!" Lord Montague snarled back.
"Silence! I will not tolerate this level of disrespect. Right. That's it. This 'experiment' will go again, and to make it worse for the both of you, it shall be televised to the rest of Verona!"
"My room's a tip!" Romeo protested.
"Exactly. That's why your house is called, a pigsty" swarmed Tybalt.
"Oh, listen, Romeo! He made a witty remake!" exclaimed Mercutio.
"He did, didn't he?" Romeo replied "Never mind. I'll trash the Capulet Manor and make that a pigsty too"
"Well, I don't live there, I live with my mum and our ten cats. So the only person who'll get cross is Uncle Egues"
"That's the aim. Why annoy you when I can annoy the grand Capulet himself?" Romeo smirked. Benvolio gawped, and Mercutio grinned and snickered at his friend's defiance.
"And when he gets bored of being in there, he'll come to mine. I don't have to stay in the Capulet Haunted Castle"
"You're taking part too, Mercutio. I've decided you are too close to a particular side in the feud for your own good"
Mercutio's jaw dropped "That's not fair! I don't want to go and stay there! And Romeo's been my best friend since he was born, and you know it. You're a rubbish uncle!"
Escalus' jaw dropped "That's it. I'll be having a word with your mother, and I'm now all the more determined to do this. I'm sick of the feud. Look, there are bags under my eyes and my hair is grey because of much time and energy I've spent dealing with this pathetic feud. Go home, and get your kids to pack their bags"