The nurse led me to my room. I sat on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I could not sit still for long. My heart and mind were in such a conflict with each other that I could not stay still. Seeking a distraction, I made my way to the balcony. The moon shone brightly above me and the stars twinkled like the eyes of my Romeo.
"Ay, me!" I sighed. There would be no escape from my thoughts tonight. "Romeo, Romeo," I said softly gazing at the night sky. "Why, oh why must you be Romeo?" I waited in vain for some sort of answer. The stars just gazed back at me, feeling no obligation to reply. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name," I begged, imagining Romeo standing below my balcony. "Or if that will not do, just say that you love me, and I will cease to be a Capulet."
I continued to think aloud for some time. "What is a name?" I wondered. "For the name surely does not define the man. That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Oh Romeo, cast off your name, which is not a part of you; take all myself."
"I take thee at thy word. From now on I will never be Romeo," said a voice that was clearly not my own. My heart jumped at the sound. Could it really be Romeo?
"Who are you?" I called out, though I knew the answer.
"I do not know how to tell you, for my name is your enemy."
"I know that voice," I said, "Are you not Romeo, and a Montague?"
"Neither, if they displease you." He then strolled in to view and my heart stopped for two reasons. I hadn't fully believed he was actually standing below me until the moon had shone upon his lovely face. Oh, but he was really here! The second reason had to do with my kinsmen. An awful image filled my head of Tybalt running a sword through my beloved.
"You must go," I urged him. "If my family sees you, they will murder you!" He refused to see reason, but I was happier that he stayed. As we talked, the moon moved across the dark expanse above. It finally occurred to me what time it must be, and I called down to my Romeo. "Good night, good night! As sweet and rest come to thy heart as that within my breast."
"Will you leave me tonight so unsatisfied?" he called back.
"What satisfaction can you have tonight?"
Romeo smiled up at me. "The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."
"I have already given you mine," I smiled back. "And yet, I would take it back just to give it again."
"Juliet!" Once again, the sound of another voice startled me. It took only a moment for me to realize who it belonged to.
"I'll be there in a minute, good Nurse." I leaned over the balcony. "Wait here, I will return."
"What is it, Nurse?" I questioned, reentering my room.
"It is late, you should be in bed," she told me.
"In a moment. I think I left something outside." I hurried back to Romeo and breathed a sigh of relief to find him still there. "A few words, dear Romeo. If you propose marriage, send me word tomorrow and I will come to you."
"Madam!" the nurse called from within.
"I am coming!" I turned back to my love and rushed to finish my thought. "But if you do not mean well-"
"Madam!"
"I told you, I am coming!- If you do not mean well, then leave me. Tomorrow I will send." He began to say something, but I interrupted saying, "A thousand times good night!"
I had only just returned to my room when a thought came into my head. It felt so urgent that I dashed back outside. "Romeo!" I called his name as loudly as I dared.
"My dear?" I heard him.
"When should I send for you?"
"At the hour of nine," he replied.
"I won't fail. But now I've forgotten why I called you back."
"I will stand here until you remember," Romeo said and leaned against a tree.
I shook my head, "That would do no good. I would continue to forget and only remember how much I love your company."
"Then I will stay to have you still forget," said my sweet Romeo. I blushed and shook my head once more.
"It is almost morning; you should go. But I would have you go no farther than a poor bird that hops from my hand. I would snatch you back again with a silk thread." I sighed.
"I would like to be that bird." Romeo made no move to leave.
"So would I," I said softly, "but I would kill you with too much cherishing. Godd night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I should say good night till it be morrow." And with that, I made myself retire to my room and forced myself to surrender to sleep so I could not be pulled back to the balcony by my Romeo's sweet voice.