Happy New Year!
I'm kicking off the New Year with a brand new story for you all. It's a prequel to Child Swap, describing many of the events described by the characters that had happened in their past.
It is also a modern day version of the Untold Tale of Tybalt and Rosaline. I'm sorry, but it wasn't my best work, and so I'm not going to be continuing that. Instead I am working on this now. I am also writing a sequel to A Long Year's Nightmare, which I probably won't post until this is complete, and I'm kind of pushing to have it finished by March, which is when I began posting Child Swap. Wow, it certainly has been some year!
That being said, please enjoy What's Love?
Rosaline lay on her back, staring up at the sky. It was cloudy, not usual for the time of year. The air was crisp, but fresh. Her companion, a tall ginger boy, lay by her side. It was late afternoon, and they were both spending it in each other's company in this secluded part of Verona's park. It was chilly – it was still late February and so Rosaline was wearing a coat over her blouse and school skirt. Tybalt simply wore a hoodie.
"Tibby" said Rosaline, using the name that he only permitted her, his mother and his closest cousin to call him "When do you think we should start heading home?"
"Home?" Tybalt repeated. He liked it here just as much as she did.
"Yes. Home. I was just thinking, since it's starting to get dark and you know what it's like where I live"
"I'll beat anyone up if they so much as look at you" growled Tybalt. Rosaline sighed and rolled her eyes. He was so protective of her sometimes. As much as she secretly liked it when her friend acted protectively of her, she couldn't help but worry. He was going to get into trouble one of these days. Especially the way he carried on about...
"The Montagues" snarled Tybalt.
"Where?" panicked Rosaline.
"Other there" Tybalt pointed towards the trees.
"Who's there?"
"The usual. Mercutio, Benvolio, Romeo and their chums"
"Don't do anything..." Rosaline trailed off.
"I wasn't going to" answered Tybalt "Come on, I'll walk you home"
The couple clamoured up. Tybalt helped Rosaline to her feet, and then they began to walk away. Rosaline looked over, and noticed Tybalt shaking, trying to stop himself rushing off to fight them. A sense of pride overcame her. Tybalt had never been good with his temper.
"We'll go this way-" Tybalt started to say, but then he broke off. Rosaline listened, and then they heard that all too familiar, all too irritating, sing-song voice.
"When he was two, he-" the voice broke off to explode into a fit of giggles.
"Tell us, Hermia! Tell us!" begged the crowd of Montagues.
"He toddled all the way past your lot, past the Lancely's, past the Fulgencio's, all the way up to the Prince and said 'Your trousers are on back to front!'"
In a blink of a second, Tybalt had twisted around and was storming away from Rosaline, straight over to the Montagues.
"No..." groaned Rosaline.
"Hermia!" he roared. Hermia, the black sheep of the Capulet family, turned, her short red hair loose and askew under a Burberry cap, that actually belonged to Tybalt. Rosaline immediately recognised it as a gift from his eccentric mother. That wasn't the only item of clothing she wore that belonged to Tybalt. Rosaline recognised his tracksuit, trainers and bling. Hermia grinned as she watched Tybalt look at her bizarre outfit.
"Those are my clothes! And my hat! My mum gave me that!" Tybalt roared as he stormed up to them.
"She looks rather sexy!" cried Mercutio.
"No!" Tybalt yelled "How dare you steal my clothes!"
"Oh, but Tybalt, you know how important it is to share!"
Tybalt was lost for words. Rosaline knew the pattern so well. Someone or something would offend him. He would argue his point until they out-witted him, and he didn't know what to say. Then he stood still, lights flashing behind his hostile grey eyes, until he either let go, and charged at the enemy, or thought of something else to yell at them about. He was at the stage where his eyes flashed.
"You're a badly behaved, cheap, loose, promiscuous-"
"Tell me something I don't know, Tybalt" sang Hermia.
"Right" snapped Tybalt "I'm going to talk Rosaline home. Then I'm taking you to Uncle Egues, and he will punish you. Understand?"
"No. Could you say it all again please?"
The Montagues all laughed at Tybalt and the cycle began again.
"I don't think she is funny. Do you think she is funny, Rosaline?"
Rosaline shook her head "Let's go, Tybalt. It is getting dark. Let's leave Hermia here to humiliate herself"
Tybalt glared in Mercutio's company "I am going to make sure Hermia never hangs out with you ever again!"
"Tybalt" Rosaline warned.
"Yes, that's right. Off to Rosaline. What is she, your mother?" mocked Mercutio. It was Hermia's turn to laugh at his jokes. All of a sudden, Tybalt twisted around and grabbed Mercutio by his shoulders.
"How dare you insult me! How dare you abduct and hang out with my girl cousins!" Mercutio was shaken for every syllable Tybalt yelled.
"I don't see any girls from your family...apart from you" Hermia sniggered.
"She's a boy!" giggled one of the younger lads.
"Cleverly observed, Haroldo"
"Tibby, let's just go" begged Rosaline.
"TIBBY!" the Montagues roared with laughter "What a stupid name! Is that what she calls you! Tibby!"
"Tibby darling!" shrieked Hermia in a high-pitched voice, that was meant to imitate Rosaline's. Tybalt dropped Mercutio, who crumpled to the floor, and grabbed Hermia by the waist, slinging her over his shoulder. Hermia meowed in protest, Tybalt's hat falling off her head. Tybalt stormed away, as Rosaline followed in his wake. The Montagues jeered and shouted after them, but Tybalt ignored them, his jaw set defiantly.
They set off.
