Even In Death : A Retelling of "Romeo and Juliet"
Prologue
A different day, another chance,
To live and love as a song and dance.
Awken the morning, shine your head,
Watch over these two teenagers, before they end up dead.
One has a secret nobody will know,
One as a boy, who refuses to grow.
It all starts out, a letter to send,
Their families both fight, no sign to an end.
An updated version of an old love tale,
Love so pure, and death without fail.
Old wounds shall not mend, instead they will break,
And all of this is for their sake.
And now the tale shall start, with no sign of ending,
Forgive the two teenagers, their wounds are still mending.
Act One
A young woman, the age of 16 sat down in her closet after locking her bedroom door. The stereo was playing a soft operatic ballad. She closed her eyes as a silent tears fell down her cheek. Her hand went to her shelf, as she moved around some of her books, seemeing to search for something. She pulled out a razor blade, the object she was looking for. The young girl lifted up her shirt to reveal her stomache, and drew that blade across her abdomen. A knock startled her.
"Julia?" a voice said through the door.
"Who is it?" she said, scurrying to bandage up her stomache and put the razor away.
"Who else do you think it would be? Your nurse," the woman said as-a-matter-of-factly. Julia sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Sixteen years old and I still have a nurse!" she moaned. She stood up and unlocked her door, closing her closet.
"What, Alisha?" Julia said, her chestnut hair strewn about her face.
"Your mother would like to speak to you," Alisha said. Julia nodded and followed her nurse. As they approached the main hall, Alisha began to giggle uncontrollably. Julia smiled and looked at her nurse.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Nothing, nothing."
Julia cocked her head to the side and gave a weak smile. Alisha smiled and looked down at Julia's stomache. She sighed as she saw a dot of blood form on her white shirt.
"What happened?" Alisha asked Julia, pointing to her stomache. Julia looked down and saw the dot of blood.
"Sebastian scratched me again," she said quickly. Alisha nodded and returned to her vivacious mood.
"I've told her and I've told her, we need to get him declawed!" she said, laughing again. "Well come, we musn't keep your mother waiting!"
Julia smiled and as Alisha turned around, wiped her forehead. She followed Alisha into the dining hall.
"Hello, mother," Julia said, plastering on a smile.
"Hello, Julia!" her mother cried out, outstretching her arms. Julia walked into the embrace.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Julia asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs.
"So many things!" her mother said, taking a seat next to her daughter. Julia smiled again.
"One thing I absolutely must know is how things are going between you and Joey," she said happily. Julia sighed and her eyes became dark.
"Well, we sort of...broke up yesterday," she said, looking down to the floor.
"WHAT!" her mother screamed, her eyes full of fury and anger. Julia cringed at her mother. Her mother grabbed Julia by her neck and stood her up.
"My dear, dear Julia. All couples go through these little spats. Why, your father and I went through a particularly horrid one. But we overcame it and look where we are now," she said, stretching her arms out to her side, indicating the mansion they lived in. Julia sighed deeply and turned away from her mother.
"You will call him tonight, apologize, and invite him to your father's party tonight," her mother said sternly.
"Yes, mother," Julia said, holding back her tears.
A young man, the age of 17, walked through Verona Street sadly. His shoulders were slumped, his feet were dragging on the ground. A car pulled around the corner and slowed as the driver saw him.
"What's the matter, Roman?" the driver said, pulling alongside him. Roman continued to look to the ground.
"Nothing," he said sadly. The young man driving the car stopped it, and another man pulled him in.
"What's then deal, Ben?" he said to the person who pulled him in the vehicle. The man said nothing, but gave a wicked smile.
"Ben..." Roman said cautiously. Ben started to laugh at Roman's caution. The driver turned a corner and pulled over to the side.
"The deal is this, Roman. You've been obsessing over Rose since she broke up with you. Face it, dude. She left you," the driver said.
"Don't you think I know that, Mark?" Roman said to the driver.
Mark sighed and went to his jacket on the passenger side of the car. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Roman.
"What's this?" he asked, turning it over.
"Just open it," Mark said.
Roman opened it and started to read it.
"You are cordially invited to a party held by John Caper,
Owner of Caper, Burns, and Smith.
The party will be held on May 30th, 2005,
10203 Verona Drive.
It is a costume party."
Roman smiled a devious smile, his teeth glistening in the light of the sun.
"So?" Mark said, hopefully.
"Let's go have some fun," Roman said, smirking.