It wasn't until the smell of rain came through her open window that Juliet began to remember the events of the previous night. The party at St. Andrews… meeting Romeo… coming home to find him at her window, just like the play. Juliet rolled onto her side and saw him there, chest bare in the early morning light and his sandy locks wild foretelling the events of their night together. So as not to wake him, she lay there, still as dead, and watched him sleep. His chest rose carefully then fell back down silently. With out meaning to, she fell back into a deep sleep.

By the time that Romeo awoke, Juliet was completely out. He kissed the top of her head then rolled out of her small bed and slipped his boxers back on. Almost silently, he closed her bedroom door behind him and voyaged out into the apartment to find the bathroom.

The apartment was small, extremely small. And very cluttered. Liquor bottles lay randomly around the little residence, a sight that he was defiantly not used to seeing.

The violent rain pouring out side her window woke Juliet up almost as quickly as she had fallen asleep.

"Romeo?" she called out into the dark bedroom. No answer. "Romeo?" she called again, more frantically than before. She sat up, holding a sheet close to bare chest. Sara had been right. He had used her. Even worse, she had let him. Juliet felt like a fool. Breathless, she threw a pillow across her room, smashing it into her dresser. As the small belongings on her dresser tumbled to the floor she brought her knees to her chest and let the tears fall into her bare hands.

The moment that the pillow hit the dresser Romeo ran back to her bedroom and opened the door frantically. He saw the mess of knick knacks on the floor but the thing that bothered him most was his beloved Juliet crying like a small child.

She lifted her head from her hands and looked at her love in the door way. A quizzical look crossed her face as he came to her side a wiped away a tear from her check.

"Juliet," he said with a soft velvet voice. "What happened?"

Juliet sniffed and hugged him close. "I thought you had left…that you…"

Romeo shook his head in her hair and pulled away to smile at her. "Never." He said before kissing her hard and deeply.

Silence filled the room for a while as the two teenagers thought about their night together, each quiet to keep the moment sweet. After a few minutes Romeo pulled away from Juliet and wet his lips before taking a deep breath. "The bottles?" he said in a whisper.

Juliet sighed and shrugged. "My mom…she isn't well.." she said simply.

He nodded in understanding. "My parents don't get it either."

When the silence filled the air again Romeo took the time to study Juliet. She was in a simple sheet covering her chest and he was simply in his underwear. She was so beautiful and he couldn't stop thinking about what she looked like last night and how in-sync they were the whole time. Then, the most amazing thought came to mind and he couldn't help but be slightly frustrated that he hadn't though of it before. "Juliet," he said with a smile. "Juliet lets run!"

She tried to guess if he was serious or not but the expression on his face told her that he was defiantly serious. "Where?' she asked averting her eyes from his smile.

"I don't know, we'll just get in my car and drive!" he nearly shouted.

Juliet nodded in approval before kissing him passionately. "Okay! When?"

"We'll leave tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up before sun rise."

The two kissed and laughed for a moment before hearing a door slam. As if on que, the teenagers parted and began to dress as quickly as possible.

"My mothers home!" Juliet cried as she struggled to tie her robe up.

As Romeo pulled his shirt over his head and zipped up his pants Juliet tried to help him then kissed him. "Tomorrow." She smiled.

"Tomorrow." He said. Before he climbed out he window and back down the tree.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of her life.

**

When Juliet came out into the hall she was immediately surprised to find her cousin Ben walking towards her room.

"Ben!" she exclaimed before hugging him tight.

Ben hugged her back but there was something wrong. Something didn't seem right.

"Juliet?" he whispered.

The sound of her drunk mother wondering through the apartment echoed through the halls as Ben grabbed Juliet's arm and pulled her into her bedroom. When he closed the door Juliet knew something was wrong.

"Ben? Ben what's wrong?!"

He put a hand through his hair and sighed. "You cant stay here anymore."

Her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat. "What?" she choked out.

"I found her wondering the streets this morning, you cant live with a drunk anymore, Juliet. When shes out, hammered, before ten in the morning-" he paced up and down in her room. "No! No more! You and I are leaving!"

Juliet felt the sting of tears but stood still. The image of Romeo popped up in her head and she couldn't help but close her eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I cant go." She whispered as Ben settled down a bit.

"You have to." He said coldly. "For me if nothing else."

His piercing green eyes ate their way through her heart as she felt the tears roll down steadily. Ben hugged her then faced the door. "I'll be back tonight to pick you up. Have your things ready to go." He said before opening the door and leaving her behind alone in her bedroom.

Juliet fell to the floor in shock. She was going to have to leave Romeo behind and the thought was heart wrenching. As she cried silently she tried to think of a way out of her fate.