What’s Going On In This Love Scene?

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          � Julie has always been friends with the same group of kids. They are all very popular children, coming from well-to- do families. Julie and her friends have gone to a private school, called Capuleta, since their schooling started and will continue to go until their senior year. Capuleta is the type of school in which everyone is friendly with everyone. All the kids that attend Capulet stick together, especially when facing their rivals, anyone that goes to Monte. Monte is practically the same school as Capuleta is everyway, except it has a different name. Unfortunately, the name makes all the difference.�

None of the teens even remember why they are rivals anymore, but they just keep fighting. Everyone foolishly blames their rivalry on a major conflict that happened years ago. Julie dislikes the kids from Monte as much as anyone that goes to her school, until she meets Romero. Julie was shopping one day at the mall with some of her friends when he started talking to her. At the time, she didn’t know that he went to Monte due to the size of the school. Afraid to discuss her new beau with her friends, she does not tell them of her passions for Romero. She only gets to her feelings with her diary, which has now become her closest friend. Here, she discusses her first meeting with Romero.�

Dear Diary,

Today the most wonderful the happened to me! I was at the mall shopping for Christmas presents with some girls from school and the most wonderful guy started talking to me. . I was waiting on the longest line in the� record store to buy a CD for Rosie. The girls went into a different store while I was waiting to pay for it. Anyway, as I was waiting, someone taped me on the shoulder. I turned around and was face to face with the most gorgeous guy I have ever seen. He seemed to be perfectly two inches taller than me, had blond hair and blue eyes. Even though it’s the middle of winter and about 20 degrees outside, he managed to have a tan. I was so surprised by his good looks that I missed the first thing he said to me and needed him to repeat himself, a couple times. It was somewhat embarrassing but as our afternoon together went on, I managed to forget about it.� He said, “That band is great, and that CD is one of their best. Are you familiar with some of their other CDs?� It wasn’t a pick-up line at all, and it got us talking so I was very happy. I told him that I wasn’t, and was just buying it for my good friend. He said she had good taste, and then I asked him what� he was buying. It turned out that he was buying my favorite CD, and that got us talking even more. He came off as the nicest guy. It may sound kind of crazy because I’m so young, but at that point he was exactly like the guy that I thought I would marry. That is, until he asked me what school I went to. When I replied calmly, “Capuleta,� thinking fate wouldn’t be that cruel to me, his entire face drooped. With anxiety, I asked him if he went to Monte. Of course, fate decided to be cruel, and he does.

However, he said to me, � I really like you, Julie. Maybe we could try to work things out. Come to lunch with me, and we’ll talk more about it.� I told him I had to be careful, because my friends were at the mall and would be looking for me. So, we decided I would find my friends and tell them I was going home because I didn’t feel good. Then, he would take me out to lunch somewhere else. Everything went smoothly, although a couple times he had to run ahead of me or hide in crevices to dodge kids that went to Capuleta.

          � We finally got to an Italian restaurant called A Taste of Verona, after exiting the mall cautiously and driving for twenty minutes. Although I was hungry, I did not mind the car ride- he was extremely agreeable to converse with. We aren’t exactly the same, but had enough similarities to keep us interested in each other. Even though our conversation was good in the car, it was ten times better in the restaurant. Right before we entered the restaurant, he said quietly, � I hope there’s no one from Monte or Capuleta in here. I want to be able to enjoy my time with you, sweetie, and not worry about anyone getting upset because of the names of our school.�� He told me that he thought the rivalry between our schools had gone to far, especially since we couldn’t remember why we were fighting anymore. Plus, he said, just because someone goes to a certain school doesn’t mean they are a bad person. It seems we are so similar on things like this because I agreed with him on this. Then, I started talking about the fights that had recently occurred between my school and his. “The sad reality of it all is that everyone gets involved. It’s not just one particular group from each school. The jocks fight the jocks; preps fight the preps; and the other kids fight the other kids. The faculty even argues with teachers if they teach at the other school. Not only are there fights, but sometimes kids from one school will sabotage a game or a party at the other school. It’s gotten to the point where it needs to stop. I mean, it’s just a name.�

He said, � I know exactly how you feel, but I just don’t know what can be done.� “Oh well, let’s enjoy our lunch together.� With that, we ordered. I had a delicious pasta primavera and he had penne ala vodka. Throughout lunch we joked around, a lot. He has a great sense of humor, and� is absolutely wonderful to talk to. He used all kinds of affectionate names for me, even though I only met him today. It seems like it would be strange, but it didn’t freak me out. Finally, I worked up the courage to ask him why he wanted to talk to me at the mall. I couldn’t have been more delighted with his answer. “Truthfully,� he started out. � I saw you with some of your friends going into Macy’s. Unlike all of your friends, you seemed down-to-earth, sweet and kind. Also, I found you intensely beautiful. I knew I had to meet you. But, I lost you when you came out of Macy’s. After that, I spent about an hour trying to find you, and I was almost ready to give up. I went to buy a CD and ran into you. I had never heard of the CD you were buying, but I knew I had to talk to you. It’s kind of weird, I know, but I just needed to talk to you.�

After that, we just sat gazing into each other’s eyes for about twenty minutes. Then, I said, � I’m really glad you came up to me. You are a great person, and I want to spend more time with you. The only thing that worries me is that we go to different schools- schools that are rivals. If my friends didn’t despise your friends and vice versa, just because of the names of the schools we go to, I don’t think I could see anything wrong with you.�

“Nothing matters now that I have met you. Somehow I think everything will be okay even though the names of our schools are different. I feel like we will find a way to work it all out. Now, I think it’s time for desert. Would you share something with me?�

Of course, I said yes. Together, we picked out this chocolate and whipped-cream dessert. When it came, I devoured it. It was delicious!! Romero just watched me eat it all. Then, he inquired, � Do you believe in love at first site?�

�“Now I do. I just fell in love with you.� I said, holding my breath. I was anxious to see where he was going with this!

�� Good! I was just making sure because I fell in love with you too. I’m happy I found someone as perfect as you.� I almost fell off my chair!! Still holding my breath, I said I was too. At that moment, he leaned in and kissed me. It was definitely the most perfect kiss I’ve ever gotten, although I only knew him for a few hours at that point.

          � The next thing I said really surprised me because I’m not that outgoing. I said, completely at ease with him by now, � You know, I don’t want you to think I’m too forward, but you’re exactly like the guy I pictured myself marrying.�

He reassured me when he said, “I don’t find that inappropriate at all, especially since you are exactly like the girl I pictured myself marrying.� Now he was asking for the check, and I felt bad because I didn’t want him to pay for everything and I also didn’t want to leave. I offered to pay but he wouldn’t let me.

�“Anyway,� I said, � I have to go home soon. My mom just paged me.� I took him up on his proposal. I would have been crazy if I didn’t! We talked on the ride home, but the mood wasn’t as upbeat as it was the rest of the afternoon. I hated the thought of leaving him, and him the thought of leaving me. He actually told me that, he’s just so sweet! The whole car ride we talked about how we couldn’t bare being apart, and how we had to go before my mother saw him, but once again he told me he loved me. “I need to see you again soon. Can you do something tomorrow?� I asked.

“How about I pick you up and then we go to South Hampton? They are only an hour away from here, but we shouldn’t see anyone we know there.� He suggested.

          � “Sounds excellent,� I said. “I don’t want to leave you though. Even though there’s only one night until I see you again, it’s too long.�

          � He sighed and said, “It is too long, I agree. I don’t want to let you out of my sight. Can’t you stay with me for just a little longer?�

          � “I want to, oh-so-badly, but I have to go. My mother is paging me again. I need to soon. I’m going to be in so much trouble!�

          � “I can’t bare to say goodbye to you. Even though we just met, I can’t take the thought of not seeing you for a whole day. Your gorgeous face and eyes gazing at me make my life complete. How about one last hug?�

“Alright, anything for you. But then I must go, okay?� He hugged me, and then I told him that I would only think of him until we meet again tomorrow.

          � So that’s my exciting adventure! AHHH! I can’t take it though! I miss him so much, it’s only 11 pm and I want to see him right now. I have to wait for twelve hours. Some things just aren’t fair! Also, I can’t even talk about him to any of my friends, so basically I can’t talk to any of my friends. This is so difficult! Oh well, I’ll learn to deal because he’s so wonderful! I’m going to get my beauty sleep for tomorrow when I see him again.

Always,

Julie