Chapter Text
Chapter One: The Cruel One
"Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."
"Excellent job, Julri! Great voice!", called out Mrs. Hashemi. I pulled out my ear plugs and clapped along with everyone else. It was his only lines, but he remembered them without error. I guess he gets a clap for that. This school is all about E for effort. The bell rang, right on time. "Poppylan! Don't forget, on Monday it's all about you and Romeo!" I nodded with a plastered smile across my face and made myself scarce. Julri ran to catch up with me as I burst through the hallway doors out into the courtyard. "Pop, hey! Wait up!", he panted. I turned to eye the annoying upperclassman. He was in his senior year while I was in my junior. "What do you want, Julri?", I asked not masking my annoyance. "Ouch. I just wanted to let you know that they chose a Romeo. Some senior named Tora. I don't know too much about the dude. Never met him."
My eyes widened. No freaking way. I couldn't stand that guy! He was narcissistic and buff and smoked his cigarettes as if he was the coolest person in the world. He was unusually cruel and especially mean to anyone who got too close to him. I stayed away from him ever since our last encounter at Jacob's party. He stalked up to me and asked what a little nerd was doing at a party with alcohol. I looked him in the eye and said, "I was wondering the same about you. Considering most people here are excelling in school and you're just some wannabe drop out who trolls under the bridge. Do me a favor will you? I can't waste anymore brain cells on the likes of a Neanderthal like you. So could you maybe move along back with your loser friends so I can enjoy my straight A smart ass self in peace?" He straightened up and loomed over me menacingly for a second as his friends hollered, "She sure told you, Big Bro!" I laughed then. "Big Bro? More like Big Asshole. Or Shrimp Dick. Are you so mean because you're over compensating for something?" A roar of laughter ensued. Tora was livid. I could see his jaws working, but no words left his mouth. He had his arms crossed over his chest, eyeing me intensely. "You kind of remind me of the Hulk right now. Let me go ahead and walk away before you decide to start smashing things that don't belong to you. You know, for someone not too intelligent, I wouldn't put it past you. Goodnight." I walked away with a swish of my hips and a smile on my lips. I could hear his angry growl behind me.
"Poppy? You ok? You've just been staring in space and smiling to yourself. I've been calling your name over and over." I snapped back to reality and glared at Julri. "I'm fine, just had a little flash back from Jacob's party. You know the one where you said you weren't going but showed up with Mimi?" Julri's eyes widened. "I-I explained that... I-I", he began. "Save the bullshit, Julri. You're an asshat. And me even speaking to you is bonkers. Could you like...fudge off?" Julri stammered for a bit longer, but I had already walked away.
As I turned to exit school grounds into the student parking lot to my yellow pick-up truck, I saw the devil himself leaning against a red car and speaking to some blonde airhead who laughed like a screaming toad. I winced at the sound of her voice as it reverberated through my ears unpleasantly. Tora caught sight of me and grinned with those stupidly obscene dimples. I widened and then rolled my eyes for dramatic effect. The bird brain he was with asked, "Whose that chick?" I turned back once I reached my driver's side door and we made eye contact. Tora didn't answer her. His eyes bore into mine almost inviting me to reply. So I gave an answer instead. "Chick? You laugh like a screaming toad, so I imagine you aren't too bright. If you want to know who I am, I'm the girl about to get in her truck and mind her damn business. Just like you should, Sweetie." The blonde snorted angrily and smacked Tora on the arm when he laughed. "That's not funny, Tora!" "Fuck if it isn't", he said continuing to roar with laughter as the girl stomped off away from him. "Looks like you lost your girl", I called out to him just before jumping into the drivers seat. As I started the car, a pair of huge crossed arms spilled into my window and scared the shit out of me for a moment. Collecting myself from the jump that almost sent me through the roof, I scowled at him. "Well...I can always get a new one. Now couldn't I", he said to me with a wink, reaching into the truck to pinch my cheek. "As if, toad licker!", I said flipping him off as I sped out of the lot. I could still hear his laughter ringing in my ears. Who the hell does he think he is? Clark Gable?
When I got home, dad was sitting on the porch. He looked a little worse today than normal. He had cancer, and it took a toll on his whole body. He recently lost his hair, so he kept a cap on at all times. He smiled when he saw my truck turn into the driveway. "Hey-Ho there Poppy my gal! How was school today?", he practically sang. I giggled. "It was ok. I found out who will be playing my Romeo in the school play. He's a real life toad." Dad laughed and held a hand out to me as I hopped out of the truck. I slammed the door and locked it. The old truck seemed to groan. "You've got to be more gentle with her, Poppy", said my dad gently patting the hood of the car. "This is a classic." Granny stepped out just in time with her normal sassy response. She was staying with us to take care of dad. "Classic piece of shit, Rob. You know I've been telling you to get that girl a new car for ages." My dad rolled his eyes and blew out his breath. "Hhhuuuuuhhh.... Mom, I told you she picked the truck from Ernie's garage. It's the one she wanted." Granny winked at me and clapped him on the back, sending dad bending forward. "Bullshit she did. She didn't pick it without a little bird in her ear. Ahem!" My dad stood up straight again and turned to her. "Alright, maybe I did make the suggestion for the price, Ma, but she agreed so let it rest already." Granny pouted. "Nope. Don't think I will." Dad slapped himself upside the head and retreated inside of the house.
When we were alone, Granny ushered me to the swinging bench I loved connected to the large oak tree on the lawn. We sat down together and I started to swing with my feet. Hers didn't touch the ground. "Poppylan, I must tell you that your dad is worsening. The doctor and his nurse said he could pass any day now. I'm so sorry, Sweetheart." I looked up at the leaves in the tall oak tree as we swung gently. I didn't reply. What could I say? My father was dying. I didn't tell my friends or anyone at school. I'm not here for the pity parties. We swung in silence for a while before she spoke again, changing the subject entirely. "Anything new with school? Are you going to graduate early?" I nodded. "Yep. Still valedictorian. I'll be in college next fall." Granny put an arm around shoulder and laid her head down against me. "We're so proud of you, Sweetheart." I didn't reply once again. I knew. My dads eyes lit up when I told him I would graduate early, but then glazed over when he realized he probably wouldn't be alive to see it.
"Wanna stay out here for a while or go inside to eat? I baked spaghetti!" I loved her spaghetti. "Right behind you, old lady!", I playfully called out behind her. We ate like we always did. Talked about where we thought mom was. She was a free spirit and roamed all around like Carmen SanDiego. "Who knows where your mother is", Granny would say at last with a shake of her head. I could see the pain in my Dads eyes whenever she was mentioned. He loved her, even still. The rest of dinner was relatively quiet, and we changed the subject when we did speak to happier times.
After I excused myself from the dinner table, I left to get ready for bedtime. I plopped on my bed and dried my hair fresh out of the shower. I left Granny and Dad to their own devices. I reached for my phone to send a quick text to Maribelle amd Danae to remind them about our family dinner on Sunday. When I turned on the phone, there was a text from an unknown number. It was sent while I was in the shower. I opened it out of curiosity and skimmed through the words once, twice and three times.
'Hey. This is ya Romeo here. I figured since we start practice on Monday that I would get ya number and text ya mine so we can correspond. - Sincerely, Toad Licker
I couldn't help but chuckle. Who the hell gave him my number? I looked at the clock and it was well after 11pm. I responded:
"Alright, who gave the digits? And why text me so late? Are you up thinking about me or something?"
My phone pinged with a response moments later:
'Not telling, because I am a night owl and felt like it?, and what if I was?'
'Alright. Well I wouldn't imagine you would be up thinking about a so-called 'nerd'.' - I responded and pressed send.
I saw that he was typing and my heart was beating fast. He was a jerk on campus, and I didn't even know why I was entertaining him.
"Well...ya may be a nerd, but ya also a fiesty little hamster girl. Put a Big Asshole like me in my place. Plus I think ya kind of cute."
That was it. He was trying to play those games? Trying to seduce me like those screaming toad airheads at school? This conversation was ending.
"Thanks for reaching out with your info. I guess I will see you on Monday. Goodnight."
He started to type and retract. Then he typed again.
"Goodnight, Sweetheart. See ya Monday!"
I could almost see those stupid dimples as I assumed he was grinning at the way I ignored what he said. I sent Maribelle and Danae the dinner reminder and tossed my phone onto the nightstand. I couldn't help but think about that big handsome lug. He irritated the hell out of me. Now he has my number? Shit. Facing him on Monday to go over lines had my stomach in knots. I didn't know how much longer I could keep up the 'feisty' act before I crumbled to this insufferable man. I had a lot on my plate, and I didn't have room for another problem. I had to hold on to my resolve and keep him at a safe distance. I couldn't let him affect me. I would drudge through this play as if my life depended on it because technically it did. My future at least. I'd just have to make his ass uncomfortable if he tried anything. Ah well....I'm going to let sleep consume me, and I'll worry about it later.
To be continued...