Lady Capulet's voice pierced the room.
"What have you done?" she screamed at Juliet.
The music stopped. Paris was nowhere to be seen.
"Keep playing," Lord Capulet ordered the musicians. They started up again.
Straining to see what was going on, I caused a traffic jam in the dance circle. Lady Capulet's face contorted with rage and she began to pull Juliet down the stairs. Juliet grimaced as her mother yanked her arm. She was in huge trouble. She'd probably get grounded. I needed to explain.
I started toward her. "I cannot follow you," Benvolio told me, taking my hand. "I must not go anywhere near Lady Capulet."
"I've got to see if Juliet's okay."
"I understand." He smiled sweetly, then kissed my hand. "Until we meet again."
My entire body felt that single kiss. Reluctantly, I slid my fingers from his. "Yes. Until then."
Struggling to get through the crowd, I lost sight of Juliet and her mother but figured that they would head to her bedroom. The uncomfortable wooden heels clunked as I stumbled up the marble stairs, twisting my ankle twice. Nurse stood outside Juliet's door, still in her stained apron, pacing fretfully. Juliet's sobs penetrated the walls. "Oh dear," Nurse said, wringing her hands. "She's in dire trouble, she is. Don't go in there. Her ladyship's temper is not fit for delicate ears."
"Mother, please!" I heard. I went in anyway.
Lady Capulet held Juliet by the shoulders. The Leaning Tower had tumbled over and Juliet's black mask lay on the floor. "How dare you do such a thing?" her mother shrieked. "You have embarrassed the entire family."
I said nothing. I didn't know what to do. I stood in the doorway, trembling.
"Mother ... " Juliet choked back tears.
"Don't speak to me, ungrateful child." She slapped Juliet's cheek -- a sharp sound like the snap of a whip. Juliet gasped and ran to the comer, but Lady Capulet followed. "You will obey your parents. We know what is best for you. I know what is best for you." She slapped her again and Juliet fell to the floor.
I wanted to rush forward and hug Juliet. I wanted to slap Lady Capulet myself. My mother had never slapped me -- never. But she had called me ungrateful. And she had told me she knew what was best for me countless times. All my resentments bubbled to the surface. Yell back, I wanted to shout. Tell her you don't want to marry him. Tell her to leave you alone. Tell her you hate acting.
Lady Capulet stood over Juliet, who lay in a heap of velvet and fallen hair. "I shall have to lower my price, if he will still have you. Your father shall beat you for this insolence. Do you hear me?"
Juliet said nothing and, honest to God, Lady Capulet raised her foot, about to kick her daughter.
"Wait," I cried out. If this were Manhattan I'd tell that woman to lay off. I'd tell her that I would report her to the authorities for child abuse. I'd take Juliet to Los Angeles with me. "It wasn't her idea."
Lady Capulet turned on me like a vicious dog, all teeth and spittle. "What do you know of this?"
"Mother," Juliet begged. "Please, she knows nothing of this."
"Aha!" Lady Capulet said, plucking the last onion from my tower. "I should have known. I thought there was something suspicious about your sudden arrival. How much did the Montagues pay you?"
"What?"
"How much did they pay you to shame my family?" Then she slapped me as well. And it hurt. Even with a thick coat of oil-based makeup to cushion the blow, it hurt.
I don't know if you've ever been hit by another person. I hope not. It's a vile experience because, along with the shock and pain, you feel shamed by the act itself, when it's the hitter who should feel the shame. But Lady Capulet showed no remorse.
Tears stung my eyes and I pressed my hand against my throbbing cheek. "You had no right to do that."
"Mother," Juliet begged again. "It was all my fault. My fault."
This wasn't fun anymore. What happened to all the fun I was supposed to be having? What happened to the
"What have you done?" she screamed at Juliet.
The music stopped. Paris was nowhere to be seen.
"Keep playing," Lord Capulet ordered the musicians. They started up again.
Straining to see what was going on, I caused a traffic jam in the dance circle. Lady Capulet's face contorted with rage and she began to pull Juliet down the stairs. Juliet grimaced as her mother yanked her arm. She was in huge trouble. She'd probably get grounded. I needed to explain.
I started toward her. "I cannot follow you," Benvolio told me, taking my hand. "I must not go anywhere near Lady Capulet."
"I've got to see if Juliet's okay."
"I understand." He smiled sweetly, then kissed my hand. "Until we meet again."
My entire body felt that single kiss. Reluctantly, I slid my fingers from his. "Yes. Until then."
Struggling to get through the crowd, I lost sight of Juliet and her mother but figured that they would head to her bedroom. The uncomfortable wooden heels clunked as I stumbled up the marble stairs, twisting my ankle twice. Nurse stood outside Juliet's door, still in her stained apron, pacing fretfully. Juliet's sobs penetrated the walls. "Oh dear," Nurse said, wringing her hands. "She's in dire trouble, she is. Don't go in there. Her ladyship's temper is not fit for delicate ears."
"Mother, please!" I heard. I went in anyway.
Lady Capulet held Juliet by the shoulders. The Leaning Tower had tumbled over and Juliet's black mask lay on the floor. "How dare you do such a thing?" her mother shrieked. "You have embarrassed the entire family."
I said nothing. I didn't know what to do. I stood in the doorway, trembling.
"Mother ... " Juliet choked back tears.
"Don't speak to me, ungrateful child." She slapped Juliet's cheek -- a sharp sound like the snap of a whip. Juliet gasped and ran to the comer, but Lady Capulet followed. "You will obey your parents. We know what is best for you. I know what is best for you." She slapped her again and Juliet fell to the floor.
I wanted to rush forward and hug Juliet. I wanted to slap Lady Capulet myself. My mother had never slapped me -- never. But she had called me ungrateful. And she had told me she knew what was best for me countless times. All my resentments bubbled to the surface. Yell back, I wanted to shout. Tell her you don't want to marry him. Tell her to leave you alone. Tell her you hate acting.
Lady Capulet stood over Juliet, who lay in a heap of velvet and fallen hair. "I shall have to lower my price, if he will still have you. Your father shall beat you for this insolence. Do you hear me?"
Juliet said nothing and, honest to God, Lady Capulet raised her foot, about to kick her daughter.
"Wait," I cried out. If this were Manhattan I'd tell that woman to lay off. I'd tell her that I would report her to the authorities for child abuse. I'd take Juliet to Los Angeles with me. "It wasn't her idea."
Lady Capulet turned on me like a vicious dog, all teeth and spittle. "What do you know of this?"
"Mother," Juliet begged. "Please, she knows nothing of this."
"Aha!" Lady Capulet said, plucking the last onion from my tower. "I should have known. I thought there was something suspicious about your sudden arrival. How much did the Montagues pay you?"
"What?"
"How much did they pay you to shame my family?" Then she slapped me as well. And it hurt. Even with a thick coat of oil-based makeup to cushion the blow, it hurt.
I don't know if you've ever been hit by another person. I hope not. It's a vile experience because, along with the shock and pain, you feel shamed by the act itself, when it's the hitter who should feel the shame. But Lady Capulet showed no remorse.
Tears stung my eyes and I pressed my hand against my throbbing cheek. "You had no right to do that."
"Mother," Juliet begged again. "It was all my fault. My fault."
This wasn't fun anymore. What happened to all the fun I was supposed to be having? What happened to the
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