SWEET INNOCENCE
Chapter Seven
On the night of the play, Jack and Rose
looked forward to their performance. Rose's mom, of course, had not shown up
after Rose had told her the news of Jack and her getting married and that she
was pregnant. Rose hardly cared at all. She never went to any of the special
events in her life anyway.
Rose dressed in a beautiful gown. Jack wore
the knight costume. He looked hot and tempting. Sometimes she glanced at him
and wondered if he was really hers.
The scene started out with the Capulets and
the Montagues arguing.
TYBALT: Well, sir, here comes my man.
Tybalt moved toward Romeo, who bounded from
his car, full of happy news.
TYBALT: Romeo, the love I bear thee can
afford no better term than this.
Tybalt cleared his jacket from his sidearm
and issued the challenge.
TYBALT: Thou art a villain!
Romeo calmly approached his new cousin.
ROMEO: Tybalt, the reason that I have to love
thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage. To such a greeting, villain am I
none. Therefore, farewell. I see thou knowest me not.
Romeo let out his hand as if to say peace.
TYBALT: Boy, this shall not excuse the
injuries that thou hast done me!
Tybalt spat at him, then confronted him.
Romeo stood still as Tybalt beat him. And the
fighting began, but he did nothing.
TYBALT: Turn and draw.
A cut had opened in the side of Romeo's
mouth. He unsteadily lifted himself up, and meeting Tybalt's gaze, speaks
through bloodied teeth.
ROMEO: I never injured thee. And so, good
Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as mine own...
Romeo cautiously extracted his gun.
ROMEO: ...be satisfied.
And threw it at Tybalt's feet.
Storm clouds obscured the sun as Romeo turned
and walked. Mercutio, Benvolio and the others could not believe their eyes.
MERCUTIO: Oh calm, dishonorable, vile
submission!
Tybalt kicked savagely at the helpless Romeo.
Suddenly, Mercutio appeared, running. He plucked
up one of the splintered wooden palings and yelled.
MERCUTIO: Tybalt, you rat catcher.
As he bludgeoned him across the face. Tybalt
went down.
MERCUTIO: Will you walk?
Tybalt leaped to his feet, grabbing a lump of
wood.
TYBALT: What wouldst thou have with me?
He swiped at Mercutio. Mercutio jabbed.
Tybalt sidestepped. Unarmed, Tybalt threw his full body weight upon Mercutio,
slamming him against a window that shattered in a storm of glass. Lightning
fast, Mercutio jackknifed to his feet. He raised his weapon to deliver a
skull-crushing final blow to the trapped Tybalt. Romeo rushed between them.
ROMEO: Forbear this outrage, good Mercutio!
Seizing the opportunity, Tybalt lunged at
Romeo with a lethal triangle of broken glass. He missed, gouging instead a
slash of flesh from Mercutio's stomach. There was a scream of excruciating pain
as Mercutio grabbed at his bloodied side. Everyone was still. In the abrupt
silence, sirens were heard closing in the distance. Abra tugged at Tybalt.
Benvolio went to Mercutio.
BENVOLIO: Art thou hurt?
But Mercutio, covering his wound with his
hand, laughs.
MERCUTIO: Ay, ay, a scratch. A scratch!
Mercutio, holding his bleeding side, joked
through the pain.
MERCUTIO: A plague o' both your houses!
Mercutio turned from the cheering boys to
Romeo, who was struggling to support his weight. Mercutio, through weak and
desperate, was breathing.
MERCUTIO: Why the devil came you between us?
I was hurt under your arm.
Romeo starts to register the panic in Mercutio's
eyes.
ROMEO: I thought all for the best.
Like an animal trying to break free from a
mortal trap, Mercutio pushed Romeo away. He screamed in horror, as if falling
in the dark.
MERCUTIO: A plague o' both your houses! They
have made worms' meat of me.
Mercutio staggered and collapsed in the dirt.
Romeo was there instantly, cradling his friend's head out of the dust. The
dying boy stared back at Romeo, smiling through the chilling cold.
MERCUTIO: (a silent whisper) Your houses!
Everything stood still. Everything was quiet.
Mercutio was dead.
The scenes went fast toward the end of the
show. Rose was excited for the final scene.
Juliet lay there on the stage. Romeo came in
from the audience. When he reached Juliet, she lay there sound asleep. As
Romeo's eyes adjusted, he could just see, picked out by a shaft of blue
moonlight, the glowing figure of a sleeping girl. He moved down the aisle past
the tombs of long-dead Capulets. Romeo was close now. He halted, as if in the
presence of an unbelievable vision. He lit a match, and the room glowed gold.
The warm light revealed a Juliet even more beautiful in seeming death. Romeo
knelt close, as if not wanting to wake a sleeping child. Unconscious tears fell
from his eyes as he whispered.
ROMEO: Ah, dear Juliet, why art thou yet so
fair? Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous and keeps thee here
in dark to be his paramour? For fear of that I still will stay with thee. Here,
oh here will I set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
from this world-wearied flesh.
He lay himself close.
ROMEO: Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your
last embrace. And, lips, oh you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous
kiss.
Gently, Romeo kissed Juliet's lips. Ever so
slightly, Juliet's hand moved--Romeo did not notice.
ROMEO: A dateless bargain to engrossing
death.
Romeo drank from the vial. It tasted awfully
funny. He continued on with his lines.
ROMEO: O true apothecary, thy drugs are
quick.
Behind Romeo's head, they could see Juliet's
eyes opening. Romeo sucked the last few breaths of life into his lungs. Through
a blurry consciousness, Juliet became aware of Romeo.
JULIET: Oh Romeo, what's here?
Forcing herself up, she cradled his head in
her arms. Romeo's clear, wide eyes stared back. He was completely still but for
the sound of weak breaths desperately drawn across motionless lips. Juliet
found the vial clenched in Romeo's hand. Tears slipped from her eyes.
JULIET: Drunk all, and left no friendly drop
to help me after. I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on
them. To make me die with a restorative.
She delicately kissed Romeo's lips.
Desperately, the lovers clung to each other. With all his desire to stay alive,
Romeo whispered.
ROMEO: Thus, with a kiss, I die.
There was no breath. He was still. Silence.
Sobbing, Juliet hugged the lifeless Romeo to her. Juliet cried loudly. Juliet
looked to the gun beside her. She cocked it, and her hand slipped. It fired
with a bang!
Rose looked, wondering what the hell was
going on. The gun was supposed to be fake.
Rose shook Jack. He fell lifelessly.
She screamed.
Everyone ran to them. Rose got Jack and
yelled, "Get a doctor! Quick!"
Within fifteen minutes, the ambulance
arrived.