Losing Romeo

To Malinda, for always believing this would happen.

Chapter One

A tiny object fell out of the letter as she unfolded it, bouncing off the bed and falling to the floor.

“Dang it,” Rosaline said, dropping to her knees. Every time she got a letter from Romeo she turned into a total spaz. Thank goodness no one was here to hear the squeal she’d made when she’d seen the letter taped to her window. She swept her hand underneath her bed, searching for whatever had fallen.

Her hips hit the unforgiving hardwood floor as she dropped onto her stomach. A layer of fuzzy dust bunnies coated the floor. Apparently, they’d been down here multiplying like, well, bunnies.

Ew. Are those M&Ms?

She didn’t even remember the last time she’d had M&Ms.

Pink caught her eye, and she stretched her arm, wondering how it could’ve even gotten that far. Her fingers closed around the tiny thing, and she pinched it tightly so it couldn’t get away again. She wiped it on her jeans as she pushed to her knees and then lifted it up to study it. Small pink circle, the image of an arrow through a heart on front. It looked like candy, but since there was only one, she assumed it was some type of pill. That or Romeo thought she needed to cut back on her sweets.

Closing her hand around whatever it was, she flopped onto the bed and opened the letter it’d come in.

Rosaline,

In all its years, even the sun has not seen beauty like yours. You’re all I can think about. Tell me that my friends are wrong, that you’re not just stringing me along. I’m sneaking into the Capulet party tonight to see you. The pill is a gift from Mercutio. He told me to find a girl at the party I actually have a chance with and give it to her. But I only want you. Take it, and I’ll take one, too. Then find me, and we’ll make it the best party ever.

Love,

Romeo

A flutter went through her stomach. He’d signed it “Love.” Said the sun had never seen beauty like hers. He was sneaking into the Capulet party. To see her.

Rosaline grinned, unable to contain her excitement. She should tell him it was a bad idea—if a Montague was found at a Capulet party…

I don’t even want to know what Ty will do to him if they run into each other.
She didn’t know why Romeo and her cousin Ty hated each other so much, only that they did. In fact, her entire extended family and Romeo’s had some stupid feud that went back generations.

I’ve got to tell Romeo not to risk it.

His image popped into her head. Dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes—piercing blue eyes. The ever-present dimpled smile. She recalled how her hand had felt in his the other day, and anticipation tingled across her skin. She couldn’t tell him not to go. She wanted to see him too badly. Over the past month, she’d forced herself to take it slow. According to Clara, a guy didn’t think you were worth it if there wasn’t a big chase—especially guys like Romeo. Maybe it was going to an all-girls Catholic school, but Rosaline always fell for the wrong guys. The minute a cute guy paid her any attention, she’d get all caught up, make out with him, and then be stung the next time she saw him and he acted like she didn’t exist. While she’d been doubtful about Clara’s advice at first, she’d held back with Romeo, forcing herself to take it slow, and it seemed to be working.

But she was done waiting. A couple of days ago, she and Romeo had been standing in the parking lot by the beach, saying their goodbyes. Romeo had his arms wrapped around her, his lips nearing hers. He’d been warm, his citrusy sunshine scent enveloping her as the tips of his hair brushed her cheek…

And she’d stupidly pulled back. Partly because Clara and Sophie were there, along with Romeo’s friends Ben and Mercutio, and she wasn’t the suck-face-in-front-of-people type, and partly because she’d thought of the two other guys who’d ignored her after she’d kissed them. Her worries that Romeo might do the same thing overtook rational thought, and then she’d totally blown it!

Rosaline cringed at memory, mentally smacking herself in the forehead.
I suck at boys.

This party was going to be her second chance. She was going to pick out her hottest outfit, go to that party, and tonight, she and Romeo were going to have that kiss she’d spent so many hours dreaming about.

***

One of the best things about Verona, California, was the always-perfect weather, day or night. Which meant a short, strappy dress with no worries of being cold.

Rosaline ran her flat iron down the last section of her hair, the pale blond she worked so hard to maintain now free from the obnoxious natural wave she fought on a daily basis. She grabbed a purple cardigan to go over her white and purple floral print dress so the parents wouldn’t freak, then eyed the tiny pill on her dresser.

She’d never taken drugs before, and she swore she never would. After all, she was a good Catholic girl—one who rarely broke even the tiniest of rules. But she was planning her first kiss with Romeo, and her stomach was twisting and her palms were sweating and her heart was pumping like she was all jacked up on caffeine.

The pill felt so tiny as she pinched it between her fingers. Such a small dose wouldn’t be
that
bad, would it?

She slid it into the pocket of her silver beaded clutch.
Just in case.

Another quick mirror check, an extra spritz of Very Sexy perfume, and she was rushing out of the house to hop into the car with her friends.

Fifteen minutes later, Clara pulled up in front of Uncle Marco’s. Tiny white lights lit the pathway and hung from tree branches, and there were tables lined with food and Italian soda so you could grab something on the way into the house, as if a person could starve or die of thirst before they stepped inside. “Whoa,” Clara said. “They really go all out, don’t they?”

Rosaline leaned over and readjusted the strap on her sandals. “Uncle Marco and Aunt Gloria like to take every opportunity to flaunt their wealth.”

“And they just let Juliet throw huge parties?”

“I guess her mom really wants her to meet this Paris dude. Juliet’s always been this naive, romantic dreamer. Her parents have kept her pretty sheltered, then all of a sudden,
boom!
Her mom’s pushing these rich yuppies at her.”

Sophie poked her head between Rosaline’s and Clara’s seats. “Yeah, real sad. Now let’s go party.”

As she and her friends walked the lit walkway, Rosaline’s heart beat faster and faster. Her clutch felt heavy, like it wanted her to dig inside and take that pill. Take away the nervousness.

Sophie charged through the door and threw herself into the throng of people. Boy crazy was an understatement, and she wasn’t about to let anyone else slow her down.

As Rosaline looked around, all the ways she could screw up tonight kept running through her head.
Romeo has probably kissed a lot of girls. What if I suck compared to the rest of them?

Her lungs deflated, no longer able to take in oxygen, and she could feel her pulse straining at her neck. All the people… The walls closing in… Flashes of Romeo’s perfect face. No air, no air.

Clara put her hand on Rosaline’s arm. “You okay, Roz?”

She gulped and nodded. “Yeah. It’s silly to be so nervous, I know, but I am. Romeo could have anyone. Why would he want me?”

Clara clutched her chest dramatically. “Because in all its years, the sun has never seen beauty like yours.”

Rosaline shook her head. “I knew I shouldn’t have shown you that note.”

Clara tucked a strand of her sleek red hair behind her ear. “Around me and Soph, you’re all feisty sarcastic fun. But you always freeze up around guys. So instead of talking to them, you just start kissing them.”

Rosaline frowned. “That makes me sound kinda skanky, you know.”

“
I
know that you’re not throwing yourself at them, but that’s sometimes how it comes across. Even after the kissing, you don’t talk to them. So of course they only think of you as a make-out buddy.”

“You’re doing a bang-up job with the pep talk. I think I’ll just give up now and walk right back out of the house.” Rosaline turned toward the door, and Clara grabbed her arm.

“I’m saying it’s different with Romeo already. You’ve taken time to get to know him, and since you were around us, being your usual charming self, he got to know you, too. The real you. And he likes you. Sneaks-you-letters-that-have-sappy-poetry likes you. So playing it cool is over. Now it’s time to show him what a hot chick he’s landed himself.”

I can do that.

I think.

I hope.

Rosaline eyed her clutch again. Hidden inside there was a sure way to calm herself. Romeo said he’d take one, too. They’d do it together. Knowing Clara would disapprove, she turned away from her and dug out the pink pill with shaky hands. Afraid she’d chicken out if she thought about it any longer, she tossed the pill in her mouth and swallowed it down. The second she’d done it she wanted to take it back. Too late now, though. So she smoothed a hand down her hair and walked toward the crowd, looking for the guy she wasn’t going to freeze up around anymore.

***

Blurs of colors. Pleasant fuzziness. Happiness warming her chest, making her entire body floaty and light. But still no sign of Romeo. And dang, did she feel like doing some serious making out. Clara and Sophie were hanging out with a couple of guys, and she decided to do another sweep of the room.

Maybe he couldn’t get in. Maybe he ran into Ty and they got in a fight. Or maybe...
Her heart sank.
Maybe he changed his mind about me.

She caught sight of curly black hair. Mercutio. She tried to call out to him, but her tongue stumbled across the word. Not like his name was easy to say anyway. She’d asked him about it once and all he’d said was it was a family name—seemed sensitive about it, too.

Mercutio turned, and she saw Ben standing next to him. No Romeo.

“Have you guys seen Romeo?” Her words got swallowed by the pounding bass line of the music.

Ben’s eyebrows drew together and he leaned closer. “What?”

“Romeo. Is he here?”

Ben cast a quick glance at Mercutio and then looked back at her. “He went to find you. A long time ago.”

“I haven’t seen him,” Rosaline said. “You don’t think he ran into Ty, do you?”

“We would definitely hear that fight,” Ben said. A girl with very little clothing walked by, and he followed her movements with his gaze, his mouth hanging ajar. Without another word, he charged after her.

Rosaline reached out to tap Mercutio’s shoulder and see if she could get any information from him, but then people were running past, fleeing toward the back door. She knew she should be concerned, but all she felt was the overwhelming desire to find Romeo. And kiss him. Man, did she want to press her lips against his. Kiss him while all the beautiful colors of the room spun into a rainbow like they were doing now.

It’s going to be
so
magical.

A cop in a dark blue uniform stepped in front of her, eyebrows drawn low, a crinkled frown on his face. Why wasn’t he happy? Everything here was
so amazing!
“How old are you?” he asked.

“Have you seen Romeo? About yay tall” —she lifted her hand a foot above her head—“dirty blond hair, amazing blue eyes. I need to find him. I need to show him how much I
love
him.”

The cop’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned closer, peering into her eyes. His fingers brushed her skin, the sensation oddly pleasant.

And then he was cuffing her wrists, the metal digging into her skin, and it wasn’t so pleasant anymore. He thrust her toward a female officer. “This one’s on something. Something much stronger than alcohol.”

The female officer grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door.

Rosaline dug in her heels, tugging against the woman. “I can’t go. I still need to find Romeo.” She glanced around the room, noticing only a few stragglers, none of them the guy she was looking for. “Romeo? Romeo? Where the hell are you, Romeo?”