• Just Another Day Part Three

    Surrounded in bright moonlight, I stared up at the moon with deep wonder. The pond reflected the rose bushes and vines. Ow, ow, ow. Stepping further, the vines crept up my legs, digging their thorns into me. Silent screams escaped my lips, but no one was there to listen. Or was there? Blue roses blossomed in front of my tear filled eyes. One then the next, rose after rose, I began feeling weaker. Red highlights tipped the rose, then dribbling off the sides. Blood. My blood. Screaming in horror, there was Vincent Vladimir, clear as day with a look of horror. Running through the thorn cover vines, Mr. Vladimir cut through the vines constricting me as if they had been nothing. The roses shriveled and died around me. But then one single rose remained. My rose. Mr. Vladimir stared at me with passion but then he fell to the ground. My flower, staring me in the eyes bled from the tips, then shriveled up and died just as the others along with Vincent Vladimir.
    Gasping for air, I sat up sweating. “Oh. My. God.” I choked out panting. What a crazy dream, I thought. I stood up and trudged to the pantry and pulled out a bagel.
    “Hey, little miss I-can’t-stop-screaming-in-my-sleep,” My obnoxious roommate Aleah chirped at me..
    “I’m not in the mood little miss I-think-I’m-so-wonderful,” I hissed between my teeth. Biting into my bagel, she stared at me. “What?” I asked curiously.
    “It was that bad of a dream, huh?” She asked with some concern.
    “Yeah, it kinda was,” I said throwing out the rest of my bagel, then went to retrieve my clothes for the day.
    Pulling out my new pair of skinny jeans, that were mailed from my parents, and my Hello Panda t-shirt, I slid them on with ease. Then on my way out Aleah stopped me, “Hey, Alisa, have a … good day.” She said forcing a smile.
    “Yeah, you too,” I said, pulling the same fake grin she had given. Dashing out the door, I looked back to the dormitory. What a horrid dream, I thought to my self, shivering in utter disgust at my new found pessimistic imagination.
    Walking into Mrs. Barges room with my best wow-do-you-think-I-care attitude, I plopped into my seat. Another lesson, another pain in the neck, I thought silently. Then a raise of whispers floated around the room. “Hey, it’s that one chick that fought Mr. Vladimir,” and “Oh, really? She’s so lucky!” also following “I heard she stands out like he does!”
    All eyes met mine. “What do you want?!” I growled.
    “Yes, Ms. Morozov, what do you want?” Mrs. Barge scolded with a frown, almost seeming to match her many wrinkles, just this one forming all the way across her face.
    Shut into a hush of embarrassment, I looked down and hissed “nothing.” And that about was the highlight of first hour, oh joyous!
    Then, as if things couldn’t get weirder today, Mr. McElroy had us act! “Let’s begin my little thespians!” He yelled over the chaos of role casting.
    “Oh, wow! Alisa, you got Juliet?” Mia cried in joy and envy.
    “I guess,” I said glancing down.
    “Okay, girl, what is with you today?! You’ve hardly opened your mouth today, unless it was to scold, lecture, or scrutinize someone’s actions!” Mia argued.
    “Just a little down, okay?” I said with a hateful glare. Mia simply stared at me with worry flashing in her eyes. “So, I heard this is a school cast, not just one class.” I said flipping the subject.
    “Yeah, it is!” Mia said lighting up. “I wonder who Mr. Romeo will be?” She said as if to me a salon gossip-queen.
    “Yeah, me too.” I replied with lack of care.
    “Okay, let’s get to work, Juliet,” Mr. Mc Elroy said placing his hand on my back to push me to the front of the room. Reading the script, I recited “Oh Romeo, Oh Romeo. Why art thou called Romeo? Deny your father, and reject thy name; or, if you wont, just be my sworn love, and I’ll no longer be a capulet.”
    Inhaling, I was cut off by applause and my “Romeo” interjecting to tell me that I was great. The famous Romeo was no other than Shane. Then, realizing who was his “Juliet” he just gawked and turned to Mr. McElroy, “I resign.”
    “What? Why?” Mr. McElroy asked in panic.
    “I’m not good enough, because I’m not a cheater like Romeo.” Shane threw the word cheater in my face, as if thinking it to be my kryptonite.
    “O-okay?” Mr. McElroy stuttered. “I guess the role will be pronounced to the runner up, congrats, Dante.”
    A tall, tan young man with blond hair dashed up. “Ha, I told you all I’d get the part.” He said laughing towards his friends.
    “Great,” I muttered under my breath.
    “Resign to your next class, students. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Mr. McElroy cheered.
    Running out the door, I saw my next class gathering around the oh to familiar pond. Taking my place in line, I stared at the ground, as if to be searching for the murderous vines. “Back into pairs!” Mr. Vladimir yelled. “Mrs. Morozov, you wont be working with me today-”
    Stopping Mr. Vladimir’s sentence I hissed, “Why?”
    Turning away, Mr. Vladimir just simply growled back “You need diversity.”
    “But that’s not fair! Why? I mean you even said that you liked my defiance!” Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, I began to wonder if his words to me yesterday had been lies.
    “You heard me! Now go! Now!” He said with a harsh flick of his wrist to an older man that was old enough to be my grandfather.
    “A fat lot you’ll do,” I whispered.
    “H-hello, deary,” he cooed to me. “Let’s fight, miss.” The old man held up his fist as I bellowed out a loud laugh. “What?” He asked laughing with me to my unsaid joke.
    “Nothing.” I said sitting myself upon the ground.
    “Fight me! Don’t go easy on this old man.” He wheezed as I held him off with one hand.
    Displeased, Mr. Vladimir walked up to me and shook his head. “You’re dismissed, Ms. Morozov.” Anger seemed to flash through his eyes.
    Standing up, I looked into his disappointed eyes. So that was it. I was nothing to him. I mean not that it matters. I gathered my bags then left the field as the old man waved me goodbye and Vincent just stood staring into the lake.
    Back at my dorm, I slammed my bedroom door shut as Aleah went to complain about my “fashion crimes.” I’m so done with this. This school, this roommate, and most of all this idiocy named Vincent Vladimir! Tugging off my Hello Panda t-shirt I yanked on my favorite “Kiss me I’m different” shirt and my “Bite Me” shorts, and then curled up into my single bed and flicked on my television. Spongebob, Dora, Go! Diego! Go! Dear lord! Where are all the good shows?! Finally stumbling across one of my favorite movies, I stopped. Queen of The Damned. “No! Lestat! No! Don’t play the violin! Don’t do it!” I cried in horror. Then a small wrapping on my window was heard.
    “Hello?” I said curiously poking my head out the window. There sat a note. Unfolding the little red note, in black ink read:
    Meet Me By The Pond -Vincent Vladimir
    Climbing through my opened window, I saw another blue rose upon the ground. I walked under the canopy of trees once again, as if to be a mock image of my nightmare, excluding the vines. I had finally arrived at the pond when I caught sight of Vincent sitting upon a hillside next to the water. Hearing me coming. He turned with a calming smile. “Alisa, you made it.” He said almost sighing with relief. “Sit, if you please,” he said staring idly at the clouds.
    “What was it that you wish of me to be out here at this hour?” I asked receiving chills as I neared closer.
    “To catch the beautiful night air with a person as familiar as yourself is not enough reason?” He answered my question with another.
    “It is your name that is my enemy! You are yourself, though not a montague. What’s a montague? It isn’t hand nor foot nor arm nor face nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet; so would Romeo, were he not called Romeo retain that dear perfection that he owns, without that title?” I quoted.
    “Just call me ‘love’, and I’ll be newly baptized; from then I’ll never be Romeo.” Vincent recited back. His purple eyes gazed into my neon green eyes and then looked up at the moon, almost as if to be replaying memories in his head.
    Vincent, why is it that when you seem so…. Different one moment then the next you’ll set me into whiplash the next? I thought to myself with awe.
    And as if to have heard my thoughts, he answered my question. “I apologize for today, Alisa.” Staring up at the moon never to make eye contact, so distant, so….disturbed. “It’s just that… I don’t know. I was out of line the other day to have even talked to you out of class, and then I saw your wide eyes anxious to spend some time with me.” His words were smooth like silk and my face was as red as a cherry. It was so amazing he could pinpoint my emotions and I was so oblivious to his, how could I be so stupid? There, the mysterious Mr. Vincent Vladimir sat, looking off into the moonlight. “I just thought that… maybe if I…. I don’t….. this just wasn’t what….. I expected.” He said looking down.
    “What did you expect?” I asked, more or less that was supposed to be a thought bubble, but hey my thought bubbles fail.
    “ I expected that you would not be so hopeful for more attention,” He mumbled in a sad tone. “And here we sit, you hopeful and me torturing you and myself in all process.”
    “You aren’t torturing me,” I replied to him confused.
    Looking me dead in the eyes he whispered “Don’t you see me for the monster I am?”
    “You aren’t a monster!” I nearly shouted.
    “You hardly know me,” He darted back, which in itself did hurt.
    “But I know enough!” I shoved back into his face.
    “If only you did know me, you’d hate me, you’d despise my very name as Juliet had Romeo’s! You’d wish me dead and alone. Trust me Alisa, you don’t know me.”
    “But…I want too.” I replied. Just then Vincent stared at me, gazed his purple hazy eyes into mine. Opening my mouth to talk again, “I just want to-” Then cut off by his kiss, I was sent off spinning dizzy. His mouth on mine was a chilling sensation. Memories played from the very day I had met him. Every amount of my being felt as if I had been warmed then chilled from the inside out.
    Shivering, Vincent pulled back and looked at me, one tear streaming down his face. “I don’t know if I can tell you. I trust you, but hate myself.” He whispered to me wiping away his tear. Standing up, he offered me his hand. “Till tomorrow, Alisa.” He called to me then walked away. I spun around to see him to wave him goodbye, but he was already gone.
    Crawling back through my window, I noticed the alarming time of midnight. Hurrying into my bed, I quickly forced myself to sleep. Sadly, morning came to me oh to quick. The light peeked into my window and little-miss-sunshine was already awake and yelling for me to wake up.
    “Get up, Alisa!” Aleah yelled over the chirping of birds.
    “I am!” I hollered back. Rolling out of bed, I walked into the hallway and saw Aleah sitting cross-legged on the couch.
    “About time, sleeping beauty.” She chirped, holding up a bagel. “Want one?” She asked with an odd sense of a make-shift friendliness.
    “Yeah, sure.” I said, walking into the bathroom to take my morning shower. Turning the knob, the warm water rushed down into the tub. Quickly tearing off clothing, due to my over-sleeping escapades, I hopped into the warmth. Quickly hopping out, I threw on my best pair of jogging pants and my baggy shirt. Grabbing my bagel I crammed it into my mouth and yelled “Imf Lea-ing r-ow!”
    I rushed out of the building gulping down the rest of my bagel and then found my way to Mrs. Barge’s room. Sitting into my seat, I opened a notebook and took down notes, which now seemed to be my newest hobby. Once again a crowd of whispers arose from my new “paparazzi” maniacs. Wow was this to be my biggest doom of my classes? I hate this attention.
    Then no sooner did class start, class ended and I was off to be the Juliet. Prancing into the classroom, Mr. McElroy noticed my jubilant mood and grinned. “Yes, Juliet! Yes! Let’s act!”
    All of a sudden, a senior student dashed in and whispered something to Mr. McElroy. Mr. McElroy’s face grew sorrowful and worried. “Okay, class, Romeo has had a….er…..accident. We will have to find a new Romeo.” Mr. McElroy paused for a second and whispered, “Someone aristocratic and witty….” Then suddenly he busted out with an “Ah ha!” Then turning to the senior he whispered back something into the students ear. “We have found you a new Romeo, Alisa, don’t worry any!”
    “Okay?” I replied. Wow, just my luck. Am I a Romeo repellant?
    Ten minutes later, a familiar face entered the dull room. Vincent Vladimir. His eyes a ambitious set of purple and a smile sitting across his face. “So, Mr. McElroy, where is my Juliet?”
    “Right here,” He sung pushing me toward Vincent.
    With a smile spread wide across his face he stared at me happily. “Well, Alisa, so we meet again.” Vincent stepped back and began reciting “From Love, who first prompted me to inquire; he lent me advice and I lent him my eyes. Although I am no navigator, yet, if you were as far away as that vast shore washed by the farthest sea, I‘d venture for such merchandise.”
    “You know the mask of night is on my face, else a maiden's blush would
    paint my cheek because of that which you've heard me speak tonight. I should dwell on formality, should, should deny what I've spoken; but farewell conformity! Do you love me? I know you'll say 'yes'; and I'll take your word; yet if you swear, you may prove false. They say Jove laughs at lovers' lies. Oh gentle Romeo, if you do love, pronounce it faithfully; or if you think that I'm too quickly won, I'll frown, and be contrary, and say no to you, so you'll woo; but, otherwise, not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I'm too smitten; and therefore you may think my behavior frivolous: but trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
    than those who have more cunning to be cool. I would have been more cool, I must confess, were it not that you overheard me before I was aware. Pardon me, therefore, for my true love's passion; and don't put this
    yielding, which the darkness of night has revealed, down to lightness
    of love.” I recited back. Vincent took my face in his hands and smiled. Then a loud applause arose from the crowd of students watching us.