I stand by myself outside on the balcony, the light summer zephyr {I love that word so much} blowing through my hair. Parties have never really been my thing, but Daddy said I had to come. It is his party, after all. It's just that all the people and stuffy ballgowns never really appeal to me.

Eventually, I am interrupted by someone else.

"Hello," they say. "You seem very lonely out here."

"I don't like parties," I say. I turn to face the boy, who is really quite handsome.

"Neither do I," he says. "So, why are you here?"

"Daddy made me," I say. "It's his party. I would much prefer to be at home in my room, reading or writing. Daddy says I spend too much of my time with my nose in a book or a quill in my hand."

"And what would your name be, fair reader and writer?" he asks.

"It would be (Y/N)," I say. "And yours?"

"William," he says. "Call me Will."

"I like it," I say. "Just like William Shakespeare. Sounds like a good name for a character in one of my stories."

"I'd like to read that story," he says.

{How do people from the 1500s even talk? I mean, I would use dialogue based off Shakespeare, but no one understands that stuff anyways. Is this even the 1500s? I really don't know by this point.}

The orchestra plays a new song—Fur Elise, I think, though I've never really been much into music.

"May I have this dance?" Will asks.

"I don't see why not," I say.

He extends his hand and I take it. He sweeps me out onto the dance floor, moving gracefully with every step. I, however, stumble over air several times {Sev'ral Times}.

"I do apologize," I say. "I've never been a very good dancer."

"That's okay," he says. "No one's perfect."

Everything is going so well, but I guess it's not meant to last. It's all amazing until Daddy notices us. Once Daddy comes into the picture, everything falls apart.

"You," he says. "What are you doing with my daughter?"

"Forgive me, sir," Will says with a bow. "Your daughter's beauty drew me to her and I thought I'd treat her to a dance."

"Without my permission?" Daddy asks. "(Y/N), I told you to stay away from men."

"I'm terribly sorry, Daddy," I say, hanging my head. Daddy has always been a bit overprotective. He's always said that men are bad for me and I should stay away from them. But after meeting one today, I don't see what's so bad about them.

"As for you," Daddy says to Will, "I don't want to see you anywhere near my daughter again. Understand me?"

"I—" Will hesitates. "I understand."

"That goes for you too, young lady," Daddy says. "I want you to have nothing to do with this man."

"But, Daddy—," I start.

"No 'but's," he says. "Not another word about this. If it's really a problem, I will have him escorted off the premises." And with that, he walks away.

"I should probably go," Will says. "I don't want you to get in anymore trouble."

He walks to the door. I chase after him as quickly as possible, but everyone blocks my path. As much as I hate to be rude—especially at one of Daddy's parties, I push through people. I just can't let Will go.

I finally catch up to him just as he's walking down the stairs.

"Will, wait!" I call to him, tears falling from my eyes. "Please don't go!"

"I'm sorry, but I must," he says. "Take care, (Y/N)."

As he walks away, a paper falls from his hand.

"Wait, Will, you dropped your . . ." I bend down the pick up the paper. I unfold it and read what it says.

Meet me at the community garden
10:00 PM
See you tonight

I clutch the paper to my chest and sigh. So, I am going to get to see him again.

.^.^.^.^.

It's about ten o'clock and I grab Daddy's lantern and stealthily sneak out the window. I creep out to Will's and my secret meeting spot.

"Will?" I whisper-call. "Will, are you here?"

"(Y/N)!" I hear someone—definitely Will—say. "(Y/N), you came!" He lifts me into the air, twirling around.

"Of course I did," I say. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I couldn't bare us being apart." The both of us keep quiet, since we'd be dead if anyone knew we were here together.

"Me neither," he says as he lets me down. "(Y/N), I have to ask you something. Something important." He hesitates. "Will you be my lover?"

"What?" I say, a little surprised. "But we just met today. And Daddy—"

"Your daddy doesn't have to know," he says. "And so what if we met today? Don't you believe in fate? Destiny?"

"I mean, I suppose so," I say, still taken aback from the sudden proposal.

"So, you will?" he asks. "You will be my lover? It's a love story; just say yes."

A smile breaks out across my lips. "How could I say no?"

The next thing I know, his lips meet mine. It lasts for a few seconds before we slowly break apart.

"We can't let anyone know, though," I say, resting my hands on his shoulder. "You are everything to me. I can't lose you."

"Anything for you," he says. "Now, I must be going. We shouldn't stay out too late."

"Oh, no," I say. "Please don't go."

"We'll meet again," he says. "I don't know where; I don't know when; but we will meet again."

I watch him walk away, watch his disappearing figure, and I can't help but wonder; when can we meet again?

.^.^.^.^.

I sit in my bed, reading one of my favorite books—Romeo and Juliet. Everything is peaceful until I hear a tapping sound on my window. I get up to investigate.

What I see is a surprise—Will standing on the lawn, throwing pebbles at my window. I open the window.

"Will?" I call down, quietly so Daddy doesn't hear me. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm back, (Y/N)," he says. "Come down."

I make sure that Daddy isn't around, then sneak out the window. I shiver in the cool night air, still dressed in my nightgown. I don't mind the cold though, all I want to do is see Will. It's been almost a month since our last meeting. I've been dying to see him again.

"(Y/N)," he says once we get far away from everyone. "I have something of great importance to discuss with you."

"What's wrong?" I ask. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," he says. "It's just that . . . I was thinking . . . maybe we should tell your father."

"But we'll both get in so much trouble," I say. "He's already mad at me for rejecting all the marriages he arranged for me. I don't love any of them—I only love you. I don't want to lose you."

"(Y/N), the only way to save ourselves from feeling alone is by telling him," he says. "This love is difficult, but it's real. Don't be afraid. We'll make it out of this mess. It's a love story, just say yes."

"Okay," I say. "If it will make you happy."

"Thank you," he says. "I promise, nothing bad will happen."

"If you say so." I sigh, fearful of the outcome of this situation.

.^.^.^.^.

It's been nearly two years now, and Daddy has been warming up to Will. In fact, Will and I are supposed to meet today. I received a note from him telling me to meet up with him; he says it's urgent.

I walk over to our planned meeting spot at the arranged time. I wonder what it is he has to say. . . .

I feel like I've been waiting for hours. I'm getting tired of waiting. Is he ever going to come around? My faith in him is fading . . . when I met him on the outskirts of town. I've been waiting for him, but he hasn't come.

But wait—is this in my head? I don't know what to think. He runs to me and kneels to the ground and pulls out a ring and says, "Marry me, (Y/N). You'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad; go pick out a white dress. It's a love story, just say yes."

"Yes, of course, yes!" I say, nearly in tears of joy. He sweeps me into a hug, which melts into a kiss. Finally, for once in my life, I get what I want.

.^.^.^.^.

I stand at the alter, holding my vows in my hand. I'm really quite proud of how they turned out. It's a poem I wrote about us—based off Romeo and Juliet. I couldn't think of a better way to show our love.

"We were both young when I first saw you," I read. "I close my eyes and the flashback starts: I'm standing there on the balcony in the summer air. See the lights; see the party, the ballgowns. I see you make your way through the crowd. You say, 'Hello.' Little did I know that you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles. And my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet.' I was crying on the staircase, begging you, 'Please don't go.' And I said, 'Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess. It's a love story, baby, just say yes.'

"So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew, so close your eyes. Escape this town for a little while. 'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter and my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet.' But you were everything to me; I was begging you, 'Please don't go.' And I said, 'Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess. It's a love story, baby, just say yes. Romeo, save me; they're tryin'a tell me how to feel. This love is difficult, but it's real. Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess. It's a love story, baby, just say yes.'

"I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you was fading when I met you on the outskirts of town. And I said, 'Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone. I've been waiting for you but you never come.' Is this in my head? I don't know what to think. You knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said, 'Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad; go pick out a white dress. It's a love story, baby, just say yes.'

"We were both young when I first saw you. . . ."

Whewee. A little piece inspired by Love Story and Romeo and Juliet. I don't recommend using it to write your history homework, however.
Oh hey I'm going to see Taming of the Shrew on Saturday. It's like this musical adaptation and it's about feminism so I can't think of a better way to spend my Saturday.
I just ended two sentences in a row with "Saturday".
Make that three (Saturday).
I'll leave now (Saturday).