Once Upon a Time in Veronaville

Well, I am still playing them. It's a nice break from PDL. I like just playing one or two people for a change ... so, how about it? Would anyone like to hear about Nora's college years? And Liza's life on her own?

 

Do you even need to ask!?! Of course we do!

 

yes we do

 

Chapter Two: Bard College, or Love's Labours Lost

Nora didn't go off to college alone. Juliet, her surly cousin Tybalt, Romeo and his brother Mercutio went too. Tybalt had a striking, interesting face once the paint came off, but it was marred by a permanent sneer. Mercutio cut his hair so it no longer fell in his face, and Nora had to catch her breath. He gave his brother a run for his money. But somehow the pretty boys just didn't do it for her, and surly boy definitely didn't.

Juliet talked Nora into a makeover, and even into spending some of her scholarship money on contacts. Nora thought it was dreadfully wasteful but liked the results.

"Wow, Nora, you're a babe," Juliet said. "Just keep your hands off of Romeo, you hear?"

Even if Nora liked Romeo "that way," which she didn't, she wouldn't do that to a friend, so she just shook her head. "As if."

"Wow," Juliet said. "You almost sounded like a real college student for a moment."

Nora tickled her.

 

"You don't approve of me, do you," Tybalt said, sitting down across from her in the dorm's cafeteria.

Nora looked up in surprise. She didn't realize Tybalt had even noticed her. "Um, no, not especially," she said, truthfully.

"Why is that?"

"Why do you care?"

He shrugged.

"If you must know, it's mostly because you pick on Mercutio all the time. It's obvious you're a much better fighter than he is."

Tybalt preened a little. "Really?"

"It's disgraceful," she said, deflating him. She wasn't sure where she got the courage to be so bold, but he had asked. "You're nothing but a bully, picking on someone who can't defend himself properly. So no, I don't approve."

"Wow," he said. "No one's ever talked to me that way."

"And that," she said, standing up, "explains a lot."

 

wow! Nora's got....ummm, spunk! Does Tybalt think Nora's hot?

 

A new look for Nora

Tybalt in college

Romeo (left) and Mercutio

Nora gets to know Romeo better

Juliet and Nora

 

And Nora thought she wasn't pretty. go figure.

 

Um, maybe ... that remains to be seen.

 

Hey, great. Just checked in tonight and found the adventures of Nora and Liza are still going. Tybalt does look like he sneers, but he sounds like an interesting challenge. (Sure glad my connection decided to behave for a few minutes.)

 

Oh my. I like Nora's makeover. And Romeo isn't quite as cute as I thought he'd be in college. What a disappointment.

 

He's cuter from the front than the side, he and Mercutio both. They both have rather impressive schnozzes. But I still think they look a bit like fashion models. Nora's certainly not that impressed with either of them, though ...

Juliet's not that cute as a young adult, either. Certainly not as cute as Nora. But that's OK. I think they all have interesting faces.

 

Ooh la la, I wish I had checked this thread out earlier! I can't play the teen challenge anymore, it's just too slow. Stoopid puda! Now I want to get Nightlife, but it might not be worth it. Anyway, good story SBW .

 

The Student Onion was where everyone hung out at Bard College, and the dormies often went there to study.

"Shouldn't it be, you know, the Union?" Romeo asked.

Juliet shrugged. "Guess someone spelled it wrong."

"Maybe it's because of the smell," Mercutio suggested, wrinkling his nose.

"That's you," said Romeo. "Dude, would it kill you to take a shower?"

Nora rolled her eyes and went to sit in the coffee bar. There was a nice bookshelf and some comfy sofas there. Tybalt wandered in a little later and sat down next to her.

"So, you're the studious type," he said, after a while.

She put down her book and tried not to sigh. "Not really. I'm afraid it just takes me longer to catch on to things than some."

"I find that hard to believe."

She shrugged.

"Juliet tells me you raised your little sis all by yourself," he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying, wow. I thought I had it hard."

"You did have it hard, Tybalt. Your parents are dead too. No one has it easy, especially it seems in this town."

Now it was his turn to shrug. "Part of the territory."

"Part of what territory? Hatred? Vengeance? Honestly, it's like no one ever leaves the sandbox around here."

"Wow, that's harsh."

"I'm sorry," she said, standing up. "I know I sound judgmental, but honestly, isn't it time you all laid down your arms? When's it going to end? When everyone's dead?'

"You don't understand," he said, standing up.

"You're right," she said, "I don't."

 

Leonid Davison had an interesting face, and Nora liked the intelligent things he had to say in class, so she plucked up her courage and asked him out for coffee. Coffee turned into dinner. He was shy, but seemed really nice until he accompanied her home.

He frowned when he saw Romeo and Tybalt pushing each other on the front lawn, obviously in the middle of an argument.

"You didn't tell me you shared a dorm with them," he said.

"Why on earth would I?"

"You friends with them?"

"With whom?"

"You know ... the Families." He said it with a capital F.

She shrugged. "Sort of, I guess."

"I'm not sure I'd allow that to continue, if we were dating."

She stared at him. "Allow?" She choked on the word.

"They're bad news," he said.

"No one allows or doesn't allow me to do anything," she said, furious.

"I only meant -- "

"I know what you meant," she said. "Goodbye, Leo." She stormed into the dorm, shaking with anger.

 

Juliet had started sleeping in Romeo's room in the dorm. They had bought a double bed together. Tybalt was furious about it, and Mercutio wasn't too pleased either, but there wasn't much they could do.

Tybalt seemed to have transferred his hatred from Mercutio to Romeo, who was an even worse fighter than his brother. Nora had just about had it with both of them, especially when she noticed Romeo actually baiting Tybalt. What kind of an idiot was he, she wondered. Tybalt could best him half drunk with a broken arm.

Juliet was oblivious to everything but Romeo. "Oh, Nora, I thought I was in love before," she said, flopping down on her friend's bed. "But it's nothing compared to this. You know?"

"Mmmm." Nora, who'd never even been kissed, could only smile vaguely.

"I think it's only a matter of time before he proposes," Juliet said. "I think a summer wedding would be nice, after we graduate."

Nora said nothing, but she had her doubts. She'd noticed that Romeo had a wandering eye. Redheads in particular seemed to turn his head. Still, stranger things had happened, and who was she to say?

"I think Tybalt likes you," Juliet said.

"Does he," Nora said. She'd had a sinking suspicion of that, herself.

"He asks me about you. And I notice him watching you. Oh, Nora, if you married him we could all be one happy family."

Nora tried not to let her astonishment show. Juliet obviously lived in a dream world if she thought her family was anything approaching happy.

 

Liza was bored, so when Amar Lirrea asked her out she said yes. He was nice enough, and they even kissed, but she felt no sparks. Still, it was better than staying home on a Friday night.

She wished she could meet more people. She was bored since Nora had left. The old guys she met at her job as a caddy didn't count. She wanted to meet hot boys, maybe have a couple of girlfriends too. Was that too much to ask?

She also wanted a television. At school her classmates talked about this show or that show and wasn't that funny and had this entire vocabulary that Liza, having never owned a TV, couldn't share. She felt left out and lonely, which made her impatient. Surely she could find some way to afford a TV?

She was sick and tired of being poor. She hated her clothes, hated her shabby house, hated the fact that she'd never watched a single television program all the way through. Stopping and gawking at a store was about as close as she'd come. It wasn't just the television though. It was everything. The other kids talked about things their parents had bought them and she couldn't help but feel a little resentful. Especially when they had the nerve to complain about the presents.

Liza would have given anything for a mom, or a dad. Just one. Even if they never gave her a single gift. She loved Nora, but it wasn't quite the same.

And then Amar gave her a present. Not a cheap one, either. An expensive telescope, just because he'd had such a good time.

And a lightbulb went on in Liza's head.

Maybe there was more than one way to get what she wanted.

 

Great. I'm hooked on another story. Anyway, keep posting. I love it so far.

 

Oh my. Liza sounds like a trouble-maker...and I like Juliet's personality.

 

Oh my, Liza. I hope you aren't going to get into too much trouble.