Reincarnated As Romeo And Juliet

Act 1, Scene 1

Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;/ This is not Romeo, he's some other where.

*five years later*

I stepped off the horse-drawn carriage and into the streets of Verona and stretched. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the prince of this town breaking apart a fight. Behind his back, the fighters were biting their thumbs in the direction of their enemies.

It seemed 5 years hadn't been enough for everyone to get over their grudges. I sighed. Death could still be in my future.

But I'd learned lots of things while away. I was a fair hand at swordfighting now. And I wasn't awful at acting, figuring I might as well give it an actual try now that I was literally in a Shakespeare play.

I stretched some more and studied the town I hadn't given myself time to get attached to. It was a pretty place, all beautifully decorative buildings and wide streets. Well, some of the streets were narrow.

"Once more, on pain of death!" A voice yelled suddenly. I turned to look. The prince seemed furious. He was still yelling at the fighters. "All men depart!"

I sighed again. No way was I going to get involved in any of the grudges going on here. I could be above all the rudeness.

Not that I'd ever done that in high school; I'd always been in the center of a brawl.

But now I needed to be different.

"Good-morrow, cousin." A voice greeted.

I turned and smiled. "Benvolio!" I said happily. Then I looked at him curiously. "Is the day so young?" I really had no sense of time.

He laughed and slung an arm around my shoulders. "But new struck 9." He replied. "Welcome back, Romeo."

I grinned. It had taken some time to get used to the way of speaking like Shakespeare, but after 5 years, I was getting pretty confident in my abilities.

I almost felt like Romeo.

But no matter how hard I tried to be him, there was also something holding me back. I wasn't Romeo Montague; I was me.

And thinking about that made me wonder where the real Romeo was.

The thought made me melancholy. Was he now me? How was he going to survive in the real world?!

Or maybe he was dead.

That thought dropped my mood even more.

Benvolio considered me and my sudden sadness. "What sadness lengthens thy hours, my cousin?" He asked.

I gave him a smile. "Nothing much." I replied instantly, then realized that didn't sound like Shakespeare-style language.

Benvolio took me by the shoulders and stared into my eyes. "Be ruled by me, forget to think of her."

"What? Her?" I questioned in confusion. "Who?" Then the rest of his words caught up to me and I smirked. "Oh, cousin, teach me how I should forget to think."

Benvolio rolled his eyes at my sarcasm; it definitely existed back then- back now? He turned me out to face the streets of Verona. "By giving liberty unto thine eyes." He explained. "Examine other beauties."

I snorted. "Yet it is not a beauty who darkens my heart." I turned and patted my cousin on the shoulder. "Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget."

Benvolio watched as I walked away, intent on exploring Verona after being gone for so long. "I'll pay that doctrine!" He yelled. "Or else die in debt!"

I winced, but waved a cheerful farewell to him. I really wished he wouldn't throw that word around so easily. I didn't remember if Benvolio died in the play, but even if he didn't, that could change on a dime.

So I was thinking hard as I walked the streets, so unfamiliar to me. But my body- my new body, I supposed- seemed to know just where I was going.

"Romeo!" A voice called out, and I turned.

It was a woman, a truly gorgeous lady. She had long hair, tied up intricately, and wore the robes of one who had dedicated herself to the church.

I had no idea who she was, but if she was with the church, then she was definitely off-limits. No way was I messing with any vows of chastity. She'd probably kill me herself.

But she recognized me, so the old Romeo must have known her somehow, right?

I bowed formally to her. "My lady." I greeted. "Many suns have passed since last I saw you."

She smiled. "Truer words have yet to be spoken. Romeo, pray tell, do you not remember me?"

I laughed at her clever eye. "I truly do not, my lady." I confessed, hoping she wouldn't be insulted.

To my surprise, she smiled. "That is a good thing." She replied. "I am Rosalind."

And I instantly knew exactly why it was good for me to forget her. Romeo had been in love with her, a deep and unrequited love. Except he forgot all about her when he fell for Juliet. So maybe not that deep.

And I would forget her in about 2 minutes, as soon as I could escape.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Yet I should not let such a beautiful day go to waste." I said as smoothly as I could. "Perchance we shall see one another when I next attend a service."

Which would be not soon, if I could help it.

I bowed, and backed out of there as fast as possible, and headed straight home. If even Romeo's body was against me, what was I to do?!