Romeo and Julian: The Modern Love Story

Act XX

The first time, Julian took Samuel's advice. He felt himself rise up to cloud nine, the hellfire in his body completely extinguished. Instead of the dark, colorless world around him, the world took on a new, strange hue. Julian could've stopped himself, he knew this was wrong. But Romeo's call that he was waiting for, the soothing voice telling him that everything would be ok, never came. Confession was easier from then on, mindless words of consent and agreement slipped from his mouth. The values he once held were no more. Julian became a different person, not worried, caring, or bashful like he used to be. He was rude, careless and rarely showed emotion. But his parents were happy, and that's what seemed to matter to them the most. The curly-haired boy no longer felt afraid to go down the stale smelling back alley, and started buying larger doses, trying to recreate the intense high he felt when he first used.

The cruel prick of the needle no longer bit into him. Instead, gave Julian a sense of comfort. He shot up into the clouds, colors swirling in his eyes. But it wasn't enough, he went higher, higher, higher. And suddenly, his vision tunneled. The young man felt his conscience slipping away, and knew in the back of his brain, that this was not supposed to happen. But he couldn't bring himself to care. Until a prick came through his delusion, reminding him of the person he loved, Romeo. Julian threw his numb arms around, grabbing at his phone and opening the messages app.

'Love you. Bye.' Was the only thing he had time to type before his hand went completely numb, and he dropped his phone. The reply from his boyfriend came seconds later, and the curly-haired boy lifted his sore eyelids to stare at the screen.

'What do you mean, "bye"? Julian, are you alright?'

'Julian. What's wrong?'

'Please answer me!'

Julian's phone beeped repeatedly, Romeo's frantic texts causing the phone to light up in the gray room. All the boy could do was smile in his last moments of consciousness. He remembered now, someone does care about him. Someone does love him for who he is. But it's too late now; the cruel needle in his arm was taking him away from this colorless world. And Julian didn't fight it, swallowing up the excruciating pain that seized his body.