A Series of One-Shots

Romeo and Juliet: Rugrats Version

Romeo and Juliet—Rugrats Version

            Mrs. Montage stared disapprovingly at her young son, Romeo. She was unhappy with his attire. He was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts, a bright red polo with a bleach stain, and a pair of scratched Power Rangers sunglasses. He grinned up at her innocently.

            “Romeo, you can’t where that to school.”

            “Why not?” He whined, his smile morphing into a frown.

            She sighed, “There’s a stain on your shirt and glasses aren’t allowed.”

            “I’ll take off the glasses,” he promised, slipping them off and throwing them on the ground. “But this is my lucky shirt, I’ll have a bad day without it.”

            Mrs. Montage shook her head, “Fine. Wear it. Let’s go, you’re going to be late.” She ushered her son into the car. The ride to school was quick. Mrs. Montage was required to escort her son to class the first day. Then they were forced to sit through a short presentation about properly picking up and dropping off their kids. After that day, they would no longer be escorted to class but they would have to walk up to the building to pick them up. Soon all the parents left and the kids were on their own for the first time.

            Romeo looked around the room nervously. He didn’t know anyone except his best friend, Mercutio. All around him were strangers. He looked around for a while before he saw the most beautiful thing in the world. Could it have been? Had an angel come to earth?

            He had spotted a little blonde girl whose hair was tied in braids and who was wearing a pristine white dress. She looked lost with big blue eyes. Romeo stared at her with wide eyes. She was talking to a boy just slightly taller than her with the same blond hair and similar blue eyes.

            Romeo didn’t know what came over him but suddenly, he was willing to do anything for her, even share his animal crackers. When it came to lunch time, he did just that. He approached the little girl with the braids and sat right next to her. “Hi,” He said timidly.

            “Hi,” She replied, rather happy.

            “I’m Romeo. What’s your name?”

            “I’m Juliet.”

            “You want some animal crackers?” He set the red box with animals on it on the table and pushed it toward her.

            “Sure,” She took a handful and gave him back the box. “Thank you.”

            They didn’t talk much more, but Romeo felt accomplished. He had talked to the pretty girl and shared his animal crackers with her. But weren’t girls supposed to have cooties? Was he going to die from liking her? Out on the playground, Romeo weighed this carefully. Would letting a girl eat his animal crackers make him sick?

            Suddenly, a commotion was heard from across the playground.

            “Romeo!” Mercutio cried for his best friend.

            The boy that had been talking to Juliet earlier and a few others were beating on him. “Mercutio!” Romeo jumped up and ran toward his friend. But it was too late, the others had scattered. Mercutio was laying on the ground, curled into a ball and crying. “I will make them pay,” he promised Mercutio.

            Mercutio went home soon after that. The kids that had been on the playground claimed not to know who had done it, all except Romeo. He knew exactly who did it and he would get pay back for his best friend.

            After recess, they had art. They were doing a cut and paste project for their first day since it was something nice and easy to do. When the teacher came around with scissors, Romeo picked them up carefully and slowly made his way toward Tybalt. The other boy had long hair, much longer than any other boys’ in the class, but not as long as a girl’s hair.

            Then Romeo reached out and took a handful of hair and cut it off with his scissors. Tybalt screamed and threw his hands back to feel the back on his head. There was now barely any hair there. Tybalt turned around and glared at Romeo. “Why did you do that?”

            “You hurt my best friend!”

            “Romeo Montage! Tybalt Capulet! You are going to the principal’s office now!” The art teacher grabbed their arms and dragged them down the hall toward the office after asking another teacher to watch her class.

            They had to sit in the office for a long time, far apart from each other. At some point, their parents showed up and they were being taken home. “Your son is suspended for ten days,” Romeo had heard the principal say.

            Mrs. Montage was unhappy as she drove her son home. She kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror. “I hope you’re pleased,” she said to her son.

            “I am. I helped Mercutio.”

            “How?”

            “That kid beat him up on the playground. I was getting revenge for him.” Romeo said this proudly.

            Mrs. Montage sighed. “Romeo, that’s not the way to handle things. You should’ve told a teacher. Now go to your room. You are grounded, young man.” Romeo nodded and went to his room.

*                                  *                                  *

            Ten days later, minus the weekends, Romeo went back to school. He was quiet and kept to himself, only talking to Mercutio. When lunch rolled around, had angel came to sit next to him. She smiled and pushed a red box toward him. “Want some animal crackers?”