Prologue

My name is Juliette Summers and today is my last day alive.

I actually had no clue I was going to die today though; I thought I would live a long and prosperous life with great grandchildren running around my house. I thought I was going to run my own animal hospital down in the depths of Florida and enjoy my Friday nights with the love of my life and two kids at the beach. I was hoping to have one grand old wedding, wearing a classic, satin, white gown. I could see myself walking down the aisle in a bohemian green style venue with mom on my right and dad on my left. The man of my dreams would watch me walk down to him with tears rolling down his cheeks as Avatar’s Love plays on the piano instead of the stupid Here Comes the Bride song.

A year later I would give birth to a set of twins, one girl and one boy. I still debated on their names, the boy I would name Johnathan or Nicholas and the girl I would name Venessa or Alejandra. But I know exactly what I would sign them up for right when they turn 4, the boy would go into dance and the girl would go into racing. I know it’s breaking the gender norms of life, but I think they would be happy. I would have loved to see the people they became. Maybe they would have impacted the world, or help someone live another day. I would have been so excited to see their prom night and what university they decide to go to. Awe they would have been the cutest human beings ever. Sorry to my ‘what could have been’ family.

I’m also sorry mom and dad, I know you guys tried your hardest to raise little miss perfect. Unfortunately, love truly makes you do stupid things. Good God, I wish just as much as you guys that I haver have met him. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if I decided to take that trip to Europe with you instead of going to stupid, fucking Wyoming for my spring break in junior year. I was at the top of the world! Beautiful, smart, confident, and everything everyone wanted to be. I was cheer captain that volunteered at nursing homes on the weekend. I went to parties, threw parties. Graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, 3rd in my class, and even got a full ride scholarship to Cornell University. Who would have thought that I would get kicked out after my first year due to academic probation.

Sometimes I wished that you guys yelled at me more instead of being supportive and kind. Actually, I’m sorry. That isn’t fair to you guys, I’m just trying to put the blame on someone that isn’t me. Mom you were by my side all night long when I needed you and dad you made sure that I was getting the help I need from many professionals. Together you both worked as a team to make sure I got to my appointments on time and went to my meetings. Why couldn’t I just stay clean after graduating? You both sacrificed so much time and energy on a selfish girl.

I guess when I met him, I thought he was the coolest person alive, he still is. I wanted to live like him. Fight whoever I wanted whenever I wanted. It was a phase I would get through. Please do not be mad at him, I was the happiest I could ever be when I was with him. Maybe I could have been even happier if I just had put a restraining order on him and moved on with my life. Thank you for making me switch schools once we found out that he also went to the same high school as me. That was probably the biggest tantrum I have ever thrown in front of you guys and I am super embarrassed to this day. Seriously, why did you guys never slap me or kicked me out of the house? Did you guys really love me that much? I sound like a rabbling baboon right now.

I probably have never said it before, but I am truly grateful for the life you have given me. I always had a roof over my head, a memory foam mattress to sleep on, a fridge full of food that satisfied all of my cravings, and a big house with its own movie theater and pool. I was the ‘it’ girl of the town, wearing only the latest trends and fashions. I was kind to everyone and tried my best to make you two proud of me. Maybe if I was told more in an overexaggerated, scary way that drugs and alcohol was bad, then maybe I would be in veterinary school right now with one finger up a fake dog’s butt. Maybe I would be thinking about what I would be doing with my friends after class is over like going to watch the newest movie or eating at a new restaurant.

I wonder how I would have met the love of my life instead of him. Would it have been a cute, embarrassing, or awkward first encounter. Do I turn him down at all or will he turn me down? Would we profess our love for one another over a cute moonlit balcony dinner? I hope he had a cute pet name for me, I would call him my teddy bear. A strong, tall, brunette with a Latin background. Oh, one could only dream of such things. Instead, mine is lanky, tall, scrawny guy but he’s a brunette and I met mine at a drug store. You know, the typical CVS or Walgreens.

He was smoking a cigarette inside the store trying to decide between Doritos cool ranch or Miss. Vickie’s jalapeno kettle chips. He wore black Nike shorts, shirt, and shoes co-order. His hair was slick back with an undercut and had a piercing on his left eyebrow. I remember walking up to him, putting the cigarette out, told him how there are children around, that he should buy the jalapeno chips, and that my name is Juliette. He simply told me that his name is Romeo.

That’s how it started, my drug store Romeo.