you　needed　to　goIt

was　the　sound　of　fort。

If　Romeo　was　really　gone；　never　ing　back；　would　it　have　mattered　whether　or

not　Juliet　had　taken

Paris　up　on　his　offer？　Maybe　she　should　have　tried　to　settle　into　the　leftover

scraps　of　life　that　were　left

behind。　Maybe　that　would　have　been　as　close　to　happiness　as　she　could　get。

I　sighed；　and　then　groaned　when　the　sigh　scraped　my　throat。　I　was　reading　too

much　into　the　story。

Romeo　wouldn't　change　his　mind。　That's　why　people　still　remembered　his　name；

always　twined　with　hers：

Romeo　and　Juliet。　That's　why　it　was　a　good　story。　〃Juliet　gets　dumped　and　ends

up　with　Paris〃　would

have　never　been　a　hit。

I　closed　my　eyes　and　drifted　again；　letting　my　mind　wander　away　from　the

stupid　play　I　didn't　want　to

think　about　anymore。　I　thought　about　reality　instead—about　jumping　off　the

cliff　and　what　a　brainless

mistake　that　had　been。　And　not　just　the　cliff；　but　the　motorcycles　and　the

whole　irresponsible　Evel

Knievel　bit。　What　if　something　bad　happened　to　me？　What　would　that　do　to

Charlie？　Harry's　heart

attack　had　pushed　everything　suddenly　into　perspective　for　me。　Perspective

that　I　didn't　want　to　see；

because—if　I　admitted　to　the　truth　of　it—it　would　mean　that　I　would　have　to

change　my　ways。　Could　I

live　like　that？

Maybe。　It　wouldn't　be　easy；　in　fact；　it　would　be　downright　miserable　to　give

up　my　hallucinations　and　try

to　be　a　grown…up。　But　maybe　I　should　do　it。　And　maybe　I　could。　If　I　had　Jacob。

I　couldn't　make　that　deci