It was the first day in my new school. It was the middle of the year and I didn’t know anyone. My dad had made my whole family move because I was way too involved with a certain someone who my father happened to hate.
So when I heard my name called in this new school by a familiar voice I got confused.
“Juliette,” he said after I turned around.
No! I felt the tears spring into my eyes. He couldn’t be here, not now, not ever. My father would kill him.

“Tyler you can’t be here, you don’t understand.” The tears started to fall heavily now.

“Juliette, It,” he tried to hold my face forward but I looked to the side stubbornly. “Fine,” he muttered. “It was impossible for me to be without you.”

“Please don’t.” I whispered. He wasn’t making this any easier. He knew I was still in love with him. “I can’t . . .” my voice faded off.

“You can’t what, Jules.” He looked at me while I tried to force out an answer but I had nothing. “Exactly, Juliette we can get through this.” I heard a distant bell ring. I hadn’t realized that as I was crying the hallways were emptying.

“No Tyler, we can’t.”

“We can.” His voice was soft and I was an inch away from breaking. He brushed a thumb across my cheek to wipe a tear away and I fell into his arms. It felt right.

“No, I can’t do this, Tyler.” I walked away from him and kept my eyes down. “Why are you even here? My parents moved so that you wouldn’t come around. They don’t want to see you.”

“I don’t care about them. What about you Juliette, do you want to see me?” His voice was suddenly echoing in the now empty halls.

I let out a whine; of course I wanted to see him. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but I couldn’t. My father made that clear before we left.

“When are you gonna do what you want, Juliette? When are you gonna stop answering to your parents and start answering to yourself?” He was still shouting and I recoiled as if he had slapped me.

“I can’t,” my shout was not quite as impressive. “What do you want me to do, Tyler? They're my parents I can’t just cut them out of my life.”

“So you can cut me out of your life but not them. Is that what I am to you? Just some guy who you can give up on if Daddy doesn’t agree.”

That was too much for me; I turned around and started storming down the hall.

“No, Juliette please don’t go. I didn’t mean it.” His voice was pleading and my steps faltered for just a second. But I caught myself and kept walking. “Juliette . . . I love you.”

The words rang in my head: He loved me. That was all it took.

I turned around, not noticing a classroom door open next to me, and ran into his waiting arms. This was where I belonged; in Tyler’s arms.

“I love you,” I breathed. Then his lips met mine.

“Children!” one of the teacher’s exclaimed, but I didn’t even listen.

“Miss Riley, and . . . I don’t know you sir. Do you attend school here?” We finally broke apart.

“Yes ma’am, I just transferred in today.” He looked down at me.

“Well I am going to have to ask you to release Miss Riley. And you will both follow me to the Dean of Discipline.” I forgot how strict this school was; after all I had just transferred in a week ago.

Tyler and I looked at each other trying not to laugh before we followed her down the hallway.
“Wait here,” she pointed to two very uncomfortable looking chairs. I sat in the stiff wooden chair wishing that I was in Tyler’s arms again.

The dean was way worse than I though he would be. The best part was when he called both mine and Tyler's parents and asked them to pick us up.

Unfortunately he couldn’t get a hold of Tyler’s parents so my dad offered him a ride home; that could only end badly.

My dad was silent the whole ride home. I sat in the front seat and Tyler in the back. It was the most awkward car ride of my life.

When we finally got home, my dad took both me and Tyler up into his room to see my mom. She gave Dad a horrified look and that was all he needed. He turned to Tyler and shouted a booming, frightening yell.

“GET OUT.”

Tyler ran down the stairs faster than I thought possible. I followed him.

“JULIETTE GET BACK HERE.” I stopped in the middle of our dark wooden stairs steps but didn’t go back upstairs.

“Tyler, please don’t go.” I stood crying on the staircase. “We’ll make it out of this mess . . . I love you.” He stopped in the door frame for only a minute. Then he was gone.

“NO.” I ran out the door. He was already halfway down the road. “Tyler!” I ran after him and caught him just before he turned the corner. “Tyler.”

He turned around and pulled me closer to him. “I love you, Juliette.” He whispered in my ear. “Meet me by the lake tonight.” He kissed my cheek and disappeared.

That night I snuck out and went to the lake. We relaxed and just spent time together. It was perfect. It was like I was in a fairytale.

That went on for about two years. My parents never caught me sneaking out. They thought I was over him. Then when I moved into my own place Tyler and I were inseparable. Until my parents came over, that is. Then he would disappear until they were gone.

Finally one day—well night really because Tyler was busy that day with something that he wouldn’t tell me—I spoke up.

“Tyler, what is going on?” I looked at him longingly. Tonight might be the end of everything we had because I couldn’t keep waiting. Just the thought of that brought tears into my eyes.
“Jules, what do you mean?” He seemed genuinely confused. I laid my head against his shoulder and whispered to him.
“We’ve been sneaking around for two years now Ty. I keep waiting for you but you never step up.” My voice cracked as I prepared myself for, what I thought was inevitable. “Maybe we aren’t as in love as I thought.” I started sobbing into his shoulder.
“Jules, I know you’ve been waiting for me, I know.” He pulled my face up to his and kissed me once. He took a step back and I knew it was over. Tears were flowing silently down my face.
Then he did something surprising, he knelt to the ground. “Juliette,” he pulled out a ring. “Will you marry me?” The tears came thicker down my cheeks now, but these were tears of joy.
“Yes,” I whispered. He pulled me into an embrace. After a minute I pulled away just to look at him.
“I talked to your dad earlier today.” He laughed. “He completely approves.”
“Really? How’d you do that?”
“I just told him our story.” I laughed
And that was the fairytale ending to my love story.