Page 42 of The Temptation of Truth

“Common misconception.”

She brings her wide eyes to meet mine.

“How? There isnothingromantic about this! They aredeadat the end. They literally die by suicide. How can the misconception be common when it literally ends with their funeral?”

It takes everything in me not to laugh at her exasperation.

“Well, it is atragiclove story, but it’s notjusta tragic love story, and people often forget that.”

“Or they haven’t read it.”

“Or that.”

Brynn huffs and drops the paperback onto the couch beside her.

“I thought Romeo and Juliet were supposed to be bastions of true love? Taylor Swift even wrote a whole song about them. But why? They’re idiots.”

“What makes you say that?”

She arches a brow. “Well, for starters, maybe if they would have thought things through before going off half-cocked on some harebrained plan, they’d both still be alive.Orif Romeo would have just waited ten minutes before drinking the poison, he’d have found out that Juliet wasn’t actually dead, and they’d both still be alive. Or, at the very least, Juliet could have saidoh bummer, he’s dead, but I’m young and will get over it, and then justnotimpaled herself on a stupid dagger, thenshe’dstill be alive.”

I bite my lip and nod, my eyes twitching from how hard I’m trying not to laugh.

“Valid critiques.”

“Oh, and you know what else?”

“Tell me.”

“I know Juliet didn’t want to marry that one guy. What’s his name? Ferris?”

“Paris.”

“Right, him. I know she didn’t want to marry that guy, but Romeo? Really? He was in love with that Rosa girl like an hour before he met Juliet, but Rosa wouldn’t sleep with him, so then he sees Juliet and suddenly thinks he’s in love with her? He’s so capricious! He’s so fickle! Frankly—and excuse me for this but Sav says that if a word applies contextually and isn’t being used to dehumanize someone, then it’s okay to say, and Romeo is fictional, so I don’t have to feel guilty for insulting him—it’s fuck boy behavior. He’s not someone youmarry. He’s someone you avoid. This is why children shouldn’t be making important decisions. Their brains are underdeveloped, and their hormonesmake them morons. This is why I’ve decided not to date until I’m eighteen.”

I smile. I don’t miss how she saidshe’sdecided, not her dad or Sav, which fits with the girl I’ve gotten to know over the last couple of days. She knows her own mind, and I envy that about her. She’s got a spark that I recognize, and I hope nothing ever happens to snuff it out.

“Actually,” I say slowly, “Romeo is believed to be around twenty-one.”

Brynn blinks. “But Juliet is thirteen.”

“That’s right.”

“She’s thirteen and he’s twenty-one?” I nod, and Brynn’s lip curls in disgust. “Ew, Aurora.”

I can’t hold it back anymore. I laugh.

“In our society today, it is definitely ew. But in fourteenth century Italy, age gaps like that were the norm. Count Paris was probably in his late teens to early twenties, too.”

“Yeah, and I thought that was why Juliet was so desperate to avoid marrying him.” Brynn throws herself onto the couch dramatically and stares at the ceiling. “I can’t believe this play is so popular. It’s just a creepy old guy trying to groom a child, and then they both die.” She turns to look at me. “That’sthe misconception. It’s not a love story. It’s a cautionary tale about miscommunication, rash behavior, and pedophilia.”

“You feel pretty strongly about that, huh?” I ask with a grin.

“Absolutely.”

“Strongly enough to write a five-page paper?”

She pushes herself up with a groan. “If I must.”