So… I don’t think I ever actually got around to mentioning this before. But the new production we’re getting ready for down at the theater? It’s Romeo and Juliet (aka the most cliche choice of play in the entire world, but whatever).

And anyway, Charlotte’s been going on and on about how it’s a “classic” and bragging about all the different productions of it that she’s worked on over the years. “And I expect this one to be the best yet”, she told us (except instead of inspiring, it came across almost as a threat, really).

But no matter how hard I’ve tried, I haven’t really been able to come up with any good designs. I haven’t really found much inspiration, I guess.

But now?

Hoooo boy.

I’m still reeling from all this, so bear with me while I try and calm down enough to write it all out. I’m still kinda struggling to even BREATHE right now, so writing isn’t exactly easy. But I know I’ve gotta get this all out somehow, before my head explodes or something. Ugh.

So, I got a call from Xander a little while ago. Not a Skype call, not a text, but an actual phone call. And that literally NEVER happens. He’ll always text me or message me and ask if I wanna get on Skype so we can talk. But not this time. He wanted to talk to me right away, so he picked up the phone and did things the old fashioned way.

Yeah, the second I saw his name show up on the screen, I knew there was no way it could be good. And I was right.

Apparently, he finally told his mom about me. He said she was a little unsure at first because of the whole ‘long distance’ thing, and was all worried about what’s gonna happen when he goes back home (As if we haven’t already worried about that enough).

But it sounds like she was still kinda open to it, in the end. Xander says he got the whole “Whatever makes you happy” speech. So far so good, right?

But then he told her my name. And apparently all hell broke loose.

I have never, EVER in my life heard Xander call his mom a ‘bitch’ before. I don’t even think he’d ever dream of doing it… Until now. And that’s how I knew it was bad.

He says she did a complete one-eighty the second she heard “Rosebrook”. Started freaking out and telling him we can’t be together. Crying and panicking. Saying she “can’t allow it” but that she “can’t explain why over the phone”. “You just have to trust me,” she told him.

According to Xander, it sounded like she was having some kind of… episode, or something. Like, a breakdown. He told me he’s never heard her like that before. Ever.

But as worried as Xander was about his mom, he was still absolutely pissed at her. Angrier at her than he’s ever felt in his life, he told me. And I can’t really blame him. Seriously… what the fuck is wrong with this woman?! She always sounded so fun and sweet every time Xander told me about her. But apparently she’s some kind of psycho.

Xander told her she isn’t invited to visit anymore. He told her he doesn’t want her here if she’s gonna act all crazy without giving any kind of explanation.

And do you know what her answer was?

Not only is she coming anyway, but she’s changing her flights. She’ll be here next week because they “need to talk”.

What. The. Fuck.

Xander and I talked about it for a long time, and there’s only one thing we can come up with.

Remember how we met each other way back when we were kids? At that wedding? Neither of us had really thought about the details very much, until now. But my parents were acting so strange that night. I can still remember how Mama was in this awful, sour mood, and Papa was so sad the entire night…

And… God, it’s so hard to remember now. We were both so busy playing together. But Xander says he thinks he saw our parents talking. And that it didn’t look pretty.

All those weird comments I didn’t understand when I was little, about “ghosts” and “bad memories”… It had to be Lola. That HAS to be it.

For whatever reason, our parents hate each other. And now Lola’s trying to let that ruin things for me and Xander.

I just wish we understood why. What the hell could have happened to make them hate each other THAT much? Since Lola’s not talking, Xander said maybe I should ask my parents about it… Yeah, right.

No way am I ever telling them about Xander now. I know my parents, and I wouldn’t put it past them to try and pull something like what his mom’s doing — especially Mama. I love her to death, but this is exactly the type of overdramatic crap she likes to pull when she’s mad at Papa.

There’s no way we can risk telling them. Having to deal with Lola is already bad enough. What the hell is she expecting to do once she gets here? How does she think that’s gonna change anything? Does she seriously think there’s anything she can say to convince us not to be together?

We love each other! Maybe neither of us has said it yet, but I know it’s true. And we aren’t gonna let some stupid, decades-old feud between our parents change that.

Sorry for going on and on, I just… can’t believe it. You know, I’d gone through SO many stupid scenarios in my head, imagining ways things between me and Xander could get fucked up.

But this “Romeo and Juliet” garbage definitely wasn’t one of them.

Great. Just when I was actually starting to get EXCITED about his mom coming to visit, about maybe even meeting her, now I’m dreading it more than I dread a freaking dress rehearsal with Charlotte (which is saying something, trust me).

Xander’s hoping she’ll calm down and change her mind about coming. He thinks maybe she just needs some to like, “process”, or whatever? I don’t know. But I really, really hope so, and I know he does too.

Because if not…

Well, on the bright side, I guess now I finally have some inspiration for those costumes. Nothing more inspiring than real life, right?

Ugh.