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anything. Clarissa circled me like a vulture.

    "You don't look good," she whispered. "I don't think you can do it tonight. Why not let me go on instead?"

    "Go away," I hissed. Fernando raised his eyebrows.

    Clarissa leaned in close. "I hope you blow it," she said. "I hope you blow it, Wallingford." She slunk away.

    Fernando dabbed my face with powder. "You're so sweaty," he said. "Stop making all that sweat. Juliet is supposed to glow, not drip."

    The curtain rose as I made my way to the wing where the little chair waited for me. But I felt way too anxious to sit. I paced as the narrator delivered the opening lines.

    "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene."

    Troy came and stood next to me, massaging his temples. "I partied all night with the band," he mumbled. "I feel like crap. I think I'm the one who's gonna puke tonight." Nurse and Lady Capulet stood across from us. The Prince did knee bends.

    My mother hurried over to check my condition. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at my necklace.

    "Aunt Mary gave it to me." Totally the wrong thing to say.

    She pursed her lips. "It's not a period piece. You can't wear it. It's not part of the costume."

    I tried to tuck it into my bodice but the chain was too short. "I'm wearing it."

    "The wardrobe master will insist that you remove it."

    "I'm not taking it off."

    "Could you keep it down?" Troy complained, still rubbing his temples. "I'm trying to focus over here. God, I can't wait to get the hell out of Shakespeare land."

    My mother put her hands on her slender hips. "Give it to me," she whispered. "Everything has to be perfect tonight."

    "No."

    She made a humph sound, then hurried off, only to return moments later with Garth, the wardrobe master.

    "That's got to go," Garth informed me. I wanted to swat them both away like flies. Leave me alone. Everyone just leave me alone.

    "You're violating the wardrobe code," Garth said.

    "I don't care."

    "Shut up," Troy moaned.

    "If you don't take it off, I will take it off for you," my mother threatened.

    Suddenly, that moment stood for everything wrong in my life. That necklace belonged to me and no one else. I didn't get to choose my food, or my college, or even my career, but I was damn well going to choose my own jewelry. "You just try to get it!" Both Nurse and Lady Capulet shushed me.

    My mother reached for the charm but I pushed her hand away. Determined, she reached again. I stepped back, bumping into Troy.

    "What's your problem?" he asked. "Just take off the stupid necklace."

    "I won't."

    "You're acting like a child," my mother said. She darted behind me and grabbed the chain at the back of my neck. She tried to get it over my head but it got caught in my hair. She kept pulling and the chain tightened across my larynx.

    "Can't breathe," I uttered, struggling to loosen her grip. She was going to kill me, just like a Shakespearean tragedy.

    "You're choking her," Troy realized, pushing my mother aside. He tried to loosen the chain as I gasped for air. "Oh crap!" He struggled as my throat started to burn. "I can't get it free." He grabbed the glass vial and pulled. The chain snapped.

    And so did I .

    "I hate you!" I yelled at my mother with my very first breath. "You had no right to take my money!"

    "I had every right."

    "No you didn't. I'll find a lawyer." I couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth. "That money was for college. I made plans with Aunt Mary."

    "Damn your aunt Mary!"

    The director ran backstage. "Dear God, we can hear you in the audience. Keep your voices down."

    "I won't! I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do all the time!" The other actors backed away, except for Troy, who was still holding the chain. "I'm going to Los Angeles just like I planned. And I'm not coming back."

    "You wouldn't dare leave. You couldn't survive without me." My mother's voice had risen to a screech.

    "Oh really? I think that you couldn't survive without me."