Gnomeo and Juliet (2 page)

T
hat night, Gnomeo and Shroom met inside the Blue garden's toolshed. They went over their plan to get revenge on Tybalt. They assembled the tools they would need and strapped on their weapons.

Gnomeo was dressed in camouflage from head to toe. He looked into a mirror to check his outfit. Perfect.

Shroom shook his head nervously. No amount of camouflage could make him feel better about this plan. Breaking into the Red garden was serious business!

Gnomeo turned to Shroom. “This mission into Red garden territory is going to require maximum stealth,” he said.

“Well, you won't get much stealthier than this,” Benny replied, spreading his arms wide as he stepped into the light.
“Hello!”

Gnomeo was shocked. Benny was disguised as a big, bright yellow flower. He looked ridiculous! He also had a can of spray paint slung over his shoulder that clanked whenever he moved.

This is going to be a long night
, Gnomeo thought, shaking his head.

Across the fence in the Red garden, Juliet was making plans of her own. She tiptoed through the darkness toward the garden's back gate. She carefully slipped through the shadows to avoid the rotating searchlight that swept its beam over the ground from a tall ornamental lighthouse.

As she sneaked behind a sleeping fishing gnome, the line on his fishing pole went taut.

Juliet quietly pulled on the line—and discovered a stone fish at the end of it. She quickly lifted the fish off the line.

“Swim away. Be free,” Juliet whispered.

“Thank you,” replied the stone fish, before its weight caused it to sink straight to the bottom of the pond. “Oh,” burbled the fish from under the water.

Juliet took the sleeping gnome's fishing pole and sprinted the rest of the way to the garden gate. She used the fishing line to undo the latch. Silently, she peered across the dark alley at the greenhouse. The orchid was still there.

“All this for a daffy flower?” Nanette's voice cut through the darkness. Juliet shushed her but was relieved that it was just her best friend.

“Yes, and I'm going to need you to cover for me, Nanette,” Juliet said, locking eyes with her friend. She hoped Nanette could see how important this was to her. “If my dad asks, just tell him I'm washing my hair.”

Nanette looked confused but agreed to do it. She practiced the lines, saying to herself, “I'm washing my hair. I'm washing my hair—”

“No.
I'm
washing
my
hair,” Juliet said, then sighed and gave up.

Juliet opened the gate and peeked into the alley.
Grrrrr!
She came face to face with a growling bulldog!

“Aaaaahh!”
Juliet jumped back into the garden, narrowly missing being bitten. “I'm too easy to see. I need some kind of disguise,” she said, thinking out loud.

Nanette's eyes lit up. She loved a good wardrobe challenge. “Oh, a new outfit! I'm on it,” she replied, heading for the clothesline.

Juliet peered cautiously into the alley once more. It was all clear now.

Nanette returned a few moments later, looking excited. She threw a bright pink sock with green polka dots over Juliet's head. “Here! Now,
that
is cute!” she cried.

Juliet looked down at her disguise. Anyone would see her coming a mile away in this thing! “Er…maybe something a tad less fluorescent pink?” she suggested.

“How much less?” Nanette asked, resting a finger on her chin as she considered the options.

“Try black,” Juliet said.

Nanette huffed off to the clothesline again, in search of something less bold. She tugged a black sock off the line and returned to Juliet.

“Trust me,” Nanette said. “Nobody is going to pay you any attention in this.”

She handed the sock to Juliet.

“Then it's perfect,” Juliet replied.

Juliet pulled the disguise over her head and quickly made holes for her arms, legs, and face. She twirled once to show off her handiwork, then gave a kung fu kick for good measure.

“I'm going in,” Juliet whispered as she slipped away into the darkness.

G
nomeo inched his way up to the top of the fence and peeked into the Red garden below. His plan for payback was under way.

He saw Fawn and the other members of Tybalt's gang of goons playing cards. Tybalt was asleep in a bucket hanging over a wishing well.

Good,
thought Gnomeo.
They won't notice me.
He hurled the nozzle end of a garden hose over the fence like a rope.

Scrutinizing the Red garden, Gnomeo spotted a motion detector. He also noted the searchlight that continually scanned the yard. He realized that he would have to time things exactly right.

Just then, he heard a loud clanking below him.

He looked down and saw Benny climbing the fence, his paint can clattering behind him. Gnomeo rolled his eyes.

“Shhhh,” Gnomeo warned. “Keep quiet.”

Gnomeo and Benny worked their way over the top of the fence. They grabbed hold of the long hose's nozzle and held on tight. Gnomeo gave a thumbs-up to Shroom and some stone bunnies in the Blue garden. The bunnies set to work unwinding the long hose reel, slowly lowering Gnomeo and Benny into the Red garden.

Gnomeo felt as if he were in an action movie.
Awesome!
He landed softly on the ground. Benny landed with an awkward
clank
behind him. They made their way toward the garden shed.

Gnomeo and Benny hid behind a large plant and peered out into the yard. Fawn and the goons were still talking at the card table. Now was the time to make a move.

Gnomeo and Benny dashed across the lawn. They made it safely to the shed and grinned at each other.
Success!

Gnomeo flung open the shed door. Tybalt's shiny red mower sat inside. “Ha ha!” Gnomeo exclaimed. They had come for revenge, and they were about to get it. “Benny, give me the paint.”

Gnomeo reached behind him to grab the paint can from his friend. Only…Benny wasn't there. “Benny?” Gnomeo whispered.

Gnomeo turned and watched in horror as Benny sprayed graffiti on the Reds' prized wishing well—the one that Tybalt was sleeping above! Benny had abandoned their plan—he'd gone rogue! Gnomeo tried to keep his cool.

Benny shook the can and continued spraying. Tybalt grunted and rolled over, still sleeping soundly in the well's bucket. This was a recipe for disaster.

“Benny! Benny!” Gnomeo whispered.

The tiny gnome didn't stop. His thirst for revenge had taken over. He kept spraying the well with paint. He shook the can again, but he shook it so hard that he lost his grip.

Gnomeo watched as the can flew through the air. It couldn't have been aimed better to set off the motion sensor!

“Noooo!”
Gnomeo cried. He leaped and caught the can, but it was too late. The motion sensor's alarm went off!

“Tybalt!”
Lord Redbrick thundered as he came storming across the lawn to see what the noise was all about.

Tybalt jolted awake from his nap. He tumbled out of his bucket and saw Gnomeo.

“Get them, you idiots!” Tybalt called to Fawn and the goons.

“Run for it!” Gnomeo cried. He rolled the paint can toward Tybalt's goons. They all toppled over, except for Fawn. The deer nimbly hurdled the can and galloped toward Gnomeo and Benny. Thinking fast, Gnomeo pulled some acorns from his belt. He threw them at the ground in front of Fawn. Fawn stumbled and fell.

Gnomeo and Benny dove behind a bush, hiding from Tybalt's gaze.

“Where did he go?” Tybalt asked, looking around the yard. He didn't appreciate being made to look like a fool.

“He's in the begonias,” one of the goons replied.

Tybalt gave the goon a cold stare. “Well…,” he began. “Do I look like a begonia? Find him!”

Tybalt's crew sprang into action, searching every bush.

“Not here,” said one goon.

“Not here, either,” echoed Fawn.

Another goon moved toward the bush that Benny and Gnomeo were hiding behind. Benny stood still, trying to blend in. Gnomeo crouched down behind him. This was it! They were finished!

The goon pulled apart the branches, but all he noticed was a big yellow flower. “Nothing but daisies here,” he said.

Gnomeo and Benny glanced at each other in disbelief. Benny's flower costume had worked!

“Come on!” Gnomeo whispered to Benny. They raced for the fence and tugged on the hose's nozzle. On the other side, Shroom and the stone bunnies began to reel in the hose. Gnomeo and Benny were slowly lifted back to the top of the fence.

But just before they would have been safely out of reach, Fawn and the goons saw them and grabbed hold of Gnomeo's foot! Gnomeo tried to shake them off, but it was no use.

Gnomeo had to think of something. “Hold on!” he called to Shroom and the bunnies. Then he pressed the trigger on the hose's nozzle with all his might. Water blasted from the hose, sending them all whipping through the air. But the goons held on tight.

There was only one way out of this, Gnomeo realized. He looked up at Benny. “See you on the other side,” he said.

Gnomeo let go of the hose. He and the goons fell to the ground.

“Gnomeo!
Noooo!
” Benny shouted as he left his best friend behind. The stone bunnies quickly pulled Benny to the top of the fence.

Gnomeo landed in a red rowboat planter. Tybalt jumped in front of him. He was holding a trowel as a weapon. Gnomeo grabbed a nearby bamboo pole and prepared to battle. The two gnomes charged at each other. Their makeshift swords clashed.

Suddenly, the lights in Mr. Capulet's house came on.

Gnomeo and Tybalt froze.

Mr. Capulet peered out into the yard. Seeing that his garden was quiet and peaceful, he turned away and switched off the lights.

Gnomeo had a split second to act. He grabbed the clothesline and, pulling back on it, launched himself into the air. Using a piece of clothing from the line as a parachute, he drifted into the sky and over the fence.

“Arghhh!”
Tybalt cried, throwing his trowel to the ground.

Gnomeo gave a little wave to Tybalt and his goons.

“I wish I could stay, but…gotta fly!” Gnomeo said as he disappeared into the night.

G
nomeo drifted through the sky with his improvised parachute. He made his landing in the overgrown garden across the alley.
What is this place?
he thought.
It sure is quiet…and weird.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he watched as another gnome in a black costume ran along the garden wall, ducking under tree branches in her way.
Who is that?
Gnomeo wondered. Even in an old black sock, she was beautiful.

Still in his camouflage, Gnomeo followed her, working his way through the overgrown garden. It looked as if she was headed for the old glass greenhouse. A single white orchid was growing out of a hole in the roof of the run-down building.

Juliet pulled herself up to the top of the dilapidated greenhouse.
Whew!
she thought.
I made it!

Gnomeo sneaked around and scaled a wall on the other side. He reached the rooftop just as Juliet did.

Gnomeo and Juliet locked eyes. Suddenly, it was as if the whole world had stopped just for them. It was love at first sight!

Gnomeo felt dizzy.

Juliet looked as if she might faint.

Gnomeo took a step forward.

Juliet took a step backward.

Both gnomes held their breath.

The spell was broken when they heard a loud
crack!
The glass roof under Juliet's feet began to fracture. She was going to fall!

Gnomeo grabbed her hand just in time. He pulled with all his might, and the beautiful, mysterious gnome stumbled into his arms.

“Ummm,” she said nervously. “You're probably wondering what I'm doing on the roof of your greenhouse. It's just…I…well, I thought no one lived here.”

“Oh…this isn't
my
garden,” Gnomeo replied.

Juliet laughed. “Oh! Well, that's good. Because I just came to get that orchid.” She pointed to the beautiful white bloom curling up through the hole in the roof.

“Oh, this?” Gnomeo asked. He snapped off the orchid and took a sniff. “I don't know,” he said. “I think I'm going to have to keep ahold of this one.”

“What?” Juliet cried. “But I saw it first. So why don't you just hand it over?” She tried to snatch the flower from Gnomeo.

Gnomeo playfully tossed it from one hand to another. “Well, I grabbed it first,” he said, teasing her. “And possession is nine-tenths of the law. But if you want it, come and get it.”

“All right,” Juliet said. Two could play at this game. She stomped on one of the greenhouse's panes of glass, sending it spinning. It knocked the orchid right out of Gnomeo's hand and into hers.

“Thanks,” Juliet said sweetly.

Then Juliet slipped! She dropped the orchid and fell through the hole in the roof. She landed unhurt on a sprinkler pipe inside the greenhouse.

Gnomeo looked down at her from the roof. He was now holding the orchid. “Nice greenhouse, huh?” he said with a smirk.

“Oh yeah, you should see it from here,” Juliet called up. She yanked Gnomeo's leg and pulled him into the greenhouse with her. Now the orchid was hers again!

Gnomeo snatched it back. “Who's your gnomie?” he said.

Back and forth they went, taking the orchid from each other.

They made their way down to the floor of the greenhouse, but Gnomeo got out the door first, clutching the orchid. In the garden, he started to run across a log stretched over a pond like a bridge. He was halfway across the log when he noticed that the girl was no longer there. And then, sneaking up on him from behind, she grabbed the flower.

But suddenly the log gave way.
Snap!

They both plunged into the pond! Juliet's sock and Gnomeo's camouflage came away in the water.

Gnomeo and Juliet looked at each other underwater. For the first time, each noticed the color of the other's hat.

Oh.

No.

Red and blue! This was bad. They were sworn enemies! If anyone saw them together, it would mean major trouble!

Juliet climbed out of the pond, gasping and dripping wet. Her father would never forgive her if she started spending time with a Blue. She hurried toward the alley.

Gnomeo followed her. He had to convince her that they could work things out.

Juliet leaped through a hole in the fence and landed in the alley. She stood—and ran smack into Tybalt, Fawn, and the goons.

“Juliet!” Tybalt exclaimed. “What are you doing out here?”

Juliet paused for a moment. “I'm…umm—well, I could ask you the same question, Tybalt,” she said cleverly.

“We're looking for a Blue gnome,” Tybalt growled. “He's an ugly little fella.”

“And his name's Gnomeo,” Fawn added.

At the sound of his name, Gnomeo flattened himself against the other side of the fence. He held his breath. Now was not the time to get caught—he had just met the gnome of his dreams!

“You haven't seen him, have you?” Tybalt asked.

Gnomeo stood still, listening carefully.
What will she do?

“Hmmm.” Juliet pretended to think. “He sounds awful! No, I certainly haven't seen him, haven't seen him at all,” she said.

“Lucky you,” Tybalt snarled. He put his hand on Juliet's arm. “Come on, let's get inside.”

Juliet had no choice. She glanced over her shoulder, searching for Gnomeo. She saw him peeping around the overgrown garden's fence.

They locked eyes one last time. Then Juliet disappeared into the Red garden.

Gnomeo was left alone in the empty alley. “Juliet,” he whispered. And then he groaned.

Of all things, why did she have to be a Red? he thought.