Gnomeo 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.