The drive home felt bittersweet. The electricity was fading without Jules around. I drove home to The Future Cast’s ‘Lovers March’ and blared the song out open windows, belting each word. I was a fool and loved every minute of it. I got home a little sooner than I usually did, ran up the hill to the house, and burst through our kitchen door, startling my mother.
“Elliott! What’s gotten into you son?”
“Sorry mama,” I said sheepishly, cautiously closing the door behind me. “I had a really good day at school today.”
“Oh really? Fix that little problem?”
She stood at the stove, one hand on her hip, stirring something in a pot.
“Yes ma’am,” I said, kissing her cheek and grabbing an apple before heading up the creaky stairs to my room.
I purposely took my ‘non-squeak’ path, as I called it, carefully choosing the random spots on the random steps that avoided sound. It took me years to figure out the combination and I got a kick out of knowing it by heart. Maddy bothered me incessantly about teaching it to her but my dad said it was good for her not to know for fear a seventeen year old version of Maddy would use it for dubious purposes.
“Got a lot of homework ma’. Just call me for dinner.”
“Okay baby!”
“What’s his problem?” I heard Maddy ask on my way up.
“He’s just happy, child. You should try it sometime,” I heard my mom answer as I shut my door behind me. I looked down at my mom’s cell phone in my hand.
The phone rang a couple of times before Jules answered.
“Hello Elliott Gray.”
“Hey Jules. How did you?”
“Because I just knew.”
“Cool.”
“Why did you just run off earlier?” She asked.
“Because I don’t want to bug you Jules.”
“Oh,” she laughed, “Sometimes I don’t mind being bugged.”
“Really?” I asked surprised. “What a complete one eighty you’ve done on me from the beginning of the week Jacobs. I don’t know what’s gotten into you but I like it.”
“Well, I’ve decided that you’re worth dropping my defenses for. Consider yourself lucky because I’ve never done that for anyone at Bluefield, except for maybe Sawyer.”
“I consider myself very lucky babe, but not because you’ve dropped your defenses.”
After another two hour conversation of talking about absolutely nothing yet everything that seemed important I had to let her go.
“Jules, I gotta’ go.”
“I know, me too. That’s okay. We’ve got tomorrow.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
“Bye Elliott.”
“Bye Jules.......Oh, Jules?”
I waited for a while but no answer.
“Shoot. She hung up.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you answer me then?”
“Because I was waiting for you to say whatever it was you were going to say.......So?”
“I forgot now.”
We both laughed.
“Bye Jules.”
“Bye forgetful.”
I hung up the phone and swiveled my chair toward my bedroom door. Smiling at how things can change so quickly in such a short period of time. I didn’t forget what I was going to ask her. I just decided it’d be better if it waited until the next day.
I left my room and headed down the back stairwell to the kitchen to put my mom’s phone back on her charger. I finished my homework, ate dinner, talked and laughed with my parents, even played with Maddy before I forced my tired feet up the stairs and plunged into my sheets.
“Today was a good day,” I understated. “A very good day.”
The next day, we were barely able to speak during second period because Mrs. Kitt was on to us. Mrs. Jacobs’ best friend. Enough said. When class was finally over, I nervously walked two paces behind Jules toward the door. Mrs. Kitt was watching us very closely now and we tried to act as inconspicuously as possible.
“Stupid town and their stupid gossip. I know she’s just itchin’ to call my mom,” Jules whispered under her breath to me once we reached the end of the hall.
“Let’s go to Thatcher’s after school, avoid prying eyes,” I said joining her side.
She stopped short and I took a step back to join her. For a long time, she hesitated.
“Please say yes. Don’t make me beg you Jules,” I pleaded with a smile.
“Okay,” she leaned in and whispered back.
I could feel her warm breath on my neck when she leaned in to my ear and shuddered at the tingle it gave me. She never knew it, but in that moment I about said ‘screw it’, but when I was close to dropping my bag and books and sweeping her into my arms to kiss her, Mrs. Kitt walked by.
“You going to lunch kids?” she asked, eyeing us gingerly.
You’ve just been saved Julia Jacobs.
We walked to lunch and entered the cafeteria doors. As the daily custom now, all eyes shot our way.
“Wanna’ sit with me and Jesse and the rest of the team? A change of pace?” I asked.
“Absolutely not,” she laughed.
“Why not? They don’t bite.”
“Yeah, but I might.”
“Oh whatever Jules. Come on. You might like them.”
“Yeah, the guys would probably be polite, but the cheerleaders won’t. They hate my guts.”