Chapter Five
The Dream of the Ruthless Ideal



The next day, at school, Jules and I walked through the halls hand in hand as always and squashed all the rumors Taylor Williams had worked so hard to start.

“Let’s go to the rock bridge again tonight. There’s something I need to talk to you about,” I said.

“Uh oh,” she fretted.

“It’s serious, but not bad serious,” I said trying to pacify any anxiety.

“Whatever you say,” she laughed.

I kissed her at the door to her Art class and as it closed behind her I caught a glimpse of a disappointed Taylor. I shook my head and rolled my eyes while I walked to my U.S. History class with Coach Miles. I was glad I had history first because Jesse was in that class and I needed to apologize. It’s not that I didn’t mean what I had said during lunch, only that I shouldn’t have done it in such a public manner.

“Hey Jesse,” I said softly.
He nodded, avoiding eye contact, staring toward a depressing vinyl tile.

“Listen,” I began, “I want to apologize for blowing up on you yesterday, dude. I......”

But before I could finish, he cut me off, “Elliott, I need you to break up with Julia Jacobs.”A small smile curved at his lips, his eyes still plastered to the floor.

He said it so matter-a-factly, so blasé, so ‘can you believe this weather we’re having? Isn’t it a doozy?’. I thought he was joking at first. I even began to laugh a little but the narrow eyed expression he burrowed through me gave me a tiny prickling sensation in my stomach and told me just how wrong I was to assume so, told me he wasn’t joking, that he was one hundred percent serious.

What?” I asked.

“I need you and Julia to no longer be together. Is that clearer?”
His tone was soft and unnerving. I hardly recognized it.

“Crystal,” I breathed, “Jesse, are you insane?”
That wasn’t rhetoric. I was sincerely concerned. He only ignored me.

“Stop playing Jesse. Come on.”

“I’m not playing,” a stone faced Jesse said, “I am genuine. You must break up with her.”
    “I must?”
    “Must.”
    “And if I said no?” I laughed nervously, still trying to feel out the situation.
    “You won’t say no.”
    “Well, I’m saying no.”

He snorted. “Let’s just say, if you don’t, you’ll force me to do something......drastic.”
    “Be careful, Jesse,” I said through gritted teeth.
    “After you so carelessly let me take her out, I decided that I want her and I think you should give her to me.”
    “You’ve decided that you want her? And you expect me to give her to you?” The ridiculousness of it was mind boggling to me. It was so ludicrous that I foolishly didn’t even feel that threatened, more concerned with his mental health.
    “Yes, I like her legs.” He chuckled, “She has absolutely no interest in me at all and I’ve never run across that before.” The ego. “I feel challenged and to be honest with you I need a challenge. I’m so bored. Granted, she’s sort of chatty but I’m sure I could remedy that.”
    “Get over yourself Jesse.”
He laughed.
    “I’m going to get her from you, one way or another.”
    “Think you can frighten me into submission? You couldn’t be more off the mark. I would kill for her. I would even kill you, despite the fact we used to play together as babes.”
    “I’ve only begun to frighten you Gray.”

That was very true. It was official, he was insane. These past few weeks, I had very strong suspicions but was in total and utter denial. This robotic, psychotic version of Jesse that sputtered out this dribble was in fact the new Jesse. The final version. I could see in his cold, dead eyes that he had snapped and that it had been a long time coming.

In retrospect, my first clue should have been when I caught him as kids on two separate occasions trying to mutilate live animals. The first time, he made an excuse and I shrugged it off but the second time there was no mistaking what he was doing and I had proceeded to scream and yell and explain until I was blue in the face how cruel it was. He had bowed his head and apologized and I was naive enough to think that I had gotten through to him, that it was just a phase because I hadn’t caught him doing anything else since, but I could no longer deny that my best friend was insane.

Then there was the way he treated women, yet another red flag. The puzzle pieces were fitting together and I could no longer make excuses for him. I knew now that somewhere in this world there was probably a hidden pile of cruelty that he was responsible for and I wondered where the hell it was and I hoped to God it was only animals. You’ve only begun to frighten me. I repeated it to myself so I could fully absorb it.

   “If you refuse to let me have her, then I’ll just take her and I’m betting you’re not going to like what I plan to do with her if it comes to that.”
Rage.
   “Touch a hair on her head,” I said, surprisingly even for the explosion coursing through me, “and I will tear you limb from limb. Remove her from your thoughts Jesse. That is the kindest warning you will get from me. Don’t underestimate me.”

“Suit yourself but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He tipped his head toward the ground and shook it.”

God but did I warn you.”

He lifted his face and his expression shocked the hell out of me. He appeared extremely pleased with the direction our conversation was going, like I was saying all the right lines. It was paralyzing.
“Jesse are you psychotic?”
   “I wouldn’t say such a word if I were you.”
    “Why? Does that accusation hit too close to home for you? I can see it in your eyes Jesse.”
    “Choose your words wisely Gray.”
    “You are aren’t you? You’re a bona fide psychotic. How could I have not seen it before?”
    “Say that word one more time Gray. I dare you.”
Go ahead Gray. Provoke the deranged psychopath.
    “Psychotic.”

He slowly slid his eyes closed and took two deep breaths. He hurled himself at me and I began my second fight for that year.

He crashed into me with pathetic force, or maybe it just seemed that way because the adrenaline streaming through my veins might as well have made me a brick wall. I yanked my hands from my pocket and stood up. He let go of me, straightened himself, and rubber banded his right elbow behind his back, forming a tight fist.

I shoved my chair behind me with my right foot and steadied myself for the next blow. He swung his right fist toward my temple and I blocked it with the back of my left forearm. I swung with my right hand swiftly under his pitiful chin and knocked his head back.

The blood and spit spilled from his lips and I watched as it splattered across the same vinyl tile he had so closely been studying just a minute before. He stuttered backward into Katie Shannon and she shoved him off of her body and ran toward the door where the rest of the class hovered, waiting for our scrap to die out or for Coach Miles to enter and intervene.

He regained his balance and the hate emanated from his eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that looked like that. It was as if I could see into the depths of his wicked heart and it sent chills down my spine. I held out my hand and told him to back off but he sprinted toward me with unspeakable rage billowing from his stare. Great.

He attacked again, but I didn’t even give him the chance to get near before kicking my right leg in front of me and striking the middle of his chest. I heard the huff of his breath break short. He groaned in pain. His body listlessly curled around my foot, his hands brushed against my knee in reaction to the force and he stumbled drunkenly over several desks rolling onto the floor just as Coach entered the room.


***

I sat in the Principal's office and could see the idiot across the lobby laying unconscious still in the nurse’s office on her pleather padded bench. When Coach Miles came out he grabbed my arm and tugged me into the hallway. I leaned against the cold tiled wall with my arms folded.

“The kids in class told me you were just defending yourself Elliott,” he said, “but what I wanna’ know is why.”

“Am I in trouble?” I asked, not truly caring if I was or not.

“No, since every one’s stories check out you’re free to go back to class with me, but first, I want you to explain to me what happened. What started it?”

“He’s insane,” I said, honestly.

“Elliott, I thought Jesse was your best friend?” He asked, confused.

It probably was more unsettling to him that we had a game Friday and he didn’t want two of his players at odds. I didn’t feel like explaining something to him that he would just shrug off anyway, so I lied.

“Nothing. Really Coach. It’s a misunderstanding and I think we’ll be okay soon.”

I almost said for Friday’s game instead of soon but caught myself. He would have seen right through that as my way of only appeasing him. I guess it was an acceptable enough answer for him because he started down the hall toward his classroom and I followed. I had never looked forward to Mrs. Kitt’s class so much in my life. I sat in History following the sluggish tick of the second hand paying absolutely no attention to the lesson.

My thoughts turned back to the disastrous turn of events. I’ve only begun to frighten you, he had said. Acid from my stomach began to creep into my throat. I couldn’t sit there any longer. I grabbed my bag and jacket and rocketed from my desk into the hall. Coach started to protest but I had already started for my truck and wasn’t about to turn back.

I sat in the cab, shivering from the cold, wrapping my jacket closer to my body, collecting my thoughts. I thought about how I was going to handle Jesse and wondered if I was overreacting. Stop trying to find an excuse for him. He’s not the same Jesse anymore.

I wondered if I was going to tell anyone about our conversation, I wondered if they would believe me, but mostly I wondered how I was going to keep Jesse away from Jules. I still hadn’t decided what I was going to do when the bell rang.

It startled me from my dark thoughts. It startled me because it meant something to me that it had never meant before. Its shrill tone marked the end of a euphoric existence with Jules and the beginning of an uncertainty. I was scared and I never get scared because, I realized, I had never had anything worth losing before.


    “Jules!” I called when I caught a glimpse of her across the hall. My hands shook at my sides.
She smiled and did this little funny dancing jig to make me laugh, not caring one bit about the pairs of eyes staring right at her. She was blissfully unaware of how effective it was, temporarily melting away the fear of my morning from my mind.
    “Hi,” she flirted.
    “Hi sweetheart,” I said, kissing her neck, reigning in my feelings of fear just enough not to tip her off.
    “Gross,” said Taylor behind us, rolling her eyes and shrugging past us to her next class.

Of course, we ignored her. Jules and my world was an amazing one. World War III could be clamoring around us and she’d be asking me if I remembered to write down the name of that obscure Indie film we had wanted to see.

She snuck her left hand into my right jacket pocket, as she always did, and let it set there to get warm against my body. Her hands were always frozen. I dipped to get her to remove her hand so I didn’t reveal anything through touch but she thought nothing of it. We moved to the tile wall behind Mrs. Kitt’s door to let traffic through.

    “What happened in Art today?” I asked, avoiding the inevitable.

My heart was beating at a million miles an hour. I breathed deeply to regulate, hoping I wouldn’t give it away. I knew I had to tell Jules what had happened but I would have paid an exorbitant amount of money in that moment not to.

    “Not much,” she said, scrunching her nose.
Uh oh.
    “What happened?” I asked.
    “Well,” she said, “Taylor Williams.”
    “Enough said.”
We both laughed.
    “Exactly. How was History?” She asked innocently, asking the very question that usually deserved a mundane answer.
    “Well,” I sang.
    “Uh oh,” she said, repeating my previously unspoken comment.
    “Jesse Thomas and I got into a fist fight.” Guess what else baby? He’s also a psychopath.
I tried to make it sound like it was not a big thing. No sense in worrying her at school
    “What?!” She almost screamed.
Heads whirled our way. They would find out soon enough but I wasn’t going to be the one to tell them.
    “Shhh,” I said, placing my forefinger to my lips, “I don’t want to talk about it now. Besides, class is about to start.”
    “Okay,” she said pointing her finger at me, “but at lunch. Everything.”
I nodded.
    “Elliott?”
    “Yes honey?”
    “I can read you from here you know? You’re nervous and that’s making me exceedingly nervous.” She paused, her bottom lip began to quiver. “Are you sure you can’t tell me now?”
I shook my head and we drifted into class.
    “At lunch, I promise. Just not now. Let me gather myself. I’m just glad to have you next to me.”
    On our way to lunch we walked slowly behind the rest of the class.
    “Spill,” she said as soon as we reached the threshold of the door.
    “Jules, what if I asked you to run away with me? Right now. This very second.”
    “I’d say you were avoiding telling me what happened this morning.”
I stopped her and grabbed her arm, swiftly removing it before I bombarded her with my fear.
    “Would you do it? If I asked you to? Would you do it without explanation?”
    She sighed, “If you could look me straight in the eyes and say it was absolutely necessary. Yes, I would. I trust you.”
Alright, that was good to know. No sense in worrying her anymore than needed. I decided to tell her the bare minimum.
    “Alright,” I said, steadying myself to blurt it out. “Jesse Thomas told me that I needed to break up with you and that I needed to give you to him.”
She thought seriously for a moment.
    “As in, he wants to be with me?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know.”

That was the truth. I didn’t actually know why but do the insane need to justify their reasons to anyone? Their reasons are their own. I got the distinct impression that Jesse didn’t feel the need to divulge his reasoning at all.

    “That’s really sad.”
    “Why?”
    “Well, it sort of confirms a suspicion of mine.”

“What Jules?” I asked seriously.

“ I wasn’t sure at first, but at the movies,” she hesitated, “now don’t get mad, but he kept staring at my legs.” I let out a deep breath. “So, he must like me. Hmm. He must be suffering and all on account of me, that makes me feel terrible.”

Must teach Jules not to assume anything ever again. Assumptions are dangerous things.
    “Is there any way we can fix it?” She asked, genuinely wondering if she could help him.
For now, I had decided to let her assume whatever she wanted though, for her sake, not his, of course.
    “I don’t think so Jules. The last thing a guy wants when he’s trying to get over somebody is that somebody helping him try to get over them. It’s sweet of you to want it, but I’m thinking it would just be cruel.” Not to mention incredibly dangerous. No, Julia Jacobs, I will never allow you near him again.

She nodded in agreement.

“No wonder he gave me such a horrible time. He was lashing out,” she said.

“Uh, yeah. Lashing out. That makes sense.” I cleared my throat, “On your date, did he do or say anything else that was strange?”
    “Uh, kind of, but I just assumed he was being his usual kooky self.”
There she went assuming again.
    “What happened?” I held my breath.
    “He kept asking me all these extremely personal questions. Like, what time do you go to bed? Do you wear pajamas or sleep in your underwear? How far have you gone with Elliott? I think we can safely assume he knows that now after yesterday’s blow up. He asked me if I thought I was going to marry you and I started to think maybe his line of questioning wasn’t all that strange, like maybe I was overreacting or something, but then he asked me something that made my hair stand on end.” She shivered, but not because she was cold.
    “What?” I gulped.
    “He asked me if I knew what scarification was.”
    “What? Oh my God!”
    “Yeah, I know. I said, ‘that was out of left field!’ I asked him why he wanted to know but he evaded it. I thought about ringing you on my cell at that point but he did this complete one-eighty on me and started acting like the perfect gentleman again, holding doors, you know, things like that.

“The theater was full so we were forced to sit in the only two seats available toward the side. My seat had a piece of gum stuck to it and he laid down his leather jacket so I wouldn’t ruin my jeans. So, after that, I figured he was just kooky or socially inept. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it to you. I didn’t want to worry you.”
    “Jules! That’s not kooky! It’s creepy!”
    “I’m starting to think you’re right.”
    “Starting? Jeez Jules! You’re gonna’ be the death of me.” I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me, I thought. This new piece of information made me more afraid than I’d ever felt before.
    “Calm down. Sheesh. I think you’re overreacting,” she said.
No, I’m not.
    “Maybe this whole thing will blow over,” she hoped.
    “Maybe,” I said, knowing full well it was not going to blow over. Better start figuring out where we’re going to live when we have to flee. How do you legally change your name anyway without others finding out who and where you are? Could we even get our diplomas and make it to university without anyone’s help?
For then, that was the end of that conversation, with her and myself.

    That night, we sat on our rock bridge with a fleece blanket underneath us as well as one to cover us. We sat cozily side by side and stared into the stars.
    “Wow,” I said.
    “I know,” she concurred.
She stole my eyes away from the starry night and I gazed upon her radiant face.
    “I love you Jules.”
    “I love you too Elliott,” she said turning to face me. “So, what’s up?”
    “I actually want to talk seriously about our future.” About something so dear to me that not even what happened with Jesse Thomas today could keep me from talking to you about it.
    “What’s to talk about? You’re my future and I feel confident in saying that I’m yours.”
    “I mean the technicalities babe.” God, she was cute.
    “I know,” she shrugged her shoulders.
    “Well, I want to know how long you’d like to wait before we’re married.”

I just came right out and said it because it felt natural and after the day I had with Jesse I was at my wit’s end. It had taken me practically the whole day to calm down. I know it was sort of anti-climactic and all that but we felt it in our guts that we would someday be married to one another anyway. She knew it. I knew it.

    “Elliott!” She laughed. “I thought you were going to say something like ‘Are you okay with never seeing me for the next seven years since I’ll be knee deep in cadavers’.”
    “Jules, you’re a punk. I’m being serious. I know it’s premature, but I was thinking about it the other day. Then there is the night we almost lost it and.......” and today’s insaneness. Mostly today’s insaneness.
    “You mean the night that I almost lost it.”
    “No, we both almost lost it. Anyway, while I was in bed that night, I was thinking that I might want to get married as soon as we graduate.”
    “College?” She asked.
    “No, high school Jules.”
    “No way Elliott!”
    “Why not?”
    “Because that would be too Bramwell-like of us, that’s why.”
    “Oh who cares if it is! Are we or are we not from Bramwell anyway? Besides, I wanted to go to Philadelphia and actually be there with you.” If we can even go to Philadelphia now.
    “Oh my gosh Elliott. Listen,” she laid on her back and turned onto her side. She patted the spot next to her and I followed suit, laying with my hands behind my head. I always tried to restrain my hands one way or another when I was near her.

She scooted closer to me and continued, “I am actually hyperventilating at the very idea of it because it sounds so tempting, but I think that it would be the death of our careers. I can just imagine getting pregnant while we’re in school and then I’d have to quit to take care of our baby and then you’d never see us for years because you’d be becoming a physician Elliott! You won’t have time for anything else. No. We’re just going to have to wait.”

I almost jumped out of my skin from excitement at the prospect of having children with her. I surprised myself with that one.
    “You want to wait? I can handle that, but I don’t want to wait another ten years Jules. Can we compromise?” I offered.
    “Like what?” She asked, turning onto her back and tucking her hands behind her head as well. It made me wonder if that was her own restraint device as well.
    “Like, can we at least get married after we’ve earned our bachelors? I don’t think I can wait any longer than that.”
She thought for a really long time. Like, ‘sweat started to line my forehead’ kind of time.

“I think I can deal with that,” she said with a smile.

My hands escaped. I grabbed her and began to tickle her knee.
    “Oh yes! You will deal with that! I am Elliott! King of compromises! And you, Julia Jacobs! You may be my court jester! Now dance for me!”

I continued to tickle her until she could barely breathe let alone speak she was laughing so hard. I caught a ‘please’ every now and then but ignored it. When I was done teasing her I laid beside her once more and bound my hands again. I knew she wanted to retaliate but could see her rethinking her strategy. She knew I’d go into torturing her for awhile until I was tired and we’d start the whole process over again. I guess she deciphered that the risk outweighed the reward and couldn’t help herself.

    “Why do you keep doing this to yourself Jules?”
Again, not able to speak.
    “Stop!” She finally shouted.
I let up and she caught her breath.
    “You’re such a jerk!” She shouted, still laughing.
    “Aww, I’m sorry love.”
I grabbed her little frame and squished her body with mine. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped the both of us with it and we stared at the stars again.
    “You know something?” She asked.
    “What?”
    “Thanksgiving is coming up and as you know my family is going to my aunt’s house in Mauch Chunk.”
    “I know. It sucks.”
    “What if it didn’t have to suck?” She asked, her right eyebrow raised.
    “That’s a sneaky look if I do say so myself.”
    “Seriously. Maybe you could convince your parents it would be a good idea, with my parents and our whole extended family crammed into the house they’d have to know we’d respect the proper boundaries. What do you think?”
    “I think it would be awesome, but I very seriously doubt my mom would say yes,” I said with certainty, “and I am pretty secure in the knowledge that your parents would also object. So, two major hurdles are a little out of our league.”
    “Shows how much you know. I already cleared it with the parentals. You’re good to go baby. It never hurts to ask Elliott. The worst they could say is no.”

She was right. I was a pretty well behaved kid and although I had very serious doubts I decided it wouldn't hurt.
    “I’m kind of getting my hopes up now,” I said.
    I kissed Jules goodbye at her door and ran back to my truck. I decided I’d ask my mom that night if it’d be okay so I could surprise Jules with the good news, hopefully, the next morning.

When I strolled into our living room both my mom and dad were sitting on the couch together, wrapped in each other’s arms, watching television. Told you they were in love. Maddy sprawled on the floor doing homework.
    “Elliott,” Maddy said, “will you help me with this math problem?”
    “Sure.”
I plopped myself on the plaid chair next to her and grabbed her book.
    “Which one is it?”
    “Number thirty-four.”
    “Okay.”

I figured it out quickly, she is almost seven years younger than I am. When I was done re-teaching her the lesson her teacher should have taught her in the first place, she discovered she had done almost every problem incorrectly and I could tell she had wished she had never asked me for my help. She threw herself in a huff back onto the floor and vigorously erased her entire worksheet. It got really quiet and I decided Thanksgiving with Jules was the perfect topic to break the silence.

    “Mom? Dad?” I reluctantly said.
    “Yeah son?” My dad said.
    “Jules’ family is going to her aunt’s house in Mauch Chunk for Thanksgiving and they’ve invited me along. What do y’all think? Can I go?”
I made eye contact with my mom so she knew I wasn’t planning anything devious.
    “I don’t think so Elliott,” my mom said.
    “Well, if you say so,” I said, disappointed, “but if it makes you feel any better, her entire family will be there, including her extended family. We’d be chaperoned well and her parents are comfortable with it.” Please say yes.
    “Oh let him go Shelby,” my dad said hoping we’d shut up so he could catch the end of his program.
    “Hmm,” she deliberated, “I’ll call her mama in the morning and get the details. As long as it will be as well chaperoned as you claim it will be I don’t have a problem with it. Are you okay with being away from the family on such a holiday?”
    “I’ll miss you very much mom,” I got up and kissed her forehead.

That made her more comfortable. She made me promise that, if I went, I’d call her the day of and I crossed my heart that I would.
    “Y’all are stupid,” Maddy said with audacity, eyes still focused on her worksheet. “I would never let my boy do something like that.”

All three of us stared at the pre-teen lounging in all her false glory. I left the room so I wouldn’t have to witness the disrespect smacked out of her knowing I would hear it through the walls as it was.

    “Maddy check your tone before you find yourself grounded the entire Thanksgiving break,” my dad said.
    “Imagine that Mark!” My mom said. “Maddy giving us advice! We’re so lucky to have birthed her and raised her to be more intelligent than us. Wouldn’t you agree Mark?”
    “You’re right Shelby. Where would we be without her?”

I couldn’t see it but I’m sure my mom had a look of disgust on her face and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of it. I bounded up the stairs to my room and went to sleep happily dreaming of turkeys.

    The next morning I was really excited to pick Jules up for school. When I got there, I bounded up the smallish incline to the bottom of the steps of the covered porch just as she was locking the door.
    “You didn’t!” She squealed with delight when she turned around and met my eyes.
    “What are you talking about?” I said.
    “I can feel it in your chest Elliott Gray. You asked and they said yes!”

It was handy, most of the time. I had a feeling I’d never be able to surprise her again though. She dropped her bag on the wood porch with a loud thud and she leaped into my arms from the top step in excitement.

    “You’re gonna’ love Mauch Chunk,” she said.
    “I’ve been there before Jules. Granted, I was pretty little and don’t remember much, but I have been there.”
    “Oh, you’ll remember this trip,” she flirted.
    “I bet I will,” I teased.
    “We’re going to have to start picking out our road trip music starting today,” she said, gesturing excitedly with her hands. “We only have a week!”

Jules took forever to pick out music. She said there was an art to choosing the correct songs, to provide diverse choices that would suit any mood. I had to admit she was pretty good at it.

    “Should we ditch today and stay here?” She asked. “I bet we could get a lot more done if we did.”
    “Whoa! We just got stow away privileges and you already want to rock the boat? Any minute now we could capsize and never make our destination.”
    “You’re right,” she sagged with a sigh. “Let’s get to school.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n!” I said with a salute.

That day was a B day and I’d only have fourth period Chemistry with her. I didn’t get to see her that morning but at least we got to eat lunch together and I was able to finish the day with her.

The hours ticked by so slowly but I absorbed the little information I didn’t already know in Economics and Algebra and ran to the cafeteria to see my Jules. I saw her sitting at our usual table but didn’t see what I had imagined all morning. She had her arms folded across her stomach as if in pain and a look of panic strewn about her perfect face. I instantly ran to her and pleaded to know what was wrong.

    “Jules! What happened?”

The tears were just beginning to flow. I guess they had unconsciously been waiting for me. They knew how much I hated them. They were a sign of pain in Jules and that was unacceptable to me. She tried to speak but couldn’t and instead just handed me, with trembling hands, a folded piece of notebook paper torn from a binder. It was a printed note and read,

Julia, you’ve got something that I want and I’m determined to make it mine. I think you know what I mean. Watch yourself.

My hands tremored and the paper shook furiously in my hands. I crumpled it up but the frustration didn’t subside as I’d hoped. I needed to find Jesse and immediately. I stared out across the cafeteria.

    “I’m going to find Jesse,” I said as calmly as I possibly could.
I began to stand but she pulled me back to my chair.
    “No, babe, please. Have you considered that it might be from Taylor?” She asked.

I hadn’t thought of that but I guess I could see how it could also make sense. Both people made sense as its author but Jesse was the outright psycho, not to mention the unveiled threats, not that Jules knew about those. Jesse was the only one who could have done it, in my book.

    “Damn it!” I said a little too loudly.

Jules stroked my arm to calm me down but it wasn’t helping. I could tell that she was scared because her fingers shook and she was nearly screaming it through our touch.

    “You know it’s going to be okay, right?” I asked her.
    “No,” she said.
    “Why would you think otherwise Jules?”
    “Because I know something you don’t,” she offered begrudgingly.
    “This better not make me want to kill someone,” I said honestly.
    “Never mind then,” she squeaked.
    “Just tell me Jules,” I clipped.
    “Well, I found it in my messenger bag this morning in class.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Well, it was early. No one was around. My messenger bag hadn’t been any place but in my room and your truck since last night and the note definitely wasn’t in there after school because I would have seen it when getting out my books to do my homework after dinner. No one could have had access to it unless............” She stopped.
    “Unless,” I said, picking up where she left off, “unless they had been in your house?”
    “Yes,” her lower lip trembled.
    “And it would have had to have been while you had been sleeping?”
    “Yes.”

I shuddered.
    “We have to take this to the Principal. Now.”

I grabbed her hand and our stuff and the note and practically dragged her down the hallway. Principal Rudolph’s office had never seemed so far before. Of course, when I was hauled down there after my fight with Jesse it was the shortest walk ever but now it was a million miles away. Go figure.

I burst into secretary Millie’s office and demanded I speak with Principal Rudolph. Jules stood beside me, confident. It was a bit of a ruse. She was frightened and it was something only I could sense. She was a strong girl, stronger than anyone I knew, but this was beyond the both of us. It was too unbelievable to imagine.

    “Principal Rudolph is out today kids,” Millie said, her head buried in paperwork.
    “Will you tell her that we stopped by?” I asked.

Without waiting for her response, I dragged Jules back to the cafeteria. She didn’t want to eat and I didn’t blame her. We sat at our table and agreed that we should act like the note we had found didn’t bother us in case someone was watching and by someone we meant one of Taylor’s cronies, since Taylor didn’t share this lunch with us and Jesse was gone. I wasn’t taking any chances. I grabbed Jules’ hand, leaned into her neck and breathed into her ear that I loved her.

I blasted a concentrated amount of feeling through her throat and the heat relaxed her at once. The electricity that flowed between us was as powerful as a river’s.

We discovered we could control the dosage, so to speak, but had to be careful because releasing too much made us sleepy as heck. It soothed us both to experience the exchange and was quite addicting.

I craved it at night especially. It was when we were away from each other the longest and I found myself waking earlier and earlier each day just so I could touch her as quickly as possible to mollify the necessity for it.

She audibly sighed in relief and that cleared my head a little. I was too preoccupied with her suffering to start analyzing the note and deciphering its real meaning. I was incredibly shocked at the brazenness of the culprit breaking into her house. I say culprit, I mean Jesse. He’s the only one I know who would do something so monumentally dangerous for his health. A week ago, it would have been beyond anything I thought he could do.

As I held her hand, I studied my fingers desperate for an additional clue.

    “I think I’m gonna’ call my Uncle Danny,” I said.
    “You think it’s serious enough that we’d have to involve the police?”
    “Yeah, I think so, Jules. I mean what’s the harm in it really? My uncle is bored at the station anyway, this will give him something to do.”
    After school, Jules and I rode in silence to Danny’s station. I had the note in the back pocket of my jeans and could feel the searing heat of its intentions blistering down the back of my leg. As we rode, I kept Jules’ hand in mine for comfort and when we arrived my Uncle Danny came rushing out of the door. I’m guessing he saw us through the window.
    “Hey son!” He called out.
    “Hey Danny!” I said, closing the creaky driver’s side door.
I pulled my jacket closer to my body to keep the winter air from chilling me any further than my daunted bones already ached.
    “Well Jules, every time I see you, you just get prettier and prettier,” he said before turning to me. “You’re gonna’ have to break ‘em off with a stick Elliott!”
    “That’s actually kind of why we’re here Danny,” I said.
His eyes turned serious.
    “What’s goin’ on?” He asked, furrowing his brow.
Uncle Danny was no longer there. We were now speaking to officer Danny.
    “Well,” I said, pulling the flaming note from my pocket and handing it to him, “Jules found this note in her messenger bag this morning.”
He unfolded the note and read its words, then looked at us in silence.
    I continued, “And basically, it’s not something we’d have wanted to involve the police in but we think the person who put it there had broken into Jules’ bedroom to do it.”
    “Wait. Wait, now. You said it was in her messenger bag. It could have been any of the kids at school. This could very easily be a joke.”
    “Well, unfortunately we’ve run into a few issues with some people at school so we know it’s not a joke. Also, I thought it had to have been put into the pack this morning but Jules said the messenger bag hadn’t been near anyone at all that morning except herself and myself, that it hadn’t been in there last night when she was doing her homework and when she found it this morning she knew the only way it could have gotten there was some time while she was sleeping.”

He sat for awhile and deliberated what his next steps would be.

    “Chances are it’s just mean teenager crap but I’ll follow up on it either way. I better call Principal Rudolph at her home and just fill her in. Who are these people giving you trouble Elliott?”
He looked at me suspiciously but decided I wasn’t the type he’d easily associate with trouble.
    “Uh, Jesse Thomas,” I said reluctantly.
    “Jesse Thomas? Your best friend Jesse Thomas?”
    “Ex-best friend,” I corrected.

“But it could also be Taylor Williams. She hates me too. We’re just not sure which one,” Jules laughed nervously.

“Okay,” he said shaking his head, rubbing chin stubble between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll be right back.”

Jules and I heaved ourselves onto the hood of my truck. The heat from the engine was a comfort. I made sure she sat closely so our skin would stay in contact and it’d keep me calm. It was freezing but neither of us made an attempt to go inside because our contact kept us a balmy ninety-eight point six, maybe warmer. I don’t think we wanted to hear the conversation he was having either. We remained silent, keeping a conversation within ourselves.

I tried extremely hard not to imagine Jesse sneaking into Jules’ room, slithering his way around, going through her stuff. I also tried not to think about all the different ways I’d kill him when I found out for sure that it was him. I tried not to think about what I was going to say to him at school the next day as well. I did think about avoiding him altogether and skipping school but I had to see for myself the way he acted around me, around us. I knew him well enough to recognize when he was acting shady, though Jesse 2.0 might be a little harder to decipher.

Jules squeezed my hand tightly into hers to ease my restlessness. She was reading me. It worked. I closed my eyes and let the sleepy current soften my rigid torso. I took a deep breath through my nose and nearly drowned from the heavenly delirium that was Jules’ perfume. I fought past that and could smell dark smoke, most likely from a couple miles ahead of us at the Miller’s house. They always started burning old wood from the prior winter seasons first and I could smell the burning of dormant kindling.

I looked up and saw my Uncle Danny hanging up the phone. He swung his coat over his shoulders and stomped his heavy boots across the old wood floor of the station and out onto the little covered porch.

    “I’ve let the Principal know. She promised to keep an eye on things. I’ve decide it’d be a good idea if we took a ride over to the Jacobs’ residence and search around the property for any signs of forced entry.” He paused and stared at our distressed faces, “I’m sure it’s not a big deal kids. I’m just taking the necessary precautions.”

Danny came close and patted me on the shoulder. His kind words did nothing to alleviate my fears and I was positive it didn’t help Jules either. We knew Jesse and Taylor and either one of them was capable of jumping the line of rationality, we’d seen it with our own eyes, but we never thought it could come to this. My money was still on Jesse though.

Jules and I jumped into my truck and followed Danny to the Jacobs’ house, again, as quiet as before. When we arrived, Danny walked us around Jules’ house and asked her where her window was. She pointed at the windows that belonged to her room and Danny moved in closely to the one at the back of the house.

    “I see no signs of entry here, let’s check the other window at the side of the house,” he said.

We rounded the corner and saw one of the most painfully terrifying things I’d ever seen. Two sets of old foot prints, barely visible in the snow leading from the brush to the side of the house and back. The prints were so faded I had no idea how large they actually were and therefore unable to figure out whether it was Taylor’s or Jesse’s prints, or both. Did Jesse come to the window twice or once with an accomplice?

Against the wall laid two cinder blocks, one right next to the other, the longer sides parallel with the side of the house. When we looked closely at the window the paint had been freshly scratched where the intruder had pried open the bottom of the ancient window, probably with a crowbar from the width of the scratch. I watched Jules start to lose it a little bit so I grabbed her and held her steadily against my side.

    “Strange,” said Danny.
    “What is?” I asked.
    “Well, I’m sort of flabbergasted as to how Julia didn’t hear the wood of the window cracking or the intruder?”
Jules blushed slightly and scrunched her nose.
    “I’m an extremely heavy sleeper,” she admitted.
    “Ahhh,” he said. “Well, whoever it was that actually entered couldn’t have been that tall. These windows aren’t very far from the ground. They needed cinder blocks to see or get inside.”
He pointed at the blocks against the house.
Taylor then?
    “Okay,” Danny said, “I’m going to call Julia’s parents and let them know what’s going on. Maybe they can stop by a home improvement store and get some additional locking mechanisms for the windows. Be right back.”
He left us there staring at the creepiness that was the intruder’s handiwork.
    “She’s insane,” Jules said, her voice shaking.
    “Or they’re insane. There’s something else that’s bothering me.”
    “What’s that?” Jules asked.
    “Well, who would risk getting caught boldly waltzing into your room at night? They must have known that you were a heavy sleeper, but nobody but myself and your family would know something like that.........unless you’ve told someone else? Do you remember talking about it at school with anyone?”
The blood drained from her face and she nodded, keeping her eyes steady with mine.
    “Don’t you remember?” She asked. “We did, with each other, in front of Jesse. When we came back to school after Tanen’s party fiasco, you were talking about the night and broke off to tease me about that fact that I could sleep through a hurricane. Later,” she trembled, “we were all hanging out at Thatcher’s. When Jesse thought you weren’t looking, he poked me in the ribs and told me that if I wasn’t careful he’d come in while I was asleep and rearrange my furniture.

“I thought he was just messing with me, trying to get a rise out of me as usual, like he got some sort of sick pleasure out of scaring me. In the past, I’d always felt you were kind of harsh on him about me and the few times I would let you in on the stupid things he’d say to me, you’d scold him and he would just take it out on me later. That’s why I kept it from you. It’s why I’ve kept a lot of weird things he’s done from you.”

    “It’s okay Jules,” were all the words I could rally up.
So it was a joint effort. I gritted my teeth and tried to hold back what I was thinking, but couldn’t.
    “He’s crazy! The both are!” I said.
    “This whole thing is going to be squashed tomorrow and I’m going to be the one who does it!” she exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing at the last bit.
    “You can’t Jules!”
    “Why?”
    “Because we need to ignore this behavior, whatever their motives are, and pretend like we have barely taken notice of them or their note.”

“So from here on we just pretend they haven’t scared the crap out of us?”

“Yes,” I said, not really certain if that was the best route to take. “I think it’s the best thing to do, for now, at least.”

“Alright Elliott, if you think that’s best..........but if things take even the slightest turn for the worse, I’m taking charge.”

“And I’ll be right there beside you.”

My Uncle Danny came back around and let us know that Jules’ parents didn’t take things well. They wanted to take Jules out of the school immediately but Danny had talked them into taking it easy and waiting to see how things turned out.

They reluctantly agreed and the next day we returned to school and acted as unbothered as we possibly could, albeit slightly more touchy-feely than usual, which was already borderline obscene. Jules held on tightly to me every second she could, said that it made her feel safer. I sort of liked that bit. If Jules felt more comfortable touching me, that suited me just fine. I witnessed Jesse and Taylor squirm a little bit at the sight of it, but this time it didn’t give me the satisfaction that it normally did.

I wasn’t one hundred percent certain Taylor was involved or not. I studied her reaction to see if it still fell under her normal crazy self but couldn’t tell. If I was a betting man though, I’d probably put all my chips on the both of them. I felt an uncontrollable rage to hurt Jesse, well both of them really, but luckily for them, Jules was the deterrent.

    We reached the Friday before Thanksgiving break without incident and Jules and I felt a lot better about the note by then. We figured it was just a onetime thing since the entire school, its staff and the police knew the details. We felt confident that Jesse would stifle any plans for future pranks.

Early the next morning, I sat around my kitchen table and chatted with my mom while I waited for Jules’ parents to pick me up.

    “So I talked to Danny last night,” she said.
    “Oh yeah?”
    “Yeah, he thought like we did. That whoever did this thing is done.”

They didn’t want to point fingers at Jesse and Taylor. My mom especially didn’t believe it was Jesse. He did a spot on impression of Eddie Haskell with her, if you catch my drift. I didn’t argue with any of them. I knew the truth and thought that as long as they were quiet, there would be no need to taint any smallish reputation of being decent they still had, despite the fact that it hung by a thread. Their razor sharp indecencies would cut those on their own. I’ve found it’s always better for people to discover things like that without my help. I’ve found that when I did help things along, the shock would lose its potency and water down the needed reaction.

    “I hope you’re right,” I said.
    “Are you excited sweetheart?”
    “Huh? About what?” I asked, my mind still occupied by the idiots.
    “About Mauch Chunk, Elliott. Golly baby! What else? You’ve been counting down the hours and minutes to this trip since day one.”
She laughed. It sang through the house like a clear bell and touched every heart within a hundred foot radius. It melted away all the anxiety resting in my chest. Her happiness was always so contagious.
    “Of course I am! It will give me a little glimpse into college life and it better be good because I’m gonna’ be there for awhile.”
The gleam in her eye flickered for a moment and she sighed.
    “Yes, you are, quite awhile.”
    “I’m going to miss you mom.”
    “I will too son, but sooner or later a mother has to let her boy contribute to the world in the way they were destined to. That’s life.”

I laughed, “No mom, I meant over Thanksgiving.”

“Oh,” she cleared her throat, “yeah. I’ll miss you loads son. It won’t be the same without you here. What are the plans for her aunt’s house?”

“Well, you know, sex, drugs, rock’n’roll. Debauchery.”

“Keep that tongue wagging and you’ll find yourself sitting across from your aunt Becky instead of Jules at dinner young man.”

Apparently, not in her usually playful mood.

“Jeez, mom, relax. I was just teasing.”

There was a knock at the door and I jumped out of my seat to answer but before I could leave the kitchen my mom hugged me and slipped something in my hand.

“Here’s some extra cash son, for whatever you need it for.”

“For the drugs?” I teased.

“Hush, boy.”

She reached way up to my head and brought my forehead to her lips.

“Thanks mom. Tell dad I love him and Maddy too, although she doesn’t deserve it,” I winked.

I grabbed my satchel and headed toward the door. When I opened it, there stood a shivering Jules with the rosiest cheeks and, boy, did she look stunning. My mom waved at the Jacobs and they waved back. We crunched our way through the snow and tumbled into Jules’ parents’ car.

“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs!” I said.

“Hi Elliott!” They said in unison.

“Excited son?” Mr. Jacobs asked.

“Very,” I said and stared at Jules with a grin that touched both my eyes.

She reached across me and grabbed my seat belt. When she clicked it into its buckle, she winked at me. She killed me. This game we got going on I like, I thought, touching her arm. She nodded.

    “I brought our huge fleece blanket for the car ride there. And our awesome travel music,” she frowned, “ that we didn’t get to finish putting together. We’ve got at least fifty songs on here though.”
    “I think that will get us through,” I winked.

Something about going away with Jules got me into such a cheeky mood. If her parents hadn’t been there with us, I’d have ravished the hollow of her neck. It didn’t help that she looked so incredible.

She was wearing something new, something she must have bought in Charleston when she went with her mom to pick a few things up for their trip. She wore a grey thermal top and faded distressed blue jeans. Typical of Jules, she had all this silvery jewelry on, tons of bracelets, a necklace. She wore this hat that made her literally look like the cutest girl I’ve ever seen in my life.

I pulled at one of the ear flaps and asked her what it was. She called it her pom-pom beanie. It was striped, light grey and black, a chunky knit, and had braided ear flaps with tassels that reached to the bottom of her ribcage. Her long raven hair hung in soft curls around her shoulders and reached the middle of her back. She was so beautiful, I couldn’t help myself.

    “You look so pretty Jules,” I said.
She sat up from retrieving the iPod from her bag and her cheeks burned pink once more and I’m guessing it wasn’t from the chill air.
    “Thank you Elliott,” she said.

We both glanced into the rear-view to catch her dad’s reaction and much to our surprise he was deep into his own conversation with Jules’ mom. Neither caught my comment or maybe they just acted as if they didn’t, either way what I said wasn’t that bad, just a little too intimate for Jules to feel comfortable around her parents. She was sort of a prude that way, especially in front of her dad.

Once, I tried to link pinkies with her at their house while waiting to leave for her mom’s birthday dinner and Jules looked at me like I’d assaulted her. What a goof. I could tell her dad didn’t care as long as we were being respectful but Jules was careful and I could appreciate that.  She plugged the ear buds into the iPod and handed me the left bud and I placed it into my ear and she did the same with the right. She started to play our list and we both took out our ‘time passers’ as she called them. She had her sketch pad and I brought a book. She spread the fleece over our laps and I almost burst into laughter when I saw her dad count to four, assuming he was counting hands. Parents.

I hadn’t even finished chapter four when I caught Jules drifting to sleep. I gathered her pencils and folded her sketch pad and placed them all into her messenger bag. When I tucked the pad into place I’d caught a glimpse at one of the pages in the back and nearly lost it. She’d written ‘Mrs. Elliott Gray’ all over it. She cracked me up, not that I didn’t mind it though. I wanted her to think of herself as my wife.

When I sat back up, I accidentally bumped her knee and she briefly woke and repositioned herself onto my shoulder. I wrapped my left arm around her and read my book with the right. There was absolutely no other place I wanted to be other than in that car at that very moment.

    Eventually I dozed off myself and woke with my book at my feet. I glanced to my left and saw Jules still asleep. I reached down for the book and it woke her.
    “I’m sorry Jules. I didn’t mean to wake you honey,” I said.
    “It’s okay, I was about to wake up anyway,” she said stretching. “What time is it dad?”
    “Nine,” he said.
    “We’ve been asleep for three hours?” I asked.
    “Six more to go,” said Jules.
    “War?” I asked, my right eyebrow raised.
    “Deal. And deal? You’re going down!”

I got out my deck of cards and we played for another two hours. Five hours down. She got tired of winning so we decided to play twenty questions. Twenty questions isn’t much fun when both partners can guess whom the other is thinking in three or less questions. We couldn’t talk either, at least not about the things we wanted to talk about. We stayed quiet for a few minutes when Jules suggested tic-tac-toe. She pulled out her sketch pad but instead of drawing the graph, she wrote,

My name is Julia, not Jules, Elliott. How many times do I have to tell you?
I laughed at the memory and took the pen from her.
I know that but I like Jules. I’ve noticed I’m the only one who calls you that. It makes me a part of you that only we share.
I know what happened. I just wanted to confirm that you knew
too, so I don’t look like a fool.
We both laughed.
You’re so freaking cute Jules.
Seriously, YOU are Elliott. I’ve been dying to kiss you since Harrisonburg.
Seriously, you can’t say things like that when you look like you do right now.
You gonna’ do something about it?
Stop torturing me Jules. It’s not fair.
Alright, alright.
I’m glad to be getting out of Bramwell, I wrote, changing the subject.
Me too. I am most glad to be getting away from THEM.
They’re done. I’m certain of it. Besides, Jesse will get a shovel to the face if he so much as breathes on you.
Elliott! Your thoughts are always so violent
I’m violent? Does a certain football game mean anything to you?
She giggled under her breath.
Seriously though, I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, ever. I promise.
No one can keep a promise like that babe. Be realistic.
I’m being honest Jules. Not one hair on your head will they touch.
She sighed aloud and I decided to change the subject, yet again.
So, can your family cook? ‘Cause I’m a growing boy you know? I need the calories.
My memaw Joan E is an excellent cook. She taught me everything she knows.
Did she? I’ll have to thank her then. I am forever indebted to her for that. You’re an amazing cook.
Thanks sweetheart.
Jules broke her most stringent rule, leaned in and pecked me on the cheek. I guess that was all I was going to get.
Whoa Jules! Now your dad is going to think we’re messing around!
Shut up Elliott!
More laughing.
Seriously though Jules, your outfit looks so nice on you.
Oh Elliott, get your head out of the gutter.
I’m not trying to be saucy with you. I mean it. You look incredibly beautiful.
Stop, you’re making me blush and that will make my dad want to read what we’ve been writing.
We both looked up and saw her dad’s eyes refocus from the rear-view back onto the road. Something told me it wouldn’t be a comfortable vacation for him. Poor guy. I promised myself I’d try to make it easier on him, to behave just a little more responsibly to ease his anxiety.
So, I can’t believe I haven’t asked you this yet, but who’s all going to be there?

I’d already met many of Jules’ family members from previous visits from them to Bramwell but there were a few I’d be meeting for the first time and although this would have scared a lot of guys my age and even older, it didn’t faze me in the slightest. I was comforted to know that while we would be living in Philadelphia she’d have some family nearby.

A lot of my cousins will be there, most you’ve never met before. Many aunts and uncles. I’m most excited for you to meet my aunt Isabel.
I’m looking forward to meeting all of them. I want this trip to go as smoothly as possible. I want to be invited to future visits. Got any suggestions?
Be wary of some of my cousins. They’re awesome, but they love to tease. My cousin Lizzy is the best, you’ll love her. Just stick close to me and you’ll be okay.
Oh that should be no problem whatsoever.
I threw a sneaky grin her way and we both laughed quietly.
    “I need gas”, Jules’ dad said in a huff and slightly jerked the wheel toward the nearest exit.
We bumped heads.
    “Ow! Dad!”
    “Oops! Sorry kids!” he said with a slight smirk.
He was ornery, he must have been where Jules got it.
    We stopped at a gas station in Greencastle and ate lunch at a little burger joint named Billy Miner’s. They had some of the best burgers I’d ever eaten in my entire life. It was an amazing town and every person we’d met there treated us as if we were family. I promised myself I’d go back again.

We finally got back onto the road and arrived in Mauch Chunk in record time. When Jules dragged me through the door I was overwhelmed by the amount of people despite the home being one of the largest I’d ever ever stepped foot in.

    “No wonder everyone comes here,” I whispered. “This isn’t your grandmother’s den.”

I finally got where Jules’ eccentricities came from. We were at Jules’ aunt Isabel’s house. Isabel was her mom’s sister. She was smart and cool and had a young heart.  As we toured her home, I found so many interesting art pieces hanging everywhere on her walls.

    “They’re all local,” Isabel said, “except these.”

She pointed to an entire wall in her living room and it was very apparent that it was Jules’ handiwork. Seeing so many pieces together made me appreciate the incredible talent that Jules possessed. I also noticed something else. Four of the maybe fifteen paintings hanging on the walls were the ones we had sold online to fund our trip to London. I pointed to them and Jules just nodded.

    “I got these online,” Isabel said smiling.
    “I should have guessed,” said Jules. “They were sent to an office in downtown Philadelphia and I never put two and two together.”
Jules’ aunt Isabel was an attorney and must have had them delivered to her law office.
    “Thank you Isabel,” Jules said with gratitude.
    “You’re mom told me what you two were doing and I couldn’t resist, besides, I get the most generous compliments from the guests who see them. So are you guys ready for London?” She asked.
    “Uhhh,” Jules hesitated, “no, unfortunately we didn’t make quite enough.”
    “What?” Isabel asked, shocked, “that’s impossible!”
    “Well,” I interrupted, “something came up and we had to use the money for a family emergency.”
Neither one of our families, but a family emergency all the same.
    “Oh,” she said, not wanting to pry any further. “Shall we head toward the kitchen? I can hear everyone buzzing around in there.”

We started toward the kitchen and Jules grabbed my hand. She apparently felt comfortable enough to do that and I wasn’t going to pitch a fit so I wove my fingers with hers and brought the top of her hand to my lips and kissed it. I didn’t let go of her hand once while being introduced to the cousins I had been so fairly warned about. Jules was right, Lizzy was the thoroughly cool one. Then Jules led me to a spunky, elderly lady with the whitest hair.

    “You must be memaw Joan E.?” I asked.
    “No, fool, I’m Julia’s aunt. How old do you think I am?” She asked, her eyes wide.
I turned bright red and my eyes nearly popped from my head.
    “I...I....I,” I stuttered.
    “I’m just pullin’ your chain son!” She laughed a hearty laugh. “Come here!”
She planted a large kiss on my face and tapped my cheek lightly with her palm. I laughed along with her and Jules.
    “You pass boy.”
Then she walked off.
    “And that was memaw Joan E.,” Jules said. “Great isn’t she?” She beamed.
    “Very Jules.”
    “Are you going to see Caroline, Julia?” Isabel asked us from the sink.
    “Is she in town?” Jules asked excitedly.
    “She is and I believe they’re playing tonight at Antone’s.”

Jules walked the length of the kitchen and we sat in the corner window seat together. The entire kitchen was full to the brim of her chattering family. Yes, quite an impossible size of such incredibly interesting people. Why Jules’ mother decided to live in Bramwell with Jules’ dad I’m not sure, being that she was from Philadelphia and all, maybe she preferred a quieter life. I’m sort of glad she did though, whatever the reason. Jules’ grandfather, Benjamin, was a physician. I picked his brain for quite some time and he actually said to me,

    “You want to become a physician? You must be insane.”

He was joking but I couldn’t help but feel a small sting of truth in his words. Although, he did reveal that it was a profession made for him and that made me feel whole lot better since I’d felt that same way for years. Ben was one of the smartest men I’d ever met. Her aunt as I mentioned before was an attorney. Her grandmother was an author of a children’s series about a little bird named Charlie.

Her cousin Richard was a pilot of drones for the Army and his wife devoted her life to helping children with Autism. Another cousin of hers, Sylvia, currently lived in D.C. helping homeless and destitute families. Her cousin Caroline traveled the country with her tribal dance group.

The rest of her family was in finance, basically, a family of abnormally large brains. Interesting people, very interesting. Seeing Jules with her family, in her element, was fascinating. She was brighter, even more energetic and inspired.

Caroline’s in town?” I asked.

Caroline was her older cousin. She’s the one who got Jules into tribal belly dancing.
    “Yeah,” she said, “my mom told me she was thinking of booking a gig here in Mauch Chunk so she could be with the fam for the holiday.”
    Then to everyone she said, “Should we all go? Make it a huge family affair? Caroline would love that!”

Everyone agreed and all consented to leave for her show at nine that night. Jules’ mom and dad volunteered to watch everyone’s children because they felt drained from the car ride. I think it was further proof that they preferred a quieter life.

We had several hours to kill so Jules’ aunt Isabel showed me to the room I’d be sharing with the other boys of the house. It was a game room they just added a bunch of cots to. She gave me the cot between the pool table and the wall. It was slightly secluded and I appreciated the privacy it provided me. She showed me the massive bathroom where I could shower and ready myself in the morning. The house was so big that if Jules hadn’t been with me almost the entire time I would have gotten lost for sure. Isabel instructed Jules to show me the rest of the house and headed back downstairs to see to dinner.

    “I’m in desperate need of a shower,” I pleaded.
    “Me too,” she said. “Meet you back here in an hour? I want to wash my hair again and curl it.”
    “No prob Bob.”

I grabbed my bag and closed the bathroom door behind me. I tossed it onto the marble tile and turned the shower on. I sat at the edge of the sink while the water warmed. It was an incredible room. Cream marble from floor to ceiling cut into large subway tiles. The toilet actually had an electronic keypad next to it and I wasn’t about to mess with it for fear it’d set the whole house on fire, as that was my luck. I kicked off my heavy, large boots.

Jules always kidded me that their weight is what kept me grounded. I undressed and tossed my jeans, boxers and weathered thermal to the ground.  I could tell the water was plenty warm now because the steam billowed out from the top of the massive glass doors and touched the immense mirror above the double sinks. I suddenly realized that the faucets actually came from out of the mirror. I glanced around me and there were, previously beyond my notice, Jack and Jill doors and they hadn’t been locked. That would have majorly sucked, I thought, locking both the doors before someone came screaming in, embarrassing us both.

I slid open the wide glass door to the shower and stepped in. The water was the perfect temperature. I let it wet my hair and face and stood underneath its warmth. It cascaded over my head and shoulders and down my back, I could feel it splash at my feet, and it quelled my screaming muscles. Nine hours in a car will do that to you, especially when you’ve been hit pretty hard just a few days before at a football game.

I’m a tall guy and stout enough to take a few hits but I’m a quarterback, not a lineman and sometimes being hit by a three hundred pound boy just wouldn’t sit well in my bones or muscles.

The water heated me through and I realized I’d probably been in there for quite some time. I washed quickly, shampooed, and rinsed. I opened the door and the steam had made the room almost invisible. I stepped on the marble expecting it to be freezing but it was quite the opposite. The floor was heated. What kind of place is this? I asked myself. I had forgotten to set a towel on the railing of the shower and the bath mat was too far away. I had to walk across the floor to the mat and then try to reach for a towel without dripping all over her nice floor or worse, slipping and hitting my head on something.

Egad! I can just imagine some random relative having to come in here and find me sprawled over the tile. I jumped and hit my target but my legs were sore from all the extra running around at Friday’s game and I winced in pain. What I wouldn’t have given to be married to Jules. I’d have her massage all the kinks out. I could just as well have her do it now over my jeans but that would have been an invitation for disaster, stupid teenage hormones. I couldn’t wait for those to subside.

Though, there was one sensation I hoped would never diminish. Every time I would see her, even after only a five minute absence, my heart would beat an unhealthy rhythm and I loved it. Oh, and of course our electricity, but I knew that wasn’t going anywhere.

I reached for the towel and dried myself off, then the floor where I’d dripped and then threw the towel in the laundry chute. Are laundry chutes something people actually use? I wondered if I had just sent my used towel into some random open alcove in the kitchen in front of everyone. I paused and waited for the impending uproarious laughter but there came none. Huh. They must actually use the laundry chute here. Why do I keep questioning myself? And imagining the worst? Why am I being such an idiot? Am I nervous? I rarely got nervous, so the feeling was strange to me. I chucked it up to meeting so many of her relatives in one sitting. I wanted so badly for them to love me the way my family loved Jules.

It was easy to love Jules. She was delightful, kind, perfectly social and funny as hell, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. I sighed at the very thought of her. I dressed. I pulled on a pair of torn jeans I had brought on a whim and an old grey jersey knit shirt with long sleeves. I pushed the sleeves so they met midway up my forearm. I wore a black vest over the knit and threw my boots back on. I stood at the mirror and shrugged my shoulders. I looked like a hobo but I never much cared for what I looked like so it was of no concern to me. Jules seemed to like me and that was all I cared about. I tossed on my wool cap and tucked my hair behind my ears.

My hair was starting to get a little too long. I usually kept it at my chin but it had grown an inch or two below it now and I looked like a mess. The very sight of myself made me laugh almost uncontrollably.

Just then, I heard a knock at the door. I tossed all of my stuff into my bag and answered it. There was still a little steam left in the room and it emptied itself around a desperately striking Jules, as if she were in one of my dreams. When the steam dissipated, I caught my lost breath and choked.

    “Jules, you’re killing me.”
She spun around so I could get a better look.
    “Uh, I’m gonna’ die trying to fend off the Mauch Chunkites.”
    “Thanks, but don’t. I’d rather you live. I like you alive, it suits you.”
    “Feeling’s mutual,” I joked.
    She grabbed my hand and that familiar jolt coursed through my body soothing every aching muscle I had previously complained about.
    “Wait,” I said, “I’ve gotta’ put my bag on my cot.”
I tossed my bag onto the cot and she grabbed my hand once more.
    “Okay, for the rest of the tour. I’ll start down the hall, in their home theater.”
    “Seriously?” My mouth fell open widely.
    “Yeah,” she laughed.
    “Any chance we could live here while attending Penn? Just askin’.”
    “Not a chance,” she winked. “We need to experience dorm life. Apparently, ‘it’s awesome’. Although I doubt that seriously, seeming as my source is an unreliable one.”
She motioned toward the open room below us and I realized she meant her older teasing cousins.
    She led me into the theater and paraded me around the seats and up to the screen. It reminded me of a miniature version of the theater in Charleston.
    “Wow,” I said, practically speechless.
    “Tomorrow we’re all going to watch The Princess Bride after lunch. Isabel’s breaking out the popcorn machine.” She pointed at the little red machine in the far corner next to a brightly painted faux box office.
    “I’m seriously reconsidering the physician route. Maybe I’d do well as a lawyer.” I teased.
    “I don’t think so Elliott. This would be a little too much for us. I imagine us in a needy country somewhere, living in squalor conditions but we’ll be the happiest and most in love people in the world.” She paused, and inched closer to me, fiddling with the hem of my knit with her fingers. “You’d have two jobs there, you know. Are you okay with that?” She teased.
    “Two jobs?” I asked.
    “Yeah, fixing the beautiful children by day and making love to your wife by night.” She eyed me at the last bit.
I smacked my palm to my forehead and shook my head.
    “I’m not going to become a physician Jules.”
    “Why?” She asked, confused.
    “Because I’m never going to make it out of here alive if you keep talking like that.”
    “No, you can’t. I like you alive, remember?” She paused, “I’m sorry, but you look like an irresistible hobo. I can’t help myself.”
    “That’s what I thought! Not the irresistible part, of course, but the hobo part.”
    She dismissed me with her hand, “You’re so handsome Elliott and you don’t even have to try! That’s kind of annoying actually.”
    “Oh whatever Jules!” I turned and looked at the door. “Guess what?”
    “What?”
    “I’ve gotta’ get out of here.”
    “Why?”
    “It should be obvious. Me with you alone equals bad things.”
    “Oh,” she blushed.

We headed out the door and she completed the rest of the tour. Her aunt’s home was hands down one of the most creatively beautiful homes I’d ever seen. After the tour, we trudged down the stairs and met everyone in the massive kitchen. We still had a couple of hours to kill before we left for Caroline’s gig so all the older kids decided to watch a movie.

    “Back to the scene of the crime,” I nudged quietly.
We both laughed and sat together at the back of the five rows of seats and everyone else piled in around us, knee deep in their own conversations.
    “What are we watching?” I asked Jules.
    “Not sure. My Uncle Rocky’s picking the film. He’s got pretty great taste in films.”

The lights dimmed and I heard the familiar ticking of the film before it shot onto to the oversized screen in front of us. Jules and I rested our feet on the seats in front of us but neither of us made it past the opening credits. We fell asleep with my arm around Jules and her head on my shoulder. I dozed off breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

When the movie was over, apparently the other kids just let us get some sleep and Jules’ mom didn’t wake us until everyone was ready to leave.

“Julia, honey,” I barely heard.

Jules rustled beneath my arms.
    “Yeah?” She asked, unaware where she was. “Oh, what time is it?”
    “Quarter ‘til dear.”
    “Okay.”
Jules shook me awake and I sat up. We both stretched in our seats and stood up.
    “I’m going to freshen up,” Jules said, “before we have to leave.”
I met Jules in the foyer five minutes later and we all piled into various cars.
    We all marched into Antone’s with amazed eyes. The venue was dark and smelled of incense. One of their songs played softly to rev the crowd up.
    “That’s all Caroline,” Jules said.
    “This is really exciting,” I said.
    The band came out first and began to play a low beat and then Caroline joined the stage. The audience erupted into shouts and applause. I guess she was the reason people came. Then, I saw why she was the real reason people came. Her dancing was phenomenal and I saw so much of Jules in her it was shocking. They looked alike, danced alike and even made similar facial expressions.
    “It’s obvious that you’re family,” I said.
    “Seriously? What a compliment! Thanks babe!”

The music was a mixture of Egyptian and Middle Eastern and was full of experimental beats, viola, and percussion. It was hypnotic, the music and the dancing. The best part of the evening was when Caroline pulled Jules up onto the stage and made her dance something they both knew together. I wish I had remembered to bring a camera, Jules looked so amazing up there. She was a natural. At the end of their song I lifted Jules by the waist off the stage and guided a breathless Jules back to her family.

    “I’m sorry your parents missed that,” I said.
    “How did I look? Stupid?” She laughed.
    “Absolutely not! You looked so good up there! You looked like you belonged there! I’m so impressed Jules!” I screamed over the music.
    “Thanks darlin’!” She spoke into my ear and kissed my cheek.

After the concert, everyone stuck around and waited for Caroline but she sent word that she was helping the guys do their thing and she would meet us at Isabel’s the next morning. We all left in such an uplifted mood and everyone wouldn’t stop gushing about Jules’ involvement. I guess a couple of them didn’t even know she was into Tribal. All in all, I’d say it was a fantastic evening.

I was really looking forward to bed and at the first opportunity, I fell into my cot and dreamed, for the first time, the dream that would forever fill my nights.

The dream of the ruthless ideal. The dream haunted me even after Jules left me.

Basically, it was everything I had imagined being a newlywed with Jules would be. We were on our honeymoon, only the location would change, and it always began in the morning. We were always eating at a table inside of our room overlooking mountains, the ocean, snow, desert, you name it. I’d be drinking coffee or tea and she was always reading. We were both together and only slightly distracted from one another. We stayed quiet, neither one speaking a word, but speaking volumes in the way we looked at and touched each other. Every glance, every flirtatious smile, each sigh of breath meant something profound. We kept our feet in constant contact and even in the dream I could feel the deeply steamed flux of electricity. Each time, It made me wake with an unquenchable thirst for Jules. That first morning, I woke hyperventilating.

The first few days, I thought it was because I was becoming claustrophobic from being wedged in between the wall and the billiard’s table but I would find out eventually that it was a physical reaction to the dream. It was euphoric. Every morning I woke slightly earlier than usual so I could revel in it as long as possible before the feeling wore off.

    I need to see Jules. It was six in the morning but I hopped up from my cot anyway, showered, didn’t bother shaving, brushed my teeth, dressed and waited downstairs by myself for Jules to come down. Surprisingly, she was not five minutes behind me. The kitchen had massive rolling doors that opened to the outside patio and I opened them to breathe in the cool air. I sat at a breakfast table chair, staring from underneath the open door when I saw her descend the industrial staircase. I bounded to greet her with the largest smile, totally not expecting her to have met me so early. I held her at her waist and brought her delicate face to mine. I kissed her severely. I sat her back down and kept my hand at her waist because I felt she had lost her footing from the kiss.
    “I hoped you would have been down here,” she whispered.
    “You did?” I asked quietly.

She brought her lips to my ear, “I had a dream about us.”

I stared at her in disbelief.
    “So did I.”
    “What was yours about?” She asked.
    “Our honeymoon,” I said.
    “Mine too.”

Why I was surprised by this, I don’t know. I had gotten used to things being unusual between us, I just hadn’t expected this was all.
    “Amazing,” I said.
She told me all about her dream. It was almost identical to mine but with a slight twist. She said she kept trying to talk to me but I wouldn’t answer her and all she was able to do was touch me and smile at me.
    “Amazing,” I repeated.

I held on to her for a very long time. I cupped her face in my hands and stared into her eyes. Every now and then I would softly kiss her chin, cheek, forehead, or lips. I was passionately in love with Jules and I could see in her eyes and feel through her touch that she was too.

“I’m so in love with you Jules,” I said.

“And I with you, my love,” she answered.

“I don’t think I can wait to belong to you any longer. Please marry me after graduation Jules?”

Desperate.

“We can’t my love. We’ll need to wait just a little bit longer. What is four years in the scheme of things?”

“But why?”

“Because I promised your mother you’d become the man you wanted to be and I wouldn’t hinder that for anything in the world. I like to keep my promises.”

“Oh, mom can just mind her own business!” I said roughly.

“Elliott,” she sang, “we can do this. We can wait and we will be all the more in love because of it. Waiting is one of those things that test your character dear and I have a feeling that eventually we’ll be two of the most satiated characters that ever walked God’s earth.

“One of the greatest thing about character is its peculiar after effect. It naturally molds you into the person that you are meant to be. Many who suffer the pains of instant gratification suffer their characters because of it and never get to discover all that they could be. It’s tragic. Elliott, you and I were meant to wait. I feel it in my bones. Waiting is one of the variables of our fated formula.” She placed both her hands on my forearms and reached to lean closely into my ear. “And its results? Will be astounding,” she promised and sweetly kissed my cheek.

I looked on her gratefully.

“I’m afraid I’ve botched any chance of a romantic proposal,” I admitted.

“That’s not true,” she said. “What could be more romantic than a man so desperate to marry you he would ask a thousand times? No, there is nothing more romantic.”

“You’re a clever girl Jules.”

“No, not clever, truthful.”

“Then, both.”

I kissed her again, this time more melodiously.

“Eventually,” I taunted.

“Eventually.”

We let go of one another at the sound of Jules’ father coming down the staircase.

“What in the heck are you two doing up?” He asked. His eyes became large, “You two aren’t just getting in are you?”

“No Mr. Jacobs. We rode with everyone else last night. Jules and I were just the earliest risers this morning,” I said.

I glanced at Jules and she smiled back.

“Oh,” he said shuffling in his slippers and bathrobe to an empty coffee pot. “Didn’t either of you make coffee?”

We both shook our heads.

“That’s unAmerican,” he joked. “It’s too chilly for the door to be open. Close that for me, will ya’ Elliott?”

I rolled the door down and locked the chain. The kitchen began to heat up with warm bodies and Joan E’s cooking. She made these miniature quiches with the most delectable insides known to man. I never would have considered myself a ‘quiche’ kind of guy but I ate my share and three other’s worth of the darn things. Jules, on a whim, made a yogurt parfait with low fat yogurt, fresh fruit, and honey baked granola. That was probably her antidote to all the cholesterol I had just ingested.

“Here babe,” she said handing me a bowl.

“Jules, are you worried about me?” I cracked.

“A little,” she said. “I was just witness to the feast you treated yourself to. If I wasn’t already aware of your intimidating self control I’d think you’d had none.”

Everyone got really quiet, reading too much into what she had just said. I felt the color drain from my own face and travel over to Jules’ red hot cheeks. Suddenly, everyone burst into laughter. All, except Jules father, but I could live with that. I mean, technically I was being accused of being a prude. That was okay with me. Jules, on the other hand, had just labeled herself the opposite.

I jumped in trying to save her, “Well, I can take it. I do work out a lot with the team. I burn a lot of calories running up and down the field.”

“And not to mention it relieves frustration,” someone said under their breath. I’m guessing one of the sarcastic cousins.

Another burst of laughter, but this time it was my cheeks that got their color back and then some. Jules’ dad intervened and surprisingly came to our defenses.

“Okay, okay. Everyone calm down,” he said. “They’re two very good kids and we don’t want to weaken their beliefs by letting them think what they’re doing is too old fashioned.”

Jules’ aunt Isabel chimed in to back up Jules’ dad, “That’s right Julia and Elliott. You’re light years above people twice your age and I’m waiting for the amazing thing that will inescapably come of you both.”

Everyone started to agree and assured us they meant no harm when Caroline came to our rescue and diverted the attention from us.

“Whew!” I aimed at Jules.

She smiled, shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

“Never been so happy to see Caroline,” she murmured.

I reached over the counter top and grabbed her hand. My little instant anxiety relief flickered through my arms and I got a double dose in my fluttering heart as it coasted to an easy rhythm. I let go of her hand and we both sighed in relief.

“Let’s take a walk together,” I offered.

“What an excellent idea. I need to get out of here.”

We mentioned what we were doing to Jules’ mom and headed out the door.  We walked around her aunt’s neighborhood at first and found a main street that lead us onto a charming street chock full of creative little businesses. We stopped into a little novelty store where we bought a little flip book of a woman from the twenties wearing a bathing suit that went to her knees. When you flipped the book, she did a little dance, it was hilarious. Jules and I laughed for five minutes.

Then we stopped at a little organic coffee house and had a small cup of coffee and chatted for at least an hour, though it felt like five minutes.

Afterwards, we stopped at a local art gallery and Jules gushed over all of the art with the curator. Invariably, Jules was asked to send a painting, constant as ever. We left the gallery and began walking back toward Jules’ aunt’s home.

We passed a window full of wedding dresses and I jokingly nudged Jules’ ribs. She rolled her eyes at me, put her fist up to her mouth and pretended to blow an imaginary dart at me. Not one to be shown up, I grabbed my neck and dramatically wavered until I fell onto a nearby park bench. We caught an older couple laughing at us and Jules bowed.

“Come on,” I said dragging her back toward the main street, “you win.”

When we finally got back to the house, it was time for lunch. Her aunt made this really indulgent salad with homemade dressing and I stuck to that to please Jules after this morning’s disaster.

Everyone piled into the theater room afterwards and there were so many of her family members there weren’t enough seats so the older kids sprawled out on to the floor in front of the screen with pillows and blankets. Jules and I picked the darkest area in the far right corner.

Before the film started Jules jumped up to use the restroom and when she came back she said she couldn’t see where I was.

“We’re invisible over here,” she said.

“Let’s talk then,” I said.

“Good thinkin’. Honestly, I’ve been meaning to bring this up to you but didn’t know when a good time would be.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’ve a sinking feeling we haven’t seen the last of Taylor or Jesse. I know you said that we should wait and see if anything comes about but I’m just not comfortable waiting for something bad to happen. I’d rather take the offensive.”

I sighed.

“Jules, Jules, Jules. After all the heat that’s been put on those two we’re not going to hear a peep from them. I’m certain of it.”

“I don’t know Elliott. Anyone who would go so far as to break into another’s home is seriously deranged and I don’t think a little thing like a pep talk from the Principal or the local sheriff is going to derail them.”

She shuddered as if she was cold. I brought the flannel blanket up to her waist for her.

“I’m not cold,” she said, “I’m scared.”

“Oh Jules, now, you see this is why I should have just knocked Jesse out at school the next day. That would have taught him.”

“No!” She said too loudly then brought her voice back down to a whisper, “that would have made it worse. That kind of stuff just adds fuel to their already blazing fire.”

“Well, what do you want to do about it?” I asked.

“Well, we could approach them,” she suggested.

“No, that would be inconceivable!” I joked.

“You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means,” she said along with the film.

I paused and tried not to smile.

“You’re so cute,” I said.

“So are you,” she said and went in for a kiss.

I pulled back.

“Uh, uh, uhh, your dad’s right there Jules!”

“Oh yeah. I forget sometimes. You’re so distracting. You don’t realize what I go through,” she admitted.

“I don’t realize?” I almost shouted.

“Okay, okay. Shhh. Back to the subject,” she breathed.

“We can approach them but it would have to be at lunch on an A day and we don’t have an A day until the Thursday we come back because we’re off Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday is a B day.”

“If an A day is before a B day and Wednesday is a B day and since we’re off Monday and Tuesday we’d have to wait until Thursday?!” She asked mockingly.

“Shut up!” I laughed. “You’re the one who wanted to talk about this.”

We both laughed loudly but it was at a part of the film that was conveniently funny for all and we recovered nicely.

“Nice,” I said and we silently high-fived.

“Alright Elliott, so we’ll approach them Thursday, but what should we say?” She asked.

“Well, I think we should just tell them that they don’t scare us and they don’t have a chance in hell in breaking us up, so give it up.”

“Add a ‘get your own life’ in there too!”

“Shut up!” I chuckled.

“And a ‘you better check yourself, before you wreck yourself’,” she jested.

“How about we close with a ‘your mama’s so fat’?”

“Yes, classic. Classic.”

“Are we done?” I asked.

“Yes, we’re in too playful a mood to do this.”

“Alright, let’s watch the film and annoy everyone by reciting every line,” I said. “You’re Wesley and I’ll be Princess Buttercup.”

“Such an awesome name,” she said.

“It’s so funny that they had a somewhat normal name coupled with such a cutesy one.”

“What are you talking about?” She said. “He’s The Dread Pirate Roberts!”

“Ohhhh, that’s right. They’re doomed. They’re kids are going to be named something stupid like Princesses Alstroemeria and Delphinium.”

“What is wrong with you?” She laughed. “How do you even know the names of those flowers? That’s it. I forbid your reading to reach such subjects that allow me to immediately ask for your man card. Your reading shall be limited to the sciences, mysteries, really anything manly, and that is all.”

We laughed pretty hard.   

“Shhhh!” Everyone said in unison.

That sent us into a frenzy and we had to flee the theater in fear we’d be flogged. We ran and sat at the top of the stairs trying to catch our breath from our stupid banter. I grabbed Jules’ hand but that didn’t help. The current was only soothing if we were anxious, scared, or sad. If we were already happy it just magnified the feeling.

We started laughing so loudly we decided to hide out in the kitchen. We realized that memaw Joan E was in there cooking up a storm so we found a retreat inside Isabel’s and Rocky’s garage.

“Wow!” I shouted. “Look at all these cars!”

“Nice huh?”   

“Uh, yup.”

More laughing.

“That wasn’t even funny,” I could barely speak.

“I know. You’re so much fun and for no reason at all.” She became serious, “That’s one of the things I love about you.”

She leaned in for a kiss and this time I gave it to her.
    “I think we’re going to love Philadelphia,” I said.
    “Dude, I think so too. It is such a fun city. The music Elliott! The music! That’s the best part! Imagine all the live music! Mwua ha ha ha ha!” She dribbled her fingers      together.
    “Mwua ha ha ha ha!” I joined in with her.
That’s when Jules’ dad entered the garage to check on us and caught us acting like fools. We burst out into laughter again.
    “You kids,” he tossed up his hands.

I was confident that Jules’ dad officially liked me. He never quite warmed up to me on account of the night I accidentally spent with Jules, but I think this week convinced him of my intentions toward Jules and that made me very happy.
    The next day was Thanksgiving and while the dinner was being prepared all the young cousins spent the day in the game room, after we put up all the cots of course. Jules and I had begun a game of darts before her mom came up looking for her.
    “Come on Julia, all the women want to talk to you. You’re a well enough cook to make a difference in the work this year,” she said.
    “But ma’? What about Elliott?” She asked, deep concern in her eyes.
    “He’ll be alright sugar,” she said, smiling at me.
    “Go on Jules,” I said. “I want to catch up on some reading anyway.”
    “Okay,” she said and began to follow her mom down the stair case.
She peered up through the bars and I puckered my bottom lip.
    “Don’t do that,” she mouthed.

I shooed her away and smiled. I grabbed my book from my bag and went downstairs to the sitting area. The entire downstairs was one large industrial looking space with concrete floors but rugs everywhere. I chose a chair near the kitchen but not too near so as I didn’t appear to be eavesdropping, but much to their disappointment I’m sure, I could hear everything they were saying as clear as a bell. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear the beginning and by the sounds of what I had stepped into, so to speak, it would have been so pleasurable to hear.

    “And you plan on marrying him Julia?” A random aunt asked.
    “Yes ma’am,” Jules said with confidence.

The entire kitchen was quiet until Jules interrupted the silence, “I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I am unwavering on the subject.”

“Well, she certainly is confident,” said memaw Joan E. “I see it in you child. I see what you so passionately proclaim. I also see it in him too. Of that, I’m sure.”

Good old memaw Joan E, I liked her.
    “It’s awfully young to feel so certain,” an aunt said. “People change as they grow older and mature Julia.”
    “Let me ask the entire room a question,” said Jules. “My entire life, have I ever been hasty? Don’t I bide my time? Aren’t I careful when I make big decisions?”
No one answered. That was a good sign.
    “Yes dear, but there is a first time for everything,” Jules’ mom said.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was intruding. It was so ungentlemanly of me to be listening to this. I felt the urge to stand up and leave but my body might as well have been made of lead.

    “You’re right mama,” Jules said.
What?  Jules, what are saying?
    “But,” she continued.
Whew.
    “But you forget, we’re not looking to get married right out of high school. We both have big college plans and we don’t want my getting pregnant to hinder them. We’ve decided to wait until we graduate university.”
You’ve decided to wait until we graduate university.
    “Who knows,” said the same doubting aunt to the room, “as long as they plan on waiting, she could change her mind or he could.”
    “I have no doubts, but I won’t try to change anyone’s minds. I have made my choice and I am confident that he has as well. Time, in this case, is on our side. It will show you our devotion.”
    “Whoo! I like your spunk Julia!” Said memaw Joan E.

All the women settled from the subject onto the next and I could feel the tension release from Jules’ body. I continued reading and eventually dozed off, my book in my lap.

    I awoke to the voice of an angel. Jules had gathered my book, saved my place and sat next to me on the loveseat.

She spoke softly into my groggy ear, “‘The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Volume One’? Now, that my dear, is manly reading.”

I kept my hazy eyes closed but I could assemble a half smile for her wit’s sake.
    “Dinner’s ready,” she blew in my ear.
I was awake.
    After grace, everyone sat, enjoyed the food and one another’s company. It was a lively evening that lasted well into the early morning hours. I became so familiar with each family member that they harassed me as one of their own and I loved it.

After dinner, everyone lounged in the living room as we all decided if we should play a game or not. Isabel suggested charades and we all agreed.

    “Uh, I’m terrible at charades,” I said leaning into Jules.
    “No, you’re not. I hate false modesty,” she said. “Just admit when you’re good at something. No one will think any less of you unless you’re an ass about it. Repeat after me.”
    “Repeat after me,” I said.
    “No, stop.”
    “No, stop.”
She waited for me to stop and I did.
    “I, Elliott Gray,” she said.
    “I, Elliott Gray,” I said.
    “Am super fantastic.”
    “I’m not saying that,” I said.
    “Come on! Am super fantastic.”
I sighed.
    “Am super fantastic,” I gave in.
    “At kissing Jules.”
    “At kissing Jules.”
    “At bugging Jules.”
    “At buggin’ Jules,” I chuckled.
    “At touching Jules,” she joked.
    “I’m not saying that,” I said
    “Okay.....at matters of the heart,” she conceded.
    “At matters of the heart.”
    “At matters of the mind.”
    “At matters of the mind,” I said.
    “At matters of right and wrong,”
    “I’m not super fantastic at that but I guess I’ll say it anyway. At matters of right and wrong.”
    “And last but not least,” she said.
    “And last but not least,” I repeated.
    “At........eavesdropping on old women cooking Thanksgiving dinner in their kitchen.”
    “You knew I was doing that?” I asked coyly.
    “Of course, doofus. I almost thought about making it as miserable for you as possible but I would have freaked out my family if I had done that. Consider yourself lucky, I was going to say something like, he’s just a speed bump until I get to Philadelphia and find my real husband’. You know, things like that.”
I almost died laughing.
    “You’re too competent to be with such a goof, Jules.”
    “Please, I’m intimidated on a daily basis by your intelligence. I think we make it work so well because that’s what God wants of us. So, I chuck it all up to Him. I’m pretty darn happy so I guess we’re doing something right.”
    “Me too,” I said.
    “Okay! This half of the room is on one team, this half, on the other,” said Isabel. “Julia, heads or tails?”
    “Heads.”
She flipped the coin.
    “Tails.”
    “Aw, shucks,” Jules said.
    “It’s okay Jules,” I said.
    “It’s okay Jules,” everyone mocked and burst into laughter.
A few made gagging noises.
    “Okay, okay! Head in the game ‘heads’!” Jules shouted.
The game went on until two thirty in the morning. I could barely hold my head up but didn’t want to be the first to turn in. Jules’ family was so fun as well and I didn’t want to miss out.
    “We’ve got to get to bed,” said Jules, reading my body language. “We’re shopping tomorrow, remember?”
The men groaned but the ladies cheered and with that, we all went to bed full and very content.

 

 

The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series
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