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“No way Elliott. No way will I be going anywhere Taylor Williams or her cronies will be. How dare you even ask me that? You know how I feel about them and their cruelty.”
“Taylor Williams? Who the hell cares about Taylor Williams! It’s not even her party. She may not even be there.” She gave me a disbelieving, sarcastic look. “Okay, she’ll probably be there but come on! The whole team will be there as well. We can avoid Taylor like the plague that she is. We’ll pick a corner of the house, camp there, and laugh at everyone making fools of themselves. It’ll be fun.” I softened my tone and edged closer to her, “I’ll take care of you Jules. You know I will.”
She strained her neck to look up at me, “I’m a big girl Elliott. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. You forget. I’ve made it my entire life being ridiculed by Taylor. I think I can survive my senior year without any assistance.”
“I know you don’t Jules but I’ll do it anyway because it’s my job. I’m protective over the girls I’m in love with.”
“The girls? Plural? Nice,” she chided.
“Wait, wait, and wait. You know what I meant.” I exhaled gruffly, “How did this turn so quickly?”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking away.
After a few seconds, the electricity seemed to have calmed us both down.
“I’m sorry Jules. I just wanted you to come is all. After the game, everyone piles into Matthew’s parents’ lake house for fun. It’s actually a blast. Matthew is so hilarious. He keeps us all in stitches. I was trying to get you to see that they’re not all that bad.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to at least make an appearance....,” she admitted.
“Yes! I know you’ll have fun babe.”
She pointed a finger at my face, “But if Taylor so much as breathes in my direction. I’m outta’ there, with or without you.”
“Deal! And Jules?”
“Hmm?”
“I would never let you go anywhere without me.”
She smiled up at me, stunning me speechless.
“My God Jules. You’re beautiful.”
The sun lit the natural red highlights in her hair. The laughing had made her cheeks flush and the fighting had made her eyes bright. Every part of her was just so alive.
She placed the back of her gloved hand against her forehead, gazed toward the sky and with a southern drawl said, “Oh Rhett, you’re sweepin’ me off ma’ feet!”
“Hardy, har, har. I’m being serious with you Jules. I have never in my life seen a woman as gorgeous as you. You take the cake buttercup.”
“Oh Gray, so many points for that one. Just for that, I’d let you carry me anywhere.”
Jules sat on the back of her heels and opened the basket beneath her. She had lots of awesome food in there and I wondered if she had made it herself. I didn’t get a chance to ask because she said she had a surprise for me.
“Ta daa!” She said and pulled a little portable mp3 player out. “I thought we could listen to music and dance and be silly. The rock bridge is like the perfect dance floor.”
She turned it on and fiddled with it until I heard Silverchair’s ‘Without You’ come on.
“Diorama,” I said.
She nodded and threw a flirtatious smile my way. I reclined back onto an elbow and watched her dance around while belting out every single word. I was mesmerized. When the song was over she collapsed on the stone, happy and out of breath.
“God, you’re adorable,” I said.
She just laughed and tried to catch her breath.
“Come here,” she said and patted the bit of stone next to her.
I got up and laid next to her.
