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She nodded. I wound her through the small passageway of kids from school to a corner of the room and sat her on top of one of Matthew’s Peavey subwoofers. I leaned in next to her and spoke closely at her ear.
“I’m gonna’ run out to the truck for my mom’s cell. She told me to keep it on me and I forgot it. I need to take a leak first though. Are you okay here for a second?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Want some water or anything?”
“I’m cool.”
“I know it. Be right back.”
I kissed her roughly, leaving her dazed before meandering my way through the crowd. I glanced a last look at my Jules. She winked in her usual confident way and I ran to the bathroom. I had to wait for three people before my turn but finally got inside. I decided to exit the back and loop around to the front to avoid climbing over people. I got the cell and bounded up the deck but before I had even swung open the screen door I heard a collective “ohhhhh” come from inside the house, making my stomach twist. I hurried inside to see what was going on and caught the tail end of an insult aimed directly at my Jules.
“.........and no one wants you hear anyway Julia. This is a crowd you don’t belong in leech,” Taylor Williams gestured at the room, her words dripping with venom. Jules was still perched on top of the speaker I sat her upon, giving Taylor a height advantage that allowed her to speak down to Jules literally and figuratively. Had to give Jules credit where credit was due. She was leaning back on her hands, cool as a cucumber.
Taylor leaned over her, “I don’t know what you did to poison our Elliott but once we figure out how to remove your cancerous claws we’ll steal him back. You just don’t fit in, which is why you should just leave Julia. No one wants you here!”
Jules’ expression was cool. Her face didn’t betray a hint of hurt but I felt it. It was strong enough of a sensation that it permeated the room and made my stomach roil.
“Enough!” I shouted, my voice booming against the walls.
All heads, including Taylor’s, spun my way and the silence was deafening. I felt sick. Above all, this was the one thing I told Jules I would protect her from and I’d failed miserably.
“Enough Taylor!” A sick glint of shimmer fluttered across her eyes when I said her name and the corners of her mouth twitched.
Apparently, she was a proponent of the theory that any attention was good attention.
I climbed over people to get to Jules and yanked her to my side.
“She speaks for everyone?” I asked the room.
I scanned their faces but they refused to make eye contact with me and I realized that Taylor was staring each down in silent threat. Leading the lemmings. I turned my attention back to Taylor. The date she had brought from a local community college took a shot of liquid courage and stood by her side, swaying slightly. Although the fool was tall and big, I was taller and bigger which told me he had to have been drunk when he eyed me like he was craving a fight. Little did I know his real motivation. I needed to get Julia out of there.
“Well Taylor, I can see that you’re also slightly inebriated so I’ll leave you to your date. I’m willing to drop this shit, for now. As for the rest of you,” I stared in seething anger at my boots, “I thought you were my friends. I guess I was mistaken. None of my friends would have allowed Julia to be ostracized like this, especially you Jesse.” I drug my heavy stare onto Jesse.
He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. I grabbed Jules’ hand and began to squeeze my way to the door but when we walked past Taylor, her drunk date grabbed at Jules, catching one of her necklaces and dragging her backward. I caught her and straightened her up.
“What the hell is your problem?” I asked the jerk.
“I want to talk to that girl,” he slurred.
Ahhh, the truth to Taylor’s outburst.
“What are you doing Craig?” Taylor whispered. We both ignored her.
“Can’t. We’re leaving Craig.”
“I’ve been wanting to talk to her since she got here. She keeps ignoring me.”
He started leaning into Jules’ face, barely able to keep himself up.
“Well, obviously she didn’t care to talk with you,” I said, pressing his shoulder back and correcting his posture. “Take the hint.”
I couldn’t believe the direction this conversation had taken. The rest of the crowd stood dumbstruck, listening to drunk Craig hit on my Jules in front of Taylor. Craig was oblivious to what had been going on, too enamored with Jules to pay attention to the fight between her and Taylor or too drunk to care.
“See bro,” he continued, “you’re under the impression that I care how she feels.”
He practically begged for me to sock him in his weak chin. He’s drunk, I told myself, Just walk away.
