Maraschino 🍒 (gxg)

16

a halloween update? unheard of.

./.

A week had passed. Chelsea talked with Julia a couple times since that day, but not much, which was good considering the stares they'd get whenever they were near each other. That made Chelsea uncomfortable and mad. Why was there a constant, stigmatic spotlight on Julia, and on both of them when she was around? Why couldn't they have a normal conversation without being gawked at like a carnival freak show?

Carlie had said there was another party, at the same college, going on on Friday. Chelsea considered going, but taking into account last time, she decided to pass. She was still a little spooked, but even if she wasn't, she didn't feel like leaving her room anyway. She made a mental note to make Stephanie her appointed bodyguard the next time they went to a party together.

Around eight o'clock, when Chelsea was almost finished with her homework, there was a knock on the door. Carlie and Stephanie had already left for the night, so she had no idea who it could have been.

It was Julia. She was in casual clothes, a white tank top and jean shorts, standing with her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair hung on her shoulder on one side.

"Hey, what's up?" Chelsea asked, still holding on to the door.

Julia shrugged. "I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out tonight. I don't have anything going on and I was going to go to my cousin's in the city. He has a sick video game setup."

Spending a night out with mystery girl -- Julia? It was a strange invitation, considering any time she'd asked to hang out, it had been inadvertent or through notes. She was surprised she came to her door to ask, but not disappointed.

Her thoughts pulled to Lake. Would he remember her? Would Julia be angry for not telling her she'd already met her cousin?

Passing an unprovoked invitation from mystery girl -- Julia, she had to keep reminding herself -- seemed like a really stupid idea on her part. Who knew when she'd have the opportunity again? Julia was a fickle person, with the personality to drop someone from their life in the blink of an eye -- what if she took this as a rejection and never talked to her again?

She guessed she'd have to take a chance seeing Lake again.

"Sure,  why not?" Chelsea replied. "Let me get some things together."

She turned back to her room, shutting down her computer and grabbing her keys and phone.

"Wait." She interrupted herself on the way out the door. Julia looked at her quizzically. "I don't have a permission slip."

Julia rolled her eyes. "Don't be like that. I don't have one either."

She led the way down the hall, and Chelsea followed. Instead of taking a right and heading towards the admin building, Julia took a left, towards the back of the dorm rooms. She went straight to the low-hanging cedarwood tree that stretched some of its branches over the fence, the same tree that Chelsea and Paige... spent time together at. Julia jumped onto the tree and started climbing, flipping herself over the branches and onto the other side of the fence. She watched Chelsea expectantly.

"You're lucky I love climbing trees," Chelsea grumbled. She grabbed the nearest, strongest branch she could and started to slither her way up the bark. She dismounted once she reached the other side.

There was a forest that surrounded the academy outside of the fence. It was about a mile walk from the academy, out of the forest, and into the main road. As soon as Chelsea was on the other side of the fence, Julia started walking in that direction.