Borrowed Time

Chapter One Hundred

The ride to CalTech wasn't too bad, aside from the fact that Micheal seemed to be moments away from throwing up the entire time that they were driving, and Juliette had no way of knowing what to do to help. She didn't want him feeling sick or feeling nervous, this was just for fun...

So why was he freaking out about it as if it was something that was going to set the tone for the rest of his life?

"Micheal, are you alright?" Juliette asked, leaning up between the two seats as she did... She already knew the answer to that from the nervous energy that he was putting off, but she figured that it was only fair to ask before she made a generalized assumption, because otherwise she was a total asshole.

And she could be a total asshole, but she was really trying her best not to be, especially not when he seemed so nervous.... She needed to pick and choose when she whipped out her bitchy personality versus her kind personality.

"I'm fine, why?" He asked, and Juliette jutted her chin towards where was drumming on the wheel, seeming to glance around like he was worried that he was going to miss something... She didn't really mean to make him more stressed, she was just trying to help figure out what was wrong.

From her spot Shelby brought her hand over to rest on his thigh as she gave him a worried look... Good, Juliette wasn't the only one picking up on the tension that was rolling off of him, that was what she needed to know.

"Because you haven't stopped drumming your hands on your steering wheel the entire time that we've been driving." She said, and he sighed, stopping at a stoplight as he rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment, waiting for the light to turn green again... He was really worried about something, but Juliette couldn't figure out what that would be. She just wanted to help, but she wasn't sure how that was supposed to be happening.

Once she figured it out, she'd be utterly unstoppable with reading these social queues, no one would be able to tell her anything about how poorly she did that because they would simply be wrong.

"I'm just worried that you guys won't like it as much as I do and that you'll think I'm an idiot for wanting to go here, that's all." He said, pulling out from the stoplight as Juliette frowned slightly, shaking her head. Why would they judge where he was going? As long as he was happy with where he ended up, she had no reason to be saying that he shouldn't go there, she just wanted what was best for him. Micheal deserved the best because he was the best.

"Micheal, where you go is your choice, we just wanna see the place that's captivated you so much." She insisted, and he glanced at her warily in the mirror before looking over at Shelby... Why was it so hard to

"Are you guys sure you're not gonna judge me?" Micheal asked, making Juliette snort as she shook her head. Where had he gotten that idea from? Sure, they joked around with each other, but when it came down to something that she actually thought was important, Juliette could reel it back so that people could feel that they were supported... Well, she mostly could do that with Shelby, Esme, and Micheal... But if she tried, she was sure that it was possible with more than just them... She just didn't really feel like trying because that sounded like a lot of work.

Selfish? Yes, but she'd earned a little selfishness, it'd been one hell of a year, she could decide when she wanted to actually put in some effort.

"We are willingly going to school in Syracuse... We have no legs to stand on." Shelby said, and Juliette nodded. She had a point there, what kind of people wanted to willing spend four years in Syracuse fucking New York? She'd never liked that town, even if she did like the school... It felt like everyone in it was some level of ignorant, some level of jackass.... Which she knew that she also was, everyone in the world as a douchebag in their own special way.