It's Billy's Favorite

Chapter XVIII

After two weeks I only saw Julia three times or maybe I was trying to ignore everyone since the day of the party. I saw Julia after school smoking a cigarette, she was behind the cafeteria. She looked at me and softly smiled with her eyes.
"What are you doing?" I asked. "I have a project next week and I haven't even started it." "Uh for which class?" "Creative writing. I have to take two English classes since I'm new and I never took one in my other school." "Yeah that rule sucks." "I took that class last year maybe I could help you with writing it." "It's probably not the same topic as the one you took last year." "Which is your topic?" "Walking through a dark forest and discovering something peculiar." "Yeah I did the same thing last year except they had me discovering the truth of fundamental values." "I prefer my topic."
I laughed and lit one of my own cigarettes.
"You smoke?" "You seem shocked." "I am. You seem so uptight or you seem like the person who wouldn't drink nor do drugs." "Well you didn't see me at the party then." "No I saw you. You were staring at me again." "Again?" "Yeah I saw you eyeing me in the hallway my first day." "Oh that was because I thought I knew you." "Really? I don't think I have those everyday faces. I never left Albuquerque until we moved." "Why did you move?" "Oh well my parents said they had a new job opportunity but I'm pretty sure they were trying to run from the cops, again." "Why they running?" "Well my dad is a felon and my mom had attempted to help my dad escape by committing grand theft auto." "Jesus Christ." "Yeah. My family is fucked up." "I'm sorry." "Don't worry it's fine. I don't think the cops will be looking for us here. No offense your town is so boring." "I know. But it's still fucked up." "Yeah. When I'm old enough I want to go to Paris and pressure my dream of either being a fashion designer or a painter." "You're a painter?" "Yeah. My grandma was like this huge renaissance fan. When I was a kid she would go on trips to museums in other countries and bring me back books showing all the work shown in the museum. I got so invested I tried learning to draw at 6. Then it just progressed to painting. Now I do it all the time. I loved my grandma." "Loved?" "Yeah. She passed when I was 10." "Oh I'm sorry." "No it's ok. It was a long time ago. I can barely remember her as I get older. That's why I paint so I can get a few recurring memories of her when I was a child." "Maybe I could see some of your drawings."
She snapped her head at me and slightly opened her mouth as if she was gonna say something but chose to look at me instead. Shit I think I was too bold.
"That sounds great. We can find a time to hang out and I can show you some things I paint. You would just have to wait until it was just my younger sister in the house. I'll let you know when I'm babysitting her." "Oh alright sure." "Sweet. I hate to cut our conversation early. But if I don't get home soon to help with dinner my mother is gonna fucking lose her goddamn mind." "Do you want me to drive you?" "Will you?" "Yeah of course." "I knew you weren't a psycho." "Was that your first impression of me?" "Eh. More of stalker, but you're actually not bad. I've had way worse."
  We got in my car and kept the radio low as I listened to her speak on her life. She was talking about her experiences as a waitress, her grandparents, the time her mother robbed a convenience store with her in the back seat; all interesting things. Once we got to her house I could see how wild it looked. There was a couch with three kids playing with water guns, and all the lights in her house were turned on to the max. I could even hear hard metal coming from the second floor.
"How many siblings do you have?" I asked. "Alright well two of those girls on the sofa and the one boy. The boy is my cousin, his mom is in jail so my mother offered to watch him. But here is everyone. The oldest is Ian he's 20 and at college, Carl is next he is 18, he's the one blasting metal, next is Ryan he's 17, then there is me I'm 16, then there is Andrea who is 10 she's the one over there with braids, and finally there is Mackenzie who is 7." "Lot of kids." "Yeah. My parents hate each other but always find themselves in a few minutes where they truly love each other and choose to have another kid. I better get inside soon. Thank you for driving me home." "Yeah no problem. I'll see you on Monday." "Yeah sure. Have a good night."
She got out of the car but quickly ran back.
"Shit I forgot. This is the number to the phone in my room. If you want to say hi, make sure it's after 10." "Uh yeah alright. I'll call you." "Alright nice. Bye Robbie." "Bye Julia."
  She walked away from my car and snapped her fingers making the children on the couch stop playing so they could head inside. I waited till she got into her house before taking off. I drove home and parked seeing Jane smoking a cigarette outside on the porch.
  "I said no smoking." "It's just one. I had a bad day. Mom is inside." "So why aren't you going in?" "Well that's because she locked the door and took the keys. She's mad because I snapped at the teacher today." "Jesus Christ." "I'm really hungry but I don't want to go back in there right now. Could we get something to eat?" "Sure. Get in my car. And put the goddamn cigarette out." "Alright fine. There it's out." "Let's go."