Borrowed Time Part 2

Chapter 201

Juliette wished more than anything that she could pinpoint the exact moment when going to church went from being something relaxing that she did into being a chore that she dreaded and avoided at all costs.  Part of her really missed the days that she'd wake up early on mass days and get ready to make sure that she'd look as nice as possible, when the churchgoers would smile at her instead of sneering, when she felt at home instead of feeling as if she didn't belong because of the whispers surrounding her lifestyle.

Lifestyle.... God, she hated that that was what people called it, because a lifestyle was a choice, she didn't choose to fall in love with Esme Panchek... Granted, if she had the choice, she'd do it all over again, but that wasn't the point, her point was that she didn't have a choice in any of it.  It just so happened that her knight in shining armor, her prince charming, was a hot as fuck goth person in a punk band with tattoos and a tragic backstory, and not some churchgoing man... Where was the harm in that?  Esme treated her good, they had been willing to get involved in the church, wasn't that the kind of person that they wanted coming to the church?  

When her mom had been a part of it all, there had been so much fucking love within the church, but now that she was gone... Well, it felt just as empty as Juliette's house had felt.  It felt vast and cold, full of opinions that would break her mother's heart if she was around to see it... It'd probably kill her all over again.

Woah there, dark thought... Let's back that up there, emo girl.  No need for all of that, that could get you sent on an involuntary vacation to the worst mental hospital around.

Literally the only reasons that Juliette had been willing to pull herself out of bed and go to fucking church today was because Shelby had called her asking if she could help with donuts and coffee after mass, otherwise she would've gladly spent the morning in Esme's arms, stroking her fingers through their hair while watching the peaceful way that they slept...

God, that sounded a lot more romantic and a lot less creepy when she'd kept it as an inside thought, but now that it was outside.... Well, it seemed like something that Esme should call the proper authorities over, but she knew that that would never happen.  Esme liked her oddly obsessive thoughts... Or at least they'd never spoken against them.

"Hey, space girl." Juliette felt like she was hurdled out of her inner thoughts as she looked up at Shelby, who was giving her an expectant look, hands resting on her hips as if she were a disapproving mother and Juliette, was her underperforming daughter.

Damn.  Life imitates art, I dealt with that for years before Samantha skipped town.

"What did I do?" She asked, and Shelby jutted her chin at the coffee pot in front of her with a raised eyebrow.

"Pour that into the other container, they're gonna be out of there at any moment if your dad didn't choose a long sermon today, which I doubt that he did... he seemed rushed already when he got here this morning." Shelby said, which was completely accurate - her dad was extremely rushed today and incredibly nervous.

Danielle's parents had flown in to see Caleb, and it was his first time in years having to meet someone's parents - Samantha's had only come by a handful of times, she honestly could hardly even remember them, but he wanted to make a good impression.

Being rushed wouldn't do that, but far be it from her to try to convince him of anything, right?

"Oh, I know why that is."  Juliette said, feeling odd knowing something that Shelby didn't... Really, she should've documented it somewhere, because this was monumental.  Somewhere in the universe, something was shifting and breaking.