Sanity Siphoned

Ch12: Friend Excused

Chapter 12

Michael couldn't wait for the day to be over. He sat with his friends at lunch and mindlessly listened while Anna bitched about her fight with Julienne. He had to admit he hadn't expected Julienne to fight back and he was proud she finally did.

He was ignoring Anna for the most part until she stared recanting that she saw Julienne with Nick Sheldon. "What's she doing with that dork?" he asked.

"The better question is what is he doing with her?" Anna said with an eye roll. "I mean I knew he was desperate after I dumped him but her? Eww."

Michael refrained from saying he knew exactly what Nick saw in Julienne. You had to get close enough but it was there; the features to drive guys crazy. "So what happened?"

Anna smiled happily as she thought Michael was taking in interest in her when truthfully he was glad someone took her down a peg. "Nothing, he was staying with her when I left." Her eyes looked past him. "And I guess he's still staying."

Michael turned around and watched as Nick and Julienne stepped into the cafeteria side by side. They sat at the table she usually sat at alone. "Why does she have a crutch?"

"Anna kicked her." Janelle said arrogantly. "Chris was also waiting for the nurse and heard her say something about having surgery on it a few years ago and now it's all aggravated." She continued with a mock whiney tone, the airheads around her laughed.

"Hey man you ok?" Marko asked and clamped a hand down on Michael's shoulder.

He was staring at Julienne as she listened to Nick talk a mile a minute. He felt his blood turn cold when she started replying to whatever the hell he said. "Yeah I'm fine. This place gets tiresome after awhile."

Cody leaned in closer to the other two men. "Yeah and the girls endless chatting is enough to drive any guy mad."

Michael chuckled and looked at his two best friends wondering how they'd react if he told them the truth. The truth that he was developing feelings for someone he shouldn't and he couldn't get her out of his mind. He was going nuts trying to keep it in and he was furious at the thought of losing her. If he ever really had her to begin with.

IIIII

Nick was sweet, like a stray puppy that zoned in and wasn't going anywhere. He stuck with her as much as he could all day because he was worried about her leg. He showed more concern then the guy she had been intimate with. Julienne was really starting to regret that.

"How do you go home?" Nick asked as they stood in front of her locker. They had stopped at his first for him to grab his backpack and books.

"I walk."

"That's not going to be easy limping." He opened his mouth to say something else when Anna's annoying screech interrupted them.

"Going after my sloppy seconds now?" she asked Julienne. "You worked your way through everyone else and now getting desperate?"

Nick moved to block Julienne's view of Anna. "Anyway," he said loudly. "Before I was interrupted, do you want me to give you a ride home?"

Julienne gathered her homework and slammed her locker shut. "Sure." They left together without a glance back.

Nick had a nice, simple, green (it seemed to be his favorite color) four door car that his father got him last year for his birthday. "Tomorrow's math test is going to be homicide. I'd ditch if I wasn't so worried about my grade point average. I always freak out over tests, the more I freak the better I do." He said quickly with a shrug.

Julienne sat back in the passenger seat and watched him talk. The endless thoughts flowing out of his mouth were actually pretty relaxing.

When they arrived at her house she saw her mother was just getting in too and noticed them. "My mom's going to want to meet you."

Nick lit up. "Cool, I'm great with moms." He was out of the car before she was.

Julienne braced herself for her mother's reaction to her leg and all the other signs she had gotten into a fight. The best option was to just get over it quickly. "I got into a fight and hurt my knee again. He helped and gave me a ride, mom this is Nick Sheldon. Nick my mom Ellen Teller." The words were strung together and obviously nervous. She hated to disappoint her mother.

He eagerly shook her hand. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Teller."

She minded her manners and smiled nervously at him while taking in his not-so-average appearance from the mohawk to the brow piercing. "Nice to meet you too and thank you for helping my daughter."

"No problem. I'll see you all later. Bye." He waved and got back into his car.

Julienne slowly turned away once he was out of sight and glanced at her mom.

"I want to know everything that happened." Ellen said while taking Julienne's free arm and helping her up the porch.

Once in the kitchen and they each held a soda there was nothing left for Julienne to do but spill her guts. She told her mom how Anna made the first move and how she just lost it and finished with how the principle promised punishment but never got back to them.

"Hon you can't afford to be suspended. I'm going over there tomorrow to talk to him. What I really want to talk about now is what's been happening with you. First you cut yourself and now fighting, this isn't you." She held her soda can tight and avoided looking at Julienne too long. They were both key signs she was worried. "I'm going to call Dr. Torsion and ask him to recommend someone here in town for you to speak to."

Dr. Torsion had been the therapist she had sessions with in the hospital. They hadn't been voluntary, she was laid up with a cast on her leg and arms, and she had no choice but to listen to his speeches.

"Ok." Julienne agreed weakly. "I have a test to study for." As fast as her knee allowed she was out of the kitchen. Thankfully they lived in a one story house and she could go to her room. She shut the door and fell back on her bed. Silent tears ran down her face. This was definitely a bad day.

And only getting worse.

"Julie?" her mom called out. "The Gregory's are coming over for dinner."