Checkout || l.h.

unstable

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

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"Julie," Mae whines, following her down the hallway, "you know I don't like coming here. I feel so out of place." She glances around at a few of the older couples when they walk into the café in the country club.

"Well, I don't feel like dealing with my mom alone today so you're here." Julie gives her best friend a grin.

"Your brother's gonna be here though," she argues as the two of them take a seat at one of the empty tables.

"He's no help. Please just stick with me here," Julie begs, batting her eyelashes dramatically at Mae.

"Could've just brought Luke," Mae suggests teasingly, giving Julie a light nudge as her parents walk in the room with her brother trailing behind them.

"Bring Luke up and I might just kill you," she quietly hisses before standing up to greet her parents, Mae following her actions after a short laugh. "Hi, mom, hi dad," she smiles lightly at them, giving them both a quick hug. Mae does the same while Julie turns her attention to Jacob.

"Hey, sissy," Jacob grins, pinching her cheek.

"I told you to quit calling me that," Julie mumbles with an amused smile. The five of them sit around the table and Julie, Mae, and Jacob engage in a conversation about the last Walking Dead episode before Greg cuts in and starts talking to Jacob about the record label.

"Your phone's buzzing," Mae informs Julie who was staring out into space. She jumps lightly before looking down at the device vibrating against the table. "Oh," Mae draws out with a grin, "it's your boy-"

Julie interrupts her with a nudge as she declines the call, opening up her messaging app. "Who is it calling you?" Michelle coughs.

11:43

juliette:

out at lunch w the fam, i'll call you back if i survive :)

"Just a friend of mine," Julie lies smoothly, giving her a smile.

"Is it Luke?" Jacob questions suspiciously with a raised eyebrow as Julie's phone buzzes.

11:44

luke hemmings:

good luck princess x

Julie fights a smile, shoving her phone in her purse and returning her attention to her family. "You're still talking to that band guy?" Michelle asks her daughter, eyebrows scrunched.

"I didn't even say it was him, Mom," Julie rolls her eyes, "but, yeah, I'm still talking to him." She runs her hands through her hair ready for her mother's comments.

"Julie," Michelle breathes. "That would be such an unstable relationship, I don't recommend associating with him."

"Mom, you can't tell me it would be an unstable relationship, how would you even know?" Julie scoffs.

"Well, Julie," Jacob cuts in sympathetically. "They do travel around a lot." Julie glares at her brother, upset at him for siding with their mother.

"And he's got a past with girls..." Mae trails quietly, scratching her head and looking away from her friend.

"I did not come here to be convinced to not date Luke, okay? Can we talk about something else?" Julie mutters. She didn't want to storm off again, especially since she was Mae's ride, but she was pretty close to it.