The Good, the Bad, and the In Between

Chapter One - Julianna

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

"Ugh, what the-" I looked around and all I saw was my unmade bedroom. It took a few minutes to realize that what had just happened was all a dream. I had a dream that I lost my best friend.

Dragging myself out of bed and turning off my annoying alarm (which was on the other end of my room), I grabbed my mid-thigh length navy blue dress, a bra, underwear (obviously because that'd be weird as hell), and two towels for my shower before escaping to the hall bathroom to start my morning routine. My mom and I both had bathrooms in our rooms as well but I didn't have a shower in mine..

My Demi Lovato playlist played as I washed my hair and body, sang at the top of my lungs (on key of course), and taking my sweet time this morning since I had plenty of time until I had to leave for classes. Thankfully, I only had Math and English today.

The moment I stepped out of the foggy bathroom I was quickly drying off so I could get dressed for my mother' delicious breakfast. It was only 7:15 and my first class wasn't until 9:00. Jayson isn't supposed to be here for another 30 minutes. That gives me plenty of time to-

The first thing - or should I say things - I saw when I got to the breakfast table were two sapphire eyes staring into mine. I froze for a moment, a little shocked he was here so early, and feeling the sense of drowning, before snapping out of my daze that his eyes out me in every time.

"Good morning, Jules," he greeted as he stood up and pulled me into one of his infamous bear hugs. I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him back. He always smelled like the ocean and it brought back childhood memories from when we were ten.

His parents offered for me to go to the beach with them for some vacation time while my mom and dad were fighting. They ended up getting a divorce and a few months ago... my father had died in a car wreck. I was still broken up over the whole incident and the fact that I'd never see him or spend time with him again, but I knew that I had Jayson there as my support system and that I had to keep myself together for my mother's sake.

Just because he and my mom had gotten a divorce didn't make it any less painful for her. She had been madly in love with my father since they were in college, and they'd still been in love even then.

"Good morning, Jay," I said as I finally let go of him and sat in my seat next to him, trying not to cry as the memories of my father resurfaced. From my seat at the dining room table I saw my mom making breakfast like always and she seemed to be enjoying making pancakes, unusually chipper for someone who isn't a morning person.

"Hey, Ms. Anderson? Do you have any more Nutella and bananas in that delicious smelling kitchen?" He walked away from me and leaned against the threshold with his arms folded across his chest, reveling in that boyish charm he seemed to have.

"Oh, Jayson, you know darn well you can call me Lexi. No need for the formalities with your other momma." He and I both chuckled at her words and only seconds later she handed him two plates; one with scrambled eggs and two pancakes, the other with three pancakes, four strips of bacon, and two eggs over-medium. I guess you can tell which one belongs to him, huh? He's such a pig.

She asked me to grab the Nutella and peanut butter from the pantry and silverware from the kitchen drawer while Jayson put our food on the table for the both of us. Momma always grabbed her own food afterwards, even though we always offered to sit with us. She claimed she had things to do before we left for school.

"So, you ready for that math final coming up?" He looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Of course not. When have you ever known me to be ready for math?" He smirks at me, probably thinking I should have known the answer to that question by now.

"Okay fine. You can fail and not be able to play football, or you can stay at place tonight and we can study. Pick one." I was always good with math so I knew I could help him pass this final. But a part of me was hoping he wouldn't want to stay over... it meant I would have to come clean about my pitiful nightmare and I didn't want to sound like a whiney baby.

"Yeah whatever," he replied, rolling his eyes in the process. "But you're buying pizza." Yep. Code for "I'm staying the night." I'm screwed.

I laugh at his comment anyhow. "Of course I am. I'm the only one with a job."

"Jules, working in the school cafeteria isn't a real job."

I glare at him. "Jayson, if it pays me to work five days a week for thirty minute lunches, it's a job. If I make five bucks a day, then I make twenty-five a week, multiply that by-"

"Okay! I got it, math wiz. Jeez." I chuckle at him and begin to smother my pancakes in Nutella and peanut butter as he goes to grab two bananas out of the kitchen and brings them back.

We ate our breakfast in a comfortable silence, subtly glancing at the time every so often so we could be on time for school. We live in Jacksonville, Florida, near the beautiful beach, so we usually walk to school. It's only about five minutes from my house and it hardly ever rains here. He lives about a mile or so further from school than I do, so we drive from his place when I sleep over.

After finishing breakfast, I notice that it's already 8:30 and we hadn't noticed how fast the time had gone by.

"I need to go pack my basketball stuff. We have a game tomorrow so coach wants us to practice right after school until 5:45. Can you pick me up afterwards? We'll grab Little Caesars on the way to your place." I grab my car key and hand it to him on my little lanyard keychain. He looks at me and nods with a mouth full of his pancakes before I turn and run up to my room to pack my practice uniform and shoes.

My team has won the championships for the woman's basketball team for the last three years and I plan on being champions my senior year as well. Once I've found my basketball shoes, shorts, practice jersey, socks, and my shower stuff and change of clothes for after practice, I run downstairs again and wash my dishes before throwing them in the dishwasher.

I hear mom come around the corner with a basket of laundry and she looks at me. "Don't forget honey, I have a business meeting this weekend so you're going to have to stay with Zoey, Jackson and Jayson for the weekend alright?" It was only Wednesday so that gave her a few more days to be home and pack. She was a flight attendant and she really enjoyed her job. Knowing them, she'd be back by Monday evening.

I nod and look at Jayson. "Hear that? Change of plans. We're sleeping at yours. You don't mind driving my car though right?" Jayson shakes his head and tosses my key in his bag. "Do I still have clothes at your house?" He nods his head this time, clearing off the last of his food by practically shoveling it into his mouth.

He got up and rinsed off our dishes before putting them in the dish washer. We grabbed our bags and shoes and headed to school with 10 minutes to spare. Usually we walked in silence, but today he decided he wanted to talk.

"Hey Jules..."