The Juliet Dilemma

Avalon Creek

"Are you sure that you're ready to do this?" Ivy asked, concerned as they stopped in a familiar parking lot.

"I've got to do this. I'm not backing down this time." Julie stated, unbuckling.

"Okay, well I'm just making sure." Ivy stated.

As the two got out of the car Julie couldn't help but remember the previous time she had been there.

Her slamming Romeo's cousin's car door shut and running off. Romeo catching up to her. Her crying. The hurt look on his face. The rain drenching them both. It broke her heart to think about it. He must have been crushed as he watched her walk away.

She hadn't ever gotten her yellow umbrella back from him. She'd have to ask him to give it back.

Juliet took a deep breath as she walked inside, Ivy trailing behind. Julie knew if she was going to do this and get through this she had to hold her head high and walk with borrowed confidence. With every click from her left boot's heel touching tile she felt more terrified than ever. She felt her foot shake as with those steps.

With every click from her right boot she felt the confidence surge empowering her. She had to do this. After years of disappointment and distress she had to get closure. And it made her feel able to do it. She thought of Romeo first and then Ivy and all her friends. They made it so she could take those last shaky steps.

Ivy and Julie were led to a phone at a desk of sorts. There was glass in the way and on the other side was a similar look to it.

It took everything Julie had in her in that moment to keep her calm as she saw him for the first time in years. She took a deep breath and tried to grab the phone without shaking too badly.

He had messy- in a harsh way unlike Romeo's charming mess-, scruffy light brown hair and sunken, depressed blue eyes. Like his daughter he wore scars on his face, but he didn't even attempt to keep them hidden. He didn't look like an evil, twisted convict. He looked like a broken man.

"H-hello?" Julie said. Ivy gave her a thumbs up.

"Hi, sunshine." He mustered up all the hope he could have.

"Hi," Julie croaked, her mouth feeling drier and drier by the second. She looked down at her lap. "I don't really know why I'm here. I did, but now that I'm here in front of you I don't know what to say. "

Julie didn't feel like crying. She felt sad, but at the same time she felt as if she was hollow inside: emotionless and blank. She couldn't quite fathom why.

"Sunshine, let me apologize. I am so-" Marcus Hunter began. Julie held a finger up causing him to stop mid-sentence.

"Save it. There is nothing you can say and nothing you can do that can take back the pain you inflicted on me or the words that were spat. Scars aren't like other things we gain as we grow older. They aren't bruises or tiny cuts. Scars stain our skin and go deeper than we know! Some scars never heal. This is one of those types of scars. I can't ever forgive you! You hurt me. You damaged me. It would have been one thing for me to get physically attacked by my father but I was damaged more than that. I saw a therapist for years, I didn't allow myself to form too many attachments, I hated myself every time I looked in the mirror because of this one marking on my face!" Julie hissed, with more venom than the world's deadliest cobra.

Marcus looked like he had been told there was a 98 percent chance that the world was going to end, only to believe in that chance, and be crushed by the truth.

"Then what are you doing here? You can't forgive me, so what do you need?"

"Closure." Julie stated. "I wish I could forgive but I can't. I hate what you did to our family. I can't forgive you, but now seeing you one last time I can move on. I have closure."

Ivy smiled. Julie was finally moving past her past.

Julie took a deep breath and stood up. "Thank you for your time. That was all I needed. Goodbye, father." Julie put down the phone, turned on her heels and walked out.

Ivy followed after her, beaming. "You did it, Jules!"

Julie smiled a water smile. She had come so close to tearing up, but she had made it through.

"Yeah I did... I actually did!" Reality hit her. She had actually done it. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you, Jules! I can't believe you conquered your past!" Ivy was nearly skipping as the walked back to the car.

Julie's grin grew. She looked at the spot where she and Romeo had argued. She would never have to see it again. He would be so proud of her and they could finally completely move pas their argument for good. It was already mostly resolved. 

She couldn't wait to tell Romeo.