When Lightning Burns [COMPLETED]

Chapter 15: Lemon Juice Salad

           

"Are you sure you weren't too busy to meet up tonight? You seem distracted." Marjorie asked as she picked at her salad with lemon juice as dressing.

Lemon juice as dressing. Not anywhere close to real salad dressing. Not even close.

Julie shook her head, trying to chew a lemon–coated piece of lettuce without gagging. "No, no. It's fine. I'm just thinking about a friend. She's going through a lot right now."

"Okay," Marjorie said, but her smile looked tight on her narrow face.

Julie wrinkled her nose as she looked down at her own salad. It's not that she didn't like salads, but as soon as she left here she was getting a big, fat, juicy hamburger. Well, as soon as Marjorie was out of sight. Trying to be friends with one of the other dance class students didn't seem all that rewarding.

"So, who do you think will be featured in the Christmas recital?" Julie tried to dredge up a topic. The Academy was everything she ever wanted, but like all things in her life lately, it was taking a backseat in her thoughts.

Marjorie shrugged. "Probably both of us. It is only a few weeks away now. I think they'll move you up again in the next round. I better watch my back." She laughed, but it sounded forced.

Julie tensed. She wanted to be friends with Marjorie, but she didn't want to invite another Rose into her life either. If it was up to her she would only be friends with other dancers that were at a different school or, in the future, a different company. She hoped that Marjorie ended up somewhere different than her.

"Yeah, I think we'll both be featured." Julie put her fork down. She couldn't eat any more lemon juice–flavored lettuce and took a sip of her fruit smoothie. Marjorie had raised an eyebrow at the sugar load, but at least it was pure fruit and within the diet that they were supposed to follow.

"Oh, crap." Marjorie frowned at the door. "I was hoping we were meeting late enough that it wouldn't matter."

Julie followed her gaze. Rose. She looked up at the ceiling.

Give me strength. She didn't want to zap anyone today, and Rose was great at pushing buttons.

The restaurant they met in specialized in healthy, all–natural foods. Big bright photos of vegetables and fruit lined the walls above plain steel tables and chairs. The girls from the Academy all ate here a lot. It was too much to hope that they would be able to meet here, Marjorie's choice, without anyone else showing up.

"Look who it is. Number one and number three," Rose said as she came over to their table.

At least there wasn't room for anyone else to pull up chairs. It was a two–seater only.

"It's better than being a number two," Julie muttered so only Marjorie could hear. She spit out her bite, laughing at Julie.

"What did you just say?" Rose asked. Julie shook her head. Rose demanded Marjorie to answer. "What did she say?"

Marjorie snorted.

Rose narrowed her eyes on both of them. "You're both going to get what you deserve."

"Oh, I certainly hope that's true," Julie said. "Thanks for wishing us both well."

"Ugh!" Rose turned around, her group following her as she went up to order food at the counter.

"Sorry about her," Julie said. "You shouldn't become her target too just because we have hung out a few times."

Marjorie waved her off. "There are always girls like that around. There always will be. It's when they don't pick on you that you should be worried. That means you aren't worth their time."