Juliana

17. Are you crazy

I opened Dalton's front door and let Juliana get inside before me. Almost immediately she shied back to where I was standing.

"Overwhelmed?" I looked at the party scene then down at her.

"There's so many people..."

"It's a party, Jules. People are sorta something that one expects while in attendance..."

"I know that; I just wasn't thinking that it was going to be this many people."

"Trust me..." I inched her forward a little. "There's probably a bunch more out back."

"Are you serious?" She looked at me.

"I am dead serious." I walked past her and over to the drink table. I grabbed a can of coke and popped the lid.

I walked back over to her. She had hid in a corner. "How many would you predict are here?"

"Well... the whole football and cheer team are here. Dalton's family... you... Aaron probably brought his girl... It's hard to say." I took a sip of coke. "I'd say something like one hundred to a hundred fifty people."

"Why would someone invite that many people to their birthday party?" Juliana looked confused.

"Greed, Juliana. Greed. More people means more presents. Heck, Dalton could probably care less about half the people here."

"That's selfish!"

"I thought it was rather smart, myself." I took another sip of my coke when I noticed that I had totally forgotten to offer Juliana one. "Hey... you want a drink?" I asked her.

"No." She started walking in the direction of the drink table.

My eyebrows furrowed. What the heck? I followed her.

She was pouring herself some lemonade. I just shook my head.

"Jules, you know I seriously wouldn't have minded getting that for you."

"First rule Daddy taught me about parties is get your own drink, always."

"Still a virgin here, just saying." I whispered in her ear.

***

"I'm not kidding you this time, Aaron. Kylie literally had a bank robbed, so she could bribe the guidance counselor."

He cracked up. "You should turn her in. Maybe we'll get lucky, and she'll get locked up for life."

"Are you kidding me? She'd just bribe more people. She's insane."

"You need to find a way out, buddy. That was my advice. Don't wanna listen to me for a third time in a row now? Fine by me."

"I want to listen to you. It's just Kylie is such a lunatic now that I'm afraid of what is going to happen when I break it off with her."

"Worst casescenario, you or someone you love gets murdered. No big deal."

Juliana and Sara came back over to Aaron and I. They had gone to go get more drinks. It made me smile a little inside that Juliana was getting along with Sara so well. Jules didn't have that many friends. She told me that when she was in kindergarten, all the kids ran away from her on the playground... if people got to pick their partners, she was always paired up with the teacher. People in middle school bullied her and told her that she was weird and that she didn't belong. She had even considered killing herself. When she told me that, I asked her why she didn't, and she told me that she just couldn't bring herself to swallow the pills. She wasn't going to let the world take her down that easily; she was better than that.

I smiled a little bit and thanked God for keeping His hands on Juliana. Now that I had really taken the time to get to know her, I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. Despite what all those idiots in middle school thought, Juliana was cool and any person that had her as a friend was lucky.

***

"Y'all, this is Juliana." I introduced her to the rest of the football team.

"Woah, Robbie. Man, you caught yourself a good fish."

Juliana looked over at me and started shaking her head no. She ran off. "Great job on scaring her off there, bub." I said sarcastically, chasing after Juliana.

She had run outside, and she was sitting on the wet grass. It was a good distance away from the party.

"You okay?" I asked, plopping down next to her.

"No." She swallowed. "Why didn't you shoot us down as a couple, Robbie? I don't understand. We're just lab partners and barely even friends. Guys like you aren't supposed to like girls like me."

"I do though." I leaned in and kissed her.

She shoved me away. "Are you crazy?" She jumped up.

"About you, yes." I winked at her.

She slapped me across the face. "Get ahold of yourself, Robert! You are in a relationship with a girl that is not me."

I rubbed my cheek where she had smacked me. That girl is creepy though... I thought to myself. I was definitely going to break up with Kylie. She was just getting out of hand.

***

Ever since the kiss, Juliana had been avoiding me. It was understandable, but I still needed to give her a ride back home or at least offer to.

"Hey..." I found her back in the corner she was hiding in earlier. "I'm getting ready to leave. You need a ride?"

I saw her put her phone up to her ear. Before she could say anything, I had ripped it out of her hands.

"Juliana?" It was Aunt Grace. "You okay? Everything alright? Were you raped? Are you still intact?"

"It's Robbie. Yeah. Everything's cool. Jules went to the bathroom and left her phone with me. I must have accidently called you or something. We're getting ready to leave once she gets out of the bathroom, and I'm bringing her home." I hung up.

Juliana's jaw clenched. "You're insane if you're thinking that I am going to get in that truck all alone with you after what you just did to me."

"You don't trust me?" I asked, feigning hurt.

"No. I trust you. I just do not trust that Robbie. And if that Robbie ever tries to pull a stunt like that on me again... I won't hesitate to use my pepper spray on that Robbie."

"So you're gonna let me take ya home?" I grinned.

"Well, considering the fact you made my Aunt Grace think everything was okay, I guess I have no other option now do I? I can't very well call her again and tell her that you used me to cheat on your girlfriend!"

"Nope." I winked at her, and we walked outside to my truck. I opened the door for her. "Hop on in the Robbie mobile!"

Juliana rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut after climbing in. "I'm still mad at you." She growled. "I can't believe you did that."

"If it makes you feel any better, you're a good kisser."

I saw her cheeks flush a little, and she bit her lip. "Stop charming me. I'm mad at you. I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"You know what." She bit back.

"Man, you're being cruel. I want my nice Jules back."

She cracked a smile. "I mean it, Robbie. Stop it already and drive!"

            "Fine... fine...." I cranked the car up and started the drive back.