Juliana

33. Bendy vs straight straw

*2.5 Weeks Later*

Juliana had had her surgery on Monday, which was four days ago. Upon her request, and Aunt Grace's insistence, I had been staying the night. Sleep had become a foreign thing. I had track of whether it was in the middle of the day or night. Basically, Juliana would wake me up every thirty minutes needing some stupid trivial thing. My entire sleeping schedule had been tossed aside like yesterday's trash. In total, I had probably had about eight hours of sleep over the past four days, and that was disregarding the ungodly hour I had to wake up the day of the surgery.

"Wobbieeeee..." She whined for the fifty billionth time today.

"What now?" I groaned.

"I need help getting to the bathroom again."

"Seriously?" I just looked at her with a blank stare. "You just went like four hours ago."

"Trust me. I don't like this either, Robbie."

I bent down in front of her and offered her my arm again just like we had done every time before.

This was really starting to get old. Jules hobbled along, clinging onto my arm, to the bathroom. And now, I had to open the door and help guide her on using the counter to balance her. Then she went and did her thing, came back out, and then we hobbled back to her room. I had become a professional at this, unfortunately.

I was laying down beside her in the bed trying to sleep when she poked me again. What the hell did she need now?

"Wobbie..."

I barely opened my eyes and just looked at her. She shook her empty cup over my head over and over again. The clinking and clanking of the spoon was enough to drive someone completely insane. "Will you go make me a banana milkshake pleaseeeee?"

"You've already had like five today." I yawned.

"But it makes me feel betters." She leaned in close to my face. "Pwease?"

"Fineeee." I groaned and threw the covers back. I got up out of the bed and went straight to the kitchen.

I flung open the cabinet and got out another stupid cup. Then I walked over to the fridge/freezer thing and got the ice cream and milk out and slammed them down on the counter. Now, I just needed the damn blender and bananas.

I quickly found the blender and plugged it in. This dumb machine and I had become entirely way too close over the past few days. I peeled the bananas and threw them in the blender and added some ice cream and milk into it. While I was waiting for the stuff to blend together, I looked over at the clock on the oven. It said 4:37. Because it was still dark outside, I assumed it was 4:37 in the morning. Yep. I officially wanted to strangle Juliana. This was absurd.

I poured the milkshake in the cup, cleaned up my mess, and grabbed a straw out of the cabinet before going back upstairs.

"Here." I said firmly, handing her the damn milkshake.

She took it from my hand, and I got back in the bed.

"Robbie..." She poked and prodded at me yet again.

"What now, Juliana?" I huffed and sat up. "It's like five in the morning. You know that, right?"

"My straw..."

"Yeah. What about it? Use it to drink your milkshake."

"...It's not bendy... It's a straight straw..."

"Get over it." I laid back down and turned away from her. I was tired of this crap.

"Fix it, Wobbie."

I got up out the bed again and took the damn cup from her hand. I bent the straw and handed it back to her. "There. Fixed."

"Now, it won't suck right!"

"I. do. not. care. anymore. Juliana. I'm sick of this. I was cool with helping you out, but now, I feel like your friggin butler or yes man or slave or whatever. It's five in the freaking morning, Juliana, and all you care about it whether or not your stupid straw for your damn milkshake is bendy or not. I finish one thing and within seconds you're nagging me again. Nag nag nag. Robbie, I want this, Robbie, I want that. Robbie! Fluff my pillow. Robbie, I need to go to the bathroom again. Robbie, I need another milkshake. Robbie, this is wrong. Robbie, cuddle me. Robbie, change my DVD. Robbie, find the remote. Robbie, play a game with me! Robbie, help me. Robbie, I want McDonalds exceedingly hot french fries. Robbie, get me my pain meds. Robbie, make sure I don't miss a dose while I sleep! Robbie, fix the blinds! Robbie, where are my crutches? Nag nag nag nag nag... Robbie... Robbie... Robbie... My name is like the only word in your vocabulary now. It's ridiculous. Get up and get your crap yourself."

She looked like she was about to cry, but, at this point, I could not have cared any less."Just go away then, Robert."

"Don't have to tell me twice. I am so sleeping on the couch and then going home in the morning."

"Good! I don't want anyone who doesn't want me!"

"And I don't need a nagging bitch either, so cya." I walked out the door and grabbed a pillow and blanket out of the linen closet before heading down to the couch.

I would have probably gotten a better night's sleep here in the first place. I tucked the pillow underneath my head and pulled the blanket up around me. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and logged onto Facebook.

Tired of being treated like I'm a damn dog

***

I woke up to Aunt Grace rattling stuff around in the kitchen. I assumed she was cooking breakfast.

"I think I'm gonna head out." I announced from the garage door.

"You coming back?" Aunt Grace asked, whisking the eggs.

Agh. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell her that Juliana and I had had a fight. But I didn't want to lie either, so I just told the partial truth.

"Uhh... I'm not sure. Mom may need me to run errands, or she may need my help with something. I don't know."

"'right. Well, see ya whenever we see ya again then, bud!"

I chuckled before shutting the garage door behind me. On my way out my truck, my phone blipped, letting me know I had a message. If it was from Juliana, I swore...

However, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was from a good friend I had met at church camp a few years back, Gabby Howell,

Hey, Robbie! I was just wondering if you were planning on going to the church camp thing again this summer? Ever since I switched service times, I never see ya anymore! Quit being such a stranger! By the way, you and your girlfriend are absolutely adorable! She looks so sweet! Anyway, yeah, hope to hear from you soon! Although, I totally understand if you don't wanna reply cause you know... being in a relationship and all! :D

Yeah, when God closed one door, He definitely opened a new one.