THE THIRD P3RSON

•Chapter 25•

I stared at myself in the mirror.

"Woah there, Julianna..." I told myself, practically laughing.

I did a little spin. The dress twirled around my calves and twisted itself back. The fabric tickled my ankles and I brought my hand up to my mouth to stifle a laugh. I ran a hand down my hip, feeling the dress, and smiling at the flowers on the side. I looked back at the mirror. My hair was curled to the side. I twisted it around my finger and watched it bounce back in place. Today, I woke up earlier than I usually would do my makeup and hair.

"Can't wait to see Grey's face." I chuckled, grabbing my side purse. "Ryan was right. I could almost pass as Mamma."

I closed the door to my room and headed downstairs. I looked at the clock. Ryan should be here any minute. With that, I put on my red jacket and headed out of the house. As I turned around, I bumped into something.

"Ouch!" I hear. "My shoes.."

Something. Someone. Same difference.

I glanced back to the house, knowing that Amy wasn't there before I fully faced Ryan.

Ryan blinked, still kneeling from where he was cleaning his shoes. "Well."

I smiled up at him once he stood up straight. It might have been a grimace, but I asked, "Well? Am I good to go?" I balled up my hands' into fists and gripped the cuffs of my jacket.

My eyes scanned over his shirt, noticing that the color of his button down almost matched my jacket. He stood tall, with his hands in his back pockets of the jeans he was wearing. His hair was pointing in all different directions but held in place by a gel. I kinda liked it. My eyes snapped up to his face, to find him looking at the flowers by my hip, and my face burned.

Okay. So, his change of hair made him look really handsome. Sue me.

I cleared my throat, smiling. "We won't make it to pictures on time..."

He laughed and nodded, saying,"Yeah. You look great today, I mean not that you never do, 'cuz you always do. The picture will turn out nice. You look nice. Are you wearing lipstick? I don't think I've seen you wear it before. Nice dress, by the way. It looks..."

"Nice?" I offered, checking to see if the house was locked before grabbing his arm and walking towards the car.

"I was gonna say amazing but, I guess that works?" He squeaked.

I laughed. I switched my purse from one hand to the other to drop my keys in it before I reached for the handle to the passenger's side of the car. My hand collided with Ryan's and my fingers wrapped around his. I glanced up at him again and removed mine from the door handle.

I'm a mess.

"Thanks," I told him as he opened my door and helped me inside the car. He nodded again and I said, "You look nice too. I love the hair."

It felt awkward to say it, but I had nothing else to say. I was fidgeting. What do you say? Ryan, if I'm honest, looked a lot better than "nice". He looked like he could make time stop if he asked politely. In my world, all he did was stand in front of me.

"Nice" seemed to be enough for Ryan because he smiled at the ground before looking my way.

"Thanks, Julianna." He smiled before he closed my door.

Okay. My head is playing tricks on my heart. That was too cute.

I coughed. Okay. Where did that come from? Cute?

Honey, no need to cheat on your art supplies with a real guy. I mean, I'll admit that his hair makes him look really good but you have to control yourself. Act normal. DON'T MAKE THIS RIDE AWKWARD.

"Ready to go?" Ryan asks, smiling again.

He needs to stop that. He needs to stop that right now.

"Is something troubling you, M'lady?" He teased.

I laughed. M'lady? "No. Not at all, Spikey. It's just that a certain someone in this car likes to babble a lot when they're nervous and I just couldn't help but notice."

Ryan turned red. He cleared his throat. "I can't help it."

"I know. It's cute."

It slipped. That slipped. That. Slipped.

"Cute?" He questioned.

"Shut up."

He was grinning bigger than I've ever seen him do. "I mean, a certain someone should've done that before they said my rambling was cute."

"Ryan." I groaned.

"Uh, you alright there?"

I can't handle him. I can't. "I can't think of anything to say. Honestly."

"I can." He's quick to reply.

///

SHE CONFUSES me sometimes.

There are times where I see how happy she is. It's in her eyes. Julianna is quick to reply so I have to be twice as fast. Those times, I'm scared I'll say something ridiculous. Because I'm scared, I say things that come to mind, thinking I have to stop talking, but I have to say it at the same time. Once I start, I can't stop.

It's the good kind of scared. It's the fear you feel when you're strapped into a roller coaster ride and you don't know what to expect when you drop from the loop.

I don't understand how I've never felt this before. I was confident with Christina. Christina was easy to read. She liked presents, even more so in front of people, she loved compliments, she loved perfume, she loved fashion but then she started loving Jesus Maxwell.

That was something I couldn't give her. I told myself I wouldn't change no matter how much I wanted to see it would work. I didn't change because someone was going to see I was better than anything that came their way.

"I'm sure you could." I hear from beside me.

I reach a stop light and look at her. I really look at her. Julianna is beautiful. Beautiful. She has been through so much and still shares so much love for the world. I've never seen that before. I thought girls liked to break hearts, laugh at whatever dumb joke a hot guy says, and go shopping.

Julianna paints, is extremely sarcastic, and a major bookworm. She's hardworking. She knows what to do and when to do it. She laughs and the world lights up.

"I just can't believe I haven't talked to you sooner, Julianna," I tell her while whispering.

"I don't blame you, ma dude. Christina had total control over you." She adjusts the seat belt over her neck and her hair gets caught on the headrest.

She pouts and I almost whined. Her lips...stick. Her lipstick. Her lipstick looked nice today.

Get a hold of yourself, Ryan. My goodness.

I pull up at school and twist in my seat to help her. I carefully unbuckle the seatbelt and gently move her hair out of the way. I look down and Julianna is staring up at me.

My heart rate picks up and I gulp down the nervousness I feel. Is it normal to be so happy and excited while also being scared?

I give Julianna a smirk. I've done it a million times but with her, it feels different. "Like what you're seeing from down there?"

She laughs, already turning around and I know that's her way of showing me she's flustered. "That sounded wrong, Ryan."

It was my turn to light up like a red firework. This woman...

I hurry out of the car to see the wind blow her hair in place. This time I smile and feel all the air return to my lungs. "Yearbook pictures, here we come."

Then the bell rings.