The Inevitable Us

One

Note :

I'll do my best to update every Tuesday. Hope you like it! x

| one |

There was a deafening noise and pain-always pain and blood and screaming-because he was gone, and who was I if he was gone-

"Julie, stop!"

I startled awake at my cousin's shaken voice. Her blonde curls and wide eyes came into focus, only an inch away from my face. Her hands gripped my shoulders tightly, sharp nails digging into skin, and I hissed in pain.

"Sorry, sorry," she immediately apologized, letting her hands fall to her sides. "You were having a nightmare. I didn't know what to do."

It was then that I finally acknowledged my surroundings. My back was pressed against a wall in the breakroom, knees pulled up to my chest. I stretched them out in front of me with a sigh. "How long was I out for?"

Persephone shrugged, causing her hair to come untucked from behind her ear and fall into her face. She pushed it away impatiently. "I just came in to grab my water from the fridge. You're lucky I found you before Cara did."

Cara. Our boss. The woman with the power to fire me in a heartbeat if she ever caught word of me sleeping on the job. I started to panic, pushing myself off the floor and brushing off my uniform. Percy quickly followed, a worried look on her face. I was expecting her to scold me for being so careless on the third day of the job. After all, she was the one who had begged for her to give me a chance after the "incident" at my previous job. Instead she asked, "When's the last time you had a decent sleep?"

I blew out a long breath. "Honestly?" Weeks. Maybe months. "A couple days. Things are just really stressful at school and at home right now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She sounded so hopeful and understanding that I felt guilty lying to her. Five years my superior, Percy constantly felt the need to play mother hen. And with the losses that haunted my house, her main goal these days was to keep me from losing my mind.

I was shaking my head before I even realized it. "It's fine."

She didn't look like she believed me, but nodded her head anyway. She picked up a black apron I didn't even remember taking off and slipped it over my head for me. "In that case, we should probably get back out there before Cara finds out you were slacking on the job. Wouldn't want you to lose your second job in a week, would we?"

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a waitress," I told her truthfully. "I don't even like people."

She snorted in a way that was so very like her and linked her arm with mine. She walked us both out to the main dining room. "Tell me about it, honey. Do you know how much restraint it takes to keep from spitting in a rude customer's food?"

I smiled and patted her on the shoulder, saying, "I can only imagine."

She blew me a kiss and broke off towards the kitchen. "Try not to spit in any drinks while I'm gone. It's not sanitary."

And just like that I was alone again. I slid onto a bar stool and eyed the crowded room with growing apprehension. Apparently Friday nights were the busiest night of the week at Debbie's-a comfortable little restaurant nestled between a bookstore and a hair salon. Percy had been working here part-time since she got out of high school four years ago. The favoritism between her and Cara was more than obvious, though she brushed it off casually, blaming it on their shared love of bands.

It was cozy and retro-decorated with several oldie references I didn't get and complete with a checkerboard floor. It was the kind of place you'd expect the waitresses to roll around on roller skates. We didn't, though that would've been another good reason for me to quit.

My last job was (coincidentally) as a cashier at the bookstore next door. But that only lasted until Sunday, when I was fired for sleeping on the job. Yes, I saw the irony. But it wasn't as if I could control my sleeping habits anymore. My insomnia seemed to be getting progressively worse as time went on, and it was affecting my daily life more than I expected it to.

Just then, the front door of the restaurant was pushed open, letting in a whoosh of cool air. Two boys my age strolled in, arguing about something inaudible. I vaguely recognized them as two of my schools football players and watched as the one with a buzz cut flashed the hostess three fingers, indicating how many were in their party. I couldn't recall the name of the one trailing close behind, but buzz cut's name was Jayden, and I happened to know he was the type of person whose drink you'd want to spit in.

I subconsciously smoothed down my blonde ponytail. In middle school I went through a pink hair and braces phase, and he bullied me endlessly about it. And as much as I knew it shouldn't have affected me, he was the reason my mom first started making me see a therapist. Now in high school, he's done much worse to any girl who happens to catch his eye. It wasn't my table, but I squared my shoulders and headed towards their booth anyway.

I grabbed a couple menus and handed them out. "I'm Juliana and I'll be your waitress this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

The boy with dark skin and even darker eyes eyed me curiously, as if trying to piece together where he knew me from. English, I thought bitterly. You know me from English. Recognition flitted across his face, and he opened his mouth to say something.

Jayden beat him to it. "Get me a root beer." He looked expectantly at his friend, smirking. "Would you like to order, Luca, or would you like to stare all night?"

Luca shot him a look that could've melted stone and immediately swallowed whatever he was about to say. Instead, he said shortly, "I'll have a Sprite. And I'll say please for the both of us, since you've clearly forgotten what it means to be a decent human."

"You got it," I said, stifling a surprised laugh. I had gone over there in attempt to put Jayden in his place, but it seemed like that was already Luca's job.

Jayden rolled his eyes as I turned to walk away. I barely caught him mutter a sarcastic, "OK, Dad."

I grabbed two glasses and filled them both at the soda fountain, only briefly thinking about doing something I'd later regret to the jerk's drink. By the time I brought them back to the booth, they had multiplied. Sitting next to Luca was a new and unfamiliar figure. It was only then that I processed them telling the hostess there were three of them. His head was down, staring intently at the screen of his phone. Dark locks of hair fell into his eyes and hid his face from my view.

I placed the sodas down in front of them right as Luca asked, "You go to Darlington High, don't you?"

"You do look kind of familiar," added Jayden, who was studying me with narrowed eyes.

The question caught the attention of the new guy. He glanced up at me, only for his eyes to catch on my face in open disbelief.

I knocked over one of the glasses in shock.

Luca quickly tried to stop the flow of dark liquid with a handful of napkins. To my left, Jayden cursed and stood up quickly. "What the hell was that for?"

I ignored him, eyes trained on the boy in front of me. Because he wasn't new or unfamiliar. In fact, I knew him better than anyone else in my life. The bright eyes that met my own were the same ones I'd been seeing in my dreams and stray photographs for the last two years. So when he finally spoke, it was every 11:11 and birthday wish come true.

Except, at the same time, it wasn't.

"Jules?"