Endlessly

Perfume

It had taken a lot of energy to convince Rebecca that Juliet and I weren't together. The scrawny sophomore spent the brief five minutes we interacted glaring daggers towards the blonde in jealousy. Even after we loaded the exhausted Eliott into the Wrangler, I noticed her scrutinizing stare radiating the front window. Composing my face into a calm mask, I started up the engine.

"Wow. That girl is-" Juliet started as we pulled out of the driveway, her eyebrows raised humorously.

"Insane?" I offered. She took a deep breath, stifling a smile.

"I think that about covers it. So she's really not an ex-girlfriend?" She turned to me, looking hard at my face for answers, like she didn't quite buy it. I shook my head, prompting her into further confusion. "Wow, that's almost hard to believe- she was more territorial than a dog in heat!"

I burst out laughing, before remembering little Eliott sleeping in the backseat. Instantly my octave lowered. "I mean that's true- she is very protective of me. But she's just a sophomore this year, I'm like four years older than her. That would be weird."

"So you're not into the whole braces look?" Jules asked with faux curiosity.

I rolled my eyes, chuckling. "I'm not into the whole felony look, actually."

We reached my house quickly; I lived in just the next subdivision over. The tiny ballerina stopped her giggling then to fall into a shocked silence. Her evergreen eyes took in the three story house slowly, like she had arrived at Buckingham Palace. I watched her face as she took in the image.

"You live here?" She asked quietly, not meeting my gaze yet. I swallowed hard, giving a short nod. "It's... gorgeous."

"Yeah, I'm very lucky to have it. We moved to this house a while ago to be farther from downtown. Get a little peace and quiet for once." I admitted jokingly, not wanting to come off spoiled or ungrateful. The girl in the passenger seat delicately collected her bouquet from the dash, giving them an appreciative smell. Juliet then finally locked eyes with me, giving a nervous smile.

"Is your family home?"

Holding back a sarcastic chuckle, I bit my lip. "No, Anna won't be home for awhile, probably- it's just us three for now. Speaking of which, let's get him inside." I jerked my head back towards my baby brother.

Sliding out of the red Jeep noiselessly, I opened the backdoor to unfasten El's seatbelt. He was completely knocked out. Small, muffled snores rumbled from his throat as I adjusted him comfortably in my arms, strenuously trying not to disturb his slumber.

Jules then suddenly morphed into a mother bear, maternally watching over my brother as I transported him into the house. The dancer locked the car for me without a word, then held the door in the garage open as I passed through with Eliott. She was very careful not to accidentally bump one of his dangling arms or make any unnecessary sounds, watching me cautiously as I carried him through the house. It was a lovely, yet foreign feeling to have someone care so much about him, without getting anything in return.

"There you go." I whispered as I set El down in his Sesame Street themed bed. Pulling the covers up around him, I then planted a soft forehead kiss before leaving his room. With a feather light touch, Juliet closed the door behind me. For a moment, we stood there in the dim hallway together, silent.

"Um, do you want to go to my room? It might be kind of messy, but then we won't wake El up." My voice faltered as I suggested it. Feeling overwhelmed by how close her face was to mine, I had to blink a couple times to refocus. She gave a ghost of a smile.

"Okay, sure."

I lead her down the hall towards the wooden staircase. Her green orbs widened again as she took in the grandeur architecture of the house's grand foyer. My mother's taste was definitely over the top, and it showed.