Juliette

ten

ᴛᴡᴇʟғᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴀᴘʀɪʟ | ᴛᴇɴ ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ғᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴍ

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Juliette was sleeping and William was bored; and while leaving the diner remained an option at his disposal, he couldn't deny the fact that he's grown attached to the occupants of The Twelve Minute Diner. Unfortunately so.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Truthfully, even Juliette in her unconscious state seemed better company than his other former attachments: Juliette with her splay of white mane; eyebrows in sharp contrast with her complexion; lashes feathering cheekbones that jut out of her seemingly smooth face like a cliff in the seas...

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Perhaps the person who said 'Do not judge a book by its cover' saw how a bundle of sad stories could make up the prettiest of girls, and thought it fitting. However, William could still not see anyone hurting Juliette; or at least, anyone able to without feeling the need to end their own life.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

How do you hurt someone so innocent and so full of life? How do you hurt a child?

"Do you plan to burn holes on her arm?" Clayton, as always, appeared out of nowhere and in the middle of William's musings. In his hand were two mugs of hot chocolate, and while William could feel a heaviness in his bowel, he could not resist accepting Clayton's proffered cup.

"You're not her father, are you?" William asked, suddenly, after a minute or so had passed. "I mean, if what she said was true, you couldn't be her father. You'd be too nice."

The old man sported a wistful look, glancing lovingly at Juliette. "Well, she's as good as my daughter, she is. Helped me put up my business so I could support my wife's hospital bills. But she's too stubborn. Wants to live independently and without any aid of her siblings. Even me."

"Siblings?"

"Mary and Frank. Didn't she mention them?" William shook his head. "Suppose not. They used to be so close, those three, but she hasn't been in contact with them until recently. Something about an engagement, I think. That's where Juliette was supposed to be right now."

William's heart began to accelerate. Engagement? He swallowed, noisily. What are the chances they could be running away from the same one?

He shook his head to clear it of thought and then began to eye Juliette's fancy outfit slowly.

The more he looked at the dress and her in it, the more he realised that, the chance wasn't as slim as it seemed to be: because while her dress fitted her body perfectly and was as beautiful as those in fashion runways, their elegance did not even come close to the one wearing them. And if he knew his mother as much as he assumes he does, then she would've pegged girls who knew etiquette and had extreme fashion sense.

Good looks and grace? Check.

"Don't they live with her?" William forced himself to ask.

"No. Far as I know, both of them are now based in New York; left as early as they could. Juliette, however, did not fancy the city life and chose to stay here; the city where she grew up and the city that holds all her memories as a child. Mary's been trying to get her to move in with them, but she just flat out refuses. I suppose, she just doesn't want to be controlled."

William thought about all those times he could've disobeyed his parents but didn't. While he felt a sense of purpose serving at their beck and call, he didn't exactly feel a sense of being.

Rebellious? Definitely not.

"In fact, if I'm not mistaken, it's the third time she's escaped going to that same function," Clayton sipped a little of his hot chocolate before continuing. "I suppose, if you didn't give a rat's ass about the guy and his preference, why should you force yourself to attend something you weren't required to?" He chuckled.

Missing in action for the third time in a row? Check?

Clayton continued to tell stories about Juliette, and the more William listened to him speak about her, the faster his heart started beating rapidly inside his chest. He was so assured that she was the girl his mother had vetoed for him to marry.

And while, yes, marriage still sounded as far-fetched as an idea could be, he found he didn't exactly mind being attached to Juliette.

After all, he was already beginning to.