What We Were

Chapter 7: Part 1

-(Julie’s point of view)-

Things went out like that between Noah and me for about a month or so, up until the Christmas party. We stayed separate at school, but he would come over or vice versa at night. It was so easy to sneak out to meet each other. But, I knew I had to tell Jess. Noah and I got in a fight about it. It went a little like this.

“So what did Jess say when you told her?”

“Right…about that.”

“Jules, you promised you would, Today!”

“I’m sorry; I just couldn’t ever find a way to bring it up.”

“You don’t have to find a way…just simply say, Jess, Noah and I are together and I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you at first. I hope we can still be friends.”

“No! Do you know how bad that would hurt her?”

“Jules why is it that you could be with me in front of hundreds of people at football games and school? Now it’s like you’re letting one person, that frankly you don’t even like that much, dictate this whole relationship!”

“Jess isn’t just anyone! She’s my friend! Maybe you don’t know how friends work, but you’re your friends with someone you don’t do that to each other!”

“It seems to me that you don’t know how friends work, considering you lead me on for three months then turned around and slapped the friends label on me. I mean, do you hear yourself right now? You are really acting like a…”

“Like a what Noah? Go ahead and say it…Your already thinking it!”

“Like a…”

“LIKE A WHAT? C’MON I WANNA HEAR YOU SAY IT!”

“Like a JERK! YOU’RE ACTING LIKE A JERK OK?”

“Oh C’mon is that the best you got?”

“Look I don’t wanna fight with you about this. If you don’t wanna tell her than fine.”

“Where are you going?”

“If you can’t tell her, then I will.”

“No please…Look I’m sorry I’ve been really stupid and over dramatic about this whole thing, I don’t even know why I’m worrying so much about it…I mean she’s Jess. We aren’t that close really. How about we tell her together? At the Christmas Party? Please?”

“Fine, we can do that.”

I guess I was just really stressful. You see my parents pull together all their friends and have this huge blowout Christmas party every year. And this year they let Jess and I plan the teen party. The adults will have their celebration in the house and we would have our party at our guest hall behind the house. There’s a small garden path with lanterns and Christmas lights up. Jess and I decorated the day before and set up mistletoe everywhere. It looked absolutely beautiful and incredibly romantic in the white snow. The guest Hall wasn’t really a house, per say. It had two double doors that could be opened in the front and flowing white sheer curtains. In the doorway was a big clump of mistletoe hanging down. Then inside it had dark hardwood floors and a big fireplace in the middle of the living room. The whole space was basically a big  dance floor. In the corners we set up couches, chairs, and a few love seats. Then in the back there was a kitchen for snacks, food, and sodas. Then we decorated the spiral staircase with multi-colored Christmas lights. The stairs lead to the loft with an old pool table and a big T.V. everything in there was a little bit mix-and-matched but it ended up looking so cool. Of course I had never been to a party so I needed Jess’s opinion on music, food, outfits everything. It was weird, usually I would never care too much about minor details like that, but it had to be special. Plus I wanted to let Jess take the reins on the party planning stuff. I wanted Jess to have fun, because later on that night, Noah and I would have to break her heart.

Jess decided that she would spend the night that night and then help get everything ready for the party. We painted each other’s nails and talked all night. It sounds corny, but it was way more fun than I expected girly sleepovers to be. All day Jess made food, decorated the house with my mom, did my hair and makeup, and cleaned up the lawn. I was shocked to see her so eager to work. In all the years I had known Jessica, she’s never really showed an interest in physical labor.

When it came time for guests to get here, Jess came up to my room to get me. She stopped in the doorway and looked at me.

“What’s up Goober?”

“Hmm, nothing just trying to fix this dress…I don’t know about this.”

“Let me…What are you talking about? You look great! I’ve never seen you look this pretty!”

“I don’t like a 2$ hooker?”

“2$ No!!! My guestimate would be anywhere 40$ and up.”

We laughed till our stomachs ached. Have you ever had a moment like that? Where you and your best friend laugh at each other as it gets funnier and funnier. You laugh at her for snorting, and she laughs at you for gasping for air like an old man. It just progresses and finally you two are on the floor, an absolute wreck, and eyes watering. That’s what it was like with Jess as my friend, when I truly needed her she was there, calling me a 40$ hooker and making me laugh so hard that I peed a little. It was a strange friendship, but it was ours.