Through The Dark COMPLETED

Chapter 4B

When Julie walked into the other room with Amanda and saw all the bags she asked. "What's all this?"

"Presents." Lottie said. She, Gemma, and Lou, with her daughter Lux, were already changed and ready to go. "We got you beach wear and something to wear after."

"There're a lot of bags for that. But how much do I owe you? And who do I owe?" Julie asked.

Amanda tried to stop them from telling her by waving her hands at them, but it didn't work. Gemma told her anyway. "Nothing, Harry and Niall got all of it for you and Amanda."

Crap, Amanda thought. She was having a hard time accepting the gifts, and she was the easy one. What was JJ going to do? She was shocked when JJ said, "That was awful nice of them." She was sure there was going to be some sort of argument, but there wasn't. At least not now. What was going on with JJ? Just go with it, Amanda, don't borrow trouble.
Amanda handed JJ her bags. "Go put your suit on. Lottie picked it all out."

Julie pulled the bikini out of the bag and stared at it. "Um, oh hell no, I'm not putting this on. I wear more than this under my clothes." Julie set it down. "You people are insane if you think I can pull that off. Seriously now, joke's over, where's my real stuff?"

Amanda laughed she had warned Lottie that JJ wouldn't go for it, but Lottie insisted. Amanda knew it would fit her, but JJ was conservative beyond what she needed to be. She was a beautiful girl who just didn't see it. She was on Lottie's side, but she wasn't going to say that out loud.

Lottie picked it up and handed it back to her. "This is your real stuff. Put it on. It will look great on you with your color and eyes. I promise."

"It won't fit. Where's the rest of it?" Julie said. "There's no way I can get into that."

"Amanda told us your size, and I'm pretty good at this. It will fit. Put it on." Lottie insisted.

JJ gave Amanda a look that said thanks friend without saying a word. She walked into the bathroom and put it on. It fit, and she couldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror. She didn't wear things like this. It was way too much. She should just take it off. She put her shorts and tank top over it and came out. Amanda looked amazing in her bikini. She was going to drive Niall insane looking like that. Lottie sure knew what she was doing when she picked out Amanda's. JJ was so glad she met Amanda when she first moved to LA. She got the job at the hospital, and Amanda had just started there a few months before and was looking for a roommate. LA was expensive; it helped both of them to move in together. It wasn't long before they were basically inseparable. They had a lot in common but enough differences to help each other through each other's toughest situations. She smiled at Amanda. "You look incredible."

"I thought you were putting yours on?" Amanda asked.

"I did." She continued when Amanda looked at her. "I still have it on. Under the shorts and shirt. They cover a little more at least."

"Come on. Let us see." Amanda said. She got an agreement from the other girls.

Julie sighed and lifted her shirt. She wasn't going to win against four of them. She unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down slightly so they could look. She dropped her shirt and put her shorts back on almost as quickly.

"Why? You look amazing." Amanda said. "Seriously. I don't know why you hide so much."

Julie just shrugged and walked over to get the other stuff ready to go out to the beach.

Lottie gave her a look. "You're going to have to take it off eventually."

Julie just shook her head and packed up her bag.