Julie Bane

Chapter Eleven

"Look Julie, I got an A on my first math test!" I exclaim as we get in my car, holding up the math test.

"That's amazing, congratulations Carlos, we should throw a party." Julie says sarcastically as she rolls her eyes.

"I bet you don't get A's on your math tests." I cross my arms.

"No Carlos, I get A pluses." She smiles smugly and I frowns.

"Stop ruining my happy mood." I pouts.

"Then stop sleeping on my couch."

"Fine, I'll sleep on your bed and you can sleep on the floor."

"And how do you expect that to happen?" She crosses her arms too. I stares at her for a minute, thinking of what I can do, and suddenly I'm tickling her armpits.

"Stop!" She laughs. She hits her head on the window as as she laughs and laughs harder even though I stopped.

"Are you okay?" I laugh and she nods as her eyes start watering. My smile fades as I look at her smile, it reminds me of Sadie. Then it hits me. Fuck!

I start the car and speed off, surprising her.

"What's wrong?" She asks but I ignore her. Oh I'm so stupid! How could I forget to visit her for five days!

  "Carlos, where are we going? This isn't the way to my apartment." Julie says but I don't say anything and speed up, anxious about what I should say to her when I get there.

  "Stay in the car Julie." I tell her as I get out.

  "Where are you going?" She asks.

  "Just stay in the car." I mutter. I get the flowers and walk into the graveyard.

  "Oh fuck." I whisper as I look at the tombstone. "Sadie I am so sorry, I haven't visited you in five days and I feel awful about it. I've been so busy with being a bodyguard and everything and it's just really stressful, I'm so sorry. You probably hate me." I lay the flowers down.

  "Oh wow, I never told you. You have a little sister you never knew about, and I have to be her bodyguard and keep her safe from the other gang. Her face looks so much like yours, even though she has brown eyes. If you just replaced her eyes with dark blue and her hair shorter and a bit darker, then she would look just like you. So whenever I look at her I see you, do you know how hard that is?"

  I hear footsteps so I quickly look behind me and see Julie walking over. She stops beside me and looks at the tombstone.

  "Who's that?" She asks.

  "Your sister." I mutter. Does she really think she can just come over and interrupt me while I'm talking to the air?! She is unbelievable!

  "My sister?" She looks at me and I nod. "How do you know her?"

  "We're a couple. I thought I told you to wait in the car."

  "Oh Carlos I'm sorry." She hugs my arm. "What happened?" She asks, completely ignoring the anger in my voice.

  "Go back to the car."

  "She was very lucky to have you."
 
  I push her away from me and she stumbles back. She looks at me worried, I don't know if she's worried for me or for her.

  "Go back in the car Julie." I demand, pointing my finger towards the car.

  "But I-"

  "Go!" I yell and she flinches. She turns and runs through the field and back to the car. I angrily turn back to the tombstone and in met with Sadie's spirit. She doesn't look so happy.

  "Was that my sister?" She asks and I nod. "Why are you so hard on people Carlos? You used to be so nice and gentle, why her? Out of all the people in this world you could've been mean to right now you had to be mean to her." Sadie crosses her arms.

  "I wasn't being hard on her." I say confused.

  "Yes Carlos, you were. Now I love you and I know I don't really know her at all but she's family and I love my family. So don't be mean to her Carlos or else."

  "I'm sorry." I look down.

  "It's not me you need to apologize to." I look over to my car and see Julie sitting in the passengers seat facing the opposite direction of me. "She's has a hard life too Carlos, she's fragile. You have to be careful with her." I look back at Sadie and nod. "Now get out of here and go apologize."

  "But wait you're not mad that I forgot to visit you?" Sadness flashes by in her eyes.

  "It's fine, I understand how busy your life is sometimes, especially when you have to do something that has to do with the rival gang. So it's okay. Besides, I got some extra sleep." She smiles.

  "Good, I'm still sorry though." She embraces me in a hug and I relax.

  "Love you." She says as she pulls away.

  "Love you too Sadie." I smile then she slowly vanishes.

  I look at my car and take a deep breath before walking over there.

  I sit in my seat and look at her, she continues facing her window with her face in her hands.

  "Look Julie, I'm sorry." I say and hear her whimper.

  "Sadie, really, I'm sorry. It's just, I've always visited her for the past year and I forgot to in the past week so I was really anxious to go to her grave. An when I'm anxious I can get mean and impatient. I'm sorry for yelling at you, and pushing you." I explain. I lay the back of my head against the head rest and think of how else I could make her feel better.

  I tense as I feel small arms wrap around my stomach. I look down and see she's hugging my with her cheek pressed against my chest.

  "It's o-okay. I get it." She says shakily.

  "Really?" I ask and she nods. "Please stop crying. I don't like it." I say and she tries to wipe the tears away but they just keep coming.

  "What happened?" She asks. "With my sister, who was she and how did she die?" I take a deep breath and wrap my right arm around her shoulders.

  "Her names was Sadie Bane," I start.