fake (b.t.c.)

four

"we should get coffee."
"and you should leave me alone."
•••
"julia!" ben called across the studio on our last day of rehearsals. i was just getting ready to leave, and he already had his backpack on and his skateboard under his arm.
"do you want to go get something to eat?"
i smiled. "yeah, that'd be great, actually."
"cool! there's this place down a couple blocks from the theatre, there's a band playing there tonight."
"sounds good." i said
we walked out of the studio, and got down the block before i realized i left my script inside.
"you wait here, i'm gonna run in real quick."
i hurried back up the street and took the flight of stairs up. luckily, there were still a few stragglers, so i was able to get into the studio and grab my script.
"jules."
i didn't respond.
"julia." kevin said again.
"what do you want?" i turned around, frustrated. "i'm kind of busy."
he scratched the back of his neck, like he always did when he was nervous.
you don't know him, julia. you never did.
"look, last week, when you were doing someone gets hurt." he started. "i felt something, and i think-"
"stop it, kevin."
"i just-" he sighed. "we should get coffee."
"and you should leave me alone." i said. "it's for our own good."
so i don't make the same mistake twice.
"fine."
"thanks." i said. "we can-we're gonna have to be friends."
"yeah, um, friends." he nodded.
"have a good weekend." i smiled, then walked out the door.
•••
"oh my gosh, ben, shut up!" i shoved his shoulder as we walked along the darkened streets. we'd spent much longer at haswell green's than we'd meant to, and it was past 11 o'clock when we finally left the restaurant. from spending just a few hours with him, i somehow felt like we'd been friends all our lives.
"look, i'm just saying!" ben said, still laughing.
"where's your apartment, i'll walk you home."
i smiled. "i'm on east fifth, it's kinda far. thank you, though-"
"i'm not far from there." ben said. "seriously, i know it's scary for girls to walk alone at night sometimes."
"you're right."
"come on, i got you. i don't want you to get hurt."
i was glad the light was dim, or he would've seen me blush.
•••
"this is me." i pointed to my apartment building.
"oh, okay." ben stopped. "um, tonight was really fun."
"yeah." i smiled. "it was."
"do you want to get coffee before we head to the theatre on monday?" he asked.
"that sounds good." i agreed. he gave me the address of a coffee shop he liked.
"good night, ben."
"good night-can i call you jules? i think it fits you."
my mind went back to kevin.
that was his nickname for me.
"yeah, i like that." i said.
"cool." ben grinned. "good night, then, jules."