The Case of Juliette Gilmore

Chapter 3

It wasn't hard for Juliette to avoid Friday night dinners. Technically, she was in no obligation to attend as she wasn't the child that was part of the deal.

Juliette organised study groups, and had dinner with Lauren and Charles at their respective homes. She even took up booking a dance room on Friday nights for extra competition practice.
But Emily Gilmore is not a stupid woman, she knows what her granddaughter is doing and just can't bring herself to stop it. While all Emily wants is for her family to be reunited and whole once again, she is aware of the pain that this causes Juliette and the strict woman has always had a soft spot for (in her opinion) perfect granddaughter.

This particular Friday night was a movie night for the trio at the Morelli Manor. Who at the current moment, were arguing over whether they were going to watch the Silence of the Lambs or Clueless. Two very different options - considering they won't even be paying attention to the movie that will be playing in the background regardless.

"Can we have some compassion, I have to drive home after this and if we watch Silence of the Lambs I'm going to be freaked out that someone sitting in my backseat is going to ask me to put the lotion in the bucket!" Lauren pleads with Juliette, who is spearheading the horror movie option.

"You only want to watch Clueless because you fancy Paul Rudd." Juliette argues back.

"I want to watch it because of the fabulous outfits actually, Paul Rudd is just a bonus."

"Ladies, ladies." Charlie waves his hands around as if he was calling off a boxing match, "I vote for clueless, so kiss my ass Gilmore!" Juliette poked her tongue out in response to her friend's cheeky smile.

While the beginning of the movie played in the background Juliette turned to Lauren. "So..."

Lauren turned towards her brunette friend and rolled her eyes, "Babe, full sentences, I'm not a mind reader." Charles elbowed Jules in the side, "I think this is a polite inquiry about the Tristan situation."

At the prompt of the T word, Lauren blushed, resembling the colour of the red sweater that Juliette was wearing.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Now shut up because Cher and Dionne are about to give a makeover to the new girl." Juliette and Charles shared the same deadpanned look.

"So you wouldn't have any idea about the kiss you and Tristan shared before his granddad got ill." Juliette leans forward slightly to loudly whisper to her friend.

"Or the intense crush you have had on him for the last year." Charlie joins in the torment of their dear, lovestruck friend. In retaliation, Lauren grabs two pillows from Charlie's bed and whacks her friends over the head.

"We have not spoken about the kiss, because, ya know, his grandad went to hospital!" Lauren looked downcast for a moment and rung her fingers together, "Besides nothing would have happened considering he is like the biggest man-slut in the whole school."

Juliette placed a comforting hand on her friend's upper arm, "I think he actually liked you Lala, I mean what's not to like!"

Charlie nods in agreement, trying to cheer up one of his best friends. "Yeah you definitely weren't part of his usual hookup roster."

"Great!" Lauren throws her hands in the air in exasperation, "Not only am I an idiot, but I am obsessing over a guy that has a roster." Lauren throws herself back onto the bed in a huff and Juliette glares at Charles - who was somehow confuse that his seemingly helpful comment got so twisted.

"What our idiot friend meant to say was, you're actually friends with Tristan. The other girls he's hooked up with have been a kiss and ditch situation, but you guys have history." Lauren groans loudly, obviously not feeling better about her situation.