Jules & Rules Chapter 15 (Last Chapter)

15.

The lighting was off. At least that's what Julie and Kady overheard Daphne complaining about backstage. She was pointing to the stage and making weird hand gestures as two females nodded their heads and spoke into their headsets.

"She looks really good," Kady said, taking a bite of some appetizer she had picked up in the lobby.

Daphne did look good. She was somewhere in her 50's but looked nowhere near it.

Kady continued her gaze. "I wonder if she's had a face lift."

"So do I," Julie agreed. "When I consider what she wanted to give me for my 16th birthday, I think it's possible she's done it all."

Kady laughed, grabbing Julie's arm, "Let's get to our seats early."

"I mean, I was 16. It's not like my boobs have grown much larger since, but still," Julie groaned, as she turned to follow.

"Seriously Julie? Your chesticles are just fine. You don't hear Alan complaining."

Julie's lips curved into a smile, thinking of him. When she and Kady arrived at the hotel, the guys had been doing a run through of their part of the show. A couple hours had passed and she had yet to see him, which was driving her crazy.

Daphne's excited voice stopped them before they could exit the chaotic backstage area.

"I knew those colors would be perfect."

They turned to face her as she walked up to them with a smile on her face that actually looked sincere.

"Do you like them?"

They both nodded.

The bow pleated dresses were identical down to the sequined, black hemline just above the knee. The only real difference was the color. If people confused them before for being sisters, they would definitely confuse them now for being twins. Julie was supposed to wear the peacock green but they decided to switch and so she ended up wearing the fuchsia. Daphne hadn't noticed.

"And you wore the right shoe," she beamed, examining their black, open-toe pumps.

"We're not fashionably retarded, Daph," Kady snickered.

Julie played with her hands, waiting for her aunt to pick at them for something. Her hair was half up. Maybe it should've been completely down. But all Daphne did was comment on how beautiful she thought they looked. It was definitely out of character for her.

"Is the show being delayed?" Julie asked, looking at the half dressed models and assistants running frantically around them. "We overheard about the lighting."

"We are running a bit late, but not because of the lighting. That's an easy fix. The lights were pointing towards the models when they should be pointed downward on the runway. It would create shadows in the photographs if they kept them that way. I think some of these technicians here are a bit young."

Julie had no clue what she was talking about but nodded as if she did. Normally, Daphne would add that had she been a model she would understand, reminding her of the very fact that her only niece would never be a model the way she once was.

Daphne cleared her throat, staring over at what seemed to be another designer. "My models are ready and I'm showing last. I guess I like to be professional."

It was somewhat amusing to witness fashion designers sizing each other up. A charitable event wasn't incentive enough for them to set aside their egos.

"There's a pre-party in the lobby. I'm sure there's plenty of drinks going around. You could waste time there until these amateurs get it together."

Well, she was still a bit cruel, but not to them. At that moment, that's all that mattered.

"I think we'll just get to our seats early," Kady replied.

"Yea, we'll be watching for your collection," Julie added.

"It's the only one that matters." She leaned in to give them an actual hug. "Remember to gasp the loudest during mine."

With that, she left them standing there.

Kady blinked. "Was that your aunt? And was that a hug?"

"I think so," Julie said in shock.

As they turned to walk away, they spotted someone they least expected to see there.

"No way," Kady gasped. "Is that her?"

Even from behind, Julie could tell the girl was some Angelina Jolie-like creature.

Kady walked a bit to the side and angled herself in order to get a better view. "Are they arguing?"

Julie shrugged as she joined Kady. It definitely seemed that way. Lucia was whaling her arms around as if she had been bit by something.

"I thought she wasn't feisty," Kady snickered. "What has our boy done this time."

Julie angled herself the same way as Kady and watched. Jordan didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight to defend himself. His eyes did look apologetic though, as he understandably nodded his head.

"It must be big. It looks like she's sputing out fire at him," Julie whispered.

Kady laughed then put her hand to her mouth. "It's not funny but it kind of is."

With his hands in his pockets, he continued to nod. Then he must have gotten bored because his eyes started to wander. The girls quickly moved out of the way to avoid being caught but ended up drawing his attention.

"Well, we might as well continue since he's already seen us," Kady insisted.

Julie sighed, "Damnit, why are we so nosy."

Lucia caught on to his glances and turned to see what he was looking at. Her lips were finally sealed and she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Not a second later, she walked away without even turning back to him. Instead of following, Jordan started walking towards the girls.

"Stupid. He wasn't checking us out," Julie murmured.

"Wasn't he?" Kady asked.

Julie turned to look at her. "Me?"

She nodded. "I know he still has feelings for you. But am I picking up on something between you and him besides that? Because in Mexico, I felt like..."

"No," Julie interrupted.

Jordan had reached them by now with his hands still in his pockets.

Kady put a hand to his shoulder. "I'm guessing you were here to spend New Year's Eve with your girlfriend?"

He sighed, "Well, ex-girlfriend probably."

"What happened?" Julie asked.

"Jen happened," he whispered to himself.

The girls looked at each others confused faces. Julie was about to ask him to elaborate when she spotted Jen waving at them. Perfect timing, she thought. Or maybe not.

"When did we become the type of friends that greet each other?" Kady asked.

"Let's just be nice," Julie replied, raising her hand slowly to wave back.

Jen wore low-slung skinny jeans and an off the shoulder, lace & leather top which scrunched her breasts together. Her blond hair was up in a teased bun, resembling a bird's nest, and her makeup was dark and heavy. It was clear now why she had left school early.

"How is everyone?" She smiled big, looking mostly at Jordan.

"We're good," Julie said hesitantly. "So you're back into modeling?"

"Mm-hm, I was always better at this than acting." She smacked her lips then looked to Jordan again. "By the way, Julie, I think AL-J is a really cute name for you and Alan."

Julie smiled shyly. "I hate that people know who I am."

Jen shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. Most people think you make a hot couple, and I take care of the few haters out there."

"You do what?" Julie sounded surprised.

"Uh, yeah. It's the least I could do." She turned to Jordan again. "FYI, Jordan, you might want to take it easy with the ladies. People are starting to throw the player term around."

Kady chuckled while Jordan stared directly into Jen's hazel eyes. He wasn't phased by her act at all.

"Thanks Jen. I'll keep that in mind."

The tension between them was extremely high but before she could open her mouth again, a woman pulled her away. The show was about to begin.

Jordan didn't look too upset but his voice seemed lower than usual. "Don't miss the show," he winked. "I'll be here after."

The girls walked to their seats, wondering how Jen fit in with what happened to Lucia. Julie had an inkling, but she would have to wait until after the show to talk to Jordan about it.

The stage lit up in several different neon colors. Three different designers were premiering collections, one of which was Daphne. Julie and Kady sat center aisle, perfect not because they would be in perfect view of each piece, but because they would be in perfect view of Foster, who would be providing the music. It was so cruel to watch Alan from afar after not seeing him in months. She wanted to run across the stupid runway and jump into his warm arms. She giggled silently to herself just thinking about it. Jen was in the second, tattoed rock star, collection. The only reason Julie knew this was because Kady had jabbed her to make sure she saw it, and she was glad she did. Jen looked amazingly comfortable up there. Her dreams of acting may have been crushed but she was stronger than most people would think.

Kady noticed Julie's lack of attention to the runway. "So," she whispered, "does this mean I was wrong about you and Jordan?"

"No," Julie whispered back. A moment of silence passed between them before she spoke again. "Sometimes I feel like we're still dating. Is that breaking some rule?"

"Do you think you're in love with them both?"

"No," Julie responded quickly. "It's not the same like that."

"Ok then," Kady smiled.

"But what do you think?" Julie asked softly. A black NYC tee landed on her lap. She hadn't noticed the end of the second collection. The models were now tossing shirts into the crowd.

"I think you never got a proper chance to get over your break up with Jordan. I also think you would've cheated on Alan by now if it was more than that."

Daphne's collection stole the show. The colorful line included a lot of shimmering sequins, fringing and ruffles. It was much more girly than the previous two collections, bringing out a more fun attitude in the models. With smiles on their faces, they danced to the music and interacted with the crowd. Only one model restrained from smiling, and that was Lucia. She closed the line wearing a sparkling silver mini dress, with a plunging neckline, and a long, pleated, fly away skirt flowing from the waist. Her walk was probably the most intense one of the night. Julie even felt a bit intimidated as she passed them down the runway. The skirt followed behind just as fiercely as her walk. Daphne walked out in a sleek silver number and walked down the runway as the models followed behind in their pretty dresses.

Backstage was even more chaotic than it was before. Lucia's silver dress was the talk of the room. You could only see the top of her head with all the people that had surrounded her.

"There's Jordan," Kady pointed out. He was leaning against the wall with his hands still in his pockets, staring up into space. "I'm going to leave you to talk," Kady said, before pushing her way through the crowd.

Jordan turned his head towards Julie when she got close to him.

"What did Jen do?" Julie asked.

He gazed over at the crowd of people. "Lucia's teeth are green. Jen put something in her toothpaste"

Julie almost laughed but put her hand to her mouth. "That was me once. Now I can't believe she's actually nice to me."

"Yea, she can be nice when she tries," he sighed then ran his fingers through his hair. "I just don't get why she keeps doing this."

Julie tilted her head and gave him a look. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm pretty sure Jen is in love with you. Actually, i know she is."

"I know," he said, his brown eyes looking at the crowd again. Then he grinned. "Her teeth were lime green, Julie."

She giggled softly.

"So you think it's funny, don't you? You're excusing this."

"Maybe a little bit ... and I know you are too. Remember, Jen doesn't count."

"What?" he whispered.

"You said that at dinner a few nights ago. Your voice gets soft when you mention her name and you defend her every chance you get. Face it, Jordan, she's not just another girl to you."

Jordan leaned his head back against the wall. "You know me better than anyone, Julie." He looked down at her with his deep brown eyes. "But she's not you."

Julie looked down at the ground. He was not Alan. She reached out for his hand. "Give her a chance not to be. You've already seen in her what most of us never saw."

He nodded slowly. "So is this what our breakup would've been like?"

She laughed, "No, I think I would've thrown a punch or two then."

"Right," he grinned, pulling her in for a hug.

Julie snickered. "Did you know my mom used to call us the three musketeers?"

"How do you know that?"

"It's in writing. I'll show you."

"It is?"

She was about to explain when a group of models with chic rock corsets passed by, one of which was Jen.

Julie stepped back. "I'll tell you later."

When she was at a decent distance from them, she stopped to look. She peeked over her shoulder just as Jen accepted the hand Jordan had reached out to her. A smile spread slowly across Julie's face. It felt right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She kept walking until she found a narrow hallway. There were rooms left and right but only one caught her attention. There were quite a few people mingling inside, but she spotted Kady right away. She was sitting next to Eddie who was sporting some funky New Year's Eve hat. Brandon and Chase sat next to them, focused on what looked like a game of poker. A few others hovered above them, including Alan who lifted a bottle of water to his lips. He tilted his body a bit as he threw his head back to take a gulp. When he dropped his hand back down, he noticed Julie's figure standing in the doorway. Setting the bottle down, he immediately walked over to her.

He was about to give her a hug when the band's manager walked in behind Julie.

A guy that was hovering over Chase suddenly looked up. "How's the Daph?"

About half the room laughed besides Ryan. He always looked professional even when he was searching for something he was obviously having a hard time finding.

Alan looked back at Julie, noticing the confused look. He gently set his hands on her hips and grinned. "Ryan is dating your aunt."

Julie's eyes bugged. "Nuh uh." She was about to ask how it happened but she got her answer in Alan's cute expression. "You set them up?"

"I can't take full credit. Eddie told me about her."

She smiled. "I can't believe it worked."

He leaned against one of the tables and pulled her in closer. "For now. Hopefully it lasts."

"Thanks," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Even if it doesn't, it still made this day a lot better than it would've been."

They both watched as Ryan headed out the door in a hurry.

Alan set his piercing green eyes back on Julie. "His girl left him at the altar. Daphne was the perfect solution."

"That sounded like an opening for an infomercial," she giggled. "My dad got stood up at the altar when I was little."

"What happened?"

"I don't know but they just remarried."

"Taylor? I didn't know they had a history."

Julie nodded as Alan glanced into her eyes. "And I didn't know Jordan was her son," he said softly.

She lowered her arms to hug him around the waist. "I haven't told you much about my life, have I?" she said, resting her head against his chest.

"It's ok, Jules. Tell me when you're ready," he whispered.

They joined the drinking and partying for a few hours. But midnight still hadn't hit when Alan pulled Julie aside to ask if she wanted to sneak out. He had her against the wall, nibbling at her neck, as she pondered. She couldn't have wanted anything more than to be alone but the little incentives he was giving her were worth the tease.

"I have to tell you something that I haven't told anyone yet," Julie said as they walked hand in hand down the hallway leading into the hotel room.

"What's that?" he asked, raising a brow.

She drew in a deep breath. "You may not believe me, ok?"

"I doubt that, but ok," he grinned.

"I think I uh... I think I saw Foster last summer... at the guest house."

Alan stopped, then turned to look at Julie, waiting silently.

"Nobody else saw him there. I thought I was crazy but I really think it was him now. There was something so familiar about him but I couldn't figure out what it was until I visited you at your parents' house ... do you think it's stupid? I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it. It sounds so ridiculous. But he was just so real, Alan. Like an Angel."

His eyes were cast to the floor but he reached for her other hand. "You saw him?" he asked softly.

She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes locked to the soft glow in his. "Yes."

He paused for a second and then a soft smile passed over his lips. "I guess he wanted to meet you in person."

"That's cute," she said, letting out a quiet laugh. "But, I swear --"

"I believe you, Jules," he interrupted, placing his hand on her cheek and looking directly into her eyes.

"That means a lot to me," she whispered, leaning in to touch his lips. He kissed her back, pulling her body close into a hug.

He continued to lead her a short way down the hallway, pulling her gently along by the hand, until they reached the room. After swiping the card, he opened the door, letting Julie in first.

"You look tired," she noticed as he walked over to one of his bags, looking for something.

"We taped a segment for KHRL News at 5 a.m," he said over his shoulder. "And then WXQR, and DRQS and then .."

Julie let out a laugh then hugged him from behind. "And now you're here with me."

He kissed her hand then turned around to pick her up into his arms. She giggled loudly as he swung her around, kissing her lips deeply, before setting her body down on the edge of the bed. Slowly, he pulled his lips off hers and took a step back. "Wait there a second," he said, returning to his search.

"You know," Julie started as he rummaged through another bag, "I think he led me to my mother's diary."

Alan glanced over his shoulder for a brief second. "Foster did?"

"Aha.." she nodded, closing her eyes to picture him. "I had never been able to read it, until that day."

"Why's that?"

"I grew up hating her," she said softly, "She drank herself to sleep and all I ever wanted was to yell at her for how selfish she had been, but I couldn't. Then I turned a few pages and found myself in her life as a teenager, and then young mother... I don't know, I guess it changed the way I look at her."

Alan sat down next to her on the bed, holding a clear cd case in his hand. "You know, you could've talked to me about this before. And you can talk to me about it now and whenever else you feel like it."

"I know," she said, as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"But right now, I want to know what you have in your hand there."

He looked down at it as if he had forgotten for a brief second. "It's for you."

"And it's not a Christmas gift, right?"

"It's not," he grinned, handing it to her. "But it could be since you broke our deal."

She shook her head slightly with a soft smile on her lips. "I didn't get you anything."

"Oh I know the 12 batches of cookies that we got on Christmas Day were all you."

"The card said no such thing," she smiled, pressing a quick kiss onto his mouth.

"Santa must really love our music, Jules."

She laughed at the cute look he gave her. "Ok, ok. I may have played a small part in it. But that was a group gift and this says Julie on it." She looked down at the writing on the vanilla colored blank cd inside the case.

"It does."

She cast her blue eyes down on the cd as she opened the case, running her fingers across his handwriting. "You wrote another song for me."

"One of many that will never get leaked. I promise."

She raised her eyes to his and smiled big. "I remember thinking you were crazy when you wrote the first one."

"I don't blame you," he smiled. "I handed you a song after knowing you for two weeks. I thought I was going crazy myself. Now I know why."

Julie tilted her head to one side as he began kissing down her neck. "Why?" she asked softly.

Alan pulled away to look into her eyes. "Because I love you, Julie."

"I love you too...so much." Holding onto his gaze, she leaned in to nuzzle her nose against his for a second, until their lips slowly pressed against each other.

And they kept exchanging deep kisses until they wound up sprawled on the bed instead of sitting on it.

"Alan," Julie whispered in between kisses. "It means ..so much to me. You don't even know. I can't even explain."

He pulled his mouth away from where he had just kissed her bare shoulder. "You inspire me, Jules."

Feeling his smile against her skin, she let out a light giggle and rolled herself on top of him. "You inspired those iced sugar cookies."

He raised a brow as she sat up, straddling his stomach. "You know, the ones that melt in your mouth. They taste as sweet as.."

"Your kiss," he interrupted, leaning up off the bed to kiss her.

"It's midnight," she said, slowly pulling her lips away and motioning to the sound of beeping car-horns. "Happy New Year."

Alan grinned, placing a hand to her cheek. "Happy New Year, Angel."
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The End. I can't believe i finally finished it. lol. But judging by the comments on the last chapter, i think i may have disappointed a lot of you. So sorry :( I just always had my heart set on it ending this way. But feel free to hate the ending and me...hehe ..

It was my very first story ever, so thanks a lot to anyone who read it!!! :D I really hope you enjoyed it, even if only a little bit.