Jules & Rules
Julie's father has provided her boyfriend's band with the opportunity of a lifetime. However, the band's growing popularity may have cost them their relationship.
1.
"Julie!" she heard his voice and an instant chill raced up her spine. She almost didn't want to turn around but forced her tiny body to move in his direction. There he was, walking towards her on this sunny day near the pier. She looked down at her feet as she waited for him to reach her. Then, before even saying a word, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers gently forcing her head up towards his as he pulled away.
"You feeling better today?" his sea green eyes did have a hint of sorrow in them but she made herself believe he was faking it. After staring into his silent girlfriend's eyes for a second, he sighed and tried again, "I didn't plan it like this. We weren't supposed to be on the road again for another 6 months.. . at least that's what I thought. I know we haven't spent enough time together to fix things but come on Julie.." he wrapped his arms around her waist and closed the distance between them. She could feel his breath on her neck now as he whispered.. "It's our last day baby."
Julie shuttered as each of her hands moved up his arms, feeling the curves of his muscles. Her boyfriend, Alan, drove her crazy. He had sandy blonde hair, a well-trimmed beard, and a long chiseled torso. His 6 ft figure stood tall over her 5 feet and 3 inches. Despite the height difference, everyone seemed to take the opportunity to comment on what a beautiful couple they made. Her mother, or the woman labeled Elizabeth Elsdon in her family's photo album, was a model, tall and blonde. But Julie took after her father Keith. Not the height, she wasn't sure where that came from, but her beautiful dark brown hair, ice blue eyes, and heart-shaped lips all mirrored her father's.
"I should be happy for you... this tour is good for you guys. People want to hear your music and you've worked so hard. It's just..." she paused, pulled away from his hug, and looked away into the cool waves of the ocean.
"You don't have to say it.... I know you're not over it yet. I can see it in your eyes. You don't look at me the same," his tone got angrier now, but it was directed towards himself more than anything.
"I want us to be like we were two years ago. No one even knew your name," she let out a little smile thinking of his band's first show. Twenty-five people came, half of them friends of the band. Eddie, the drummer, was so nervous that he announced the band's name wrong. Those who got it, laughed.
"Jules, you don't think I miss that? I would give anything to reverse what I did so we could be how we were two years ago. Or to have more time with you now. Especially now. So I can show you how much I..." he paused "you don't know how lonely it gets," he said softly and took her hand.
She wanted to yell at him. He wasn't the only one who knew loneliness. But she was done talking. She stepped off the ground a little and took his face into her hands, parted her lips, and kissed him with a certain passion he wasn't expecting. He allowed her to slip her tongue into the moistness of his mouth. They continued to kiss, separating their lips only when they needed to take a breath. Long tongue kisses intertwined with little baby kisses. They were about to go in for another passionate kiss when they heard a familiar voice creep up.
"People, this is a public area. Children are walking around for god's sake." Kady was laughing out loud. A beautiful girl who was always asked if she was Julie's sister. Kady was a bit taller and had dyed her hair black but her piercing blue eyes were almost identical to Julie's. As her best friend, she knew almost as much about Alan as Julie did. She even knew about his birthmark down there. Alan wasn't bothered by it at all. Julie and Kady were like two more additions to the band. They sat with them while they practiced, and mediated when they argued. Kady even dated Eddie for a while but they decided they were better off as friends. It seemed to work for them.
Alan shifted his head from side to side as if looking for the children Kady was talking about, "Children like you?" he smiled.
"Shut up," she smacked his stomach with the back of her hand, "So are you two gonna skip the party to be alone? I was just there looking for you. Your dad's mansion is packed Jules. I mean I saw people I don't even know. They say they know me. I say no, they say yes, I think they think I'm you..." Kady kept talking but Julie blocked her out and when she looked up at Alan, she saw that he had done the same. They stared into each other's eyes. She knew he wanted to skip the party. He licked his lips as if trying to get her to remember how they had been engulfed in each other just a few minutes before Kady interrupted.
"Well it won't be the same without the lead singer of Foster and the daughter of the man that made it all possible," she squealed as she said it capturing their attention again., "but I know what I would do if I were you."
"Actually, I think we should stop by," Julie looked over at the disappointed look on her boyfriend's face as she said it, "It's for your band. You should be there."
The three of them walked further and further away from the pier until they reached the area where they had parked their cars. In a mere 20 minutes, they joined the party through the back where the swimming pool was. The backyard was lit up. It seemed as though every branch was sparkling with white lights. The crowd gathered to see the band, now complete with the addition of Alan. And as more and more people came to make conversation with the band mates, the girls decided to sneak away into a quiet area of the mansion.
"So what happened back there?" Kady asked as she found a seat in that dark living room.
"I guess they've become hometown heroes," Julie smiled but one look from Kady and she knew she wasn't getting away with that. "I guess I still blame Alan."
Kady took her friend's hand and held it, "Of course you do, sweetie. Your boyfriend cheated on you last time he went on tour. And that was, what...only a month ago? But you agreed to work things out. You can't do that by not talking to him."
It was obvious that Kady wanted them to work things out. Everyone who knew the story felt the same way. They thought of her & Alan as some sort of fairytale couple. She knew how much she missed his touch when he was away and only he could make her tremble by simply saying her name over the phone. But the thought of him and some girl going there made her want to forget him. It hurt. Was he not thinking of her? All the apologies in the world couldn't make that pain in her heart vanish.
Lost in her thoughts, Julie finally let out the only thing she could think of "Time will tell," then quickly changed the subject, "Soo, I will be missing you so much. I can't believe both my boyfriend and my best friend are ditching me at the same time."
Kady snapped light-heartedly, "I'm only gone 2 weeks. I've put off seeing my mother for too long. Besides, I really think she's doing better now. I think this time, the rehab did her good." Julie could tell she was excited so she gave her some encouraging words, "I know she'll be the same woman that chased away that bear when we were little."
Kady burst out laughing, "Maybe it was a bear, maybe a raccoon. We'll never know," laughter lit up the dark living room and then a sigh, "I miss camping. You and me should do it some time." The thought got them laughing again.
"Only if the boys come," Julie insisted.
"Are they scared of bears?" Kady asked sarcastically as she now lay on one side of the couch, Julie on the other.
"Who isn't scared of them?" Julie joked.
"Drunk mothers I guess."
And there it was. She knew Kady had little faith in her mother's recovery. The room fell silent as each of them drifted into their own thoughts. Julie prayed everything would go right with Kady and her mother. Then she looked to the window. She could see the reflection of the branch lights where Alan was undoubtedly still at. She felt her heart sink. As she drifted away to sleep, nestled between the pillows on that living room couch, she realized how much she was going to miss the two of them.
"Julie!" she heard his voice and an instant chill raced up her spine. She almost didn't want to turn around but forced her tiny body to move in his direction. There he was, walking towards her on this sunny day near the pier. She looked down at her feet as she waited for him to reach her. Then, before even saying a word, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers gently forcing her head up towards his as he pulled away.
"You feeling better today?" his sea green eyes did have a hint of sorrow in them but she made herself believe he was faking it. After staring into his silent girlfriend's eyes for a second, he sighed and tried again, "I didn't plan it like this. We weren't supposed to be on the road again for another 6 months.. . at least that's what I thought. I know we haven't spent enough time together to fix things but come on Julie.." he wrapped his arms around her waist and closed the distance between them. She could feel his breath on her neck now as he whispered.. "It's our last day baby."
Julie shuttered as each of her hands moved up his arms, feeling the curves of his muscles. Her boyfriend, Alan, drove her crazy. He had sandy blonde hair, a well-trimmed beard, and a long chiseled torso. His 6 ft figure stood tall over her 5 feet and 3 inches. Despite the height difference, everyone seemed to take the opportunity to comment on what a beautiful couple they made. Her mother, or the woman labeled Elizabeth Elsdon in her family's photo album, was a model, tall and blonde. But Julie took after her father Keith. Not the height, she wasn't sure where that came from, but her beautiful dark brown hair, ice blue eyes, and heart-shaped lips all mirrored her father's.
"I should be happy for you... this tour is good for you guys. People want to hear your music and you've worked so hard. It's just..." she paused, pulled away from his hug, and looked away into the cool waves of the ocean.
"You don't have to say it.... I know you're not over it yet. I can see it in your eyes. You don't look at me the same," his tone got angrier now, but it was directed towards himself more than anything.
"I want us to be like we were two years ago. No one even knew your name," she let out a little smile thinking of his band's first show. Twenty-five people came, half of them friends of the band. Eddie, the drummer, was so nervous that he announced the band's name wrong. Those who got it, laughed.
"Jules, you don't think I miss that? I would give anything to reverse what I did so we could be how we were two years ago. Or to have more time with you now. Especially now. So I can show you how much I..." he paused "you don't know how lonely it gets," he said softly and took her hand.
She wanted to yell at him. He wasn't the only one who knew loneliness. But she was done talking. She stepped off the ground a little and took his face into her hands, parted her lips, and kissed him with a certain passion he wasn't expecting. He allowed her to slip her tongue into the moistness of his mouth. They continued to kiss, separating their lips only when they needed to take a breath. Long tongue kisses intertwined with little baby kisses. They were about to go in for another passionate kiss when they heard a familiar voice creep up.
"People, this is a public area. Children are walking around for god's sake." Kady was laughing out loud. A beautiful girl who was always asked if she was Julie's sister. Kady was a bit taller and had dyed her hair black but her piercing blue eyes were almost identical to Julie's. As her best friend, she knew almost as much about Alan as Julie did. She even knew about his birthmark down there. Alan wasn't bothered by it at all. Julie and Kady were like two more additions to the band. They sat with them while they practiced, and mediated when they argued. Kady even dated Eddie for a while but they decided they were better off as friends. It seemed to work for them.
Alan shifted his head from side to side as if looking for the children Kady was talking about, "Children like you?" he smiled.
"Shut up," she smacked his stomach with the back of her hand, "So are you two gonna skip the party to be alone? I was just there looking for you. Your dad's mansion is packed Jules. I mean I saw people I don't even know. They say they know me. I say no, they say yes, I think they think I'm you..." Kady kept talking but Julie blocked her out and when she looked up at Alan, she saw that he had done the same. They stared into each other's eyes. She knew he wanted to skip the party. He licked his lips as if trying to get her to remember how they had been engulfed in each other just a few minutes before Kady interrupted.
"Well it won't be the same without the lead singer of Foster and the daughter of the man that made it all possible," she squealed as she said it capturing their attention again., "but I know what I would do if I were you."
"Actually, I think we should stop by," Julie looked over at the disappointed look on her boyfriend's face as she said it, "It's for your band. You should be there."
The three of them walked further and further away from the pier until they reached the area where they had parked their cars. In a mere 20 minutes, they joined the party through the back where the swimming pool was. The backyard was lit up. It seemed as though every branch was sparkling with white lights. The crowd gathered to see the band, now complete with the addition of Alan. And as more and more people came to make conversation with the band mates, the girls decided to sneak away into a quiet area of the mansion.
"So what happened back there?" Kady asked as she found a seat in that dark living room.
"I guess they've become hometown heroes," Julie smiled but one look from Kady and she knew she wasn't getting away with that. "I guess I still blame Alan."
Kady took her friend's hand and held it, "Of course you do, sweetie. Your boyfriend cheated on you last time he went on tour. And that was, what...only a month ago? But you agreed to work things out. You can't do that by not talking to him."
It was obvious that Kady wanted them to work things out. Everyone who knew the story felt the same way. They thought of her & Alan as some sort of fairytale couple. She knew how much she missed his touch when he was away and only he could make her tremble by simply saying her name over the phone. But the thought of him and some girl going there made her want to forget him. It hurt. Was he not thinking of her? All the apologies in the world couldn't make that pain in her heart vanish.
Lost in her thoughts, Julie finally let out the only thing she could think of "Time will tell," then quickly changed the subject, "Soo, I will be missing you so much. I can't believe both my boyfriend and my best friend are ditching me at the same time."
Kady snapped light-heartedly, "I'm only gone 2 weeks. I've put off seeing my mother for too long. Besides, I really think she's doing better now. I think this time, the rehab did her good." Julie could tell she was excited so she gave her some encouraging words, "I know she'll be the same woman that chased away that bear when we were little."
Kady burst out laughing, "Maybe it was a bear, maybe a raccoon. We'll never know," laughter lit up the dark living room and then a sigh, "I miss camping. You and me should do it some time." The thought got them laughing again.
"Only if the boys come," Julie insisted.
"Are they scared of bears?" Kady asked sarcastically as she now lay on one side of the couch, Julie on the other.
"Who isn't scared of them?" Julie joked.
"Drunk mothers I guess."
And there it was. She knew Kady had little faith in her mother's recovery. The room fell silent as each of them drifted into their own thoughts. Julie prayed everything would go right with Kady and her mother. Then she looked to the window. She could see the reflection of the branch lights where Alan was undoubtedly still at. She felt her heart sink. As she drifted away to sleep, nestled between the pillows on that living room couch, she realized how much she was going to miss the two of them.
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