Not His Juliet

Chapter 3

Not His Juliet by K. Jessica Ramirez

Chapter 3:

My eyes are the size of saucers at the moment, like ginormous saucers threatening to blow the world up size. James has never in all of the three years we've dated nor the seven years of our friendship has he ever solely offer information about his past. To be fair I've never been an open book to him either but this has me astonished. I have at no period of time even heard of his family before now. In the back of my subconsiouse I wonder will they like me. What if they hate me? They can't hate me. If they do and James leaves me not only will my mother publicly disown me but our repuatation in New York will be tarnished. Just last week we were voted number 3 on People magazine for cutest couple for crying out loud!

I can't let that happen. If James is big on family then I will put in a big effort to make his family like me, or at the very least tolerate me. I'm sure they're very much my type of people anyhow. Seeing as James is perfection itself his family surly can't be anything less. They'll probably expect me to be spot on perfect too. Oh great another persons expectations to live up to other than my mothers, the joy.

"Of course James." I answer automatically making up my mind that moment, they will approve of me, I'll make sure of it!

James sighs with content as if I'd just taken a heavy weight off of his shoulder, which only makes my anxiety build higher. I've always suspected James to just have grown out of touch with his family overtime but now I'm beginning to suspect that maybe his family is stuck up or something along those lines for him to have not been in contact over such a long period of time. Oh great my life just continues to evolve into a world of sunsgine by the second, not my sarcasium people.

"Thank you Angela." James responds sincerely.

Mustering up the strength I offer him a small smile which he returns instantaneously only twice as bright as mine. After that time passes while we continue comfortably in our small but semi-intimate embrace.

"Angela?" James' deep voice inquires breaking the silence that filled the room.

"Yeah?" I reply turning to face him.

"Would you like to make a trip down to share the news with your family?" James asks looking me honestly.

His question almost amazes me into a state of shock. Deep inside I know James is only really asking to be polite in return to my acceptance to venture out to meet his family. However our past is not a topic we've approached often or even very comfortably in the past and even though James seems more comfortable with the subject, I am not.

I take a second to take his offer into honest consideration, but I already know I do not want to. Even though I don't love James I can't place James in that position. My mother would be all over him while my sister, Nikki, would more than likely only make snide comments about him along with my marriage, that is if she'd bother to make an appearance.

James would doubtlessly be able to handle my mother flawlessly but Nikki is an entire new level in itself. I haven't spoken to her since the day I left for college but I'm almost positive she's still the same. Nikki was a true survivor growing up. We stood together through the rough time after my parents divorced and our father, Stark, left. However as the years went on mother began to let Nikki get away with everything.

She never treated Nikki like she did me. Nikki never had to live up to the expectations of marrying well or go to some prestigious University. No, Nikki could do anything she wanted. Nikki got to party all night, sleep with anyone, drink hard liquor, get a tattoo, smoke marijuana, and everything she could conjure up. After a while I just couldn't stand her anymore and soon after she couldn't stand me either.