Cross Country

Chapter 2

Alea's POV

“Julian!” I scolded backing away from the sink, holding my wet hands out and looking down at my water splattered shirt.

 “What?” he asked innocently after dropping an arm load of dishes into the sink, causing it to splash all over me. He smiled crossing his arms raising an eyebrow, clearly amused with himself. I glared at him and went back to the sink and started washing the dishes he had just dumped in. 

"You dry,” I ordered setting the newly cleaned dishes into the opposite side of the twin silver sink. He groaned at being ordered to do work but complied, taking a dish cloth from the wooden spindle below the hanging wine rack.

“You know, you could just use the dishwasher,” he complained, starting to dry the white porcelain dishes.

“Why?” I asked dropping the clean utensils into the bin on the opposite side of the sink. “There’s only a few dishes to clean, it’d be wasting.” He rolled his eyes and started putting the dried dishes into the correct cupboards.

He picked up the last glass bowl with swirled patterns that we used for salad. He held it up in front of me and asked, “And this goes?” I pointed to a glass cabinet against the far wall, beside the toaster oven. He walked over to it and placed the glass bowl inside, lining it up as best as he could.

He looked at it hesitantly for a minute as he stood up, and then bent back down, turning it and adjusting it again. I had noticed Julian’s need to perfect everything in my household more and more throughout the years I’ve known him. The way he always had to double check everything he did, always so unsure of doing anything in the house.

 He hesitated before doing anything, and always second guessed himself. The way he’d excuse himself to the bathroom every so often to check and make sure his clothing was still in order, how he always lined his shoes perfectly with the rest of us after wiping them on the mat a few extra times.  I hated the fact that when he was in the presence of my family, he lost his carefree and flirty attitude.

Julian wasn’t rich, and he was nowhere near the “high class” citizen. I had tried talking to him about it before, but he had always shrugged it off changing the subject.  I knew Julian was ashamed of where he was from; who he was, and how he was, but I loved him. He was my best friend and none of that mattered to me, yet he still always seemed intimidated.

When he turned around and saw that I had been watching him, he shuffled in his place, embarrassed. “Why do you do that?” I asked, quietly hoping I could get a real answer this time.

He shrugged and shut the glass door carefully, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe off the left over finger prints.

“Do what?” he asked turning to face me again.

“That!” I said pointing at the glass cupboard. “Why do you always have to fix everything and act like-” I paused not even know what he was acting like, he just wasn’t himself.

“Like?” he asked raising an eyebrow, calmness still evident in his voice.

“I don’t know, but you don’t act like yourself around here. And when my parents are around you get all tense and I don’t know, you get un-Julian!” I was yelling now, the years of dealing with him acting this way with his best friend was getting to me.

“Tense?” He asked walking towards me his hands stretched out, “Well who’s tense now?” He said smiling, changing the subject as usual. He pounced at me and immediately started tickling me, but I shoved him as hard as I could.

“Stop it Julian!” He pulled back looking at me, his face twisted in hurt and we sat on the floor, silent for a few minutes, neither of us making a move to speak. “I hate when you feel like you have to pretend around here.” I whispered, finally breaking the silence.