Unexpected

Chapter 13

Julie checked her phone for what felt like the millionth time, with still no word from Luke. Besides being worried, she tried to push aside her feelings of anger and disappointment as she sat alone at the table outside of the gym that Thursday afternoon. The basketball game behind her was well underway, and the team was winning by the sounds of it.

She had called in some of her friends as reinforcements earlier to help her with the food and beverage sales she was doing at the game to earn some last minute funds for the senior showcase. It had proved to be a very profitable idea of Luke's, but he was nowhere to be seen. Just when Julie thought he'd gotten better about remembering his commitments, better about remembering things that mattered to her, he turned around and pulled the ultimate brush off.

Where. Are. You???? I could REALLY use your help here! Julie texted him for a fifth time. Each word holding more impatience than the last. She was met with continued silence.

Julie stood from her seat in a huff and went to poke her head in the gym to check the scoreboard. The game was nearly over, so she decided it was best to start cleaning up. Even though there wasn't much that needed to be packed, she was still dreading the walk home with the left overs.

Hearing the final buzzer and the roar of the fans awhile later, she knew the game was over. Julie waited for the crowd to thin before she folded up the tables and chair she had been using. She knew she'd make quite the spectacle lugging them back to the storage closet being as petite as she was. The fewer people that saw it, the better. 

As she closed and locked the storage closet behind her, Julie heard the hard footfalls of someone running toward the gym. When she turned around, every muscle in her body tensed at the sight of a very frazzled Luke.

"Julie!" He called, running toward her. "Jules, I am so sorry." He began.

She felt her blood boil, wanting to give him a piece of her mind right then and there. Instead she walked past him unspeaking, eyes forward, jaw set in stubborn reply.

"Ok, that's fair. I wouldn't want to talk to me either." He said following behind her. "At least let me give you a ride home!" Luke bartered, bending over to help Julie while she struggled to pick up and wrap her arms around the enormous box she needed to take home.

Julie dutifully ignored him as she made her way from the gymnasium to the outside.

"Come on, Julie." Luke pleaded as he jogged to keep up with her. "I know I screwed up. Again. Let me help you." He huffed as he went to take the box from her arms.

Julie held strong, pulling it from his grasp.

"Why are you so stubborn!" He shouted throwing his hands in the air.

"Why are you so— ugh!" Julie growled feeling at a loss for words to express her myriad emotions.

"You're going to walk all the way home carrying that giant box?" Luke called after her as she stalked off across the parking lot.

"It's better than being around you!" She shouted back over her shoulder.

She scoffed to herself when she saw Luke climb into his jeep and drive off in the opposite direction. Julie knew guilt must've gotten the better of him because he turned back around almost immediately. He pulled up beside her, slowing to a roll to keep up with her while she lumbered along the sidewalk. He rolled down his passenger-side window and began to say something as Julie shifted the large box around her tiny frame to get a better hold of it. Much to her humiliation, she lost her grip, and the contents of the container spilled all over as it hit the sidewalk.

Luke immediately threw the vehicle in park, and jumped out to help her. Julie wordlessly snatched the items from his hands, quickly repacking it all before folding the box lid to avoid another disaster. As she rose to her feet, Luke grabbed the box and threw it in his trunk before she had a chance to protest. She stood on the sidewalk with her arms crossed, looking anywhere but Luke as he came to stand in front of her.