Flipped Again

Chapter 4: An Argument, for Old Time's Sake

I doubted Juli would want anything to do with me.

But I wanted to look nice, not for her...well maybe for her but, you know. Just in case.

My family were morning people unfortunately, and as it was the first morning home, they expected me to sit down and eat breakfast with them. I obliged grumpily.

Shelly came down a little later than everybody else, well dressed and immaculately polished. Not like I expected anything else.

She was not the kind of girl that would be caught dead looking like she had just gotten out of bed, her hair was always done. Curled, braided, tied up. You name it. The only time I have, or probably anybody has ever caught her worst for wear was when she got in a tussle with Juli Baker one time.

At the remembrance of Juli, I ate my cereal with vigour and immediately got up and said I had somewhere to be.

My parents questioned but I ignored them, and glided through the front door. I stopped in my tracks.

What was my plan exactly?

I walked on, figuring I'd just knock on the door, and ask if Matt and Mark happened to be home. Yeah, perfectly natural.

However when I knocked on the door nobody seemed to come to answer. I snuck a peek at the window and saw the blinds moving. They must see me, must know I'm here. Why are they not answering?

Feeling some kind of anger, I trudged to the back of the house, a familiar route to me, to Juli's bedroom window. I remembered me taking this path often when we were in high school.

I don't know what possessed me, this was totally not the plan but I knocked on the window firmly.

No answer. I peered into the room, it was untidy but full of personality. Books and paintings and paper scattered over the place.

What gave her the right to ignore me?

I'd been nothing but kind to her. I banged on the window now, calling her name.

"Juli? Juli are you there?" I shouted.

Finally, I saw her, she stomped in angrily, still in her nightclothes, a small romper-type outfit. Her hair was a beautiful mess, wavy and voluminous, but not in a Shelly, blow-dried kind of way. Her dark eyebrows were furrowed in rage. She thrust the window open and stuck her head out.

"What the hell do you want Loski?" She spat.

I didn't know what to say. I suddenly forgot the nature of my visit. And when did we get onto a last name basis?

Her eyes softened, I couldn't tell out of kindness or sadness, and it seemed she might actually pull me in for a hug. But instead, she slammed the window shut and pulled down the blinds.

"Why don't you go back to ignoring me Bryce? You've found it easy enough for months." Her voice seemed wobbly, but still firm and aggressive.

I couldn't help but scoff at this remark. "Seriously Juli? You can't help but play the victim. Can you? For God's sake, I wasn't the one who lost interest? I wasn't the one who suddenly stopped writing to me with no word of warning, and no reason why? And you have the nerve to shut me out? I didn't even come here for you anyways, but if that's how you want to be, then so be it."

I stopped for a moment and silence fell over. I didn't let her speak, trudging off angrily like a hot-tempered toddler.

Me? Ignoring her? How dare she.

I decided then, I didn't want anything to do with Juli Baker.