this charming man - j.k.

two

The Kiszka's (and Danny) sat at the dinner table just talking about anything and everything. Josh engaged every once in a while in the conversation with a 'hm' or 'yeah.'

He was staring blankly at the wall lost in his thoughts. He was caught off guard when his mother said his name.

"Josh, what's wrong with you tonight?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing." Josh said looking up to see everyone looking at him.

"He's probably thinking about Juliette." Sam said smirking.

"Who's Juliette?"

"Do you like her?"

"You like Juliette?"

"No, no, shutup Sam." Josh said giving him a death stare.

"Who's Juliette?" His father repeated confused.

"Jaylens sister." Danny said.

"Mom told her that you talk about her all the time." Ronnie said making Josh look at his mom.

"What?" Josh said worried.

"No, I did not say that." His mom said giving Ronnie a look. "I just said that you had talked about her before."

"You said me specifically?" Josh groaned.

"Well, yes, but I doubt she thought anything of that." His mother tried to save herself.

He groaned again at his moms choice of actions. Why would she say that?

"I'm sorry Josh, I didn't know you liked her." She said.

"I don't like her." He said seriously.

"Don't lie to mom." Jake said.

"Shutup jake." He said rather aggressively.

"Be nice." Their father said intervening in Josh's name calling.

"May I be excused?" Josh said.

His mom nodded yes, and he got up abruptly to put his plate away.

He went to his room and laid down on his bed facing the ceiling. He wallowed in his thoughts.

He didn't like Juliette, per say. At least he knows she doesn't like him. After he embarrassed her, she's gave him cold shoulder since that day.

He doesn't necessarily blame her, but does wish he had the guts to tell her sorry. She definitely hates him. After todays interaction, he was sure of it.

He just wished it was different.

He had had feelings for her for at least a year before that. Then he decided to be an ornery teenage boy.

He stayed in his room the rest of the night, thinking about Juliette Anderson.

Juliette sat at the dinner table with her mother and brother.

"How was Sam's?" She asked Jaylen.

"It was good." He said nervously side-eyeing his sister.

"How was practice?" She asked her daughter.

"Rather boring actually." She responded truthfully.

"Why is that?" Her mother asked.

"Isaac wasn't there for comedic relief." She said.

"Ah, I see." Their mother responded. It was quite for a while.

"How's the band going for them, Jay?" His mother asked.

"Great, jule got to hear Josh singing today." Jaylen said.

"Oh really?" Her mom asked interested. Juliette was unaware that her mother had suspected something between Josh and Juliette years before. Juliette was constantly complaining about this Josh boy. Always, 'josh did this', 'josh did that.'

"Yeah, his voice was actually pretty cool." Juliette said.

"Cool? His voice is like way better than cool." Jaylen said to his sister.

"Yes, he does have an extraordinary voice, I was just trying to keep modest." Juliette said.

"You can't deny his talent, Julie." Jay said.

"I'm not even—"

"Do both of you have a crush on him or what?" Their mother spat out making them both freeze.

"I—"

"I don't like Josh." Juliette said before her brother could finish. "Do—not." She annunciated.

"Well, I mean he is a sweet boy." Her mother said.

"Ew, please, stop." Juliette said making a face.

"Actually, that wouldn't be terrible, you could help with their songs and—"

"Jaylen, stop." Juliette said cutting her brother off quickly.

"I do not like him. I will never like Josh Kiszka." She said definitively.

"What'd he do to you?" Jaylen asked his sister curious as ever.

"PLEASE, stop talking." Juliette said. Jaylen took the cue and kept quiet.

They ate in silence for about 5 minutes.

"So, do the boys have a name?" Their mother asked Jaylen.

"Duh." He said. "Greta Van Fleet."

"What type of name is that?" Juliette smarted off. She secretly kind of liked it, but wasn't going to disclose that.

"I think it's cool." Their mother said defending the band. "Have they had any gigs yet?"

"They have one September 28th." Jaylen said. The two conversed back and forth when Juliette stood up.

"I'm gonna head to bed." She announced. She kissed her mother on the head and went to her bedroom closing the door.

She sat on her bed trying to decide if she was being petty. Her thoughts wandered from one side to the other.

After about 20 minutes, she made a decision. She wasn't going to go out of her way to interact with Josh. She would talk to him only if he engaged her.

Unless, he apologized. It seems silly, but that would be all she needs to embrace the whole experience of Joshua Kiszka.

She got ready for bed, did her usual routine. She turned off her light for the night when she remembered what Jay said earlier. She got out her calendar from her desk drawer, and found the date 'September 28th," and touched her pencil to the paper.

'greta van fleet gig,' was what she wrote.