Dance In The Rain

~31~ Cliché

So much drama ahead, friends. This is the last update for this week, but I had SO much fun with this storyline that I wrote my heart out in every spare moment I had. I have a ton more chapters banked. I don't know how many chapters I'll release next week since I'm going to have a busy couple of weeks; but you can expect at least one bonus.

Prepare yourself over the weekend, because...It's gonna be fun ❤️

Julianne's POV

A few weeks have passed and Holden is doing much better. He isn't back to his normal self, but he's getting closer.

His smile reaches his eyes most of the time, and he jokes more frequently than he was.

We've missed him

I'm trying to work up the courage for the last hour or so, and I'm running out of time. I'm so nervous that I feel like I could puke. And I need to give Gage an answer soon.

I'm just gonna do it....

I go up to Nico, er, Mr. Fitz when I finish my test and he smiles at me. "No, I won't give you the answers, Little T."

I smirk at him because he very clearly saw me turn my test in before everyone else, and I clear my throat. "I need to talk to Holden. Can I go to his class?"

"Sure. Is everything okay?" He nods as he gets a pass and starts writing on it.

"Yeah"

"Cool. You comin' back or hangin' with him the rest of the period?"

"Depends on how mad he is," I mutter, and he raises an eyebrow and shoots me a mischievous grin. "Well that sounds interestin'....You gonna spill the beans or am I gonna have to hound your brother?"

You can hound him," I sigh as I take the pass from him and walk away.

"Good luck, Little T," he yells after me, and I simply lift the pass in the air as a thank you.

~*~

Holden is teaching the same lesson he did for us this morning, and I'm confused when I stand at the door. Somehow a simple lesson on the book we're reading, Pride and Prejudice, has turned into a debate on whether or not sex work should be illegal.

Holden looks as perplexed as I feel as he puts his hand to his mouth and simply watches each person getting animated.

"So you're telling me that what I want to do with MY body should be illegal?" A girl yells at another girl from across the room.

"For pay? Yeah. Sex trafficking is at an all time high right now, and...."

"I hardly think that two consenting adults should get thrown in jail because one of them pays the other....." the girl snaps.

"Except that a lot of them are not adults, they're girls...."

"I'm going to stop this conversation. I'm all for debates, but I'm tired of the screaming. You can all have opposing viewpoints and still respect one another." Holden interrupts in a calm voice.

I knock quietly on the open door and Holden sees me, and nods in my direction. "What's up, Jules?"

All eyes turn to me and I shrink back a little against the door.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask softly, and he nods as he gets off the edge of his desk.

"Yeah. When I get back, let's focus on our book, shall we?" He asks over his shoulder as he comes over to me and shuts the door, and I step further into the hall to give him space.

"Man it got crazy in there," Holden says as he blows out a breath and shakes his head.

"How did Pride and Prejudice turn to sex work?" I grin.