Juliana

36. Uh, snake

We were finally out on the boat in the middle of the lake. The boat was trolling because we were trying to catch something, but we hadn't had much luck so far. Apparently, the fishies didn't like early mornings either... haha.

"So, Son." Dad looked at me while Sam was busy casting another line. "What's been going on with you and Juliana? Haven't seen her around in awhile."

"Oh. Uh..." I took a seat on the lid of the cooler. "Nothing really. Just stuff. You know, like, basic couple stuff."

"Oh God, Robbie. Please tell me you didn't get her pregnant. Did you?"

Sam turned around and offered his thoughts. "Nah. Robbie's a jerk sometimes, but he's not a pig."

"Thank you, Sam, for having some confidence in me. Dad clearly does not." I widened my eyes. "No. The farthest I've gone with Juliana is kissing. If she's expecting, some other dude is the father."

"I was not saying that you had gotten her pregnant. It's just with all this staying over at her house overnight that you've been doing between her dad and her surgery, I was pointing out the fact that the temptation has been there."

"Dad. Let's face the truth. I'm entirely way too selfish to be a father at this age. I'm not gonna put myself in that position until I'm ready. No matter how slight the chance." I looked down at my feet.

"Your mother and I have raised you well, Son. Proud of you." He gave me a clap on the back.

I faked a smile. Even though I hadn't gotten Jules pregnant, the way I had been acting was certainly not something to be proud of, and now, I felt like I had not let only Juliana's late father down, but also my parents and her.

While Dad was talking with Sam, I pulled out my phone to call Jules.

I quickly dialed her number, held the phone up to my ear, and waited for an answer. After four rings, someone finally picked up the phone.

"Um... hello?"

"Uh... hey. It's me. Robbie."

"What do you want, Robert?" I shuddered at the sound of my first name.

"To just... ya know... just... ya know."

"You're wasting my time." She quickly spat back out.

"Okay. Fine. I'm sorry, Juliana."

"Are you, Robert? Are you really? Because last time I checked you called me a nagging bitch that you didn't need in your life."

"You can't hold me accountable for something I said when I was angry, Juliana. That's just not cool."

"The truest test of a man's character is not when he is content, but actually, it is when he is angry. Then and only then will you know his true character."

"What kind of bullshit is that?"

"My point, exactly. So. I've chosen to no longer affiliate myself with you because you have bad character. You appear nice on the surface, but you are extremely bitter, angry, and cold-hearted beneath. You are like a desiccant in a drought. Have a nice life, Robert. And just so you know, I really did love you."

Before I could even get a word in, the line disconnected. Damn, this really sucked. I put my phone in the closest cup holder and grabbed a pole.

"Y'all catch anything?" I asked, trying to get a conversation going.

"Nah. Not yet. I thought I had something, but then it got away." Sam said, recasting his line.

"Like my Juliana..." I mumbled under my breath.

"Messed up, huh?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "And I'm not sure that I can fix it."

"If it's meant to be between you two, then God will make it work and bring you back together. I have confidence that He will have His will done always, and that's how I'm content with the whole Allie thing. By the way, there's a snake at your feet."

I launched myself out of the boat and into the lake at the sound of the word "snake". Sam and my dad were cracking up in the boat as I treaded water. I did not like snakes at all. They were an animal of the Devil, for sure.

"Dude." Sam was doubled over in laughter, holding the black, slithery animal of Hell up, "this snake is harmless."

"Sam. It's a snake."

Dad shook his head and grumbled. "Are you my son?"

"Can y'all just please put the ladder down, so I can get out? And Sam, do something with that thing already."

"I'm in the middle of a lake, Robbie. I can't do anything."

"You're just going to have to be a man and deal with it being on the boat." Dad added, letting the ladder down into the water.

"But it's a snake Dad."

"And you are a Patterson boy." He clapped me on the back after I climbed up the ladder.

All I could think about was Juliana. Why had she been so bitter?

"Hey! Robbie! Can you give me a hand with this fish? He's fighting big time." Sam cried out.

"Yeah." I ran over to the pole and helped Sam fight the fish into the boat.

Once the fish was in the boat, we cleaned it right then and there. Dad was beaming. I loved seeing my old man so happy.

***

"Dad. Were you ever a jerk to Mom? And then regretted it a bunch?"

"I'm sure that I was at one point. Why? That question was kinda out of the blue."

"Just wondering."

"Alright, then."

If Juliana was moving on, it was time for me to too. I could forget her. Couldn't I? I dug my phone out of my pocket, logged onto Facebook, and typed Juliana Keating into the search bar. Oh, God, now I was turning into Crazed Creepy Lunatic.

I started scrolling through her page. This new guy had liked every single post and picture since Juliana and I had had our big fight. Picture after picture, she looked happy. But who was to say that this new dude was her boyfriend? After all, he could have been another one of her cousins; she had a gazillon cousins, I swear.

Chances were though that he probably was her new boyfriend. And he probably treated her way better than I did. He probably didn't know how awesome she was either, and there was nothing that he could do... I'd always be the one that was there for Jules when her dad passed away.

Maybe I was little bit jealous, but I'd always have that bond with Jules. She was my first love, but I had screwed up badly. But hey, didn't they have that saying that saying that went something like if you love someone enough, set them free. And then it goes into how if they come back, it was true love or something like that. I went to sleep that night, telling myself that over and over again. Hopefully, this was just a phase that would pass-- a storm in my relationship with Juliana.

*A/N: Who will be comment 450? ;)*