Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Thirty

"Why'd you wanna take me home?" Julie cautiously asked as he pulled out of the driveway. It wasn't a very long drive home, so if they were going to talk, it needed to start now. Jack stayed quiet for a second, obviously thinking about what he should say. She sat anxiously, waiting for him to finally start talking. Talking never seemed to quite be Jack's strong suit.

"I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder," he finally said. Julie looked to him, eyebrows raised.

She was obviously waiting for more of an explanation. He didn't sigh out loud like he wanted to.

"Was there a reason for it?" She finally prodded.

"The boys were giving me crap the other night and saying that I like you, so I thought I would just back off a bit," he finally blurted out. Julie stared at him for a second. It was awkwardly quiet for a minute too long. Jack was shocked when he heard her laughing.

"That's it? The boys were teasing you?" Julie laughed. Jack was not nearly as amused, which was evident in the look he gave Julie. His blue eyes blazed with embarrassment. He decided to be vulnerable with her, and this was the thanks he was going to get?

"I'm glad this is funny to you. Really, I am," he scoffed. He immediately regretted telling her.

"Jack, it is funny," she sighed. "Who cares what they think? I love them all dearly, but let's not forget what a childish group of buffoons they are."

Even Jack cracked a grin at that, nodding in agreement. He was still annoyed with her reaction, but it made him chuckle just a little.

"Don't forget that you're a buffoon, too," Julie reminded him. He rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm glad I could give you your comedy fix for the night," he told her, accidentally sounding more bitter than he had intended to.

"Jack, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at what our dumb friends think," she promised, but she stopped laughing anyway. "They used to tease Mac about it, too."

"How'd he get them to shut up?" Jack wondered. There had been a part of him when he first met Julie-after she and Rob made up from their fight, of course-that had wondered why no one seemed to question if their friendship was something more.

"I guess he just ignored them. You know Mac, the boys like to tease him for just about everything," Julie pointed out. She was right. Rob was often the butt of the jokes in the locker room, but he seemed to know how to take the jokes.

"What did you say to the boys when they teased you?" Julie asked, but if she knew Jack at all, he probably reacted a little harshly. Jack didn't take his eyes off the road, following whichever way Julie pointed him back to her house.

"We were all drunk, so it was really stupid. I just told them I didn't like you and then they started to give me shit about how I implied that liking you would be stupid. That offended them," Jack was laughing now, remembering how the boys had been so defensive.

"And rightfully so! What would be so wrong with liking me?" Julie questioned, her voice going up and her brows furrowing, the telltale signs that Jack was successfully getting under her skin.

"Not this again," he shook his head. "There would be nothing wrong with liking you, don't worry."

The air in the car suddenly grew thick with tension. They both stared out the windshield, Jack keeping both hands on the wheel while Julie twiddled her thumbs.

"I just mean that..." Jack struggled to find the words. Julie turned her head towards him, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah?"