Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Thirty-Six

   "Alright, alright. I think Jules should go next," Silky said. "Robbie, you can't answer."

   "Me? Okay, let me think," Julia said, leaning back against the couch. "Well, I don't know how to drive a stick shift. Cher took a body shot off me at my 21st birthday party. And...Robbie and I kissed!"

   Robbie's jaw dropped, much like most of the boys' jaws did.

   "There's...that's a lot to unpack," Rizzo said.

   "There's no way Cher did a body shot off you!" Bah called.

   "Wrong, Bah. She sure did. It was awesome," Julia reminisced with a happy sigh.

   "Okay, we're coming back to that. But you didn't kiss Robbie," Verchota decided.

   "Wrong again," Julia laughed. Robbie's face lit up bright red. "We kissed. Twice actually. Once when we were twelve on New Year's Eve. And last Christmas."

   "Never thought anyone would find about that," Robbie groaned, still blushing. Everyone stared at them, trying to process the information.

   "I always thought Robbie liked you but like...why didn't I know you kissed her?" Baker asked, looking at Robbie.

   "I didn't like her! I only kissed her to prove that exact point!" Robbie insisted.

   "Yeah, we didn't even like it!" Julia agreed. Robbie nodded.

   "Honestly, it was the most awkward kiss of my life," Robbie told everyone.

   "Yeah, I would not kiss you again. No offense, Mackey."

   "None taken. The feeling is mutual."

   "At least they're on the same page," Jimmy chuckled.

   "Wait, you can't drive a stick?" Jack asked, looking up at Julia from his spot on the ground.

   "I can't drive anything," Julia told him. "Stick, automatic. None of it."

   "You can't drive?" Buzz asked her, his eyes wide.

   "Nope," Julia shrugged.

   "Jules, you're 21 and you can't drive," Jack repeated.

   "You're starting to grasp the concept, OC. Keep going," she told him sarcastically.

   "How can you not drive?" Rizzo asked her.

   "I was in the process of learning when I left. I didn't need to learn when I was living in LA. Even when we moved farther out of the city, people always drove us places. I never need to," Julia told them. "Did you guys not notice how Herb or one of you drives me everywhere?"

   "I just always assumed you left your car in LA," Mark said.

   "I mean, not to be that person, but I could definitely buy a car if I needed one," Julia reminded them. Sometimes the boys forgot how wealthy Julia was, especially for someone her age.

   "Let's teach Jules to drive," Bah suggested.

   "Yes!" Rammer agreed.

   "That sounds like a terrible idea," Julia told them.

   "No, it'll be fun. We'll teach you and then you can buy a cool car and drive us around," Jack told her. Julia used her knee to nudge his back.

   "I'm not driving you anywhere."

   "Can we continue with the game and argue with Julia later?" Baker asked. "OC, you go."

   Jack sat up, running a hand through his hair. Julia bit the inside of her lip when he did. He always looked so attractive when he did that.