PEARLS N JEWELS
"He was pearls, she was jewels."
IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, Juliana found herself sandwiched between Lee and Isaac. Lee's expression hinted at his displeasure with the additional company Juliana had brought along. Isaac mirrored Lee's expression, though his demeanor was slightly more subdued.
"You guys are acting like I made the decision to be back here," Juliana remarked, glancing between the two Mexican boys, who remained stoic.
"Whatever," Lee rolled his eyes, prompting a scoff from Juliana at his reaction.
Isaac sat quietly, gazing out the window. Juliana wondered why Isaac had called her Jules or Jewels—she wasn't sure which one. She wanted to ask but it wasn't the appropriate time.
Her attention drifted to Isaac's side profile, appreciating the way his jawline was accentuated. A peculiar thought crossed her mind.
"Staring problem, Jewels?" he teased. "Or wait, let me guess."
Before Isaac could offer his guess and Juliana could respond, the school's arrival interrupted them. Cole, their designated driver, asserted, "Hey, guys, full car today. Which means, Isaac, no rides for random cheerleaders." He parked the car with precision.
"Okay!" Isaac shouted, attempting to maneuver over the seats, narrowly avoiding Juliana. Meanwhile, Lee pulled a similar stunt, almost colliding with Jackie.
"You almost hit me!" Juliana defensively exclaimed.
Isaac, seemingly oblivious to Juliana's concern, continued, "Don't shut the door, Alex." He successfully navigated over the seat, but Alex closed the door against his wishes. "I said don't shut the door!" Isaac complained.
"Hey, and we leave at 3:30. Okay!" Cole reiterated, ensuring everyone heard. "Hey, Sharp, 3:30 sharp!"
Juliana, summoning courage, skillfully navigated the seats without falling. As she walked out, the school sign, "Silver Falls High School," came into view.
"Nathan, you take Juliana, I'll take Jackie," Danny asserted, receiving a nod from Nathan.
"So, what do you think?" Nathan inquired, now paired with Juliana.
Compared to her previous school, the all girl's school, felt more cramped and bustling since it was situated in the city. "It's different," Juliana admitted with an awkward smile.
Nathan chuckled, and they strolled towards Juliana's first class. "Okay, looking at your schedule, you have Mr. Fitz first."
"Who?"
"The English teacher," Nathan clarified, leading her to the classroom. The space was already abuzz with students. "Okay, so, good luck," Nathan wished her well, and Juliana reciprocated with a small smile.
Upon entering the room, her eyes immediately locked onto Isaac. "Shit," she mumbled to herself. Isaac, too, noticed the curly-headed girl near the door, and their gazes lingered until Juliana found her seat, facing the front.
"Isaac, who's that?" Elijah, his best friend, inquired. Aside from his brother Lee, Elijah held the coveted title of Isaac's favorite friend. "She's—"
Isaac cut him off, "I don't know."
Elijah leaned back in his chair, not wanting to bother his friend. Meanwhile, Juliana sat alone, unfazed since she didn't know anyone. Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her. Turning, she met a girl with dirty blonde, curly hair, blue eyes – undeniably pretty.
"Hey," the girl smiled.
Juliana smiled back, "Hey."
"Are you new?" The blonde asked, she kept a smile painted her face.
Juliana maintained her smile, responding with a simple "Yes" to the blonde girl's question. The prospect of a new friend in this unfamiliar school excited her.
"Well, Juliana..." The girl paused, causing Juliana to wonder, "How does she know my name?" The thought lingered as Juliana questioned, "How do you know my name?"
"That doesn't matter," the girl's demeanor changed abruptly. Once a smiling blonde, she now turned blunt. "I just want to tell you, just because you live with Isaac, doesn't mean you have a chance."
Juliana's smile disappeared as she stared at the blonde, caught off guard by the strange comment. The idea of someone bluntly telling her to stay away from Isaac was bewildering, especially since she lived with him.
"I have no interest in that boy." Even if she found him attractive, it didn't necessarily translate into genuine interest, "And who are you?"
Before the blonde could respond, Mr. Fitz's voice cut through the tension, redirecting their attention.
"Everybody back to your seats!" he called out, clapping his hands, prompting a hasty return to the classroom, making his way to the front.
The girl turned back to Juliana, "I'm his girlfriend," she declared, making her way back to her table with friends. Juliana observed as they exchanged looks and laughter.
Confused more than hurt, Juliana shrugged it off; she had faced worse.
Mr. Fitz, the English teacher, took notice and addressed the class. "So, class, as some of you know, we have a new student." His words made the entire class turn their attention to her.
Blushing at the sudden spotlight, Juliana, not one for attention, felt her cheeks flush. The professor, maintaining a kind tone, asked her to stand up and introduce herself.
With a sigh, Juliana rose, "My name is Juliana, and I moved here from New York." She quickly sat back down, preempting any further questions.
"Now that we've got that out of the way..." Mr. Fitz began, and Juliana felt relieved that he didn't delve into further questions. "I assigned a poem for each one of you this weekend and gave you a word."
Surprisingly, six kids raised their hands. Mr. Fitz was taken aback. "I haven't even explained yet."
"No need to explain," a brown-skinned boy said confidently. "Could I share first?"
The professor nodded, turning to Juliana, "Since you're new, you can just watch, ask questions if needed."
Juliana nodded, curious about this unexpected turn of events.
Mr. Fitz faced the boy named Skylar, "Why don't you come up?" He motioned with his hand, prompting Skylar to rise. "Tell the class your assigned word and read the poem."
Skylar, a tall figure, nodded and faced the class. "I got assigned the word 'air'..." Juliana took notice of his height, impressed by his stature.
The class erupted in applause for Skylar's poem, and he acknowledged it with a warm smile before taking his seat. As more students shared their poems, Juliana found herself impressed by the diverse creativity on display. It was evident that Mr. Fitz had a knack for guiding them.
"Alright, one more wouldn't hurt," Mr. Fitz announced. Scanning the class, his gaze landed on Isaac, the boy with the pearled necklace. "Ahh, Isaac."
Isaac groaned at the mention of his turn.
"I don't understand why you hate English when you're great at it," Mr. Fitz commented. Ignoring the compliment, Isaac reluctantly got up and made his way to the front of the class.
"The word I got was love."
Juliana couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand, finding it amusing that Isaac was assigned the word "love." The irony wasn't lost on her, and she stifled a laugh. Isaac, catching her reaction, shot her a quick glare before returning his attention to his paper.
"In the language of the heart, where whispers weave,
Love's symphony, in every word conceived.
A sonnet penned with affection's gentle glove,
Echoes declare, "forever, it's you I love."
As Juliana observed the boy with the pearled necklace, she realized she had misjudged him. Isaac's poem turned out to be the most beautifully written piece she had heard. Despite herself, she couldn't help but love it. The conflicting emotions left her with no choice but to grapple with the complexity of her feelings.
The class fell into a hush, absorbing the impact of Isaac's poem.
Breaking the silence, Mr. Fitz commended, "That was amazing and well-written." A genuine smile played on the teacher's lips, mirrored by Isaac, the pearled necklace boy, who returned the sentiment.
___
THE TWO COUSINS, now stood in the lunchroom after a visit to the counselor's office, Juliana reflected on her discussions about classes. Unfortunately, she couldn't secure the AP classes she desired. The counselor insisted it was "too much" for her and advocated taking things slow.
Even if they hadn't deemed it overwhelming, Juliana, being a sophomore, was limited to just two AP classes – English and Biology. Coincidentally, she realized that Isaac shared the same AP English class as her.
It felt like a punchline to some cosmic joke.
"Don't you think this line is too long for just some school lunch?" Juliana questioned, eyeing the line's length skeptically. Jackie stepped out of line to assess the situation. "It has to be good or something."
Jackie chuckled at her cousin's observation. "Probably."
As Juliana surveyed the lunchroom, she noticed Nathan and Alex staring at them. Nathan waved, and Juliana returned the gesture. Turning back to Jackie, she remarked, "Now that I think about it, I'm not that hungry."
Ready to walk away, Juliana was stopped by Jackie, who grabbed her arm. "You haven't eaten since this morning, or did you even eat?"
Juliana offered a small smile to Jackie, appreciating the concern. "It's okay, Jackie, don't worry," she reassured, prompting Jackie to take her hand off her arm.
Juliana strolled away.
"Hey," Juliana greeted as she joined the two brothers, settling down in front of Alex and beside Nathan. She now faced the large windows, welcoming the sunlight into the lunchroom.
"Why didn't you invite your cousin over?" Nathan inquired.
"She's too busy getting lunch," Juliana replied. She turned to Alex, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Maybe... Alex can go up and get her." Unbeknownst to Juliana, Alex wore a shocked yet oddly calm expression – his regular face, as she assumed.
Nathan agreed, nodding. "You should."
"Yeah, okay," Alex said, rising to his feet, seemingly prepared to approach Jackie. However, before he could make his move, he noticed Cole already heading in her direction.
Juliana, curious about the delay, questioned, "Alex, are you okay?" She followed his gaze, finally realizing that Cole was already approaching Jackie.
Nathan, engrossed in his meal, remained oblivious to the unfolding events. The trio observed as Cole guided Jackie to the front of the lunch line.
Alex's mood shifted dramatically, and without a word, he grabbed his book bag and headed out. Confused, Nathan looked at his departing brother, questioning, "Hey, where are you going?" Juliana, though pondering the situation, stayed silent, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
"See you later, bye," Alex bid farewell, leaving the cafeteria without offering an explanation.
The confusion and worry reflected in Juliana and Nathan's eyes as they observed Alex leaving. However, their attention shifted back to Cole and Jackie when the room's volume escalated. They watched as Cole led Jackie to the "cool" side of the lunchroom, a move that left Nathan audibly surprised.
"I didn't think he was gonna do that," Nathan commented, prompting Juliana to turn to him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Still fixated on Cole and Jackie, Nathan explained, "You never see Cole doing that. She must've got something he wants."
Juliana offered an alternative perspective, "Or he's just being nice."
Nathan's laughter echoed at Juliana's response. "I doubt that."
Sighing, Juliana looked ahead, her gaze falling on Isaac sharing laughs with his friends. Despite her reservations about him, she couldn't deny the charm of his smile.
However, her observation revealed that the blonde, curly-haired girl by his side didn't seem to be enjoying the moment. Isaac appeared more invested in his brother and other friends, seemingly oblivious to his companion.
Juliana redirected the conversation with a question for Nathan, "Did you know Isaac can write poems?"
Nathan, although indifferent to the change in topic, wondered why Isaac became the subject of discussion. "Yes, I do. Why?"
"Oh, nothing. Just really surprised at Isaac's words when he presented in English," Juliana replied. The beautifully written poem had caught her attention, though not necessarily in an academic sense, leaving her with a sense of mild discomfort.
"Yeah, he knows how to write well for some reason," Nathan remarked. "But all of us have secret talents."
Juliana nodded in agreement.
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AUTHORS NOTES:
i'm sorry i'm writing these in parts but dw the next chapter is gonna get more spicy then this🤭
and also i didn't read through this so if there's spelling mistakes pls tell me
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