Chapter Sixteen
I knocked on the door a second time, and then Aaron finally opened up.
“Hey loser,” I said, walking into the room, and hopping onto his bed, not bothering to take in my surrounds. I opened my backpack up, and got out my computer.
“Hey Jules,” he said, sitting down next to me.
“What’s your Wi-Fi password?” I asked.
“ATKennings?”
“Okay, cool,” I said, typing it in.
“What for?”
“I’m going on the internet, stupid.”
“Oh. Why?”
“Because I successfully escaped from your sister, so now I’m bored.”
“Bored? With me? Oh Jules! You could never get bored with me!”
“Right… course not…” I said, signing onto iChat. My online contacts popped up, and I instantly received an invitation. Paige Wright. Why would Paige want to talk to me? Whatever. Accept.
Back in Santa Monica, Paige and I had been friends... good friends... really good friends... okay, okay, we were best friends. She was funny, smart, athletic, quick (mentally), sarcastic; everything I needed a friend to be. She was incredible, and we did everything together. When I was visiting Santa Monica over vacation, I stayed with her, and we just stayed up the entire night talking, and laughing. She is one of the most amazing people that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the short time span of my life so far. When I moved back here, we didn’t really keep in touch too well; which is one of the things I regret.
“Hey girly!” she said, as her tanned face that I so envied popped up on the screen.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“First tell me who the hot guy to the right of you is,” she said, smiling.
“Aaron Kennings,” he said, waving.
“Damn girl! You move on fast!” she said.
“He’s not even close to being my boyfriend,” I said, pushing Aaron away from me.
“Oh. Well speaking of boyfriends, I’m just going to quickly add someone to this lovely chat,” she said, as I saw the name “Jsurferdude” appear on the bottom.
“You do that sweetie,” I said.
“I know, I am.” The next moment a blonde boy I knew far too well’s picture showed up on the screen. Paige, Paige, Paige do you want me to hate you or something?
“Don’t end the call!” he said.
“Paige what the hell?” I said.
“We needed to talk to you,” she said, looking down.
“You know what, fine,” I said. I know what you’re thinking, “Jules you are CRAZY to talk to your ex boyfriend!” I know, I am. It’s just, I’m a level-minded person, so I can talk civilly towards him. Also, considering I’m three thousand miles away, and all I have to do to get rid of him is press the little red circle in the corner of my screen, I’ll take my chances.
“Jules, it wasn’t me. I would never have kissed Cassi! She kissed me! I swear! I love you, you know I’d never do something like that to hurt you!”
“Josh, I’m already insane for talking to you, so don’t throw around big words like ‘love’ to scare me.”
“What about love?” Aaron asked, coming into the screen shot again.
“Who’s that?” Josh asked.
“Aaron Kennings, and you are?” Aaron said.
“Josh,” he said.
“Who is he?” Aaron asked me.
“My ex boyfriend,” I said.
“Ah! Well babe, did you tell them, or what?” Aaron said, putting his arm around my shoulder.
“Tell us what?” Paige asked.
“Yeah, tell us what?” I asked, having a hunch of what he was leading in to doing.
“That we’re a couple,” Aaron said, leaning into me. I punched his leg out of view of the camera.
“I thought you said you weren’t together?” Paige said.
“Jules just wants to keep it a secret from everyone,” Aaron explained.
“Yeah, even myself,” I said.
“Yo! Aaron I’m- J-Jules! Hey! Uh…” Mason said, coming into the room. What the hell was he doing here? How do I even end up situations like these? I looked back and forth between both of my ex boyfriends, just speechless.
“This is not even close to what it looks like!” Aaron said, removing his arm from my shoulder.
“Hi…” I said slowly.
“Who’s there?” Paige asked.
“Mason, I’m Jules’… friend,” Mason said, coming over, and waving to Paige… and Josh. Let’s see, I have two options here. No.1 Continue talking to both my ex boyfriends until I die of confusion. Or No.2 Forfeit, and go back to the bitches. Huh… That’s a hard one…
“Well look at that Jules, always surrounded by boys, aren’t you,” Josh said.
“Josh, shut up, or I will end this call!” I said.
“Who’s he?” Josh asked, sitting down on the other side of me. Can anyone say AWKWARD?
“Her ex,” Aaron answered.
“Oh,” Mason said, thinking about something.
“So Jules, like I was saying. It was Cassi! I swear!” Josh said.
“Josh I don’t really care. I think I made a pretty valid argument when I said you wouldn’t have even let her come close to kissing her if you really loved me. So Josh, we’re over, don’t call me again, bye,” I said, about to ex out of the call when two hands engulfed my cheeks and drew me. My lips made contact with a soft surface, and I immediately pulled away, outraged. Aaron’s not dumb enough to try anything like that with me, so the culprit of the sneak attack, I’m almost positive it was Mason.
“What the fuck!” I yelled.
“Watch your language,” Aaron joked.
“Shut the hell up Aaron. Mason what was that?” I demanded.
“I-I’m sorry Jules, I-I just thought-”
“What did you think?”
“I thought that since you said he was your ex, it might make him jealous…”
“But Mason you’re forgetting one very small detail; actually two. One, I don’t want to make him jealous, that takes too much effort, and it would mean I would actually have to care on my part. And two, I’m not your girlfriend anymore, so you can’t just kiss me like that! God!” I ranted. Aaron started to laugh, and I shot him a cold glare.
“I’m sorry Jules, I really am. I didn’t know- I won’t do it again,” he apologized. I quickly looked over to my screen, and noticed Paige had ended the chat. Good.
“You’re right, you won’t. Besides what about your girlfriend? Huh? Ever thought about her?” I asked.
“My who?”
“Your girlfriend…”
“Who’s my girlfriend?”
“Mia Bentley?”
“Who?”
“Blonde girl, total bitch, short, not popular, know her?”
“What’s her name again?”
“Mia,” I said, as realization hit me, and a smile replaced my sudden outburst of anger.
“Sorry. I’m single right now. I never went out with anyone named Mia,” he said, looking lost.
“So she lied?” I asked to clarify.
“I guess?” he said.
“Okay. Good to know. Don’t kiss me again, Mason. If I wanted to kiss you, I would have. Aaron for the love of god shut up, or I will hurt you!” I said, punching him. He kept on laughing.
“I’m sorry Jules! It’s just pretty funny!” Aaron said. “You escaping this house anytime soon?”
“Yeah,” I said, closing my computer screen, and taking out my phone.
“When?” he asked.
“Shut up!” I said as it rung.
“Hey Jules,” Adam said on the other line.
“Hi. Pick me up.”
“Now?”
“No tomorrow morning. Yes now!”
“Okay, okay! I’ll be right over. Talia, let’s go,” he said, hanging up on me.
“And what exactly is your excuse for leaving?” Aaron questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m ‘sick’ and I ‘threw up’ in here,” I said, using air quotes for assistance.
“Got it!” he said.
“I really am sorry Jules,” Mason said, giving me a mournful look. This dude is always too sincere! He’s just so real, and nice; it just bothers me! I know, I know- nice guys are hard to find, and you should be grateful if you find one, even as a friend; but Mason’s just so nice it’s like he’s on a different planet then the rest of us! I was livid with Mason a couple minutes ago, and then he apologizes, GENUINELY, and all the anger just melts away! Ugh!
“Okay, great,” I said, getting off the bed.
“So Jules, tell us, how many douches have you kissed so far since the breakup?” Aaron asked, also standing up, and walking over to me.
“If you want to talk gossip honey, the other room is right down the hall,” I replied.
“Oh! I just got owned!” Aaron said.
“Hell yeah you did!” I said, laughing.
“Ummm… Guys,” a squeaky voice said, entering the room.
“Ummm… what?” Aaron said, mocking his sister’s obnoxious voice.
“Shut up Aaron!” she said.
“We just wanted to like hang with you guys,” Emily said innocently. Lie. Look Em, if you’re planning on lying at least make it believable!
“Oh Mason! You’re here! I didn’t know you were like coming!” Taylor said. That would be another lie. She knew damn well that he was coming, and in her twisted mind I’m sure she planned that the two of us would have an interaction with each other.
“He’s not,” Aaron said under his breath.
“That’s what she said,” I murmured, realizing what Taylor had said. Teenagers have such dirty minds...
“Nice one Jules!” Aaron said, high-fiving me.
“Well you noticed first,” I said.
“I’m a dude, my ears are trained for stuff like that.”
“What just happened?” Emily asked.
“Nothing,” I said, glancing back at Aaron. Poor Emily! Not included in a little joke! Oh no!
“Oh, okay. So like what were you three up to?” she asked.
“Nothing much,” Mason said.
“Right. Well I see like a threesome just waiting to happen!” Taylor said. “Unless of course, it already like did!”
“Taylor you can now leave my room for making such an nasty comment,” Aaron said, going over to her, and physically pushing her out of his room.
“You’re so annoying!” she yelled. “Come on Em, Jules.”
“Am I interrupting anything?” Amy asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway.
“No, why?” Taylor asked.
“Because a very handsome young man is standing in our front room, waiting for Julia,” she said, smirking as Taylor and Emily’s eyes widened at the mention of “a very handsome young man”.
“Is it Adam?” I asked.
“Yes it’s Adam. He said you called, because you felt sick? Are you alright?”
“No. I kind of… threw up. I’m not feeling too well,” I said. Now that Emily and Taylor, my not so dear friends, is how you tell a proper lie, which will be believed by all outside parties. Why does lying even come so easily to me? It’s a terrible, but useful trait to posses.
“Why didn’t you come down to find me?” she asked, distress growing on her face.
“Because I didn’t want to… bother you.”
“No! You wouldn’t have bothered me! But do you really feel that bad that you need to go home?”
“Yeah, I think so. Sorry. I’ve just been feeling nauseous all afternoon.”
“Okay, that’s fine. Boys help her with her things. Girls go keep Adam company,” she ordered. Emily and Taylor literally ran out of the room in excitement. Best part of all this? Adam get’s to feel some of the pain I’ve had to endure by talking to those two.
Aaron, Mason, and I went to Taylor’s room, and got my stuff. We walked down the hallway, in a heavy silence. Into the front room we went, and saw Adam “talking” to Taylor and Emily. He wasn’t talking. They were talking to him… well trying to.
“Hey bro,” I said in a somewhat weak voice. All those of years of acting like a fake bitch, finally paying off in a situation like this.
“Hey Jules, are you okay?” he asked, coming over to me, and hugging me a little too theatrically.
“I feel sick,” I said, battling the impulse to double over in laughter.
“It’ll be alright,” he said, rubbing my back.
“Aaron why can’t you be like as sweet as Adam?” Taylor asked.
“To you?” Aaron asked.
“Yes to me!”
“Because you’re my sister,” he said, earning him a scowl from Taylor’s direction.
“Are you two all set?” Amy asked, emerging in the room with us.
“Yeah,” Adam said.
“I’m really sorry about all this!” I apologized.
“It’s fine sweetie! I just hope you’re okay, and feel better! Do you guys need any help with the bags?”
“No!” Adam said, lifting them all up like they were feathers. “I’ve got them.”
“Okay, well feel better! Hope to you soon around here! Bye!” Amy said, opening the door for us.
“Bye,” I said.
“Bye Jules!” Taylor and Emily chimed at the same time. I just waving, even though I was tempted to flip them off.
“See ya Jules,” Aaron said, “and I hope you feel better!”
“Bye Jules. I’m sorry, and… feel better?” Mason offered.
“Mhmmm… Goodbye,” I said, walking out of the door to Adam’s car. I saw Talia in the driver’s seat, and got in next to her in the passenger’s seat.
“Hey!” she said.
“Hi!” I said, smiling.
“Are you okay? I mean Adam said you were really sick!” she said solemnly; before breaking out and laughing. “You little liar!”
“And what exactly would you do?” I asked.
“Escape out the window.”
“I didn’t feel like climbing.”
“Fair enough. But having your big brother save the day? So cute!”
“I know.”
“I would never have one of my brothers save the day for me! They’re such losers! Normally I’m the one saving the day for them!”
“Oh? Not even someone as sweet, polite, and smart as Chase?”
“Haha! Chase? Sweet? Nope. Polite? Try again. And smart? Did you see those matching D’s on his report card?”
“I’m just kidding!”
“Of course you are…” She turned to face me, “Give him a chance Jules.”
“What?”
“Chase, give him a chance, don’t rule him out just because your brother likes Trent. I mean I love your brother and all, but Chase is a good kid… when he wants to be, and I think you’d be really good for him!”
“Talia, you kinda just crossed a border… just a little bit,” I said.
“Well, we’re almost in-laws, so it’s okay!” she assured me.
“Jules, get out of my seat,” Adam said, opening my door.
“Nope. I’m ‘sick’ remember,” I said.
“So?”
“So, let me sit in the front. Besides, I just spent four hours in a house I promised to never step foot in again.”
“Fine,” he huffed, reluctantly getting into the back.
“Let’s get you home, so you rest, and before you puke all over your brother’s lovely dashboard!” Talia said sarcastically, easily pulling out of the parked space, and zipping down the street. As she drove, what she had said remained stuck in my head. Me and Chase? As a... couple? No. That’s just ridiculous.