Awkward

~FRIDAYS /PART 2/~

Mr Brown stands on the other side of the door, befogged at the sight.

Not taking one step further, he asks, "What are you two doing here?"

Internal conflict stirs in me on whether or not running for it is still an option. "How disrespectful." He nurses his bare jaw. "I was right here! You two couldn't even try to seclude yourselves in another class!"

Julianna isn't looking up. It's like she doesn't even care. It's like she wants to appear dead. I really want to tell him to just calm down but I can't because I'm mentally tripping myself over with how to phrase it in a way he'll understand.

He stands there with his fingers strangling the door handle like if we say the right thing, he'll go back and we'll forget about all of it but if we don't, he'll rip it off and bash us to our graves.

"Roman Turner!!!"

I don't know what he wants me to say. His tone makes me stir. His tone makes me wish I was actually doing something wrong. I wish I was up to no good. I wish I could say "this is all a misunderstanding" and be lying with no shame.

"Roman, you're the f—-g worst!" That's what she says when she finally lifts her head.

Her face is burning up. She's crying and she's shouting. Julianna stands up, almost slapping me across the face but she holds back, her palm clenching into a trembling fist.

I'm confused at first, but then I catch on to what she's doing.

Julianna is getting herself out of this.

"Since the school rules are more important than our relationship, f— you, Roman!" she shrieks. She storms for the door like Mr Brown didn't ever happen.

"Julianna?" he calls. She spins around and gives the middle finger to... both of us???
"Julianna!" he calls.
She throws her hair into a wild mess but it doesn't really 'mess'.
"You." She points at him. "Punish this piece of sh—," she says, spitting the words in my direction. She leaves and closes the door behind her, leaving me and Mr Brown alone.

All alone.

"JULIANNA GET BACK IN HERE!!" he shouts.
"GET BACK IN HERE!!!"

She keeps walking.

Mr Brown's eyebrows are forced together, lumping the bridge of his nose as he fixates on the door frame. Outside the window, I can see that Julianna is already far enough to not be in trouble until Monday, unless he gets her himself.

He doesn't. Instead, he turns to me. He looks like he's pondering on whether or not he should tear the straps off his brown dungaree and whip my bums for her sins until we're in the News.

He marches to the window and watches her go from there, vanishing further down the path to the unfinished theatre.

With an angered sigh, he lets go of the burglar bars.

"Wheew. Women."

That came from me.

Why did I say that?

He shakes his head.
"Women."

That's all he has to say.

I'm glad I said that. I don't think he's sure if he should punish me or not: Julianna said something about school rules so depending on whether he caught on or not, I could be off the hook. He's trying to chuckle away his fury but he looks like he's about to throw himself out of the window.

"Don't get married, kid." He chuckles. "It's a sham."

Glancing out the window like he wants to memorise every detail of this moment for their next encounter, he says, "Rules are important," and then with yet another disbelieving chuckle adds, "And you did the right thing. I'm proud."