Just the Highlights

Eli: A Near Miss/Just the Highlights (200)

So where was I? Oh yeah talking about that interview. Like I said, there was an interview that was interesting but somehow not interesting. Meaning, the interview itself made me want to kill someone, but the events before and after the interview were interesting. Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense any longer.

I was driving on the way to my interview when I got a call from my friend, Harry, also known as my best friend from medical school, who I was meeting for an early dinner. Because I was on the phone (and an idiot and a bad driver) I almost ran into a car that was trying to pass me, bringing traffic to a standstill. It was completely my fault, I knew that, but that didn't mean I was prepared for the driver to roll down her window and start cursing at me like a sailor.

Not wanting to be outdone, I hung up on Harry and rolled down my own window, ready to share some of my favorite phrases with this driver. But I never actually did share those phrases because as soon as I saw the other driver I was completely speechless. Why? Because that driver was the illustrious Julia Nichols.

Her mouth was hanging open, she looked about as shocked as I felt, and we stared at each other for a second before the drivers behind us started honking and yelling their own favorite phrases. I was still pretty much in shock but Julie had already snapped out of it and before I knew it, was driving down the street at a completely illegal speed. The only reason I wasn't more upset to see her go so quickly was because I could still hear her cursing. She was the same old Jules.

But by the time I got to the interview, I was a little stressed out. I had seen her but then she was gone again and I had no way of contacting her. Did she still have the same number? Was she living in the same apartment? I could call her parents and ask for her number but that seemed pathetic. Besides, maybe she was still holding a grudge. Julie was always good at holding grudges.

I thought about calling up a few friends from school to see if they knew how to contact her but I had no clue who she still kept in touch with. I had always been the one who kept up with the old gang and I didn't think it was very likely that she would still be talking to Lizzy, Marie, or Casey.

Naturally I bombed the interview (they still wanted to hire me, go figure) and made my way to meet Harry for dinner. I was prepared to suggest we go drink away our problems instead of eating at the restaurant he had suggested, which was in the center of an outdoor shopping mall, but then I looked across the courtyard at two women arguing over what looked like shopping bags.

Julie was one of them.

Harry was still rambling on about appetizers and beers but I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't do anything, I just stared at her and watched as she argued (more like debated) with her friend. Finally she turned in my direction, I don't even care why she did, and we made eye contact. Awkward and intense eye contact to be precise.

At this moment, I knew I had to make a choice. I could not go over there and give her her space, hoping that she would come over and talk to me herself, or I could go over and talk to her because I really had nothing to lose. The worst she could do was walk away and she had done that before. I could handle it better this time.

But then I remembered one of the things Julie had said when she had cut ties with me, that we would find our way back to each other eventually. And it seemed like the universe was giving us that opportunity, why should I decide to ignore it? Besides, the more I thought about it (and her), the more I needed to talk to her. She had been my closest friend for so long and she didn't know anything about what had been going on in my life. I wanted to be able to tell her about all the good and bad things that had happened in her absence and to find out what she had been up to. Julie had always been my friend and I wanted to get that back.

So I walked away from Harry, not bothering to explain anything, and walked over to where she was still staring at me. I walked right to her and said "hi," ready to catch up with an old friend.

    "Hello?"

    "Nora?"

    "Yes?"

    "Is that you?"

    "Yes, Eli, this is your wife answering her cell phone. I don't know who else it would be."

    "Oh. Sorry."

    "It's all right. Are you okay?"

    "Sort of..."

    "What does that mean?"

    "It means that I just found her."

    "Found who?"

    "I mean, I just saw her. Found doesn't exactly fit."

    "Who did you see?"

    "I can't believe it, I didn't expect to see her ever, let alone on the way to a stupid job interview."

    "Eli, you're not making any sense."

    "I just saw Julie."

    "Julie as in Julie Julie? The one you were horrible to?"

    "Yep."

    "Well did you talk to her?"

"No."

    "Why not?"

    "I don't know."

    "You're an idiot."

    "Yep."

~~~

Two words: Jelliot reunion. See you all on Thursday.