When Lightning Strikes [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8: New Rooms (Part 2)

The woman glanced around, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Andromeda, who stared at the woman. Her mouth tightened.

"Hi, Andromeda. Good to see you back in town." The woman's smooth voice didn't sound pleased at all. "Or should I call you Andy still? I know you liked to shorten your name when you lived here before. It always sounded a bit mannish to me personally."

"Hello, Marian," was all her mom said.

Julie's mouth dropped open. Her mom was never that polite to someone who was openly rude to her. She was used to commanding respect as a successful businesswoman.

"I understand that your son, Jamie," her brother's name rolled off her tongue like there was something derogatory about the name, "will be attending school with my son Arorynd now?"

Her son's name was Aroreghd or whatever, and she had a problem with Jamie's name?

Julie couldn't help it. She started to giggle. Turning her back to the conversation, she opened her mouth wide and rubbed at the joint of her jaw and cheekbone to try to stop. Her eyes watered. The happy emotion didn't want to stop. So instead, she tried to quietly cough. She probably looked like a complete idiot shaking over here on the other side of the store. It was like she had lost all control of herself.

"Yes," she heard Andromeda say quietly through her coughing fit.

"This must be a great relief to your husband and his family. His line won't die out after all. What a happy surprise, given who he ended up marrying."

Julie turned quickly at these words. Her giggles died. She barely caught her mom's mouth tense as she faced the front of the store again, but all she did was nod.

She didn't understand why her mother was nodding at this rude woman. She should want to slap her or something. What family was she talking about? Her grandparents were dead, who else was there?

She clenched her fists and stared at a bright flower pattern on a dress next to her. The bright pink flowers looked brushed on, and she could make out the diamond pattern of the thread under the colors.

"This must be your other child. Julie, is it?" Her gaze swept briefly over Julie with complete disinterest.

Julie shook her head. She couldn't remember what she was thinking about.

Andromeda nodded again and clenched the clothing she held tightly.

"You won't mind if I borrow Ariel's help for a few minutes, will you?" The woman wasn't asking.

"Sure." Her mom replied.

Hastily stuffing her box of pins away, Ariel bumped into one of the racks in her rush to the front of the store. Andromeda and Marian stood staring at each other. Ariel looked between them anxiously. "How can I help you today?"

Her mother broke her gaze away from Marian, and her eyes flickered to the back of the store. She started a bit as she met Julie's eyes. She'd forgotten she was there. She bustled back to where Julie stood and insisted on going in the changing room with her to see everything that they had picked out so far. By the time they emerged, Marian was gone.

They spent most of the morning with Ariel. Then Andromeda took her to lunch in a cute bistro. She acted strangely subdued to the few people who came up to say hello to her. Everyone around them seemed to be wearing dressier clothing and wearing haughty expressions similar to Marian's. Apparently it was the norm here to look like everything smelled bad.

Julie lay in bed much later that night distracted by how much her mom insist she buy and the huge final cost. She grew angry thinking that her parents pulled her to this island with snooty people that her mom acted weird around. Her thoughts evaporated as sleep suddenly overtook her and thoughts of blue eyes invaded her dreams.

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