✸ ANYONE ELSE chapter six ━━ you don't have to explain
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JULIE ALWAYS TOLD her friends that they shouldn't overthink what they wore on dates. If the person liked you in the first place, then they'd like you no matter what you wore. Now that it was herself, however, she found herself overthinking every outfit she owned.
Would she get too hot wearing a jacket? Should she put up her hair or leave it down?
James hadn't really made her nervous before, but now it all came crashing down, the sweet butterflies replaced with freaking elephants trampling around in her stomach.
When she at last decided on an outfit and made her way down the stairs, she was met with the faces of Isabel and Jeremiah, both standing against the counter with huge smiles.
At the sound of her footsteps, Jeremiah looked up, smiling at his twin sister as he asked: "Where are you going?"
Julie smiled right back as she made her way towards the two, "I'm going out with James," she found her shoes in the big pile by the door and pulled them on with the ease of having done it hundreds of times before. "I left a note for mum, but will you still tell her that I won't be home for dinner?"
He nodded quickly, watching her till she left the kitchen before turning back to the younger girl in front of him.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
WITH A TIRED smile etched upon her face, Julie Fisher opened the door to the small kiosk. The bell rang as she stepped inside, alerting the boy behind the counter of her presence.
The store was only a little pit-stop on the way home. She had promised to bring some sodas with her to the house, and she wasn't yet ready to give up the feeling coursing through her veins; the feeling of mattering.
Everything had been complicated at home in the last time. Her father had distanced himself even more from the family, causing her mother, who already had enough on her plate with helping Conrad, who had been even more quiet than usual, to do everything by herself. Jeremiah was as usual the golden kid, making sure that their mother both saw and heard him, so Julie didn't think that Susannah needed another kid who needed attention all the time.
All this had caused her be even more quiet at home, and that had caused the rest of her family to overlook her. She hadn't realised, before that moment, that she maybe needed some attention.
James had given her all of his attention for the two hours they spent together. He had listened intently to everything she had said and seemed interested in all that left her mouth.
He had complimented her numerous times—her cheeks flushed red each and every time, something she actually hated, but it, for once, made her kinda warm on the inside, too—making it very obvious that he liked her by throwing hints in almost every sentence he uttered.
He made her feel important. She hadn't thought that she'd like him like more than friend, but she still had a silly smile on her face as she opened the store fridge and pulled out a six pack of Pepsis. Was it possible to start liking someone only because they liked you?
"You look like you've just had sex with your boyfriend for the first time," a male voice brought her out of her thoughts quickly. The sentence made her splutter out an unrecognisable sound as she quickly turned her head to the boy standing behind the counter. He was wearing a smug smile, watching her reaction closely.
"I- no! Why would you-" she tried to get out a reply, but he cut her off.
"Relax," he let out a loud laugh, "I was just messing with you," seemingly finding himself amusing, he continued laughing his contagious laughter and Julie couldn't help but let out a giggle as well.
When he calmed himself down a bit, he continued taking. "Could have been true, though. You're smile is suspiciously wide," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She shook her head. "Not yet,"
Her reply made him laugh loudly again.
"You say that, but you look like the thought just made you throw up on the inside," he looked at her challenging.
"Oh, no, it's just that-" he interrupted her again.
"No need to explain anything to me," he rang up her drinks, "I know how complicated relationships can be,"
"It's not com-"
"Oh, shush," he shook his head. "Can I give you some advice, stranger?"
She hesitantly nodded.
"Find someone who doesn't make it complicated."
She contemplated trying to tell him that she wasn't even in a real relationship, but decided against trying to explain to him. Instead, she only turned around and made her way outside the store.
She hated when people thought that they could read her mind just by looking at her. He had been wrong. James and her weren't complicated at all. He was actually the least complicated thing in her life in that moment.
✸ edited ✸ niall is the boy in the kiosk bc i decide who make guest appearances and it's the show day ‼️
also, if it wasn't clear (i know it wasn't) julie kinda only likes james bc he likes her and she's desperate to be seen (i could write pages about how much i relate to this).
