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WHEN JULIE AWOKE on the morning after her date, her head was a mess. It felt like a busy train station, thoughts going in and out without any system. Her mind still lingered on the words of the irritating boy from the shop, no matter how many times she told herself to shut him out.
Flashbacks from the date also appeared in her head, making her overthink everything that happened. Both his and her words were swarming around among her thoughts.
She didn't want to leave her bed at all, and therefore, she didn't. She stayed there almost all day, with the exception of getting food from the kitchen on occasions, reading and listening to music.
She didn't see any of the others, except Laurel who came to check up on her, before the evening, when they all gathered to eat dinner together.
The table was far from quiet, chatter from all the other occupants filling up the space around the girl. She listened fondly as Jeremiah went on about his day, and found her mood lifting as Belly talked excitingly about her birthday the following day.
James didn't occupy her mind even once, and she found herself feeling bad about it afterwards.
The morning after, she didn't sleep in. It was a tradition in the house to wake up early and make everything ready for when the youngest awoke. Julie never enjoyed waking up before eight, but the joyous expression on Isabel's face made up for it through and through.
The brunette girl's smile didn't falter even once through the morning—not before Conrad told her that he forgot about her birthday. The betrayed look on her face at that statement was much different than the wide smile—and Julie found her whole spirit lifted by it.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
TAYLOR'S ARRIVAL BROUGHT even more positivity to the house.
The girl radiated happiness, engulfing everyone around her in a bliss of excitement and joy.
Julie usually took some distance to the two best friends throughout the days that Taylor spent at the house, but this year, she found herself spending time with the duo.
They sat together by the pool, chatting away to their hearts desire before the younger girls decided that they wanted to actually use their cute bathing suits and jump into the pool.
That, of course, reached the attention of Steven and Jeremiah, and Julie soon found herself alone on the sideline, watching as the four others played in the water.
She didn't mind at first, but the action turned boring enough for her to pick up her phone and check it. Three new messages from James.
Jamie 🫶 hey
Jamie 🫶 what are you doing
Jamie 🫶 please talk to me i'm bored
Jules 🫶 i'm tanning maybe we can talk later? <3
Jamie 🫶 noooo i wanna talk right now
Jules 🫶 right now really isn't the best time
Jamie 🫶 why not? don't you like talking to me
Jules 🫶 you know i love talking to you can't we talk tonight
Jamie 🫶 pleaseeee talk to me now
Jules 🫶 i really can't i'll text you later
Jamie 🫶 nooo i wanna talk now
Jules 🫶 typing . . .
A moment to respond to his message turned into an hour of texting back and fourth. A smile was permanently etched onto her face throughout the conversation, all reluctance forgotten. She hadn't intended to spend so much time, but talking to him was so easy.
If it hadn't been for Jeremiah standing above her with wet hair that dangled dangerously close to her still open book, she might not even have realised how much time had gone.
"Get away from me," she pushed him out of the way, protectively pulling her book behind her.
"Who are you talking to?" He ignored her words, instead moving even closer to her.
"No one," she pushed him again, harder this time, and effectively moved him away from her.
"Obviously it is someone." He thought for a moment. "Unless it's a robot. But a robot couldn't have you smiling like that,"
She looked unimpressed as she glanced up at him, clearly not finding humour in his joke.
"Come with us inside, I gotta tell you something," he ignored her look as he held out a hand for her to take.
After a moment of hesitation, Julie took his hands and followed him inside while he talked about some surfer he had met.
As the two siblings disappeared inside, Steven followed them with his eyes.
Julie looked happier than usual. It couldn't be because of James, could it? He shouldn't be thinking of this, but his heart clenched in a weird way at the thought.
