𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐢𝐢) | ✔

thirteen

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thirteen: in the summer breeze
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     E.J. silently wiped a tear and cleared his throat, taking Juliette's hand and walking with her to the common room, where the rest of the cast was. Each of them engaged in a different activity, Juliette sitting on a sofa and chatting with Savannah, waiting for someone to tell them something. Anything. Soon, Val entered the room, still no Jett on sight.

     "Guys, we lost Jett," she announced, making all of them gasp in worry. "Sorry. Let me clarify. I talked to Dewey and it looks like Jett checked out of camp and went home."

     "He disappeared on to the open road. A lone minor," Channing commented as Maddox's face contorted in shock. "Thumb in the wind. Hair in the wind, for either fate or foe to take him away."

     "Uh, yeah, not quite. An off-duty cop found him at a bus stop and his parents came and picked him up in a Buick," she explained, covering herself from the camera.

     "Wait, why would Jett just leave without telling anybody?"

     "So, our most interesting story's happening off-camera," Corbin Bleu interrupted, all the campers looking at him.

     "Sorry to bother you, Mr Bleu but... I'd like to think we are quite interesting as well," Juliette half-whispered, attracting the eyes of all those there, as she saw Gina's face drop.

     "Yeah, sure, girl with no role," he said, making Juliette's gaze travel to her shoes. "Guys. We really need to make this sing, 'kay? Something active?"

     "In Summer?" Carlos suggested.

     "Love Is An Open Door?" E.J. followed. Gina's face brightened at the hearing of the much-awaited word.

     "That's the Anna and Hans son, right? And we're missing the Hans part of it."

    "Yeah, weirdly, that's the one song I know," Ricky chuckled. Juliette's eyes travelled to his, connecting for a brief second. Was he really that eager to sing with Gina? Or was it all to be featured in the documentary? The redhead could not quite pin his intentions, which sent a pang to her heart. She used to be able to read Ricky like he was an open book, but I guess that some things do change after all. "Lily made me sing it in our second date."

     Juliette scoffed, whispering to Carlos, "of course she did."

     "Is there anything you would like to add?" Ricky's tone changed, now looking at the girl.

     "It would be nice if you stopped mentioning her, you know. Then you talk about me..." she answered, tired of letting everything bottle up inside her.

     "Okay, keep that going," Channing urged them, alternating the camera between them both. Ricky, however, was quick to push it away as Juliette walked out of the common room.

—

     She hated that she had missed E.J.'s and Gina's rendition of Love Is An Open Door but, truth be told, she could not stand the tension with Ricky anymore and it was eating her alive. Hadn't they just agreed on a truce? On being friends? And now, he had decided to behave like an asshole for God knows what reason.

     "Coming to the movie?" Maddox asked, entering the Honeycomb. The rest of the girls had already left but Juliette was still unsure as to what to do.

     "I don't..."

     "Come on, you're already on your pyjamas," she prompted her with a smile. Opening her wardrobe, she took out one of the sweatshirts Juliette had brought to camp. A maroon one that she knew all too well. But before she could warn her against taking it, Maddox had already exited the cabin and was yelling for her to hurry up if she did not want to miss the beginning of the film.

     She tied her hair in two braids, something that she usually did so it would be wavy in the mornings, and ran behind her, trying to get the hoodie back. It was not until they gave Val their respective tickets and they were seated that Maddox gave it to her. She had brought it for pure confort, thinking that Ricky wouldn't have a chance to see her in it and knowing that it always made her feel close to home, but she was very much regretting her decision at the moment. However, the cold soon began to bother her and she had no other choice but to put it on, wishing she had brough a blanket instead.

     She soon spotted Ben and Oliver on the other side of the room. The boys, seeing her, smiled and stood up, Ben quickly finding a spot besides her; Carlos took her other side. She didn't know what had caused the change of movie from High School Musical 3 to Camp Rock, but she was happy nevertheless.

     Halfway through the film, Ben put his arm around her and Juliette turned her head to look at him with a smile. The soft light of the projector reflected in his baby-blue eyes as he handed her some twizzlers, her favourite.

     Her peace, however, was soon interrupted by the door opening and closing. She would recognise those curls anywhere, so she told Ben to stay where he was and walked behind Ricky. She wished, more than anything in the world, that she could have stayed with Ben, curled up un front of the projector, but something forced her to follow her ex-boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend who was nowhere in sight by the time she got out.

     She hugged herself, cold due to the sudden change in temperature. But she could not go back inside, she did not want to go back inside; so she decided to go for a walk instead. She covered her hands with the sleeves of the hoodie and walked straight ahead, as if her feet were leading her somewhere. And she ended up in the barn.

     She expected it to be shut down, but she pleasantly found out that the door was unlocked so she stepped inside, her sight instantly travelling to the piano. She knew she was not good with music. It had taken her ages and lots of help to write the song she wrote for Valentine's Day, but she also knew that, sometimes, things are easier said when singing, so she sat down in front of the instrument.

     She grazed the keys with her fingers and gave it a try, playing a couple of notes at a time. The words were coming to her as if they were a tidal and she could not keep them in anymore: "it almost feels like it was just a dream, all these memories of you and me, blown away in the Summer breeze."

     The music seemed to fill the barn and, for a second, Juliette thought about stopping, not wanting anyone else to hear her. However, her emotions were too strong to supress now: "so what am I, supposed to do? 'Cause all these plans we made in the sand are through. Will I be fine so far from home? And I just don't know, am I gonna make it...?"

     When she finished and her fingers broke away from the piano keys, she was suddenly overcome by silence, the only sound her heavy breathing.

     "I was wondering where that hoodie went," a voice spoke, scaring her nearly to death. Notwithstanding, as soon as she recognised it, she turned around and looked at the person standing in the doorway. 

     "Do you want it back?"

     "Nah, it always looked better on you anyway," Ricky said, stepping into the building and taking a seat besides her. "Are you getting deja vu? Of me walking on you singing?"

     "How could I forget? Wondering is still the best song I've ever sung."

     "I'd say that your Valentine's Day song stole that spot. Did you write this one?"

     "It wasn't even a song, it was just... my thoughts," she confessed, her eyes travelling to Ricky's hands, which were still softly striking the keys, a silver ring reflecting the light of the Barn. "You've taught me well."

     "I'm sorry about what happened earlier," he broke the silence. "I guess I'm still not used to other boys hitting on you."

     "And yet you dated Lily..."

     "And it is the biggest mistake I've ever made. I'd rather spend ten minutes with you than a lifetime with Lily."