When Lightning Strikes [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10: Birthday Surprise

It was Julie's birthday. Well hers and Jamie's. But she couldn't be excited about it. She barely saw her brother anymore and wondered if he would find some excuse not to be at their birthday dinner tonight. He was more a stranger to her every day.

She felt the weirdness between herself and her family even more today, since Kara was her only friend. Usually she and her brother invited all their friends over and had one big party together. Her life was barren of the family and friends she took for granted in Atlanta.

Julie picked up the mail from the box to take in for her mom, who rarely left the house anymore. After the first few weeks here, she stayed inside. It felt like she chose a new hobby every week. This week it was perfecting birthday cakes in honor of their birthday coming up. Julie was getting sick of eating cooking experiments. Would she be able to choke down whatever the final masterpiece was tonight?

One of the envelopes dropped onto the stone path leading up to the house. Julie bent to pick it up, noticing that it looked a little mangled, and the yellow forwarding information was smeared.

The letterhead read: The Academy. It was addressed to her.

Julie dropped it again, as if it had bitten her, but then sat the grass next to the path and tore it open. The letter started:

I'm pleased to let you know you are invited to try outs for our upcoming school year dance program. The audition dates are the first weeks in June. Please reply by May 15th to set up your day. Days and times are given out on a first come, first serve basis. Contact via ...

Julie stood up and raced into the house waving the paper around. "Mom! Mom, look! Looook!"

 "What is it, honey?" Andromeda raced out from the kitchen.  "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, look." Julie gave her the letter and bounced up and down on her feet with excitement as she read it, the lines on her face relaxing from worried to a frown. Her eyes were watering when she finally finished and met Julie's gaze.

"Oh, honey, I'm so proud." She leaned over and gave Julie a big hug.

"Can we surprise Dad with this? He is going to be so excited for me!"

Her mother hesitated. "Sure, but we should wait until he gets home. He will want to read the letter too."

Andromeda turned away and headed back into the kitchen where she was working on the birthday dinner. Her shoulders were hunched, and she looked like she was going to cry again. Julie wondered for a moment at her, but her eyes went back to the letter and stayed glued there.

"I'm going to go call Mandy and Darcy right now. They will be so excited when they hear this!"

"Um," her mom said sharply from the kitchen. "Why don't you come help me with dinner and the final touches on the cake before you do that? Also, I think you should let Dad know before anyone else. We can talk about it all while we cook."