• Tomorrow Will Be Different • {J.C} (P.1)

• Chapter Five •

        "He thinks I'm a prude. He doesn't even know me." Erin dropped the large cardboard box filled with posters, placing her hands on her hips while looking at Al from behind the register in disbelief.
"If I'm a prude, he's... he's uninhibited."

It was clear that Albert was uncomfortable—he didn't like speaking badly about his friend—nor did he like hearing anyone else speak negatively about him.

         Albert's silence caused Erin to question this particular characteristic of her own personality. "You don't think I'm a prude... do you?" She asked.

"Fuck no. Jules just likes his space, you know? I didn't really give him a heads up you were staying there. He's not a bad guy—he's actually one of the best people I know."

"He's such a slut." Erin began giggling quietly. She could still hear his guttural breathy moans, trying to talk "sexy" to that girl—begging her to "cum" for him.

"Hey!" Albert snapped, "So am I!"

"No no, your roommate is insane. He came barging into your bathroom with some girl... while I just stood there in my birthday suit."

        Albert cringed, realigning the cassette tapes customers had misplaced. It was true—Julian had a slight problem when it came to women. Mostly though, Jules had a problem handling his alcohol.

It was a cycle—if they played well, he drank to celebrate; if they weren't up to par, he drank to punish himself. Within Julian's warped sense of self-worth, he would often have a female companion alongside him for the ride—either to commemorate him or to penalize him further.

        "I think I'm just gonna stay in my car. I'd still like to use your shower though, if that's alright. I'll make sure to shower when your roommate's not around-"

"No, you're not sleeping in your car." Albert didn't let Erin finish her ridiculous thought. "I'll buy an air mattress, you can sleep in my room—problem solved."

"I would honestly feel more comfortable in my car."

"Jules is hardly even there. He works nights, and when he's not working, he's at practice with us—giving us hell about how much we suck. Or he's in his room... writing. He's a fucking hermit most of the time, except after shows." Albert insisted, hoping he could sway Erin's mind. Even Albert's street was crawling with creeps at night—it was all of Manhattan, really.

        "I've never been accused of using someone before. When I heard him say that, it... it hurt my feelings." Erin admitted self-consciously.
"I don't know him, he doesn't know me, but the last thing I want is someone thinking that. I just think it'd be better if I stayed in my car."

Albert shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. He looked down at his feet, trying to think of how to explain the situation.

        "Listen, Jules thinks the worst of everybody. If his own Mom came over, he'd think she was there under false pretenses. I don't wanna put words in his mouth, but I think the reason he was such a dick was because... well, he didn't like the way you were judging that drink in his hand." Albert snickered, making his way around the front of the counter. "You gotta understand, Jules is typically the first one to pass judgements."

        "And he's still one of the best people you know, huh?"

           Albert smirked, understanding why Erin would be skeptical in his belief that Jules a good person.

        Julian was probably the most judgmental person he knew; however, he was also the most sensible and most loyal person he'd ever met. He was strongly intuitive, hardworking and surprisingly intelligent.

Julian would often cloak his quiet wisdom, playing ignorant and aloof to catch people in their lies—often times, even trapping them with their own words. He was calculated and crafty, and subconsciously armed with a charm he used to get what he wanted—what he was entitled to.

One might say that Julian was conniving, teetering a line of borderline sociopathy. However; Julian wasn't conniving, or even a sociopath—he never used his unique ability for wicked, he used it to get his point across, or to extract the truth out of others.

Julian would do anything for someone he cared deeply for, and he cared deeply for a lot of people. He was someone you could rely on—someone that was observant, and practical. Despite being occasionally irrational, Julian was always incredibly logical.

        "He might be the best person I know—yeah." Albert spoke without hesitance. "I think under different circumstances you'd get along with Jules even better than you get along with me."

"Yeah... right." Erin snorted. The idea was so absurd she couldn't help but to laugh. "I don't mean to talk bad about your friend, I'm sorry. I just can't fathom how someone can just walk in on me—naked—offer no apology, then ask me for condoms. Then have the nerve to keep me up all night plowing some girl, then wake me up—telling me I gotta go somewhere else."

       "Wait—did he actually manage to get laid Friday night?" Albert stopped dead in his tracks, moving his eyes away from the yellow price sticker he was in the midst of labeling.

"Yeah... and he was louder than she was." Erin laughed; her face flushing with intense warmth from secondhand embarrassment of the memory.

       Albert shook his head with wide eyes and raised brows—he couldn't believe it.

He had left Julian at Luna Lounge because he couldn't pull him away from the bar. He had taken up with an attractive young woman with short dark curls—with very (very) noticeable breasts. She couldn't have been any taller than five feet; her little black dress accentuating her tiny waist and wide, sturdy hips.

        "He found condoms, right?"

"I'm pretty sure they did. He didn't act like he was going to unless they found some. He even propositioned her for a blowjob instead."

Albert sighed. "If it ever happens again and I'm not around, tell him to look in my top drawer—they're right there in that He-Man tin."

"He-Man?" Erin cocked a brow, trying her best to hold back a mocking grin.

"Don't judge me." Albert pointed, "Only Jules judges me."

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• A/N •
Just wanted to thank everyone for reading, liking and commenting on this. I really appreciate you all!
I wasn't expecting this thing to get much attention; I don't think I've tried writing a "slow-burn" before and that's what this has turned out to be lol
❤️