Dance In The Rain

~6~ Angry

Julianne's POV

"Regretting it yet?" I ask in the quiet as Tate turns and groans in pain for the tenth time.

"A little," he sighs as he angrily flips on his stomach. "I hate sleeping on my stomach."

"How bad was.... it?" I whisper, remembering how that girl last week looked.

"I didn't see much. It was dark as shit. I only saw an outline of a hand." He says, knowing I wasn't talking about his spanking.

"Tate?" I ask as I thread the comforter through my fingers nervously.

"What?"

"You didn't do it, right?"

He sits upright instantly and yelps when he does. "How could you ask me that? You seriously...."

"I mean you used to sell drugs. I just....."

"You just thought that selling shit was as bad as killing someone? How could you think that little of me?"

"I don't know...You randomly snuck out tonight when you haven't in months. We took the scenic route last week when normally you want to get home to play video games..... You...."

"If you think I'm a damn killer, why the hell would you sleep in the same room as me? You're being awful lippy to a guy who just murdered someone, Julianne."

The door opens and Holden simply stares at Tate in horror.

"You came at the wrong part of that conversation, Holden! Screw you, Julianne!"

He takes his pillow and comforter and drags it out of the room, and I hear his hiss of discomfort in the living room when he sits.

"What the hell was that?" Holden asks me with an incredulous look.

"Nothing," I mumble as I flip the covers over my head and close my eyes.

~*~

The next morning Tate ignores me as I go into the kitchen and make myself some cereal. As I'm pouring milk over my Fruit Loops, Holden comes in and looks at the both of us. "What's going on with you two? Are you in a fight?"

I say nothing, and Tate follows suit as he finishes eating his own bowl of cereal.

"How you feeling, Rex?" Holden asks.

Tate gives him a look and then stands up from the table with his empty bowl. "Like I got spanked and then slept on a lumpy couch." He roughly puts his dirty dishes in the sink and angrily walks into the bathroom to get ready for school.

I sit down with my own bowl, and Holden continues to watch me. "You mad that he made you cover for him?"

"No"

"I've never seen you two in an actual fight before. What's wrong?"

I sigh as I wipe off some milk that's dribbling down my chin. "Can't you just mind your own business? You don't have to micro-manage and interfere with everything!"

"Woah," Holden says, taken aback by my 'tude, when Quinn walks in.

"Morning," she says cheerily, and I roll my eyes. It's too early for happy tones.

"I was just wondering, Julianne. It was a simple question that didn't need a snippy response." Holden says as he keeps his eyes locked on me.

"When do I get my own room? You promised when we moved here that this arrangement was only temporary. It's been 9 months!"

Hurt flashes across his face quickly before he can hide it. "I know...I'm trying. The housing market and interest rates are insane right now."

"Your girlfriend can afford a nice house but you can't? That must make you feel real nice. Couldn't we just move in with her?"

Holden nods slowly and clears his throat, still ignoring Quinn standing there behind him awkwardly.

"It makes me feel like shit, actually...But thank you so much for humiliating me in front of her. I'm starting to get an idea on why you two are in a fight. What did you say to him?"

"So you're taking his side?!?!"

"I'm asking questions, Julianne. What is going on with you?"

"Nothing. Can I walk to school? I don't want to ride with you guys."

"Tough. You're not walking anywhere right now until they catch Ted."

"Ted?" Quinn asks, speaking for the first time.

Holden finally cracks a small smile and rolls his eyes. "Grebner made a joke about Ted Bundy last night...I was just being stupid to lighten the mood. Too soon?"

"Probably," she chuckles as she kisses him quickly and grabs her bag. "A shipment of draft will be in at nine, so I gotta get to the bar."

"You be careful. Keep the doors locked until Manny gets there. Hear me?"

She shoots him a look, and then winks at him. "I kinda like this side of you, baby." She kisses my cheek and then goes out the door quickly, leaving me and Holden facing each other awkwardly.

"You don't get to make me feel the way you just did, Julianne. Dad did it to me my entire life, and I refuse to let it continue. I want an apology."

"I want an apology too! You promised that I wouldn't have to share a room with him for forever. You lied!"

He nods and ignores Tate who comes in, ready for school.

"I'm sorry that I still cannot afford a new house. I'm sorry that I still cannot give you your own room. I'm sorry that you're so angry this morning. Did I do something to upset you so badly?"

When I simply shake my head, he continues to stare at me, waiting for his apology. When it's obvious I won't give him one, he clears his throat.

"I want an apology. Let's get to school, guys," he says as he grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder, walking for the door.

As we drive to school with Tate and Holden goofing off with each other and completely ignoring me, I watch out the window absentmindedly.

I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with me. I'm just crabby and hate life right now.

For no reason at all...And my period was last week!

~*~

School goes by painfully slow, and Tate ignores me even harder than he normally does. These last few months he will at least smile at me or kick me playfully when we pass each other in the hall. Today he looks away when he sees me.

I'm having trouble getting my locker opened, and I may or may not have kicked it, when I hear a small chuckle behind me. I turn and the breath gets taken from my lungs when Gage Mackney is standing behind me, waiting for me to move so he can get to his own.

"Sorry," I say as my cheeks flush, and I'm silently hating myself even harder today.

"Sometimes if you talk to it super nice instead of kicking it, it responds better," he says as he strokes the metal provocatively. "Come on, beautiful...open up!" He whispers as he does some fancy hip bump and then a twist to the handle, magically opening the thing.

"Thanks," I chuckle, feeling like I'm going to pass out from the electricity running through me.

He smirks as he goes to his own. "These pieces of shit won't open half the time. The latch gets stuck."

"Good to know."

I stand there and watch as he puts a few books in his bookbag and swaps out others. When he's done, he zips his bag back up and turns, noticing me still staring at him.

Why am I such an idiot?

He gives me a pity smile and shuts his locker, putting his bookbag back on. "Have a good day, Julianne."

"You too," I say quickly as I swap out the books I need, trying hard to get my probably cherry red skin back to its normal pale color.

Why doesn't he like me? Why am I ALWAYS such a freak?

I'm never going to get a boyfriend. I'll only ever just have these fantasies, living rent-free in my head.

Gage isn't interested, and that sucks.

Because I'm completely in love with him.