Rubber Band Ball

Just The Highlights-140 [o]

Decided to do this on a whim. Hopefully I can finish it, it's 11 something pm right now!! Anyways, this is from Julie's perspective. Enjoy, @tangles- and other readers XD

Eli's going to tell you that he saw me first. He's going to make up some story about how he saw me taking the escalator and realized that I was the same old Julie.

Well, I'm going to tell you how it really went.

First of all, I took the stairs, not the escalator. The latter was too crowded, so I decided the extra walk was better than being pressed against random people for an awkward ride down.

Secondly, I saw Eli first. He was easy to spot even amidst the throng of people waiting with welcome signs. For one thing, he was wearing a chauffeur hat and carried a giant sign saying "Julie" in all caps. His green eyes searched for me in the filled escalator. Too bad it was in vain.

A smile curled at my lips, growing wider as I walked closer. He still hadn't noticed me approaching. I broke into a run and before he could turn, I barreled into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and upper back.

"Hey!" He staggered a few steps back, taken aback by my sudden force and me in general.

"Hey!" I chirped back, equally as loud. I couldn't stop grinning. I released him from the hug, but not before one final squeeze.

"Oomf. Dude, give a guy a warning." He rubbed his shoulder and laughed. "Or an invitation to your bed," he added, winking.

"Shut up."

He smirked. "Took you long enough to get here. You're two years late."

I shrugged casually. "You could've come and visited me, you know."

"In Iowa? Are you serious?" Eli said incredulously, and shook his head. "I'm staying the hell out of the Midwest."

"Elitist," I teased.

"Brat," he retorted in the same tone.

I smiled. I'd missed our bickering. "Ugh, I'm so happy to be here."

His nose wrinkled in distaste. "Why? This terminal smells."

"Cause I'm home."

His green eyes widened a fraction, and suddenly found interest in his shoes. "Not quite. We still have quite a car ride ahead of us. Plus you don't even have an apartment yet," he rambled quickly. "You just have a couch and some boxes."

Aw, was he thrown off by my directness? Not breaking eye contact, I stepped closer and said, batting my eyelashes, "I'm home if you're here."

He chuckled. "There's no need to be sappy."

"Says the guy with the chauffeur hat and sign," I pointed out, and he grinned.

"Oh come on before I change my mind and leave you here," he said dramatically, and started walking away in slow motion as if to prove his point. He looked back to see me with crossed arms, suppressing a smile.

"You wouldn't do that," I said confidently.

He stopped, considering it. Coming to the same conclusion but refusing to accept it, he gave me a smirk. "Yeah right."

"You wouldn't," I insisted. "You love me too much."

"I doubt that."

I hummed, unconvinced. "I don't." I made my way past him and turned around, motioning with a finger as if he was the one who was slowing me down. "Now come on, I've got a couch to camp out on."

He smiled, and the smile reached his eyes. I could tell he had really missed me as much as I had missed him. "All right, crazy girl," he said.

I reached out a hand and he clasped it in one of his. His hand was warm, familiar. I hoped mine wasn't still clammy from the airplane. Judging from the grins our faces wore, though, I don't think he really cared. All that mattered was that Eli and I had reunited and we were about to have an amazing time.

"Let's go," I said, squeezing Eli's hand.

He squeezed back. "Let's go."