The Dating Game

Chapter Forty-Four

Justin

Juliet wasn't much of her normal self anymore as February approached.

Sometimes in P.E. she'd have to be excused on certain things – the teachers had already been notified of her heart condition – and just observe. Every time we were somewhat together in P.E. I could always see her looking rather disheartened that she had to sit on the benches at the sidelines whilst everyone else partook in vigorous exercise, running to and fro.

However, mercifully, that was the only drawback to Juliet. She was still her usual self – quite preppy and bubbly, but also contained. She wasn't sinking back into her old self, either. Michelle, Beth and I had all concurred that we need to maintain her talking for long enough so she doesn't lapse back.

She was ever so lucky to have friends like Michelle and Beth who were watching her back and compassionate enough to take good care of her. It almost made me wish that my friends would do the same until the thought dawned on me which was that I lost my friends for Juliet. But there wasn't one fraction of me that was remorseful.

Everything was even quiet on the western front at school with Rachel and her band of merry followers. It seemed weird to think that. We would sporadically catch glimpses of one another in the corridors on the way to lesson, but never anything for a long period of time for which they'd have time to deride innocent Juliet.

"Is she okay today?" Jazmyn asked, leaping up to join me.

Juliet was striding off in front at quite a gradual pace. "Juliet!" I shouted.

She turned around and stayed immobile until we caught up with her. She was getting a lot of irritated glances from people considering they were the current and she was going against them slightly. School had ended for the week and students were more than content to vacate the vicinity and go home. Even some teachers were ambling rather quickly out of the corridors.

"Hey," Juliet said to Jazmyn.

"Hey."

"Would you like to walk with us?" I asked.

Juliet nodded with a soft grin on her face. She stood on my right side as we walked, in the middle of Jazmyn and I. She turned her head from side to side to talk to us at different intervals. Putting my arm around her shoulders, she leaned in slightly to my body as we strode past through the gates and down the sidewalk.

She was beginning to grow nervous for the Music project which we'd have to perform in little under two weeks, but also sensationally restless to do more of her bucket list. Currently, she had only accomplished one of the ten things and she was categorically itching to strive to complete all ten.

When it was time for Juliet to depart, Jazmyn strolled ahead. "I'll catch up with you," I told her.

"Alright," she called out.

Giving Juliet and lingering kiss on her lips and another chaste kiss on her forehead, we hugged securely before going our separate ways. Just after I'd turned down the sidewalk and Juliet had crossed the road, I turned around to see her watching me. She waved and then coyly, she turned around and ambled off again until she was out of my view.

Trotting to catch back up with Jazmyn, the first question she asked was, "So how much more of the bucket list have you completed?"

"Just the one thing which was the hot air balloon," I replied, frowning. "She wants to meet Mom but I don't know when to do it... I might do it in a few weeks. She's been hanging around Dawson's house a lot recently, hasn't she? But there are other things which I want her to wait for so she knows it's truly what she wants," I added, indirectly referring to the sexual ones which Juliet desired.

"Ask Mom when we get home. She said she's found a job but she doesn't start until tomorrow so she's home now. And Dawson's at work."

"Yeah."

By the time we did get home, I had the conversation all hypothetically planned out in my head. There were things which could go wrong, however, which would be her replies that I hadn't anticipated. However, I expected yelling and hollering, but what I did not expect was what happened. Expect the unexpected, right? I learnt that from Juliet the hard way.

"Mom," I said, loitering around in the kitchen whilst she was preparing a rather delicious dinner for tonight to celebrate her new job. "I was wondering if I could invite a girl round for dinner one day next week or something after school?"

Having formerly been adding herbs to the baby potatoes, she stopped and turned to me. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Her name's Juliet Royal." My endeavours to approach this conversation lightly were astonishingly succeeding... but I pray to God that I haven't just jinxed it.

"The daughter of Ian Royal – the one who works on the council?" Her eyes were wide. "You're dating his daughter?"

"Yeah, I am," I replied, swallowing down absolutely nothing because my throat was so dry and scratchy. To occupy myself, I got a glass of water from the sink next to Mom and added, "It's been about a month, Mom."

"And you're serious about this girl? This girl if the first you've ever brought home... what makes her so special?"

Taking a chug of the tap water to prolong my response, I swallowed it down with a satisfied sigh and said, "She's got Long QT Syndrome – a heart disease. It's been inherited from her mom who died when she was young, and she also used to have a sister but she died of it as well. She only as her dad left. She's got under a year or so to live, and she already has to be excused from some PE lessons."

Mom gasped faintly, dropping a few potatoes back into the bowl inadvertently. Her eyes were wide. She said, "That's horrible."

I nodded, placing the empty glass gingerly into the sink. "So can she come over one day next week?"

"Of course," Mom replied, which was nothing less than a peculiarity. She was being oddly calm and it got me musing whether she began doing Zen or whatever it was. "Justin, can we talk?"

I was on my way out of the kitchen when she stopped me. Going back to my previous place, I leaned back on the counter behind Mom who turned around, her hands tainted with the herbs from the potatoes. She stared sombrely at me.

"I just want to apologise for all these years of how I've treated both Jazmyn and you. I've got this new job now and I'm going to make sure I stick to it, too. And Dawson will help out whenever he can, too."

I squinted at Mom. "Have you had an epiphany or something?"

"I'm making amends," she rephrased. "And to start off, it's making up for all the years of hell I've put both you and Jazmyn in. The job's the start, and Juliet is more than welcome over at any time." Her tone was implying she pitied me because Juliet wasn't going to be around for long and it killed me inside.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, wrapping my arm around her side. Whether she was a hundred percent earnest, it was indecipherable at the moment.

I squeezed her shoulder and brought her close. When I pulled back, she got back to doing the potatoes and I went straight to my room to greet Jazmyn who was lying on my bed reading. Quietly, I told her the entire conversation with Mom and her question at the end was, "Do you think she'll keep it up?" even though Jazmyn's limitation was always seeing the good in people.

"I have no idea," I sighed, retrieving my phone from my pocket to tell Juliet the good news. "Who knows, huh?"

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Author's Note:

So yeah this was a short chapter, but Justin's mom is starting to get better and she's patching up her tears. Do you think she's sincere with her words or are you going to believe it when you see it? Let me know in the comments please!

Thank you :) x