It's All Fake

33.

Julian

"I'm sorry. I have to go." She said and ran.

He watched her go. Claire was crying and he couldn't even do anything to make her smile. Before Julian could follow Claire to cheer her up, he heard a voice.

"Claire, wait!"

When Julian turned to the owner of the voice, his blood boiled. "What did you do to her?" Julian demanded. He stormed up to Jack and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "Answer me!" I yelled.

"I... I mean... I was just-" The guy stuttered like a fucking chicken.

"Stop talking bullshit and start talking like a man!" Julian said, viciously.

Fear was shown in Jack's eyes. That fucking coward. "I... I wanted her back. I-I told her I loved her bu-but-" Julian's vision turned red and before Jack could finish, Julian's fist connected with Jack's nose and the wimp dropped on the ground.

"You already went and screwed Stacey while she was in a relationship with me. You're not taking Claire away from me too. You already had your chance. She's mine." Julian growled and walked away, leaving Jack crying and bleeding on the floor.

~ o ~

Julian knocked (more like banged) on her front door, impatiently. She opened a moment later, wearing a black Star Wars pajama and a simple white wool knit sweater. Her hair was in a messy bun and her nose and eyes were puffy and red from crying.

"I don't want to talk right now. Please leave me alone. Thanks." She gave him a fake grin that looked more like a grimace, sniffing slightly before deciding to close the door but before it could slam on his face, Julian stopped it with his foot.

"I brought pizza and frozen yogurt." Julian said, immediately, holding up his peace offerings to show he wasn't lying and giving her a smirk, knowing those two things were her favorite comfort food.

She studied him for a few more moments before finally giving a sigh and opened the door wide enough for him to enter. "Fine. Come on in... but only because you brought pizza." She said. "And yogurt."

Julian couldn't help but grin. "Thank God for pizzas and yogurts." He muttered as he stepped inside her house.

Julian glanced at his host. Claire reminded Julian of a troll; grumpy, careless and mean. Julian covered his laugh with a cough. He didn't want to risk the troll turning into a dragon, and burning him until he was nothing but a pile of ash, all of a sudden. Oh, no.

He wouldn't dare.

Julian placed the food on the coffee table and sat on the couch in front of the TV, where he saw the movie John Tucker Must Die playing. Claire stood behind him, her arms crossed and her famous glare on her face.

"What are you doing here, Julian?" Claire asked, heaving a sigh and finally sitting beside him.

Julian gave her a sideways glance. "I told you. I brought some pizza and frozen yogurt for the two of us." He repeated.

"No, I heard you say that but," She stopped, suddenly and abruptly grabbed his hand which made Julian hiss in pain. "What happened to your hand?" She demanded.

Julian glanced at his bruised hand. Oh, I forgot about that. He thought, feeling stupid. He wanted to hit himself. "Ha, this little thing?" Julian chuckled, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah, it's nothing." He said, casually.

But Claire wasn't convinced. She gently ran her finger through the bruises, causing Julian to flinch and pull back, on reflex.

Claire smirked. "Yeah, this little thing." She mocked.

Julian sighed. "Look, I told you. It's nothing, okay?" Julian assured and tried to take his hand away from Claire's grip but she only held on tighter.

"Ow! Hey! That hurts!" Julian protested.

"The smallest cuts are the most painful ones, they say." Claire said before grabbing the bag full of yogurts and muttered, "Hold on."

She disappeared into the kitchen and came back, a moment later, with a pack of frozen peas in hand. Claire grabbed Julian's bruised hand before slamming the peas on his knuckles.

Julian screamed bloody murder.

Claire looked up at him with an innocent look on her beautiful face, but Julian knew, it was far from innocent.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did it hurt?" She said, with fake sympathy.

"Yea-"

"Good. Serves you right. You can't just go around punching people. Others might think you're a lunatic or something... I mean, you are but there's no sense on turning people into you." She said, sassily.

"Okay, wait. Hold on. I didn't go around punching people. I'm not that crazy." Julian said, looking away.

"Then what happened?"

Julian was silent before sighing. "I-"

But he never got to finish what he was about to say because at that moment, Cole decided to interrupt.

"Julie!"