Urge

Chapter 2

Present

8 years later, and still no cure. Juliet had held out, keeping herself calm every time news of the next failure came her way. She had truly followed his instructions, locking herself away. She still does this, keeping herself out of trouble. But she couldn't stand the constant struggle, the constant fear that her secret would be revealed to the public. She couldn't do that to her family name.

Running her hands through her hair, she quickly pulled it up into a bun. Slipping into her pastel yellow sundress, she checked her makeup once more before exiting the bathroom.  This was a chance for her to be a normal daughter, a normal person even. She wanted this so bad, words couldn't even describe the longing. Padding down the hallway in her yellow flats, Juliet turned the corner only to run into her father.
"Hey, Father, I'm going out with Daisy for a picnic on the waterfront. See you in a bit?" She asked. He nodded before smiling at her.
"Just control yourself, okay? I know you would hate yourself if you did anything to Daisy. I'll be in the nurse's room with your Mother if you need me." He replied quietly. She nodded solemnly, suddenly smothered by her own thoughts. She sped up, walking through the hallways towards the front door.

She pushed through the grand, golden double door set, breathing in the fresh air. She didn't leave the palace much, mostly because of fear, so the outdoors was always a wonder to her. She sauntered down the garden walkway, brushing her hand along the walls of beautifully arranged flowers. After a few moments of silence, she came out into the courtyard. A large fountain sprayed water twenty feet in the air,  elegantly misting the surrounding flowers. Large stone pillars towered above her in a circular pattern. She made her way out onto the driveway, and called for a car.
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"Juliet!" Daisy called, waving her hand frantically in the air. Juliet smiled and made her way down towards the waterfront. In front of her, a large array of delicious foods was spread out across the length of the blanket. Daisy stood up to greet her and was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Hey! Omg I haven't seen you in such a long time! How is homeschooling going? Are you still being forced to live in that tiny house with your parents? Do you have a crush on anyone? Tell me everything!" Everything was coming out at once and Juliet could barely keep up. Her lies to Daisy flooded back to her. She had told Daisy that she is homeschooled (which is true) in a very small house with her parents (not so true). She felt bad about it, but she had done it to protect her friend. She also hadn't told her about her urges, and she struggled every time she had one, wishing she could pick up the phone and call Daisy to talk about it.

Daisy had already plopped down on the blanket, smoothing her dress over her legs. Daisy was a very pretty girl. Her baby blue dress really accented her bronzed body. Blonde to brown ombré hair flowed over her shoulders in an effortless manner. Juliet thought about her own simple brown hair, lacking any flare or beauty. Sometimes she wished she could trade lives with Daisy, but immediately took it back, not wanting to push the urges on anyone else.

Juliet sat down across from Daisy and took in the scene around them. The water sparkled in the sunlight, glittering beautifully. Towering trees with blossoming flowers lined a walkway towards the water. Juliet's attention was drawn back to Daisy as she suddenly felt her eyes on her. Daisy was looking at her expectantly. She realized she hadn't answered any of her questions from their greeting. She took a deep breath of fresh air and began talking.

"Life is good. Yes, I am still in my small house with my parents. Homeschooling is going okay, but it can get kind of lonely sometimes. How are you and Jake?" Juliet was very good at turning the conversation away from her. She intently listened as Daisy talked about her on/off relationship with Jake. She smiled at the cute parts, laughed at the funny ones, and frowned at the sad or worrisome ones. In this moment, Juliet felt... normal.
The time passed all too quickly, and Juliet glanced at her phone, realizing it was nearing her time to go home. She quickly stood up, brushing off her sundress and bringing Daisy in for a hug. After a moment they pulled back and something seemed different in Daisy's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Juliet asked quietly. Daisy stared at the ground for a second, and then looked directly into Juliet's eyes.
"How come I've never seen or been to your house, Juliet?"

The question knocked the breath out of her, and she involuntarily took a step back. The question bounced around in her head, searching for any answer and coming up short. Daisy just stood there expectantly, calmly waiting for a reply. Finally Juliet came up with something she hoped was a good enough lie.

"I'm kind of ashamed of it. My parents embarrass me all the time, and the house is very tiny and messy. I'm sorry I haven't taken you to it. I'm just kind of shy about it." Juliet answered, staring at the ground in hopes of making it seem more believable. After a long pause, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Daisy was staring into her eyes, something new glittering in them. Juliet placed it immediately, worry growing in the pit of her stomach. Daisy was suspicious of her.

"Well, I just want you to know that I will never judge you. Call me whenever you need me." Daisy replied calmly. Then, she slid her hand away, grabbed her packed picnic basket, and walked down the path towards the water and away from Juliet.

After a moment of watching her leave, Juliet turned around forcefully and stalked over to the car waiting for her. She felt her fear bubbling, knowing that Daisy didn't believe her. If she lost her only friend over this, she would never forgive herself. Suddenly, she felt a feeling she knew all too well. It started in her toes, spreading rapidly throughout her body. Her heart and mind felt numb and lifeless. She gripped the back of the seat in front of her, taking deep breaths to center herself. But, not matter how hard she tried, it kept creeping its way into every corner of her body, leaving her with one desire. She took an unsteady breath, and one thought flooded her mind before it took over.
I can't help but give in to the urge.