Glee: Back to the Top (the third book in the Glee series)

Chapter 11: Punk

Hello! Just would like to point that you guys are doing a much better job at commenting and being interactive with the story than in the past, so much that Book 3, in just the first few chapters, beat out the comments number on Book 1. That's incredible. You all are awesome and I love y'all *tear*, so I took some time away from studying (procrastination, teehee) to write a lengthy chapter that'll hopefully keep y'all satisfied until I can get back to it! 

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Three days after the big date night, it was a new week and Julie was ready to go face what was ahead for her at McKinley. She had chosen Jake, and in doing so, publicly sent a big f@#! you to Ryder and Kitty. That was never the intention, but it was obvious after Friday that it had seemed that way and now all she could do was hope that things got easier.

That morning, she got herself ready for school earlier than usual, feeling to anxious of what was coming to take even a second to rest or slow down. The result was that she beat Dan by ten minutes and was forced to wait until he was ready to go.

She meanwhile prepared what she would say to people when they asked her about Jake ("We are very good friends") or Ryder ("He's an excellent football player") or even Kitty ("Her hair is always so bouncy"). Little did she know, she had ran out of time, for the doorbell ramg and she found Ryder standing at her door.

"Oh..." was all she said when she saw him.

He sheepishly scratched his head. "I know I shouldn't have just dropped by but—"

"Oh, no, you're fine," she said, shaking her head as she stepped outside with him and gently closed the door behind her. She rubbed her arms, feeling the chill of the morning air and wondering what was going on.

"So, uh," Ryder began. "This is probably going to sound way out of line but... I think you should trade Shana for me and give her Jake."

Julie looked at him for a second as she tried to process what was just said. "Wait..." she said. "You came to my house this early in the morning to... talk to me about the boy draft?"

"I know, like I said, out of line," he said. "But the truth is that... I miss you... And I know I was stupid to—"

"Yeah," she said, crossing her arms. "You were."

"Julie, I don't want you to be with Jake," he sighed, pressing his lips together as he struggled to find a better way to put it. "With anyone else, but especially him. He's not good enough for you, Julie. And I—"

"You," she interrupted him, "are the guy who ignored me for months and then decided it was over without any good reason."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I had a good reason, I just—"

"Won't tell me what it is..." she responded, nodding. "You know... Jake may not be perfect... But he's always honest with me."

"He cheated," Ryder said with frustration.

"He made a mistake!" Julie exclaimed. "And I kissed him while we were dating, does that mean I'm not good enough for you then? I mean, is that the reason you broke up with me?"

"Julie..." he murmured, unsure of what to say next.

Julie shook her head with disappointment. "I can't do this," she told him, sighing. "It's not a good idea for me to try to fight for us, when you're going to make choices for the both of us and not even let me in on them."

"I didn't—" he began to argue.

She stopped him. "Please, don't," she said. "As long as you won't tell me why it was so important for you to break my heart, we're done. Indefinitely."