When The Rain Stops (BXB)

Chapter 10

I think what makes us getting back to our apartment the worst thing on the fucking planet is that Julia's there. Just waiting for me. And when she sees me get out of the taxi, she smiles like this is the first time she's seen me in eleven years.

So, if I wasn't just binge-listening to my Beatles playlist, I would've strangled her. But something about Paul McCartney singing about human loneliness and connectivity made me not want to kill her.

"What?" I ask.

She tucks some loose hair behind her ear. That's her go-to move to make me nervous. It doesn't work. "How was your train?"

A car alarm goes off somewhere.

"I'm tired, Julia. What is it?"

She bites her lip and smiles. "I miss you, Jack."

I shrug my backpack onto my shoulder. "Look, I'm tired. If you wanna catch up with me, take my shit or meet me tomorrow." Julia takes my stuff. I'm actually kinda surprised she did. She must really need to talk to me.

My room smells like dust and staleness. It makes me gag. Opening my window doesn't help, either.

"So, judging by your arms," she starts, lifting my bag onto my bed (which I probably need to wash so it doesn't feel like gross old cloth paper), "I take it you had fun with Rory?"

Bastard still hasn't messaged me back.

"What do you want me to say, Juls?" I ask. I'm putting away the stuff in my backpack.

"...I didn't sleep with Harper, FYI."

Oh yeah. That was a thing. "Congrats," I spit back. "I am so proud of you that you kept your vagina out of his pants."

She glares at me. "Jackie, I wasn't gonna sleep with him."

"You said you were gonna sleep with him."

"I did not!"

You did. "Julia, no. I-I'm not getting back together with you. I'm done with this fucking bullshit." I swing my backpack and it hits the wall by the end of my bed. "Do you think this doesn't matter to me? It does. You've done this for four years. It makes me think you're not taking this seriously."

She blinks. Then snorts. "Jackie, we're 18. You're acting like we're about to get married."

"I just – " I look down. "I'm not fucking around with this."

"Who gets married when they're 18?"

"I'm just trying to take this seriously, Juls." I go for the bag on my bed. I push her aside.

Julia clicks her tongue and pats me on the cheek. "That's what I like about you, Jackie. So honest and loyal." She means it as a compliment and I end up feeling like shit.

I wanna shoot something.

And I fucking hate that nickname.

I take out some shirts and put them away. "So, what? You wanna pretend that we stayed together over the summer like we always do?"

She shakes her head. "No. I wanna be honest, like you."

Pfft. Honest. I still haven't told Rory I read his journal.

"I want to go into school and say we...took a break."

"Taking a break" my ass.

Julia stands up and holds my hands. I'm expecting her to launch into this amazing, inspiring speech about how important we are together, or how I make her feel. Something that makes me feel better about getting back together with her. "I want to make our senior year worth it. Memorable. This is the last time we're all gonna be together like this, right?"