Lyrical Love Letter

When Juliette awoke she was in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. It was dark in the room, the blinds drawn shut. Juliette, to tired to move, glanced around the room and spotted a glass of water and two Tylenol. She reached for them in relief as she grabbed the glass of cool water. Carefully, Juliette sat up in bed as she surveyed her surroundings. Suddenly the pervious night’s events came swarming back to her. Suddenly she wasn’t in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. She was in Alex’s bed in Alex’s room. A quick survey of her body however brought great relief as she found herself fully clothed. Her mouth was dry and tasted vaguely like vomit. She realized that sometime during the night she must have thrown up, leaving Alex to clean up the mess. Even though she was in Alex’s bed, a thought that had skived her out previously, she still didn’t have the strength to move. It was quiet, something Juliette was thankful for, until she heard words, a song drifting up to meet her ears.

”I know she hopes I choke on this last drink,
drop dead before my influence gets to her head--Zack the riff is wrong.”

“You’re wrong.”

“How the fuck could I be wrong? I wrote the damn song.”

“Somebody’s cranky.” Rian teased.

Juliette rose unsteadily to her feet, her head pounding. Groaning, Juliette collapsed back onto the bed, she wasn’t ready to face the world anyway.

“How do you feel?” His voice was quiet and Juliette closed her eyes. She hated this side of him, the caring side of him, the side that wasn’t constantly trying to piss her off—it was harder to hate this version of him.

“Hung over. Like I had a nervous breakdown last night and threw up somewhere between the bar and your house.” She mumbled quietly with her eyes closed. “How did you get to me anyway? Do you have a fake ID lying around?”

“Followed you to Artie’s, I knew whatever you were planning to do it probably wasn’t anything our parents would approve of. I snuck in the back of the bar.” Alex lied, he didn’t want to tell her that he had gone to talk to Artie about the date they were suppose to play there. Alex being there had been merely accidental, he had gone because for some reason Matt had been making himself scares.

Juliette didn’t hear him cross the room but suddenly Alex was sitting beside her. When she opened her eyes his chocolate brown orbs were boring into hers. “I have this no musicians rule.” She told him nonchalantly.

“Really?” He nodded as though this intrigued him. “Well that’s convenient. Let me guess, David help make that decision?”

“I’m not a groupie, Alex.” She replied softly. “I refuse to be that girl that sits at home waiting for her man to come home. I refuse to be that girl. I refuse to be that jealous paranoid girlfriend always wondering if her boyfriend is being loyal.”

“No,” Alex corrected gently. “You refuse to get knocked up by a musician. You refuse to be a teenage statistic. But that’s your mother, Juliette. Not you. That won’t happen to you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know that I’m not your father. I won’t abandon you.”

“Alex,” She shook her head fiercely as tears pricked her eyes. “You don’t want to get involved with me. I’m just a giant mess of issues.” But Alex had moved closer to her and she was very aware of the warmth he was admitting against her cold skin. Tears poured down her cheeks and she wasn’t even sure why. Fear struck her, freezing her in place.

She was afraid to love a musician, she was afraid of being hurt by a musician, she was desperately afraid of ending up like her mother. But her thoughts were abruptly cut off when suddenly his lips were boldly on hers, his hand on her cheek as her hands tangled in his hair.

“Don’t cry.” He murmured kissing her tear stain cheek. “I hate seeing you cry.”

“I don’t even know why I’m crying.” She laughed in spite herself and then his lips were on hers again, moving against hers in perfect harmony.

“You’re scared.” He murmured against her lips, his own molding to hers perfectly.

“I’m not-“ but her words were cut off by his lips as his calloused hands went to her neck, gently feeling her pulse and proving her wrong as her heartbeat thrummed against his fingertips. “I have trust issues.” She began listing all the things she found wrong with herself, desperate to make Alex stop kissing her, because obviously she couldn’t. “I have a tendency to be defensive.” He kissed her again,

“Really?” He smirked against her lips. “I never noticed.”

“I am a bitch 90% of the time.” He kissed her again.

“No, just defensive.”

“I’m afraid of the dark.” She confessed in a last ditch effort. “I sleep with a night light.” Alex would have teased her about this new found knowledge had it not held the undercurrent of uneasiness. Shock shot through Alex, a feeling he did not quite understand as he realized something in that instant, something he kept to himself; Juliette wasn’t afraid of the dark but of what lurked there.

“I’m afraid of bees.” He nodded for emphases. “It’s true.”

“I don’t talk about my feelings. Ever.”

“I have this reflex to be a jackass, it’s a problem—I’m working on it though.”

“I’m one of those crazy jealous girlfriend types.”

“Good. Crazy is just my type.” Alex smirked against her lips then pulled away as he looked at her meaningfully. “There are other ways to describe how you feel, you know.” Alex told her and as if to proof a point he attached his lips to hers once more. And they stayed like that, for what seemed like ages; Alex’s lips locked on Juliette’s as he held her close. But then his bedroom door opened and they separated like propelling magnets. Missy and Kara stood in the doorway. Kara shook her head, an amused smile on her lips,

“Love sick puppy.” She stated as though it explained everything.

“I win.” Missy grinned smugly. But Juliette caught the uneasy look in her eye as Missy caught her eye. A memory stirred in the back of Juliette’s mind. The day that Missy had asked for a ride to the very house they were in now. Missy had told her not to screw around with Alex’s heart—she didn’t want to seem hurt.

“Do you two mind?” Alex grumbled as he ran a hand through the locks Juliette had turned into a tangled mess.

“No.” Missy smiled pleasantly as she turned her eyes from Juliette to her favorite cousin. “I just won forty bucks!” She skipped down the hallway, doing a victory dance as she went.

“Did you bet on us?!” Juliette questioned indignantly.

“Does it matter?” Kara snorted. “you made out with Alex.”

“They all bet on us.” Alex stated in realization and Kara just grinned guiltily.

“I had faith in you, Juliette. I figured you’d verbally abuse Alex for another good month or so before you even entertained the idea of being with him.”

“You underestimate my womanizing skill.” Alex smirked cockily.

“Sure,” Kara snorted. “if you consider cleaning up yuck off the bathroom floor as womanizing skill than sure.”

“Sorry about that,” Juliette mumbled and Kara burst out laughing while Juliette gazed at her questioningly.

“I’m sorry,” She said laughing. “It’s just—you just apologized to Alex Gaskarth, and not even sarcastically!” She moved from the doorway to stand at the top of the stairs. “Stop the presses!” She called down to whoever was within the house. “Juliette Dawson just apologized to Alex Gaskarth!”

“Juliette Dawson just made out with Alex Gaskarth!” Missy added from somewhere within the house.

“Well that’s just…fantastic.” Juliette grunted in annoyance. Alex just chuckled lightly under his breath and kissed her lightly, successfully silencing the girl.