Lyrical Love Letter

“This is not a good idea.” Kara stated for the umpteenth time that night. Nearly half the school had slipped out of their homes and disappeared into the night, before congregating on the quiet abandoned street that to the world was just that, a quiet street, but to the kids of Lutherville and Timonium it was much much more. Thames Street offered endless possibilities.

“Oh come on Kara, live a little.” Juliette grinned as she along with thirty or so other pairs of eyes gazed at the beauties that were Collin’s latest guilt gifts to the twins.

“Jesus Christ babe,” Alex said awed. “What the hell does he give you two on Christmas?”

“This is—wow,” Matt spoke up equally as awed.

“Dude these cars weren’t even released to the public yet!” Rian exclaimed. He shook his head grinning, looking thoroughly impressed. “My money’s on the twin turbo,” He turned to Juliette who crossed her arms looking slightly smug. “No offense.”

“None taken. Just don’t take offense when I tease you endlessly for loosing $50.”

“My bets on Juliette,” Alex announced wrapping an arm around his girlfriend and grinning at her.

“Yeah because no one saw that coming.” Zack rolled his eyes smirking.

“No,” Alex argued. “I seriously think that Juliette has a lead foot. Especially in this thing.” He said admiring the shiny new silver Audi R8.

“My money’s on Juliette.” Jonnie added. “Hands down. I don’t think, I’ve experienced Juliette’s illegal driving.” She smirked. Her comment seemed to sway others.

“Juliette.” Missy added. “Girl power and all that.” Missy and Jonnie turned to Kara who threw her hands up.

“Oh no,” Kara began. “I am not getting involved.”

“Juliette” Vinny declared.

“Declan.” Matt grinned when the girls scuffed in response,

“Declan.” Zack echoed.

“Declan & Juliette!” All heads turned to Jack who just grinned as he bounced up and down in anticipation. “What?” He questioned when he realized everyone was watching him. Juliette just snickered in response. Only Jack…”If I bet on both I can’t loose.”

“You’re going to bet $100 and only gain $50,” Missy explained slowly. “You’ll loose money not gain.”

“True,” He pursed his lips and nodded as though he were deep in thought. “In that case…Declan!”

“Hmph,” Missy turned away in mock annoyance that he had chosen a different candidate than she had. But she couldn’t look annoyed for long because anyone who watched Jack for longer than 5 seconds smiled.

“Come on lets get going!” Declan barked impatiently. He didn’t care about low waged bets, he just wanted to beat his sister in his fancy new car.

“Juliette.” A voice spoke up from the shadows of the night. Feet crunched as they came down hard on the dead leaf ridden wood beside the street.

“What?” She questioned dumbfounded as she turned toward the voice. When the voice revealed itself she wasn’t the only one surprised.

“I said, Juliette. I bet on Juliette.”

“What are you going here, Logan?” Alex questioned mystified. Logan never took part in anything Alex did, aside from going to his shows—Logan always went to Alex’s shows, every single one (even though Alex wasn’t always aware of this fact).

“What you think you could be involved in one of the sickest races in Lutherville and have me not know it?” He questioned slightly mocking. The group was unsure of how to react to Logan’s coming, none of them aside from Juliette, Missy, and Alex were ever really in the company of the boy. Juliette herself hadn’t spoken to Logan since the incident that sequentially resulted in her befriending of Missy.

A silence fell amongst the group, unsure of what to do until Juliette untwined herself from Alex’s arms and moved toward Logan, smiling as she wrapped him in a hug. “Don’t be a stranger.” He just pulled a strained smile in response before Declan made a rude noise of impatience and Juliette rolled her eyes in response. “Set us off?” A genuine grin spread across Logan’s face as he nodded. His smile, so similar to Alex’s yet completely his own, had Juliette herself smiling. When Logan smiled it was just as contagious as his brother’s.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Juliette announced clapping her hands together and bouncing forward to her car. A sudden hand reached out and caught her elbow as Juliette moved to slide into the vehicle and she stared up in surprise, afraid that is was a police officer that had discovered their not so legal gathering. Surprise turned into recognition.

Alex was beside her, his head bowed close to hers. “Be careful.” He murmured.

“Always,” She smiled and kissed him on the mouth in reassurance before she slipped into the car and closed the door behind her, sealing her from Alex. She put the key in the ignition and revved the engine. She glanced at the car beside her and saw Declan smirking but gave her the one finger salute which she graciously gave right back. Logan stepped between the two sports cars and held up three fingers. Then two. Then-

The two cars sped past Logan, both with their feet firmly planted on the gas pedal as they flew down the dark abandoned street. Declan had calculated that they had a little over twenty minutes before it was reported that cones and a detour had been placed on either end of Thames Street. Twenty minutes of freedom, twenty minutes of excitement, twenty minutes to lay every problem Juliette had, onto the street.

Juliette kept a firm grip on the steering wheel as her and Declan raced down the five mile strip of street. She chanced a glance in the review mirror to see the ant sized people running for their cars, hoping to beat the racers to the finish line and witness the photo finish.
Her phone was on speaker and sitting in the cup holder when she heard Declan’s voice drift across the line.

“You ready to give up, Sun?”

“In your dreams, Deck.” She laughed.

“You can take the girl out of trouble but you can’t take trouble out of the girl.”

“Very funny asshole.” She laughed.

“It’s out of love.”

“Uhuh, sure. Now shut up and drive.” She knew he was trying to distract her but Juliette switched gears and all but stood on the gas pedal, yelling in victory as she zoomed passed Declan and raced across the finish line. Alex, Missy, and Johnny were the first to arrive and Juliette knew that Johnny had just as much of a lead foot as she had. It was that reason alone that got them there first. Juliette threw the car in park some 200 feet passed the finish line and came dancing out of the car as Declan pulled up beside her. “And that, ladies and gentlemen is how you drive a car!” She grinned in triumph.

“I swear to god sometimes I think you’re related to Jeff Gordon or something.” Jonnie laughed. It was then that headlights began illuminating the night as car after car filed onto the finish line, all coming to see who had been declared winner.

“I won!” Juliette cheered grinning. “Now what’s my prize?” Declan just rolled his eyes in response but smiled slightly all the same.

An arm was around her neck and a mouth was inches from her ear. “I’ve got a prize for you,” Alex murmured. He mumbled something unintelligible to the world but Juliette grinned, half surprised half in disbelief. “Dirty!” She chided grinning as she turned to face him. “Promise?” She laughed. Alex laughed openly then and kissed her, successfully silencing the girl from the conversation…for now anyway. Rian, Kara, Zack, and Jack pulled up next with Matt and Vinny in toe.

“Okay bitches!” Jonnie yelled turning to the small crowd. “Pay up!” Some groans ensued as those who bet on Declan each handed Jonnie fifty dollars.

“So Declan,” Juliette took a step toward her brother and held her fist out like a microphone, “How does it feel to be beat by your quote on quote “little sister”?”

“It feels like I’m going to get some payback!” Declan ran at Juliette and she screamed making a run to Alex, hoping for protection, but Declan wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up over his shoulder.

“Declan put me down!” Juliette demanded pounded on his back.
Suddenly an alarm blared behind them and lights flashed. Suddenly Juliette was on the ground.
“Douche bag.” Juliette grumbled picking herself up off the ground as Alex helped her to her feet, his hand locked on her arm as the couple turned to face two police officers standing only feet away and approaching. Kids scattered but in the confusion some kids ran too close to the officers and were tackled to the ground.

“Freeze!” They barked but no one listened.

“Come on!” Juliette yelled at Alex who hadn’t moved. It was her turn to grab his arm as she led him away to the wooded edge. Missy was only feet away being pushed around by frantic kids when Juliette reached out and grabbed her. “J get out of here!” She ordered over Missy’s shoulder. But Jonnie was to busy trying to usher kids away to listen to Juliette. Juliette pushed her way toward Rian who was looking desperately for Kara.

“I can’t find her!”

“I’ll find her Rian just get the hell out of here!”

“I’m not leaving-“

“Declan!” Juliette yelled loudly as she spotted her twin’s form headed for the woods. Had it been anyone else Declan would have continued running but he turned and ran back for Juliette. “Declan, get them out of here,” She begged. She pushed Rian toward him. “Take Rian, and Jonnie and get out of here.”

“What about you?”

“Declan,” She shook her head but a bemused smile played across her lips and he nodded in understanding.

“Come on!” Declan barked reaching for his cousin and as cops drew near.

“Declan?” He glanced back at his sister and she threw him a set of keys. “Get them out of here.” He caught the keys and linked his arms around Rian and Jonnie and forced his way toward Juliette’s sports car.

“Juliette,” She turned eyes wide to see Alex beside her—he had not followed Declan to safety.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not leaving you.” Alex stated.

“Alex,” She turned her eyes him, pleadingly. “If you love me at all get in that car and drive. The keys to Declan’s car are still in the ignition.” Juliette’s eyes never wavered from Alex’s who looked away, knowing he wouldn’t win this argument, before kissing her hastily on the lips and turning away, running toward the abandoned car. Juliette turned back to frantic kids and the police who were rounding them up like cattle. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before backup arrived.

“Kara!” She screamed over the voices of worried kids, not spotting her friend anywhere. “Kara?!” The breath was knocked out of her as a police officer tackled her to the ground.

“You have the right to remain silent-“

“Yeah, yeah, anything I say can and will be used against me in the court of law.” Cold biting handcuffs were placed around her wrists and she was placed into the cop car nearest them.
The car wasn’t unoccupied however because she was thrown into the back seat with a figure shadowed by the night. But Juliette knew the figure of her friend and she internally groaned. ..Kara would never let her live this down.

_______________________________________________________________________

The large barred door slammed shut, locking Juliette and countless others into the cell.
“Go ahead,” Juliette sighed turning to face the group of kids, particularly Kara. “say it.” Kara was silent for a long while, her jaw locked and her foot tapping nervously.

“I told you so! I fucking told you this was a bad idea.” She burst half angry half hysteric. It was silent for a moment as Juliette let Kara get it all out of her system. The cell, filled with people, mutual friends, fell silent by her outburst.

“Feel better?” Juliette questioned unperturbed.

“No,” She murmured, tears suddenly welling in her eyes. Matt wrapped an arm around Kara’s form from where she was situated on the cold metal bench beside him.

Juliette turned away and faced the corner, looking out at the police officer situated at a desk stacked with paperwork and the cliché box of Dunkin’ Donuts freshly thrown in the waste bin beside it. Juliette admitted to herself that she cared less that she got faceless other kids arrested but the fact that she was sharing a cell with Kara, Matt, Logan, and Vinny was tearing her up inside. Juliette could have been perfectly fine with being confined to this cell had it excluded those select few.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Logan was beside her, leaning against the metal bars.

“Don’t bother trying to comfort me. I’m not worried about me.”

“I know you aren’t. You fee guilty about me, Matt, and Kara and that kid Vinny.” Juliette turned to Logan, studied him for a moment and turned away again.

“Rian is going to kill me. Declan is going to be furious. Jonnie is going to flip.” Logan opened his mouth to reply but a third gruffer voice spoke up.

“Juliette Barkalow?”

“Dawson,” She replied meekly. He unlocked the door and pulled it wide enough for her to pass.

“You get one phone call. You have three minutes.” He informed her, leading her to a phone. Juliette leaned up against the wall, running through a list of names to call in a situation like this. Her fingers bunched the dials and Juliette got the response she hadn’t quite expected.

“Baltimore County Jail?” The voice echoed. Someone laughed, someone yelled ‘oww’, someone cursed, and someone declared ‘I win’. “What the fuck, Sunny, I thought we talked about this?” Juliette smirked slightly.

“Sorry, J. The guy came out of no where.”

“Let me talk to Juliette!” Alex.

“I need to have a word with her.” Declan.

“Is Kara there?” Rian.

“What the hell happened to Missy?” Alex demanded from the background. “Is my brother there? How is Juliette? Let me talk to her!”

“Where the hell is Jack?” Zack wondered from somewhere in the background. “Or Matt and Vinny?”

“Any of you come near me and I’ll beat you with this phone!” Jonnie threatened into the background.

“J--J listen! I only have three minutes.” Juliette said, trying to regain her best friend’s attention.

“What do you need Jailbird?” Juliette chose to ignore that but she hesitated before stating her request.

“I need you to get Kara, Matt, Vinny, Logan, and I out. Call Cha-Chi.”

The line went dead.