Lyrical Love Letter

Juliette awoke the next morning tangled in a mess of blankets with the boy she adored holding her close. It was a perfect morning and Juliette couldn’t help but sigh in contentment as sunlight crept through the closed currents and, yes, the birds outside on the ledge were singing in some kind of twisted ironic foreshadowing.

Juliette glanced to her side watching as Alex slept peacefully, his lips slightly parted as he snored while drool pooled beneath his pillow and Juliette could only grin. She hoped that the meeting with Jonnie’s father would go smoothly and hopefully all would be right in the world like it seemed to be just then.

Juliette carefully pried Alex’s arm off her waist and silently slipped out of bed. She swung her legs over the side and slid her cold feet into the white cotton slippers the hotel had kindly supplied. She patted quietly out of the room and closed the door behind her, allowing Alex to sleep a bit longer. But Juliette found she wasn’t the only one who had awoken early on this beautiful Saturday morning.

Jonnie and Missy were huddled close together, mugs of coffee held close in hand as the two spoke barely above a whisper. As Juliette approached it sounded as though Missy was distraught and Jonnie was trying to comfort her.

“‘Morning Sunny.” Jonnie greeted when Juliette approached the two. She made a beeline for the pot of boiling water on the stove and began rummaging through the cabinets in search of the powder hot chocolate mix and a mug.

“Morning,” She mumbled tiredly as she poured the hot water into the orange ceramic mug, her mind as misty as the barely waking morning outside.
She dumped the cocoa mix into the mug in a zombie-like state before shuffling to the counter and perching herself beside Jonnie on one of the bar stools. “What’s going on?” She questioned as she absently stirred her hot chocolate.

“Missy-“ Jonnie began as Juliette lifted the warm chocolaty liquid to her lips.

“I slept with Jack!” Missy blurted then clamped her hands over her mouth as though to keep any more forbidden words from spilling from her lips.

Juliette began chocking on her hot chocolate and Jonnie began snickering.

“Now we talked about telling people gently,” Jonnie commented smirking. “It’s a good thing everyone isn’t in here—you’re terrible at the whole break the news gently thing.”

“Obviously,” Juliette managed still chocking. Jonnie laughed as she turned to her friend and swatted her on the back.

“I’m screwed!” Missy cried throwing her head into her hands dramatically.

“Well yes technically you have been quote on quote ‘screwed’.” Jonnie joked using her fingers to air quote.

“Shut up, J.” But even Juliette could not contain her snickers as she glanced toward the guilty cousin of her boyfriend. “So,” She began teasingly. “How was it?”

Missy leaped down from her stool, a scowl on her lips for she did not appreciating the amusement at her expense.

“So little Missy Taylor finally did the dirty with Jackie boy.” Missy scowled playfully at them before hoping off the barstool and twirled around as she head toward the bathroom.

“You owe me five dollars,” Jonnie smirked proudly and Juliette could only roll her eyes in response as she held the warm mug to her lips.

“So what are we going to do when we see your father?” Juliette wondered quietly when a silence had set in between the two old friends. It might be the one chance she would get to be alone with Jonnie and their thoughts and Juliette understood that, like it or not, she was going to have to take advantage of it.

Jonnie visibly sobered as she held her own cup of coffee with both hands, gazing at the liquid intently as though it held all the answers of the world for the haunted girl.

Jonnie licked her dry lips as she contemplated what to say, “I think,” She began quietly. “I think we should be prepared for the idea that my father goes to Renee.” She turned her blue orbs on her friend. It had been a long while since Juliette had seen this level of true sadness in her best friends eyes. “I think we should prepare ourselves for the idea that we might have to leave them.”

The breath seemed to leave both the friends as they struggled to comprehend a life without these wonderful people only rooms away. Juliette found it hard to breathe as she imagined having to walk away from Alex, from her new friends, while Jonnie’s eyes began to shimmer with the idea that while she would have to leave her friends, she would also have to leave Zack—and that fact hurt her worst of all.

“Good morning!” Jack suddenly burst into the room in nothing but a pair of boxers and socks as he slid across the floor, coming to a halt in front of the refrigerator.

Jonnie and Juliette only gazed at the boy with somber, unamused eyes. The girls’ cloudy moods bled onto Jack in an instant and caused him to sober.

“Who died?” Though his tone wasn’t joking as he glanced between the two girls with worried eyes.

“No one,” Jonnie sighed sliding off the barstool.

“Where are you going?”

“Crazy,” She quipped before disappearing into her bedroom and closing the door behind her, hoping to savior some last alone moments with Zack.

“Did I miss something?” Jack questioned in confusion as he turned his eyes on Juliette for an explanation while snatching a banana from the fruit basket.

Juliette could only shake her head mutely. She wasn’t ready to voice the reality of their current situation, not when Missy finally had a chance with Jack, not when Jonnie had finally let someone into her heart, not when Juliette herself couldn’t breathe at the thought of not having Alex at her side.

A part of Juliette felt almost reflectively concerned for herself, as though her head and her heart where having a conversation.

Head: You know I don’t think this vulnerability kick that you’re on is such a good idea. Just the thought of love right now is just a bad idea.

Heart: What are you talking about? I love him. You wouldn’t understand, your all logic and no emotion. He’s good for us.

Head: Tell yourself that when you’re in pieces on the bathroom floor and looking to me to make you feel better. You’re irrational, emotionally compromised, and acting like a foolishly unreasonable love struck idiot. In fact, I don’t think you should have a say in this. I think you should just shut up and let me handle this. I’ve never let us down before.

Heart: You don’t understand! You can’t feel love, I can, I do. This is different, this is love. I love Alex!

Head: You are going to get us both hurt! Hurt in that tragically beyond physical pain, no pain killers, hurt. You are purposely leading us down the path of pain! Are you a freaking masochist now?! Because if you are I think I have a right to know.

Heart: It’s not masochism. It’s love. It’s irrational and nonsensical and it defies all rationale.

Head:…We are so very, very screwed.

A moment later Missy and Alex immerged into the kitchen at nearly the same time. Alex, bless his barely conscious mind, didn’t pick up on the sudden tension in the air or how his cousin’s muscles abruptly locked as her gaze shifted between the two friends.

Alex muttered a ‘Good morning’ but it only came out as ‘gdmornin’. He made a beeline for the coffee maker and didn’t utter another word until the caffeine had hit his lips.

It was then that Alex truly awoke. He pulled the mug from his lips and the action seemed to simultaneously make him aware of his surroundings. His eyes shifted from Juliette to the incredibly nervous Jack, and an equally terrified Missy.

“What’s going on?” Alex questioned slowly.

Juliette glanced between the two before she slid off her stool and took Alex’s hand.

“Come back to bed hun,” She stated softly hoping to give Missy at least another few hours of peace.

“But what’s-?”

Juliette took his hand and pulled him along.

“It doesn’t matter,” She stated glancing at Missy before turning her gaze back to Alex’s oaken orbs. “We’re all screwed.”

Alex glanced between his girlfriend, his cousin, and his best friend, and in realizing he would receive no straight answer from any of them he gave into Juliette and allowed her to guide him back into the secrecy of their bedroom.