Lyrical Love Letter

“Hey Juliette!” The sixteen year old weaved between the large groups of students in the hallway. “Juliette wait up!” Juliette, who had been several feet ahead of the boy, turned questioningly toward whoever called her. Her eyes narrowed as Rian Dawson came to stand beside her. “How was your first day?” he questioned curiously.

“Boy,” She turned to him with a smirk as they left the school and headed to the student parking lot. “I need to have a word with you about your choice in friends.”

“What are you talking about?” He questioned confused and slightly wary, the last thing he needed was a girl living under his roof who had a problem with his friends. His older sister had been bad enough but even she had stomached his friends—that’s not saying he wasn’t glad to wave goodbye when she’d left for college, California bound, the year before.

“Get in the car and I’ll tell you,” Juliette told him.

“Where’s Declan?”

“Football practice.” Juliette sighed, she knew she was supposed to stay after, she knew that Declan would have something to say for missing Cheerleading practice but Juliette would enjoy blowing off practice just to saunter in without repercussions from the coach; she would love it just to see the look on Melanie’s make-up covered face. Juliette pulled out of the parking lot and the impala rumbled loudly and contently in her ear.

“So about my friends?” Rian grimaced.

“Right. That Alex character? Skinny Jeans, he’s a royal pain in my ass.” She griped.

“I’m—sorry?” Rian questioned smirking slightly. What was he supposed to say? ‘Alex isn’t a pain in the ass, just give him time?’ or ‘I’m sorry he’s such a hardship in your life I won’t talk to him anymore’? But the truth was Alex was a pain in the ass; not consistently but he had his moments more frequently than Rian would like. The truth was he wasn’t sorry Alex was a wrench in Juliette’s perfectly planned day, because to be honest Rian was bitter and annoyed at the fact that his cousin was being so petty and spoiled.

“And Jack,” She began. Rian narrowed his eyes, Juliette could say all the shit she wanted about Alex—god knows more than half of it would be true. But no one could say shit about Jack. Jack was Jack, he was perverted and slightly annoying at times but the level of immaturity and ignorance Jack seemed to possess made everyone around him feel like a protective older brother. “I like him.” Rian turned to her, surprise clearly evident in his face. “What?” She laughed glancing at him. “Is that so hard to believe?” Honestly? Yes, yes it was. “How could someone not like Jack? He’s so…” Juliette shrugged. “I don’t know, just one of those people you can’t help but like. I mean he’s odd,” Rian frowned slightly, “but in a refreshing good kind of way. Skinny Jeans though,” Juliette glanced at her cousin but her mood had lightened the farther she drove away from the school and a slight disbelieving smile crossed her features. “really?” She questioned and Rian knew she was half teasing now. “Personally I think you could do better but he’s your cocky asshole friend, not mine and as long as he stays out of my room I don’t really care I guess.”

“Really?” Juliette nearly had smoke coming out of her ears over Alex only a few moments ago and now she was accepting him?

“It’s being away from school.” She confessed. “Stupid things mean less the farther I get away from them. Although I’m sure I’ll have a nastier more colorful vocabulary about Skinny Jeans in the days to come,” She glanced at Rian sideways, “just a warning.”

“Great,” He said sarcastically but a teasing edge entered his voice. “another Chelsea.” Juliette’s gaze turned recklessly from the road to gaze at her cousin, at whom she scuffed in response.

“Quite the comedian huh?” She mused before pointing her finger at him as though one would point at a puppy to scold. “By the way, not funny. I resent that.”

“Got a problem with Chelsea?” Rian questioned, his curiosity piqued.

“Do you?” Juliette shot back then sighed when dead silence followed as Rian waiting expectantly for an answer. “Don’t take this the wrong way but Chelsea is kind of a bitch.”

“No kidding.” Rian laughed.

“Not to mention that even though I’m the upper class New Yorker, she was always the stuck up snob.”

“Yeah I always got a kick out of you two at Thanksgiving.” Rian confessed and Juliette shot him a curious look. “I wish I had a tape recorder for all the fighting you two go into. I mean you guys would fight about everything from boyfriends, don’t forget neither of you ever met the others boyfriend, to stores that neither of you have ever been in. I remember one time you two got into a fight about the difference between frill and lace.”

“I was never like that you know,” Juliette murmured, suddenly quite. “I was only that self-centered and petty when she was around. She honestly brought out the very worst in me.” Silence filled the car and Juliette suddenly became worried about Rian’s opinion of her. “I can only imagine what you must think of me.” She laughed humorlessly. “What with all the memories from Thanksgiving and me coming down here and bitching about your friends.”

“I don’t think anything of you.”

“Don’t be kind, Rian.” She smiled softly, she appreciated the gesture but Juliette was very aware of how she reacted to Chelsea, only she was just beginning to be aware of the fact that that was the only side of Juliette Rian knew.

“Well I herd you had it out with Melanie, you can’t be all bad if you actually stood up against her. No offense but I thought she would have been right up your ally of friends.” Juliette nodded faintly, a small smile working its way across her lips.

“Alex tell you that one?”

“No, Jack actually,” Rian grinned. “Alex told Jack though.” Juliette laughed softly.

“Figures. It would only make sense for him to be a gossiping girl about it. Just for the record, I did not ‘have it out’ with Melanie, we just very subtly threatened each other with the others social status.”

“It sounds like something out of Mean Girls.” Rian laughed as their house came into view.

“Yeah well Regina George fell from her bitch thrown and so will Melanie.”
Rian laughed and grinned over at his cousin, suddenly admiring her fearlessness toward one of the prettiest most popular girls in their school.

“I can’t wait to see that.” He said, opening the car door and stepping out of the car. “Thanks for the ride by the way. It beats the bus any day.” As if queued, the bus rolled up and stopped several houses down.

“Anytime,” Juliette smiled, she never expected to get on so well with the cousin she barely knew. But it was like Rian had said, most holidays Juliette spent more time fighting with his sister than she ever did getting to know Chelsea’s younger brother. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” God was definitely laughing at Juliette now, and thoroughly enjoying his form of a sick joke. Alexander Gaskarth came strutting off the bus and walked up the paved driveway five houses away from where Juliette stood in disbelief. Her gaze turned to her cousin, “Your kidding me right.” Alex glanced down the street at them and even from five houses away Juliette could spot his wide cocky smile.

“Hi neighbor!” he called waving.

“Rian,” She started.

“I know,” Rian tried and failed to keep the smile off his face and the laughter out of his voice. Rian felt sorry that Alex was putting his cousin through hell when she had already been through so much but the majority of Rian just found the whole thing funny. In fact he would have very much like to just pull out a chair and watch the two go at it in a similar manner Juliette had with his sister all those years ago.

Juliette took a deep breath, determined not to loose her cool.

“I’ll be inside.” She mumbled as her eyes fell to the grass beneath her feet and she walked up the steps of the house and disappeared behind the storm door.