It's Not A Love Song

Half way through the film Joe had fallen asleep just as he usually did whenever we had a sleep over. I placed both the bowls on the floor and switched off the TV, I saw no point in watching it alone because it takes the fun out of horror films.

I shuffled down into the bed and turned to face Joe, his straight hair fell over his face as he slept. I brushed it away from his eyes as he twitched while it touched him. “Thanks.” He mumbled.

I jumped slightly. I’d forgotten how easily he was awoken, the creak of a floor board could wake him. “No problem.” I whispered back.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone to your date.” He slowly opened his eyes as he spoke.

I half smiled at him. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” I turned around to face away from him.

He wound his arms around me and attempted to pull me closer to him. I gripped onto the edge of his bed in hope to keep away from him. He pulled so hard the mattress began to curl upwards. I let go of it and crashed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

“You know, I’m not a rag doll.” I sighed and folded my arms over my stomach. Joe rested his head on top of mine and grinned at me. “I’m being serious Joe. You need to stop being so rough with me, you’re stronger than you were when we were kids. It hurts me.”

I pushed him off of me and sat up in the bed, pulling my legs into my chest. Joe frowned and propped his head up on his hand, “You’re stronger too, and there was no need to punch me in my meat and veg.”

I smirked, “Women go through more pain.”

He shook his head and sat up next to me. I turned to face him until our knees were touching. He held out his hand and waited for me, I hooked our fingers together and we began to battle in a thumb war.

“See, I know that getting punched or kicked in the balls hurts more than giving birth.” He stated biting his lip as he tried to beat me.

I chuckled, “Come on then, how does it hurt more?”

“Well, when women give birth they usually have another kid… men don’t get kicked in the balls and go ‘go on, kick me again!’ so obviously it’s less painful.” He pinned my thumb while I was distracted trying to think of a comeback.

I pouted and jumped off his bed. “I hate you.” I said jokingly picking up the bowl of sweets and stomping out of the room.

“You’re such a sore loser, Jools!” Joe shouted after me. I wandered to my bedroom and crawled into bed, falling straight to sleep with a smile on my face.

The next morning was… hot. The sun beamed down on Texas making it like an oven in my room. Topping up my tan (more like getting a tan) would be a good idea. I dressed in a yellow and white polka dot bikini, making sure it was strapless so there were no tan lines, and slipped on some brown flip flops with a flower on the toe bend. I added a cream hat with a black band around it to shield my eyes then grabbed my iPod and wandered to the kitchen.

I cut up some apples, bananas, strawberries and pineapple into a bowl and carried it out into the garden where Denise and my mom laid on some sun beds in the middle of the garden.

I dragged one over with me, erected it and lay down in the sun. “Morning.” I smiled at my elders.

“Morning, did you and Joe have fun last night?” My mom smirked.

“You mean when he fell asleep watching a movie and I went to bed? Yes.” I rolled my eyes and put my earphones in, turning the music up to drown out the adult’s conversation.

I rested in the sun eating fruit, watching the golfers play golf. Then I noticed something; the golfers were the three brothers. Kevin drove the golf cart up to the fence and I sighed, they’d make me get up.

“Julia!” Nick called, jumping over the fence with Kevin and Joe. “Cover up, you’re revealing too much.”

I laughed and stood up. “I’m seventeen Nick, I can wear a bikini.” I grabbed my bowl from the floor and headed back to the kitchen.

As I neared the pool I felt someone’s presence behind me. I spun around to see Joe smirking, in a flash he had pushed me and I was falling. But, I was quicker. I grabbed onto his shirt catching him off guard and dragging him with me. We both fell into the pool with a large splash and grins on our faces.

We surfaced to the sound of our family laughing at us. I grinned and pushed my hair back against my head then put my hat on Joe’s head. He grinned such a simple smile, all of his straight white teeth and his pink tongue showing in his open mouth smile. It was so free, just like kindergarten.

He bent down and threw me over his shoulder, “Joe!” I screeched as he carried me out of the pool and into the house.

“Joseph! Do not walk through my house soaking wet!” Denise shouted from the garden to us.

He rolled his eyes at her and placed me on the floor in front of him. Joe pulled off his shirt in front of me and I was definitely dazed. Then, he dropped his shorts and stood in his soaking wet boxers that clung to everything… everything. I couldn’t speak. Butterflies swarmed my stomach and I couldn’t even move.

Joe looked at me confused then looked down, suddenly he smirked knowingly at me. “Like what you see, Juliana?” He chuckled but it did nothing to ease the situation.

I shuddered and forced myself to walk away. I got three strides out into the garden when I realised he was still wearing my hat. I shook my head, no way was I going to get that. But I did turn back, I went straight to my room and changed. That was the most awkward experience of my life.

I browsed the internet for things to do in this new place and discovered that a carnival was here for one more night, tonight. I made plans with myself to go. I changed into some washed out high waist denim shorts and tucked in a white t-shirt with an owl drawn on it. I tied on some grey high top converse and clipped on a gold multi link watch. I finished off the outfit with a navy blue sailors hat with gold detailing and some white Ray Bans Wayfarers.

I shoved my Blackberry and some money into my pocket and went downstairs to attempt to drag one of the boys with me. I decided to start with the youngest. “Do you know where Nick is?” I asked Joe who was stood in the kitchen making a sandwich of epic proportions.

“Well no, I’m here with you.” He replied wittily. I pulled a face at him and skipped out into the garden where I saw Nick laying on a sun lounger.

“Yes Julia?” Nick asked shading his eyes with his hand.

I smiled, “Come to the carnival with me?”

“No.” He replied closing his eyes and laying back down.

“K—” I turned to say.

He cut me off. “No.”

I pouted and stomped back into the house. I jumped up onto the kitchen counter next to Joe who was still stacking his sandwich. I picked some lettuce out of the middle to eat. “No!” Joe gasped as the whole thing toppled to the side.

I chuckled and ate the lettuce while he glared at me. “Sorry?” I grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, sadly he began to stack his sandwich again not taking as much time as he did previously. “Joe, will you come to the carnival with me?”

“Sure, when?” Joe picked up his monster sandwich and took a bit, spilling mayonnaise down his shirt.

“As soon as you change your shirt.” I scooped the mayo onto my finger and wiped it across his lips. He laughed and licked his lips.

I waited for Joe to change at the bottom of the stairs and after around five minutes he came down the stairs wearing some tight jeans and white plimsolls, a red plaid shirt gripped his body and he twisted the keys to his Mercedes jeep around his finger. I stood up and put on my shades.

We stepped out of the house into the beaming sunlight and headed to Joe’s car. It kind of annoyed me he didn’t open the car door for me but… we were friends, he shouldn’t need to do that for me. I sat down in the passengers seat and cringed at the heat in the car basked in the cooler air that came through Joe’s door just before he slammed it shut.

“Air conditioning and carnivals here we come!” He shouted starting up the car.