Status: Done...!
Juliet's Grace
two
“Jace, over here.”
Gabriel smiled as she used his “other” name and followed the sound of her voice, finally seeing Juliet standing near the shore, her eyes on the horizon. The sun was setting making her hair shine like a red halo around her face. Gabriel walked forward and stood next to her. It was a habit of Juliet’s, to come to the beach every Sunday and watch the sunset. Gabriel accompanied her most of the time, but occasionally she went alone, enjoying the calming sounds of the water and the breathtaking view of the sun as it set on the water.
Juliet sank to the ground and pulled her knees tightly to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Gabriel joined her, choosing to lay back against the grainy sand.
“You know we first met in the sand.” Gabriel said not expecting a response, but of course, Juliet was never without a response.
“Actually, we met in the classroom. We first talked in the sand.”
“To me that’s meeting.”
“To me that’s getting to know one another.”
Gabriel shook his head and looked upwards, catching a glimpse at the warm colored sky before it turned dark and the moon and stars took over.
Juliet counted down in her head. 10…9…8…7…
Gabriel’s phone rang. He picked it up and put the receiver to his ear.
6…5…4…
He stood up abruptly, his head shaking side to side.
3…2…
“Jace?”
1…
Gabriel took off running, leaving Juliet to gaze after his retreating figure as the dark took over light.
She remained sitting, waiting. She didn’t know exactly what for. Maybe she was waiting to know what had Gabriel run away like that. Maybe she was waiting for him to come back. Soon, she rose to her feet and walked back to the main road. Her car was still parked, so Gabriel had run to where ever he had gone. Slipping into the driver’s seat, she turned her key in the ignition and backed out into the street.
Juliet fell asleep waiting for Gabriel to walk through their front door. She didn’t know what to expect when he eventually did, but she hadn’t thought to expect to see him drenched in rain, tears falling silently down his face. Juliet ran up to him, enveloping him in a warm embrace, not caring that her clothes were getting soaked. Gabriel fell against her and they both fell to their knees, arms wrapped around one another.
“She’s getting worse Jules. She’s getting worse.” It was only a whisper, but Juliet heard him.
Juliet hugged him tighter. She didn’t need him to explain the meaning behind his words. She knew what was wrong as soon as he walked through the door.
As Gabriel’s tears turned into deep, controlled breaths, they both stood up and looked at each other. Juliet was still the same girl she was thirteen years ago, caring about him without thinking about it. Gabriel smiled a small smile of thanks towards Juliet. She grabbed his hand and led him towards her bedroom window. Together the two climbed out onto the roof. Gabriel lay back, taking in the night sky. Juliet gazed down at him, his face a blank canvas, just waiting for someone to paint on emotions.
Juliet took one of his hands in both of hers.
“I’ll always be here, okay?”
Gabriel smiled, remembering the first time she’d said those exact words to him.
“Okay.”
Gabriel smiled as she used his “other” name and followed the sound of her voice, finally seeing Juliet standing near the shore, her eyes on the horizon. The sun was setting making her hair shine like a red halo around her face. Gabriel walked forward and stood next to her. It was a habit of Juliet’s, to come to the beach every Sunday and watch the sunset. Gabriel accompanied her most of the time, but occasionally she went alone, enjoying the calming sounds of the water and the breathtaking view of the sun as it set on the water.
Juliet sank to the ground and pulled her knees tightly to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Gabriel joined her, choosing to lay back against the grainy sand.
“You know we first met in the sand.” Gabriel said not expecting a response, but of course, Juliet was never without a response.
“Actually, we met in the classroom. We first talked in the sand.”
“To me that’s meeting.”
“To me that’s getting to know one another.”
Gabriel shook his head and looked upwards, catching a glimpse at the warm colored sky before it turned dark and the moon and stars took over.
Juliet counted down in her head. 10…9…8…7…
Gabriel’s phone rang. He picked it up and put the receiver to his ear.
6…5…4…
He stood up abruptly, his head shaking side to side.
3…2…
“Jace?”
1…
Gabriel took off running, leaving Juliet to gaze after his retreating figure as the dark took over light.
She remained sitting, waiting. She didn’t know exactly what for. Maybe she was waiting to know what had Gabriel run away like that. Maybe she was waiting for him to come back. Soon, she rose to her feet and walked back to the main road. Her car was still parked, so Gabriel had run to where ever he had gone. Slipping into the driver’s seat, she turned her key in the ignition and backed out into the street.
Juliet fell asleep waiting for Gabriel to walk through their front door. She didn’t know what to expect when he eventually did, but she hadn’t thought to expect to see him drenched in rain, tears falling silently down his face. Juliet ran up to him, enveloping him in a warm embrace, not caring that her clothes were getting soaked. Gabriel fell against her and they both fell to their knees, arms wrapped around one another.
“She’s getting worse Jules. She’s getting worse.” It was only a whisper, but Juliet heard him.
Juliet hugged him tighter. She didn’t need him to explain the meaning behind his words. She knew what was wrong as soon as he walked through the door.
As Gabriel’s tears turned into deep, controlled breaths, they both stood up and looked at each other. Juliet was still the same girl she was thirteen years ago, caring about him without thinking about it. Gabriel smiled a small smile of thanks towards Juliet. She grabbed his hand and led him towards her bedroom window. Together the two climbed out onto the roof. Gabriel lay back, taking in the night sky. Juliet gazed down at him, his face a blank canvas, just waiting for someone to paint on emotions.
Juliet took one of his hands in both of hers.
“I’ll always be here, okay?”
Gabriel smiled, remembering the first time she’d said those exact words to him.
“Okay.”