Breakout Kings
Now We Talk
"You stay away from her, you here me!" Ray's voice tumbled out of the small, storage room. "You're nothing but a scumbag animal!"
Julianne was coming to fetch Ray and Lloyd, who had both disappeared, when she stumbled onto their conversation. She couldn't venture any closer to the room, for fear that they would see her, but she couldn't make herself leave. She didn't want to admit it, but she wanted to know what they were talking about.
"Anyone with eyeballs can see how she feels about you, and you just exploit that," Lloyd commented. Julianne didn't understand what was going on? How did Lloyd know she had a thing for Ray, she hid it so well.
There was a loud scuffle, then something hit the wall. Julianne couldn't wait any longer and she rounded the corner quickly to see Ray holding Lloyd by the collar. They both looked at her. Ray had a look of anger mixed with surprise at seeing her face, and Lloyd was sweating and looked embarrassed for having been caught in such an awkward and weak position.
Julianne didn't know what made her do it, but before she could hold herself back she felt the words leave her throat, "Put him down right now, Ray!" The words were harsh and a little loud for her, but something inside of her snapped. She didn't like seeing this side of Ray, now or ever.
"Julianne, this animal here..." Ray started to say, but Julianne stopped him.
"Why do you do that? Why do you call them animals? I thought we were supposed to be a team," Julianne said honestly. She never understood how Ray and Charlie could talk down to Lloyd, Shea, and Erica. They had helped them catch several fugitives, and Ray was the one who put the team together.
"Julianne, you don't get it," Ray said and Julianne's anger flooded a little more.
"What do you mean I don't get it? I get it perfectly fine. And if I must say Ray, it's a little hypocritical of you to call them animals, don't you think," she said, and immediately Julianne regretted it. She didn't mean to call Ray out on his short-comings, and especially in front of Lloyd, who could do many things with that kind of information.
She watched Ray's face hold a glimmer of hurt, before he turned back into the stoic man he usually was. He lowered Lloyd down, before turning and walking past Julianne. She was about to follow him when Lloyd spoke.
"Where did that come from?" Lloyd asked, and Julianne turned to see Lloyd smirking. She felt the anger rise in her again.
"And what are you smirking about? You're just as much at fault here as he is," Julianne said, and Lloyd looked confused.
"What? I was defending you!" Lloyd claimed, and Julianne put her hands on her hips.
"You were egging him on, and you know it," Julianne said.
Lloyd smirked again, then threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, you got me. I was. I can't help it. I love getting a rise out of people."
"Well, back off a little. I meant what I said, we are a team," Julianne said.
"And I meant what I said, I think he's exploiting your feelings," Lloyd said, seriously.
"I don't have feelings for Ray," Julianne said. She grabbed her scarf in self-conciousness and looked down to the ground.
"You do, and that's okay. He's one of the good guys, right?" Lloyd said, jokingly, but Julianne could hear the small undertone of his words. She wanted to tell him for some reason that no, Ray had gone to jail, was still on probation living in a halfway house, but she could never betray Ray like that.
"No one here is better than anyone else, con or no con. We all have the same purpose, and we all work hard at catching the real bad guys," Julianne said, and Lloyd looked at her. She caught his gaze, and for a moment she saw a flicker of hope dash through his eyes.
"What makes you like that? How can you be so...so...,"Lloyd said, losing his words and Julianne laughed.
"Wait, is the Dr. Lloyd Lowery somehow speechless?" Julianne laughed. She turned to him and smiled. "I don't know, honestly. I've just always had this policy that I never judge a book by its cover, you know. I give everyone a clean slate and judge people on my own. With Ray, he's rough and tough, yet he has a softer side especially with his family. Charlie is very intimidating and comes off all macho-like, but underneath he's very self-concious and vulnerable. Erica is very balls-to-the-wall, yet she has that mothering nature. Shea is a hardcore gangster, but he wants to be better."
"And me?" Lloyd said quietly.
"You're very...," Julianne started to say, but she really didn't know exactly what she wanted to say.
Lloyd looked down at the ground. "I know, a creepy, narcissistic, white guy with mommy issues," Lloyd commented, and Julianne felt guilty. She felt guilty that he felt that way, even though it was true, but that wasn't everything he was, and she felt guilty for not coming up with an answer more quickly. In a bold move, she turned and grabbed Lloyd's hand. Lloyd looked up, shocked.
"No, Lloyd, that's not all that you are. You're very caring, and eager to help others, especially psychologically. You put yourself out there, and while you may be brutally honest, you do it out of love. It's the only way you know how to express concern to others, and I think that somehow stems from your relationship with your mother," Julianne said to him, looking into his eyes. "And if you need proof, look how much you've helped me. I took your advice, and asked people the time outside of my comfort zone. I'm up to eight now, by the way, and I'm walking five miles away from home. I can actually have a conversation with you and look you in the eye."
Julianne suddenly felt very vulnerable by opening up so much, but it was so easy. Lloyd just had a way of making her feel at ease, she didn't even feel like that around Ray.
That thought scared her a little.
"And if you haven't noticed, I've not looked down your shirt this whole time," Lloyd said, and Julianne couldn't help the laugh that rolled out of her mouth. She looked up to see Lloyd laughing along with her, and he had that look in his eye again. She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but he seemed to do it everytime he looked at her.
"We better get going. I need to go talk to Ray," Julianne said and Lloyd nodded his head.
"So, balls-to-the-wall, huh?" Lloyd said, and Julianne punched him lightly in the arm.
"If you tell anyone I said that...," Julianne trailed off, knowing Lloyd got the point.
"I'll just have to lock that one away with the other time I heard Ray telling Charlie he better not tell anyone that he touched some guy's penis," Lloyd said and Julianne turned to him.
"WHAT?"