Chapter 2:
1 year later…
Julie turned in her bed to look through the window and not let anyone see she hadn't got any sleep last night. Her blue eyes were wandering somewhere at the sky and a sigh escaped her lips. She heard the door open and someone coming in.
"Julie, honey, it's time to get up for school." She heard her aunt say to her gently.
She turned around pretending she had just woken up.
"Ok, Auntie Cleo." She answered and slid out of the covers.
She went to the bathroom to comb her hair and put some lip-gloss (the only make-up except lipstick she ever put on) and to wash her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and for a second, just for a split second she thought she saw her mother. Julie quickly shook her head getting rid of that thought. She tried to convince herself that she had imagined that because of the constant reminding to her of everybody how much she looked like her mother. She walked out of the bathroom, put the first shorts and tank top she found and ran downstairs, pulling her hair up in a ponytail along the way.
When she entered the kitchen she saw her aunt and uncle were already there along with Jasper who was eating pancakes. Julie, who wasn't so hungry, just grabbed one apple from the table and took a bite, taking the free chair next to her uncle.
Cleo and Lewis silently exchanged meaningful looks. Ever since Rikki and Zane had disappeared Julie was living in their house. A year had passed and they couldn't help but notice how distant Julie was growing more and more practically almost every day. Not that she didn't love them or their house; she just missed her parents and needed them both more than ever. She never talked much, especially if someone tried to bring up the topic concerning her feelings. It may not have been every time because of the same reason, like for example that she was getting angry or annoyed or didn't have anything to say, but all in all she just didn't want to talk about what was going in her mind and that was that. Her reaction was always quickly changing the topic, just starting to talk about everything else that occurred to her.
When they finished eating their breakfast, Julie and Jasper took their bags and went out.
Reaching their school they saw Serena, Louise and Peter waiting for them. Serena and Louise included Julie in their conversation and Peter and Jasper fell in a deep conversation about things like sport, cars and motorcycles, computer games and even boats.
Julie quickly zoned out again, not listening to Serena and Louise, and was now quietly staring at ocean that could be seen from the school yard because of the beach being not too far from the school. She wished she could sneak out for she desperately needed a swim. Sighing quietly to herself she followed the others into the classroom.
Louise and Serena immediately found two empty seats and hurried to take them. Julie took the empty seat at the table in front of theirs. She pulled her book out of her bag, when she felt someone sitting beside her and turned to look who it was. It turned out it was Peter.
"Jules, are you ok?" He asked her concerned. "I noticed the way you zoned out of your conversation with the girls. Is there something going on?"
"It's fine, nothing's going on." She said annoyed and with tone that clearly ended the topic.
The lesson started and all heads turned to the teacher, but very soon everyone was travelling in their own minds, bored of what they were being told. Julie was staring outside of the window. One of her hands was resting on her leg and the other was under her chin.
"Julie?" Peter whispered hesitantly.
She spun her head to look at him and he got the chance to admire her face for a moment. That was the first time he got to see her features from such a close space. Her big beautiful blue orbits were focused on his dark ones. A curl was falling out of her messy bun and across her face, making her look so beautiful. Her skin was pale and soft, a peach color on her cheeks. Her perfume, scent of jasmine, was dazing him, making itself his favorite smell. Her lips were big and fluffy and had a color of strawberries, like they were seducing him into kissing them.
"Yes?" She whispered back.
Peter reached and his fingers curled around hers. Her whole body tensed.
"What's going on with you? You seem…distracted." His voice was warm and comforting, his lips forming a soft smile in her direction.
"I already told you, nothing's going on." She shot back. "Not that it's your business anyway."
And she pulled her hand out of his. He sighed trying to figure out what was making her so distant to everybody. Soon the school bell rang to announce the end of their first class. Julie quickly picked her things and waited impatiently for Serena and Louise. Suddenly they heard someone behind their backs insult Julie's parents. She spun around in a flash to face the owner's voice.
"What did you say?" She hissed at him like an angry cat, and Louise and Serena gave each other worried looks.
"I said your father's a murderer. He killed your mother and then ran away leaving you here all alone."
"Don't you dare to say a word against my father!" Julie felt her blood started to boil in her veins.
The boy only laughed at her face.
"Why? What can possibly a little filthy orphan like you do to me?!"
Suddenly the situation turned into a complete chaos. Julie had hit the boy and when he fell down on the floor she stretched her hands ready to curl them into fists. Serena and Louise were looking at Julie terrified begging her not to hurt the boy. Jasper and Peter stood on Julie's both sides ready to stop her if it's needed.
"Say you're sorry!" She yelled at him. "Take your nasty words back!"
"Never!" The boy yelled back.
She curled one of her hands and the boy started crying from the burning pain. Peter grabbed Julie's right hand and Jasper grabbed the left one. She started fighting with them to free her hands.
"Let me go!" She hissed at them.
Just in that moment a teacher who was passing through outside at the corridor took a look at the room and quickly ran inside. He looked at the boy on the ground whose face and hands were severely burned and then at Julie who was still trying to get free of the two boys' firm grip.
"Julie Bennett! What is going on here?!"
"Mr. Wolf, that boy said something very bad about Julie's parents and…"
"Be quiet, Peter Benjamin! Julie Bennett you're coming with me to the headmaster."
The teacher grabbed Julie by the arm pulling her outside the classroom and to the headmaster's office. The blond anxiously tried to get out of the teacher's grip, but he was too strong.
Once in the office of the headmaster the teacher told him everything.
The headmaster's name was Jeremy Masters, he was thirty years old and from what she had heard he was a man of order and discipline. Julie had crossed her hands in front of her chest ready to confront the man standing before her whatever he says.
She expected him to shout at her or punish her or do anything but the very thing he did.
"Mr. Wolf, would you please go out now? You made your point and I'd like to take it all from here."
The teacher glanced at him and went out. Mr. Masters turned to the blond, taking her hand and leading her to one of the chairs in front of his desk. He then sat next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I can't imagine how you must be feeling today. Actually I can, but it doesn't matter now. So, how are you? Are you holding on?"
She looked at him stunned and let her hands fall down to her legs.
"What?" She whispered, still trying to process what had happened.
"Come on, Julie, I know what day today is. Today is the day your parents disappeared one year ago. So how are you doing?"
"Not very well. Nobody seems to remember what day today is and…nobody seems to care." For a moment tears seemed to sparkle in her ocean-blue eyes.
"I care." Mr. Masters said and gave her an encouraging smile.
She couldn't help but smile back.
"You shouldn't care about me and my family, but…thank you."
"Your aunts, uncles and cousins love you Julie. I'm sure they care about you too. But you have to be very strong. Now take your things, go home and get some rest." And he pointed at the dark circles under her eyes. "You look like you could use a good nice sleep."
With that he stood up and went to sit behind his desk. He took something out of one of the drawers and handed it to her.
"If you ever need someone to talk to, call me."
She nodded and stood up going to the door. Before she walked out however, she turned around.
"Thank you. Thank you for the talk and for caring for me. It means a lot."
And giving a bright smile to him, she walked out of his office. Outside Louise, Serena, Peter and even Jasper were waiting for her.
"Well?" Louise asked. "What happened? Did he yell at you, did he punish you?"
They were all stunned when Julie only said, "No. He just talked to me."
"About what?"
"About the fact today's the day my parents disappeared one year ago."
With that she walked off leaving them completely shocked and mad at themselves.
How could they just forget today marked a year since the dark day that affected all of their lives?!