A/N: thanks for reviews! I know, shower scenes and these two, eh? Go together like peanut butter and jelly. And yes, I thought the pancake scene was a neat way to pull in some of Laura's previous memories with Debbie
and Megan, in addition to getting her more involved with 'being human'. And I agree...the writers lately treat Julian like he's got nothing going, but they forget that out of all the squads, his was the most unit-like, with the
least arguing between its members...mostly because everyone agreed with his leading style within the unit. Outside of it is a different story, although the trouble he caused could also be looked at as a mild strategy of generating
competition to encourage his team to do their best. What works better than rivalry? Well, there is stuff that works better than rivalry, but that works pretty damn well!
-7-
"SHOPPING!" Cessily said loudly, excited, her metal fingers pressed against the tinted windows of the cab. She was viewing the colorful street of Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles much like a cat might view a mouse.
The boys traded amused glances, Sooraya looked apprehensive, and Laura…she was gazing out the window with a distant expression, Julian noted with vague disappointment. He'd hoped that their discussion
would ease her discomfort; that it would relieve the shadow that had suddenly fallen over them for no particular reason.
Although he didn't think she was being the usual 'drama queen' or 'emo', he thought that she might be over exaggerating her situation. Everyone had problems. It didn't mean she couldn't have a normal life, now that
she was free of them. It would take time, and she could have that, but…
"We HAVE to!" Cessily demanded.
A few minutes later, everyone was out of the cab, and standing in a circle as Julian tipped the cab driver with the money his parents had left him. He then turned back to his friends.
"I am sure as hell not watching you shop, Cess," he said.
"Sooraya wants to!" Cessily protested. "And Laura. Right?"
Laura was silent, still looking as if she was elsewhere.
"Look…I have a friend I want to look up. He lives, like, three blocks from here. Why don't we meet up in like an hour or—"
"That's not enough time!" Cessily snapped.
"Okay. How about you call me when you're done?" Julian said.
"Sure. Let's go!" Cessily grabbed Sooraya's wrist; the other girl's eyes widened, and she shot a desperate look at Julian. "Laura, c'mon!" the metal girl added.
"I will go with Julian," Laura said quietly.
"Laura, you can—" he began, but she looked down, frowning. He realized that it probably had to do with their earlier conversation. Now she would want to be near him constantly, in
case that Kimura woman showed up.
He sighed, reached out and rubbed her lower back. "Okay. Guess I want you to meet them, anyway. Let's go."
After several blocks of walking (up streets full of perfectly landscaped properties), they reached a beige house, constructed with modern style—slanted roof with skylight panels and a large
satellite dish—and Julian led his three friends up the driveway, telling them all a bit about the boy he was calling on.
He rung the doorbell. "He'll be really happy to see me," he said. "We were best friends. At least, I was his best friend. I had a lot of…"
The door opened, answered by an overweight, middle-aged woman with curly blond hair (Laura smelled dye).
"You," she said, her voice laden with contempt. "Get that—abomination—off my lawn!"
Laura looked around. She appeared to be referring to Santo, who was indeed standing on the green grass.
"Sorry, Mrs. Falkland," Julian said, wincing. "Santo, can you—"
"No! I want you gone! You don't bring filthy vermin like that here!" the woman snapped. "And—I heard you're one, too!"
Julian looked taken back. "But—I just came to see Matt—"
"I won't let you anywhere near my son! Now leave or I'll call the police, understand?"
"But—"
The woman reached out and rummaged through something behind the door. Withdrawing it, she revealed a revolver. Laura squinted. Rimfire, with .22 bullets when loaded. She'd been
shot by this model before.
"Leave." The woman's hand curled on the trigger.
Julian paled. "Uh—guys—let's—"
The door slammed behind them as they headed back down the street, Julian's shoulders slumped and his expression hard, yet somehow Laura understood, at this moment, he was
feeling more vulnerable than he'd felt in a long time.
…
"Dude, don't take it out on yourself," Santo said finally.
They were sitting outside a small pizzeria at a round table, waiting for their order to arrive. Julian had been unusually silent since the incident, and it had been up to Brian and Santo to make
conversation (mostly about the weather, and then some Californian earthquake-related jokes).
"I'm not," Julian said, his teeth gritted.
"Then why do you look like you're gonna cry?" Santo prodded.
"I am sure as hell not," the boy responded, as though he were insulted by the idea. "I'm angry…really pissed about what happened." He paused. "I can't believe it. I'm having trouble putting
two and two together…that she would be like that to me, after all the years I spent over at her house…"
He fell silent again.
"Just leave it. Your friend isn't worth your time if he shares his mother's views," Brian advised.
"Besides, I saw a wicked arcade down the street," Santo said. "We should—"
"Guys, I just had my best friend's mom point a gun at my head," Julian said flatly. "I'm not just going to let it go."
Silence all around. For a moment.
"Well, technically, she may have been pointing the gun at you—but it was totally coz I was there," Santo said, in his usual tone, as if this was nothing astonishing.
He was used to hate.
"It's not okay! Santo, a gun! This is—"
"Have you not been at gun-point before?" Laura asked suddenly.
Julian stopped to stare at her. It was not so much her query as her tone, which suggested mild surprise that he seemed to have not been targeted in the past. As if it was something everyone
encountered, at some point or another; normal, like going to see a movie, or riding a bike.
"Generally people don't point guns at me…so, no," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm. Which Laura missed.
"Then you did not notice that it was not loaded," Laura stated.
Now everyone was looking at her.
"Are you saying that you could tell?" Julian asked, wrinkling his nose.
"Yes. The cylinders were empty. If a revolver is loaded, you will be able to view the bullets in the cylinders under proper lighting cond—"
"Excuse me," Julian cut in. "I was a little distracted with having a gun pointed at my head! Why is everyone acting like that's normal?!"
"You get used to it," Santo said grimly.
"Well, you shouldn't just lie down and take it!" Julian responded angrily. He looked at Laura, and it seemed to fuel his annoyance. "For instance, you. It isn't right that you've stood in front of a
gun so many times that you can tell if it's loaded or not. It just shouldn't happen. Period."
Laura looked down.
No one spoke for a while, until Julian got up. "Come on. Let's find Cess and Sooraya already and go to the bus station."
