Sorry for the short chapter problaly should have merged it with the last chapter. Oh well hope you enjoy it anyway!

Chapter 9 - Growing up

"Monika how was homecoming?" Lili asked.

"It was fine, me, Felisa, and another girl did leave early and went to a restaurant, but it was still lots of fun." Monika admitted.

"Well as long as you girls had fun," Lili said, she glances at the clock to see it was almost noon. "Why is your sister still sleeping?"

"Mm, yeah I wonder why," Monika mumbled.

"Monika, will you go wake her up?" Lili asked Monika agreed, she was more than happy to do that.

Monika slowly opened the door, the smell of alcohol hit Monika making her gag. The room reeked of it, Monika walked over to Julia who looked like a mess tangled up in her blankets, barely on her bed. Monika smiled as she picked up a large book slamming it onto Julia's desk.

With a loud bang Julia shot up, "what?" Julia looked around, groaned laying back down.

"Get up," Monika ordered, Julia refused pulling the covers over her head. Monika was fed up with this, with Julia acting so immature. Monika always having to act like the older sister, always helping Julia clean up her screw ups. Monika leaned forward inches away from Julia's ears. She pulled the covers off Julia head, she needs Julia to heard what she had to say. "Listen here you little immature brat, I could easily use you getting drunk as blackmail. I could easily go down stairs and tell grandma what you did, and she'll believe me without a doubt, but I'm not going to. Why? Because you are and adult and I'm going to let you clean this up on your own. I'm done helping you Julia, you need to learn to deal with your mistakes, because if I always help you, you'll never learn. You need to learn Julia, badly, you need to lie in the bed you made because I'm done with you bull crap." With that said Monika threw the cover back on Julia leaving the room, as Julia lied there in a pit of her own regret.

A few minutes later Julia came downstairs, she walked into the kitchen where Monika and Lili were. Julia stopped, standing in the doorway. Lili looked up at Julia and gasped, "oh my gosh, Julia what happen to you!" The sudden shock even caught Monika's attention who now looked up at her sister to see what her grandmother meant.

Julia looked down to see that her legs to notice that they were covered in dry blood, her knees were covered in scraps, cuts, and bruises. "Oh," Julia mumbled, "I fell on the cement stairs outside when I came home." Julia explained, Monika only rolled her eyes turning her attention back to her phone.

"Well you should go clean that up before it gets infected," Lili recommend, Julia nodded heading back upstairs.

Lili turned to Monika, "Monika is something wrong? You look upset."

"No," Monika lied, "just tired."

After cleaning and bandaging her legs Julia headed back to her room to change. While in her closet she noticed something hanging in the back. It was her cap and gown for graduation, Julia sighed as dragged a hand over the gown. "Monika was right," Julia mumbled. Julia would be graduating soon and this was how she was preparing for adulthood. She should have left earlier and had never got drunk. Julia thought back to when Isabel drove her home, Isabel herself was barely sober. Julia could have died, 'oh wouldn't that have been a way to go out, by being a reckless idiot,' Julia thought. Julia let go of the gown and rushed downstairs.

Julia ran into the kitchen to see only Monika still in there. "Where's grandma?" Julia asked.

"Getting ready for work," Monika replied, the coldness in her voice made Julia practically shiver.

Julia ran up to Monika wrapping her arms around her, "what are you doing?" Monika hissed.

"You were right Monika, you're always right, I'm such an idiot!" Julia cried.

"Yeah well, what else is new?" Monika sneered paying little to no attention to her sister as she continued to text.

"You're the greatest sister ever! I am so so so sorry!" Julia continued.

Monika sighed putting down her phone, with a pinch at Julia's wrist Julia released her hold. Monika turned, her full attention at Julia.

"Monika you have every right to be upset, you've been too kind to me, always helping me. I am so sorry that I took that for granted!" Julia apologized.

Monika sighed, "about time you realized this. I was getting extremely annoyed with you."

"Yes I know and I am so sorry about that. I will try to never do that again! Please!" Julia begged.

Monika paused then sighed, it was no use, "apology accepted." Julia cheered grabbing Monika once more pulling her in for a hug.

"Hey, Monika?" Julia said slowly.

"What?" Monika responded cautious of what she was about to hear.

"Wanna come with me to Isabel's?" Julia asked.

"Why?"

"Cause I kinda left my car there," Julia mumbled.

"Julia!" Monika exclaimed.

The end of the school year had nearly come to an end, but not before the seniors' graduation. This was Julia's year, this was the year she graduates, and Julia was intent on taking it seriously.

"Monika come on," Lili said at the front door as they were about to leave for Julia's graduation ceremony.

"Alright," Monika replied getting up from the couch. Monika said goodbye to Berlitz petting him on the head. Monika headed out the door first, leaving her grandmother in the doorway.

Lili smiled at Berlitz, "poor dog 's getting old," Lili noted as she headed out the door.

After a long ceremony and lots of pictures the three girl were finally heading home. Most of the time Julia unable to take her eyes off of her diploma. Julia was astonished that she actually did it, she had it in her hands.

Lili glanced over to Julia smiling face, "I'm so proud of you Julia."

"Me too," Monika agreed.

"I am too," Julia said, "oh by the way, Monika thanks for letting me wear the necklace!" Julia added, turning around to Monika in the backseat.

"No problem, but you should probably give it back to me now. You have a tendency to forget," Monika said, Julia agreed immediately taking it off and placing it in Monika's hand.

"I can't wait till you graduate Monika you'll probably be top of your class!" Julia complemented, making Monika flushed.

The moment they got home Julia threw off her shoes, and flung herself onto the couch face first. Seeing Julia on the couch reminded Monika that Berlitz wasn't anywhere to be seen, when he typically greeted Monika when she got home. Monika didn't mind it, Berlitz was getting old, Monika decided to look for him.

Julia gave out a loud groan catching Lili's attention, "that thing took forever I thought I would never leave!"

"Just be glad you last name starts with a B so you didn't wait that long," Lili noted.

"Still had to wait for every body else," Julia complained.

Before anyone else could say another word Monika ran down the stairs pass Lili and Julia catching their attention. Monika ran by once more into another room, then back out, then into another room. She finally stopped in the living room a worried, panicked expression on her face.

"Monika what's wrong?" Lili asked, Monika's expression gave Lili a bad feeling.

"I can't find Berlitz!" Monika cried.

A/N:

Dont worry about the cliff I update daily. In case your wondering Switzerland and Liechtenstein will appear in chapter 11, I hope this story always goes in a different direction then predicted.

all comments and questions appreciated!

Anyway until next time!

~Silent Fangirl