This chapter is dedicated to LadyLady1994 for her cheerful reviews and xoJillian who helped me out last chapter and is my twitter buddy :) [BTW, I'm just picking reviewers randomly]
"We got all our Christmas shopping done, manicures, watched a movie, and had ice cream. Give me a time-efficient high five!" Harper said.
I laughed as we walked through the streets. Busy holiday shoppers were everywhere. With huge bags full of gifts, we all walked shoulder to shoulder, squeezing our way through the New York sidewalk.
"Hey, isn't that Justin and Juliet?" Harper pointed to two people standing with a crowd. Before I could stop her, she cried, "Hey Juliet!"
Now with no choice, I followed Harper up to the last couple I wanted to face. Which in this case, the fact that Harper has become great friends with Juliet in these few days would be a problem, big time.
We greeted each other with 'hey's and 'hi's. A forced formal introduction was made for me and Juliet. She genuinely felt nice to meet me, whereas I was only saying so.
"What are you all crowding around for?" Harper asked.
"I don't know," Juliet shrugged. The four of us shoved through until we got to the front. Turns out it was the Charlie's Photo Shop window display. Oh. OH! It showed a blown up poster size version of a picture of Justin and I when we last came here. Apparently, that served as advertisement for a couple's holiday pictures. Justin and I shared a look of horror.
"Juliet, listen…" he started to frantically come up with an explanation.
But it looked like she didn't need one. "Oh that's so cute, you guys! Next time we should all get one together!"
The way she waved it off as nothing startled me. Either A, she was a brilliant actress; B, she was naïve and innocent; or C, she trusted Justin so much that she would be heartbroken if she could find out what we almost did. The last one poured guilt all over me.
"We're heading for lunch, do you guys want to join us?" Juliet asked.
"Sure—" Harper started but I cut her off.
"Sorry, we can't! We have shifts at the Sub Station," I lied. We parted and went separate ways, thank god.
"But we don't have any shifts today," Harper pointed out.
"I know."
Justin knew too. It was a hint that I really didn't want to talk to him right now and I'm glad he caught on. And besides, did I mention, he's engaged?
--::--
Christmas was as good as a holiday could get. Mom wasn't here. Dad sure wasn't here, but it's not like I haven't been let down in that category the last 18 years of my life. Regardless of the ordinary Christmas celebrations, it was the best one I've spent yet. Except for when I was stuck under the mistletoe with Justin of course.
[insert awkward laugh here]
Avoiding Justin couldn't last forever though. Once winter break ended and the semester started again, seeing him was inevitable.
There was the matter of carpooling. I've grown accustomed to the luxury of an air conditioned car and have grown a strong detest for the subway. With no way around it, I started riding in Justin's car starting Monday. Having Harper and Max around did help with the tension. Then came the problem of homework. I'm convinced that my teachers don't know how to teach, at least not without the power of tranquility. I didn't want to have to ask Justin for help, but there was also no way around it.
I asked Harper, but she is always too busy with her own homework. Aunt Theresa forgot all these unnecessary things she learned in college. Uncle Jerry tried to help but all his methods were wrong, that much even I knew. Mrs. Finkle started explaining things to me but I didn't know what she was saying and I think neither did she. Mr. Finkle just ended up doing the problems for me, which doesn't exactly help. Mrs. Lewis used her non-existent Alzheimer's as an excuse for not knowing. Papa Stu convenient began vacuuming whenever I approached him. Zeke was occupied with his missions to find May. Heck, I even asked Max, who looked at my homework and asked "How in the world should I know?!"
With the dread of failing a class after I worked my butt off last semester to save my grade, I reluctantly knocked on Justin's door. It took him one look at me with my open textbook to know what I needed. "Stuck?" he asked.
I nodded. "Again."
He welcomed me in like I knew he would, he helped me like I knew he would, and he acted as if nothing had changed. Like I knew he would.
Only things have changed.
"Hey Justin…" Juliet walked into the room. "Oh hi, Alex!"
I smiled naturally. Even though Juliet was technically the enemy, I couldn't help but like her. She's grown on me, these past few days. She just has that effect. Maybe it's the way she is so warmhearted or the way she seems blind to anything negative, I don't know. You just can't ever not like Juliet.
Justin left me finishing my homework, which I understood much better now, and turned to Juliet.
"Zeke wanted to give you this," Juliet said handing over what looked like ancient newspaper articles. They were yellow with age and the letters were fading. Justin took it and the three of us read it over.
The age-old feud between the Russo's and the Robins' may be over. Duke Russo declared bankruptcy and was forced to auction off his Waverly mansion Magnolia House. Lo and behold, Peter Robins bought the house. The dispute of these two adversaries has reached a new level. After corrupting the Russo business and ruining their fortunes, has Peter Robins gone too far?
The next article, however, was of greater interest.
Samuel Robins, son of Peter Robins, has been disowned and disinherited. A scandalous affair has caused young Sam to cancel the long engagement to Veronica James. Threatening to kick him out of the house, Peter thought it was a sure-fire way to keep his son from making a huge mistake. Instead, it only drove Sam away.
But the most shocking part was the picture. It was obvious Peter was trying to drive away the photographer, but he took a shot anyways. There was an angry Peter in the front left side, but you could make out the back of young Sam as he rushed out to the car. And through the open door of the car, so faint by the poor quality of the photo and the fading ink, you could barely see a girl with curly hair sitting inside. I took the newspaper and brought it inches away from my face in closer inspection.
"Is that…May?"
"Yeah," Justin agreed. "Looks like Zeke finally found something."
"Who is May?" Juliet asked, but either Justin didn't hear or just completely ignored her.
"I didn't know my dad was disowned. But that can't be right. After Grandpa Peter passed away, he left all his money to my dad. Dad is an only child, he's the sole heir. If he was disowned, then how did he end up the rich man he is?" Justin wondered.
"He came back, didn't he?" I said. "Your mom found your dad and he came back. So Peter forgave him."
Justin looked at me with shock. "How did you know he came back because Mom got to him?"
Then I realized it myself. "Oh. Never mind, I'm confusing this with my dreams."
"But that's true!" he said. "Dad left Mom pregnant with me. After I was born, Mom tried to manage on her own but my grandparents urged her to find Dad again and make him pay. It took a long tracking down, but one day I distinctly remember going up some steps holding Mom's hand and seeing Dad for the first time."
I pictured the little boy on the porch in my dream. "That was you?"
I think Juliet was still talking but neither Justin nor I paid any attention to her. "How accurate are your dreams anyways?" he asked. "Are you sure you're not some prophetess?"
"They were only dreams, that's all they were. Just two people having a good time in a cute little café. Only now it has turned into so much more."
"I don't know about you, but I really want to find May now."
"Of course. The only question is how?"
--::--
That night, I was surprised when Papa Stu and Zeke called me into Zeke's room to "talk".
"Justin is engaged to Juliet, surely you know," Zeke stated. "Their marriage has basically been decided since birth. The van Hausen's are very good friends of the Robins."
I nodded. It was starting to feel a little too 'police interrogation' for me.
"And Justin unfortunately likes you, surely you know," Zeke said.
Yes, quite unfortunate, really.
"It sure seems like Justin is torn. Like he's…you know, like he has a foot on two boats," Papa Stu said.
"Okay first of all, that's not a grammatically correct idiom," Zeke said. "And second, it's not like the two boats Justin is undecided upon are equal. Juliet van Hausen is elegant and rich; she is like the Titanic. While Alex...why you're just a mere raft."
"Thank you Zeke, for pointing out my low income yet again," I muttered sarcastically.
"Now you have to give Alex more credit," Papa Stu said. "If Juliet is the Titanic, then Alex isn't some raft. She is the iceberg."
I raised my eyebrows. "I'm the iceberg?"
"You're a threat. And that's why we're having this chat. We want the Titanic to stray clear of the deadly iceberg."
"As much as I love this cliché metaphor," I said, "you do know how the story ends, right? Ship versus iceberg. Man versus nature. Ship sinks. Nature always wins."
"It is not a competition," Zeke exclaimed. "Mr. Robins will not be happy with this, not one bit! Don't make this a fight for Justin. It's a good thing Juliet is here, she can keep him busy and help him get over you. So here's what you need to do, Alex. You need to stop talking to him before something tragic happens and he falls in love with you."
But Papa Stu looked grave. "Of course there is no competition. Alex already won."
[insert butterflies-on-steroids inside stomach here]
"No, no, no, that is not true. Justin loves Juliet, he loves Juliet," Zeke repeated. "He has to. He can't love Alex."
"Well it's not like I can stop him!" I argued.
"Mr. Robins called. He wants Justin and Juliet to fly back to Florida," Zeke said. "But Justin said no. Any guesses as to why not?"
Gulp. Me.
"You need to break up with Justin," Papa Stu said. "You need to end whatever you two have started before things get out of hand. Even if it breaks his heart, even if it breaks your heart, you must. Sometimes, you have to do the right thing. Trust me on this one."
The right thing. Why is the right thing always the harder of the two?
--::--
If I really wanted Justin to come meet me, all I had to do was call him. Instead, I just waited on my balcony. If all goes well, he won't get the hint and I won't have to face him tonight. That was the plan.
It's nearly midnight. This time I prepared myself, wearing my big fur coat to protect myself from the cold. Justin was awake, I know. His light was still on and he was sitting at his desk, but I could have sworn he looked at me a few times. From my open door, I could see the light in the study still on. I doubt Juliet will be sleeping tonight. Her light stays on until Justin's goes off. And since both Justin and Juliet are still up, Zeke and Papa Stu are still awake and patrolling the hallway, waiting for me to carry out my agreement so we could all get some sleep.
It kind of felt good thinking that I was the main switch here. Everything can be affected by my actions. I don't have to tell Justin that we shouldn't speak anymore. I don't have to tell him to go to Juliet. I would much rather grab him and kiss him senseless instead.
But the right thing… I've hardly ever done the right thing, why should I start now?
Because I'm growing up, finally. That's why. It's about time I started thinking about others, not just myself. Gosh, Mom would be so proud.
"Alex, what are you doing?" Justin had finally come out to join me on our adjoining balconies. I could sense Zeke and Papa Stu watching.
"Trying to procrastinate this moment," I answered.
"What are you trying to put off and why does it involve standing outside this late at night? Unless you are attempting to become a human Popsicle."
"Justin…we need to talk." I spoke the four hackneyed words that have gained a negative subliminal meaning. "I think...we should stop our relationship."
It took him a minute to process what I just said. "You're dumping me before I ask you out?"
I smiled weakly. "Basically."
[insert silence here]
"I guess that's my fault for taking so long."
"No. Justin, you have to go back to Florida with Juliet. You have a wedding to plan. Juliet is a wonderful girl. She's beautiful, kind, understanding, fun, and perfect. She is your age so you wouldn't get called a child molester and she is also rich so you won't ever have to deal with us normal folks. You can go back to your pampered world. It's where you belong anyways." As I said this, with each word I dropped my head a little. I was scared if I kept looking him in the eye, he would see how much this was hurting me.
"Alex…what happened? When did you become like them? You were always the one that agreed with me, you were always the one that stayed on my side. You said I should do what I want and not what people tell me."
"This is what you want."
"No, it's not. I don't want to go back to Florida, I want to stay in New York with you."
"But you're engaged!" On impulse, the line slipped from my lips. Only then did I spot all the similarities of this event and my dream.
"So?"
"So?! So that's a commitment. A promise. And it's because of promise-breakers like you that we have broken families like mine. Don't follow in your father's footsteps. Learn from his mistakes."
"I am. It took Dad twenty years to realize he never should have left May. Who knows if it's too late? I am going to learn from his mistake and not let you go."
"No! We are not the next Sam and May."
"Just the spitting image of them." His sarcasm tore at the tension. We glared at each other from our balconies, neither of us willing to back down.
"Whether you see what's good or not, I don't care," I said. "I'm leaving. I can't force you to go back. But if you just stop being egoistical for one second and think about Juliet, you would see the reason why you should go." It was quite ironic that the one time I'm being selfless is the one time I tell Justin to be.
When he didn't say anything, I slowly backed up towards my room. I had one foot inside when he called me back.
"You're only leaving me because you love me, right?"
I froze, and not from the cold. Before my emotions could betray me, I ran inside and shut the balcony door. It was one of the most difficult tasks I've ever done, but it was done. Mission accomplished.
As I went to close my bedroom door, I saw Juliet standing at her door across the hall. So she, like Zeke and Papa Stu, was listening in as well. For the weeks that Juliet has inhabited here, she's never shown any sign of being affected by me and Justin's implied relationship. I had thought she truly wasn't affected. But tonight...tonight I knew she really was. Her eyes were sad with jealousy and unrequited love, yet when we made eye contact, she smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I nodded and smiled back before we both shut our doors. Right then, something clicked like the lock. Whether it was a lock opening or a lock closing, I wasn't sure, but two things surely changed that night.
Justin and I were over. Juliet and I became friends.
--::--
The morning after, we were all sitting around the table eating our breakfast. I was trying to see how long it would last before I had to announce the unfortunate events of last night. Knowing my neighbors, I didn't have to wait long.
"So little Robins and that dweeb haven't been bugging us with the house business lately," Mrs. Lewis announced. "Personally, I find that very strange."
"Maybe they've decided to call it all off because Justin has fallen for Alex," Mr. Finkle said. "They all like Alex, so we don't have to move!"
I sighed. "No. They don't like me. Justin is going back to Florida with Juliet. They're getting married. We probably still have to leave."
"What? No! Justin is supposed to marry you," Max said. "He is supposed to realize you're the one he needs and he'll ditch Juliet for you. That's how it is in all the stories."
"Too bad this isn't a story," I muttered.
We continued our breakfast in peace. I think everyone got the PO vibe off me. Justin came downstairs later. He grabbed his breakfast bar and headed to his car. I didn't follow. Perhaps out of pity, Aunt Theresa agreed to drive Harper, Max, and I to school.
"And Mr. Finkle?" I called before we left, "I would appreciate it if you replaced your window display with another couple. You know, an actual couple."
--::--
Justin did look a bit down afterwards. But that's not going to change my mind. He's a big kid. He can get over it.
Or not.
I was talking with Juliet the other day before we headed to a Broadway show when she mentioned him. "I think something is wrong with Justin. He's sick."
"With what? Cold, flu, pneumonia, chicken pox, AIDS, H1N1…?"
She smiled at my lame attempt of humor. "No. From losing a great friend."
"…"
"He never admitted this himself, but I know Justin. He is miserable without you. There are some people in this world that you can just leave and never go back to. Then there are people that you can't quit cold turkey. I don't see any harm in you two being friends," Juliet said.
"But aren't you supposed to go back to Florida in like a week?"
"Yes. And I'm certain if he leaves without being on good terms with you, he will be heartbroken forever."
The argument continued as we walked the streets to the theater.
"There is only one girl Justin needs and that's you, Juliet."
"Maybe. But the one he wants is you."
We passed Charlie's store again. I noticed Mr. Finkle still hasn't replaced the window display. Since we had time to spare, me and Juliet walked into the shop.
"Mr. Finkle, can you please take down that picture of us?" I asked.
"Alex! I was just going to call you. There is someone here who wants to speak to you," Mr. Finkle greeted us.
Juliet and I looked at each other. "Who is it?"
Mr. Finkle pointed to the waiting room where a middle aged woman was sitting. The moment she saw me, her face went pale like she had seen a ghost.
"No, it couldn't be…" The woman jumped to her feet nervously as I approached.
"Um, you wanted to see me?" I asked.
She still stared at me in shock. "I can't believe it. You look so much like her…a reincarnation."
This lady was setting off the creepo, gypsy vibe on me.
"My name is Calico Burke. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your picture in the window today. It reminded me of…" Calico continued to stare at me.
"Oh my god," I exclaimed as I suddenly realized something. "Do you know May Rivera?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Can you tell me, Calico? What do you know?" The thrill that the mystery of May Rivera brings, the thrill that's been absent in our gap of no discoveries, was back.
Calico was about to start, but she stopped herself. "No. I don't believe it. You are a ghost. You are May's ghost."
Okay. So Calico was a cuckoo.
"I'm pretty sure I'm living, see?" I reached out and touched her arm. She burst a cow at my touch.
"No! No! May must have died and she is out to haunt me!"
"No, Ms. Burke," Juliet said with the are-you-mentally-insane tone. "This is Alex Russo. She is not a ghost."
That seemed to surprise her too. "Russo? You are a Russo?"
"Why? Do you know my family?" I had a bad feeling about this crazy woman.
"Yes. But who is that boy?" She pointed to the giant picture of Justin and me.
"Justin Robins. He is Sam's son."
"I see," Calico muttered more to herself than anyone. "It makes sense that Justin Robins would look like his father, but why would little Russo look like Rivera?"
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because our last names all begin with R," I shrugged.
Calico turned to us. "Both of you must come meet me some other time."
Juliet took a cautionary step back. "Okay. What time?"
"No, not you," Calico waved her off. "Alex and Justin."
I shook my head. "No, that can't be arranged. See, Justin and I aren't exactly on speaking terms…"
"Unless I see both of you with my own eyes, I refuse to believe it. Until then, I am convinced you are a ghost," Calico said.
"Alright, we have a musical to catch, so…" Juliet grabbed my wrist and started dragging me towards the exit.
"Here's my card." Calico stuffed the business card into my hand before we left.
I really didn't want to ever have to meet Calico Burke again. But she held vital information for our search for May. Of course, in order to get it, I would need to face Justin.
--::--
"Juliet," I said after we got home from the show, "Can you tell Justin about Calico and that I think we should meet up with the loon?"
"Why can't you tell him?" she asked.
"I'm not supposed to talk to him."
"Isn't this like third-grade behavior?"
I ushered her up the stairs anyways. Ever since I clued her in on the May thing, she has been just as interested in finding her as I am.
"How was the musical?" Harper walked into the livingroom. "Too bad I had to work today or else I would have gone with you."
"It was great. It had songs and dance and cheesy lines and a sappy ending. You would have loved it," I explained. "But listen, the strange part happened before the musical…"
After I retold the strange words of Calico to Harper, she raised her eyebrows at me. "She sounds really creepy and weird. Are you sure you actually want to see her?"
"If it means finding out about May…then yes."
Suddenly Justin and Juliet were running down the stairs. They came to where Harper and I were sitting and had a look of frantic excitement. Like they just cracked a mystery.
"Calico Burke?!" Justin asked. It appears this strange moment erased all the tension between us, as well as the agreement to not speak to each other. "As in Callie Burke? As in my mom's ex best friend?"
Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser.
--::--
Dun dun dun! So now you meet Calico, the loony lady who ultimately gives the final clues on the mystery, although many of you smartypants have already figured it all out ;)
But you want to hear some great news? We did it!! (Kind of.) Finding May is now under 35 story alerts, which officially tops my record of 33. Can I get a woot woot? You guys are reader rockstars, you know that right?
Now here's something totally off-topic. If you have visited my profile, you might have read some of my upcoming stories? Well recently, I have started writing the Twilight story. I don't want to give the plot away yet, but there is a main OC in the story. So here's the CONTEST: give him a name. In a review/PM/whatever, tell me a few of your favorite male names. I might choose yours!