Author's Note: Speeding towards a conclusion here people. Probably one or two more chapters after this. Enjoy this one though
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 12: The Morning After
"Missy," Julie walked over to her at her locker the next morning, "Where were you at breakfast?"
"I over slept," She shook her head, pushing her sunglasses onto her head. Julie looked at her.
"Are you hungover?" She asked. Missy sighed, "Whatever, yesterday I bought Sara Bareilles, what do you think of her?" Julie had already observed Missy's nearly perfect taste in music.
"Um, I think she's riding Regina Spektor's coattails a little," Missy said, "But she's not as bad as Rivka." Julie nodded. "I've only heard Love Song though, so I can't really,"
"Do you want to listen this afternoon?" Julie asked.
"Um sure," Missy shrugged, she glanced down the hallway, "Oh crap!" She shaded her face with her hand.
"What?" Julie looked, "It's just Charlie."
"We had sex last night," Missy groaned. Julie looked at her. "I know, and now I'm avoiding him."
"So are you two like finally together now, or what?" Julie asked. Missy sighed.
"The problem is that this makes things more vague than ever," Missy shook her head, "I mean, before nothing had happened, so we were just friends with this sort of weird unspoken energy between us and now,"
"Missy," Julie looked at her, "Charlie's not a casual guy, he falls in love. He wouldn't have,"
"I know that," Missy said, "That just makes it worse, really. Because I don't know how I feel about him."
"Now who's the slut?" Julie smiled. She looked at her. "I'm kidding." Missy sighed. "Well what happened, exactly?"
"We went to see Coheed and Brett was harassing us, so we pretended we were going out and made out all night," Missy recounted, "Then we went back to my room, because,"
"He walked you back, because he's Charlie and he's all the perfect gentleman," Julie nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I know."
"He wasn't such a gentleman," Missy sighed. Julie looked at her. "I mean, before, and after he was, but during," She giggled. "It was, unbelievable."
"I think that answers your question then," Julie shrugged. "I think you feel the same way."
"Hey," Charlie walked over, "Um, Julie can we have a minute."
"Yeah sure," She shrugged, "I have to find Dean anyway." She walked away.
"Look about last night," Charlie said, Missy nodded, "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to just be friends and take things slow."
"Charlie, I was there too," She sighed, "I wouldn't have let it happen if I didn't want it to." He smiled. "So what do we do now? I was sort of rude last night, but I was kind of freaked out."
"Yeah," He nodded, "I get that, so we're friends still right?" She stopped. What happened to the guy who fell in love?
"Of course," She nodded, "I just remembered, I left my sketch pad in my room, and I have to hand it in today. I'll see you later." She ran off. He watched her and sighed. This was right. She didn't want to be his girlfriend, she'd made that clear. And he wasn't the kind of guy who could just fool around with a girl.
Missy walked over to where Julie and Portman were in the middle of their morning makeout session. She sighed, they were useless and then she walked away.
"Mm," Julie pulled away. "I am needed."
"Yeah, here," Portman nodded. She looked at him. "Leave them alone, Julie, it's none of your business."
"But I like her," She said, "I want to keep her."
"Even if she and Charlie don't get together," He looked at her, "You can still be her friend. It's allowed." She glared at him. "Don't meddle, I'm serious."
"But I think they could be really great," She insisted.
"Julie!" He said, "Please."
"Fine," She sighed, "I have to get to class."
"OK," He kissed her again. "What happened anyway?"
"It's none of our business," She shrugged and walked away. He groaned and followed after her.
"Hey," Linda walked over to Charlie. He looked at her and smiled.
"Hey," He said, this would be their post truce conversation. "So um, how are you?"
"I'm good," She nodded, "You?"
"Good," He said. They laughed. "How're things with Adam?"
"Good," She said, "What about Missy?"
"She's not my girlfriend Linda," He sighed. She nodded. "I mean, we're friends. Like you and me."
"So you ignore her too?" Linda laughed. He smiled sheepishly. "I just, now that some time's past I was hoping we could really be friends, you know."
"Sure," He said. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"So you're birthday's coming up," She smiled.
"I'm aware," He laughed. "Sweet 16, I have my dream gown picked out and everything." She laughed. She did miss his sense of humor. Adam was so serious.
"Well," She said, "My parents just happen to be going out of town that weekend, so I thought in the spirit of friendship that I'd offer my house for the blowout."
"For real?" He said. Linda's parents went away all the time, but she never threw parties. She nodded. "Linda's that's so cool, thanks!" He hugged her. "You'd better alert Connie and Julie, because Connie already started asking me about food and Julie, via Portman asked if I wanted a keg or jungle juice."
"And your answer," Linda said, slightly worried.
"It's my birthday," He said, "I want both."
"Clearly," She nodded. "Are we OK?"
"Yeah," He nodded, "We're OK." She smiled and walked away.
"Hey you," Adam smiled, seeing her.
"Hi," She smiled and kissed him, "Soo, good news."
"He said yes?" He asked. She nodded. "Good, baby steps."
"I think he was more surprised that I was offering to have a party," She laughed, "Than that I was actually pursuing the whole friendship thing." Adam nodded, "And he said he's not going out with Missy, which means that we don't have to invite her." She started to skip away and he grabbed her handing pulling him back. "Oh fine. But she won't have any fun. I'll have a party, but music wise things are staying tame, I don't need death metal people ruining my house."
"I don't think inviting Missy will bring in the entire death metal element Linda," He laughed, "And as this is Minneapolis, which means that element is about ten people." She smiled. "Am I invited?"
"Of course baby," She laughed. "Where do I get a keg?"
"Bash Brothers," Adam nodded, "You get a keg from the Bash Brothers."
"So," Julie said sitting with Missy later at lunch, "Did you talk to him?" Missy nodded. "And?"
"Well," She sighed, "Your Charlie Conway doesn't just fool around theory," She stopped, "Maybe I'm just not the girl that guys want to be their girlfriend."
"Or maybe," Julie said, "Charlie, still feeling utterly rejected is afraid to commit to another relationship."
"Yeah," Missy nodded, "Or he thinks I'm a huge slut who'll sleep with any guy who looks at her twice."
"But that's true," Julie shook her head, "And he knows that." Missy sighed, "Listen, next week is Charlie's birthday, and we're throwing a huge party," Missy raised her eyebrows. "I know, not your scene, but it would really make him happy if you went."
"Partying with the Eden Hall A-List?" Missy scrunched her face.
"Maybe you'll get a comic out of it," Julie shrugged, "Like on The OC."
"Yes, because I clearly have so much in common with Seth Cohen," Missy laughed. Julie smiled. "I'll go."
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