Juliana walked into breakfast late the following, and had just passed a fuming Patricia when she entered. She spotted Eddie soaked with milk, and wondered if Patricia was mad at him for dancing with her, but didn't want to think she'd lost someone else because of the new guy so she simply asked cheerily, "So, what'd I miss?" Jerome snatched up his plate and with a face of anger, walked out past his girlfriend without saying a word.

Juliana watched him go, hurt, and everyone else at the table looked at each other, thinking all the same thing, and Jerome and Juliana were fighting. Eddie just chewed his cereal, knowing exactly what this was about, and not caring. So what if the alpha couple broke it off? That would mean another hot girl to go after, and looking at all the girls he roomed with, the one he liked he hated half of the time, and the others were either goody-goody, dumb blondes, or overachiever. Juliana was none of those, but she was smart, and had a good heart. Eddie knew if he couldn't get Patricia he'd go after Juliana, boyfriend or not, as proved by last night and by how intimate their dance was.

Juliana decided she wasn't hungry, grabbed her bag off the couch and left through the double doors outside. She got halfway to the school, before she almost tripped, and then, out of frustration, she took her bag off her shoulder and slammed it down onto the grass and then started crying.

She sat there for a few minutes, then took her stuff and ran to the old secret Sibuna meeting place and hid there for a while, until she cried herself dry. Jerome hated her, Eddie was Eddie, everyone was confused, and had no idea what they could do to help…By the time she finally got it together and had fixed the little makeup she had on, she walked out of the woods to see Mara and Jerome getting into a taxi. She ran after them. She wasn't about to actually let him go for real.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Visiting Mr. Clarke." Mara smiled. "Want to come?" the look in her eyes said everything. She was sorry, and they should be friends again.

"Sure." Juliana nodded, and let Mara get in the middle of the backseat, not wanting to sit beside Jerome who was sure to ignore her the whole way. Maybe, maybe if the car spun out, he'd reach across to protect her…maybe. But a car crash wasn't the likeliest of factors to come true that day.

When they got in to see him, Mara was seen first, and Mr. Clarke mistook her for Jerome's girlfriend.

"No. That would be me." Juliana raised her hand slightly and stepped forward, then extended her hand out for him to shake.

"Aw well, you're very pretty." He smiled at Juliana who smiled gently back. Jerome saw the contact and freaked.

"Don't talk to her. Don't touch her." Jerome snarled, stepping in to put Juliana away from his father.

"Jerome-"

"I don't care. I want to leave-" he turned to the gate. "Open it."

Mara went over to talk to him, and Juliana stayed put.

"He loves you very much doesn't he?"

"Hasn't seemed that way lately." Juliana sighed.

"Well, he's very protective of you. I guess that's my fault. I left him to protect his sister. Joan didn't ever really have time for them." He looked past Juliana and at Jerome. "What's going on with them?" he gestured to Mara and Jerome.

"I wish I could say their just friends…but I'm not so sure anymore." Juliana admitted, her voice small.

"So why are you talking to me, and not talking to him?"

"He's mad at me. Because I danced with…with a friend at the dance last night."

"Ah, I see. He's jealous and possessive." He grinned. "I don't think you have to worry. Or else he wouldn't have told me to get away from you. He didn't tell me that when I shook Mara's hand." He pointed out, and then Jerome and Mara rejoined them, oblivious to what the pair had just spoken about.

The meeting went rather well in fact, and at the end of the time period, they all stood, and Mr. Clarke said, "Jerome, for what it's worth, I think you've grown into a fine young man, with two very beautiful young women at your side. Juliana and Mara are very bright girls. Treat her right." He added the last sentence on as an afterthought.

Juliana knew he meant her, and she smiled.

"It was great to finally meet one of Jerome's parents. Thank you for your time Mr. Clarke." Juliana smiled brightly.

"Aw, what a sweetheart. It was a pleasure to meet Jerome's girlfriend. I never thought I'd see the day. Have a good day kids." Then they were separated.

When they got back to school grounds, for the first time since last night, Jerome spoke to her.

"Are you alright? Jillian, when he touched you…I just…I'm sorry for overreacting." He put his head down.

She lifted a corner of her mouth and touched Jerome's cheek. "I thought it was sweet of you."

"I love you Jillian. I'm just-"

"A jealous guy who doesn't get his girlfriend isn't always only going to dance with him." She finished for him.

"I was going to say idiot, but that works too." Then they broke their deep gazes at each other and smiled, then leaned in and kissed. Mara took that uncomfortable vibe she was getting from just standing there, and left them to it.

...

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