Julie plopped down into the booth at the diner, about two hours after Adam's announcement.
While getting ready for it, Julie asked if her and Connie were going to go together, but Connie ditched out, saying she told Dwayne and Averman that she'd meet up with them.
So Julie was showing up by herself. She thought that she was running late, after all, Connie rushed out of the room about twenty minutes before she did, but she was the first one. She didn't think much of it, and when she heard the bell, signaling the entrance of a new customer, she looked up.
Right at Russ.
She closed her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat.
He wasn't overly dressed, but he managed to look amazing.
She opened her eyes again, pushing her hair back behind her ears. Russ was now seating himself across from her.
"You know, I knew the others were dumb, but this place isn't that hard to find. I saw them leave almost a half hour ago, but Dwayne was leading the way - you think they got lost?" Russ broke the ice.
Julie laughed, knowing that in his own way - he was complimenting her.
"Think it was planned?" she asked, sipping at her water.
"Maybe. If it was, those guys are my new best friends."
"As to disregard them being your old best friends?"
"Really though," Russ laid his hands on the table. Julie's were neatly folded in her lap.
He continued, "I've been trying to get the nerve to ask you out for dinner," he admitted, bashfully.
Julie smiled genuinely, and pulled her hands from her lap and placed them in his. And she wondered why she gave up Russ in the first place. Matt never made her feel this way. Never did his touch send tingles down her spine. Never did his smile make her weak in the knees.
It was convenience. She missed Russ, and longed to be held. Matt was in the right place at the right time. By the end of the summer, she only wanted to stay because she thought she was going to feel the same loneliness she felt at the beginning of the summer. She was sure Russ had moved on.
But now, as she sat with him in this diner on a night at the end of September, school having been in session for nearly 3 weeks, she realized that he never moved on.
He'd been waiting for her all along.
"I'm happy it's just us two. I don't think I could handle them tonight anyways. I need to unwind, to relax," she squeezed his hands.
"I'm glad you feel you can relax with me."
Julie looked around the diner.
"Hey, since the others are out, you want to grab some Wendy's and head back to the dorms?" she suggested.
"Hell yea JulieCat! Right on!" Russ jumped from his seat, and practically dragged her out the door.
"That movie will never not be funny," Russ slowed his laughter.
"Her freaking huge hair dryer?" Julie chuckled.
"Was it just me, or were you thinking Vespa and Luis would seriously get along?" Russ pushed the rewind button.
"The schwartz?" Julie laughed harder.
Russ burst out again, as he picked up their garbage and threw it into the garbage. He picked up the "Spaceballs" case and placed it on top of the VCR and finally sat down next to Julie, his sides hurting from laughter.
Instinctively, she dropped her head to rest upon his shoulder, "God, I missed this," she sighed.
"I missed you," Russ kissed the top of her forehead.
She grabbed his hand, and never wanted to let go.
Before either of them knew it, they were rolling on the bed, dropping kissed like they were the last ones they'd ever give, their hands exploring like Lewis and Clark.
They were half-naked - Russ in only his boxers, Julie topless, in only her underwear - when Goldberg walked in.
"Holy shit!" he said, staring at Julie and Russ, who were nowhere near being under the covers.
Goldberg turned to talk to whoever was in the hallway, "Guys, it worked!!"
He turned back to the two who were now scrambling to hide beneath the covers - Julie more so than Russ.
"Guys, seriously," Goldberg laughed, "Next time - lock the door."
"You got it Goldielocks!" Russ quipped.
Goldberg made a face at Russ, flipped him off, and then exaggerated locking the door before any of those shouting "Let me through!" and "I wanna see!" could poke their heads through.
"They're gone," Russ said softly.
Julie pulled the blanket down, "I cannot face them ever again," she moaned.
"It was just Goldberg."
"It might as well have been the rest of the team," she reached for her bra.
"Jules, don't go," Russ whispered, as she climbed out, gathering her clothes that had been scattered around the room.
As she buttoned up her shirt, she sat on the bed, "It's nothing personal," she placed a warm hand on his cheek, "I should just get going. I'm tired."
"You could crash here," Russ offered.
Julie smiled.
She could, couldn't she.
"I'll be back, let me change."
Russ jumped up and grabbed an old tee shirt and a pair of boxers, "Here. You can wear these." Russ just didn't want her to leave. He was afraid that if she went back to her room, she'd not want to come back.
He didn't want to lose her again.
Julie looked down at the clothes Russ offered. Laughing, she took them to the bathroom and closed the door.
Julie looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled. She love this, being with Russ. Heck - she loved Russ.
Julie was relieved to see that Connie wasn't in the room when she returned the following morning. She really needed to get started on her work.
She was a good three hours into her work, her biology lab was done, and now she was looking through some books, writing down page numbers of information she thought would be useful for her history paper.
"Julie! You're back!" Connie shouted excitedly, as she entered the room. She dropped her books on the bed, and quickly went over to where Julie sat.
"So, tell me about last night," Connie smiled.
Julie looked up, and just smiled while biting her lip.
"You didn't!"
"No, we didn't, but," Julie leaned back, a faraway look of love in her eyes, "It was great. Connie, I missed him. I really did. And I'm so glad to be back with him."
"Aw, Jules, I'm so happy for you!" she squealed.
Julie smiled wider, if possible, "What about you Connie? Where were you this morning?"
"Ehh, I went to the library, got some work done. I couldn't get any work done here," Connie shrugged, walking to her night stand.
She pulled out a bottle that Julie hadn't seen before, and opened it, shaking one pill into her hand.
"Connie..." Julie frowned.
"Yea?"
Julie nodded towards the pill in Connie's hand. She swallowed it quickly, and shrugged indifferently.
"It's something," Julie protested.
"It's an antidepressant. I started them last June."
Julie paused a moment, letting that information sink in.
She didn't need to ask why, just, "Is it helping?"
Connie sat down, "Sorta," she answered, picking up a book.
Julie nodded, and turned back to her work.
"Do you ever feel like you're alone?" Connie asked randomly.
"No. I've got the team."
"Oh."
"You've got them too."
"I don't know. It seems like, since Guy and I broke up, everyone else kind of like, avoids me."
"No they don't!" Julie was sitting on Connie's bed now, facing her.
Connie shrugged again, "I don't know, I'm just thinking. I know they're there."
Julie rested her hand on Connie's knee.
"How are things between you and Guy?"
"I'm trying. I'm trying to be his friend, I try to talk to him, but he's so, I don't know. Distant."
"Not to be mean or anything, but he could still hold some grudges. I mean, you kind of came out of nowhere with that breakup. I knew it had been coming, but he didn't."
Connie closed her eyes, "I miss him. I miss being with him. And I see the way he looks at others. Sometimes, I wonder if I even cross his mind."
"It may hurt now, but somewhere, somehow, everything's going to turn out alright."
Connie sniffled and lunged for Julie, crying openly into her shoulder.
All she could do was smooth down Connie's long dark hair, and whisper, "It has to."
Julie rushed out of her AP Lit class late, trying to shove her books into her bag, while at the same time, trying not to walk into anyone, and still trying to get to her class on time.
She shrieked when she felt a strong hand grab her arm, and pull her into an empty room.
Instantly, a pair of lips found hers, and she relaxed. She dropped the books she was holding, and brought her arms up around Russ.
"God, I missed you," Russ breathed into her neck, nuzzling her collar bone with his nose.
"I see you every day. Like four times a day," she chuckled.
"Yea, but when was the last time we got to do this?" Russ said, capturing her lips with his own.
"Mmm, too long," Julie moaned into his mouth.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of next period.
"Shit, Russ, I've got to go! I've got class!" Julie tried to wiggle her way out of his arms.
"Cut."
Julie looked at him, as if he just asked her to jump off the Empire State Building.
"Are you crazy? I can't do that."
"Yes you can. It's easy. You just stay in here with me for the period."
"We're gonna get caught, and we're gonna get in trouble."
Russ pouted, "Trust me?"
"I trust you," Julie sighed, caving in. Russ always got his when we he pouted.
"Yay!" Russ cheered quietly, and celebrated by kissing Julie once more.
