"Greg!" Julia gasped when Nick and her walked into their classroom. Without much thought she left Nick's side and burst into Greg's arms. "I haven't seen you since last school year!" Greg, slightly shocked and surprised by the outburst, eventually hugged Julia back.
Nick watched a moment, but finally moved to a open seat in the back corner, letting Julia ditch him right on the spot.
"I know," Greg replied, feeling much better seeing Julia back away, "I had to go out to Colorado. My grandmother needed extra care and both my mom and dad were too busy to go and help her out." He smiled at her and then glanced back at the guy he had just seen her walk in with. "New boyfriend?"
Julia made a face and took an empty seat next to her friend. "No! He just helped me this morning with my car. It broke down in front of the coffee shop I meet Cassie at." Greg nodded, and finally took his own seat. "Wow, so you went to Colorado? Is your grandmother okay now?"
He didn't answer at first. Leaving a silence settling between them, with the exception of the chattering of the other students. "She passed away last Friday." Julia felt guilty and looked away. She had never known what it was to lose someone she loved. After all her mother did die when she was giving birth to her, so she never got to know her.
"I'm sorry."
"No, don't be." Greg suddenly caught her gaze. "She wouldn't people to feel sorry for her death, she was as Christian as your Mom, and she had a strong faith." Julia bit her lip and nodded. It frustrated her when she heard how much of a strong faith her mother had. Especially because she didn't even know where her own idea of religion stood.
"Well, I guess I'll start handing out schedules now," the teachers voice suddenly came from the front of the classroom, dragging Julia from her thoughts. She sat straighter and shifted in her seat as names were beginning to be called out.
Once or twice she caught herself taking a few glances toward Nick, who seemed to be looking at her just as much. "Nick Brookes!" the teacher called, causing Julia to look once more. She watched him raise his hand and signal the teacher's attention. Watching the way his movements were almost smoothly done.
"Julia Carter!" she suddenly sat up, realizing she had been staring at Nick for the past few minutes. "Julia Carter, last call!"
"Here---I'm---I'm over here!" The teacher turned and walked over to Julia handing over her schedule. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, trying to shake this feeling running through her. Immediately she began to run her eyes over the schedule, not wanting to find them wandering back to Nick. The idea frightened her.
As she began to scan over her year's classes, she was glad to find her free period after lunch and was hoping that one of her friends shared the same time off. Ring! A shuffling of students and the end bell caught her attention as she gathered her books and headed for the door. She glanced down at her schedule one last time to verify where her first period class was going to be and then found herself almost searching for Nick as she slowly made way out the door. However, as she finally exited she realized she missed him.
Why he was on her mind for the next three periods, Julia didn't know. His eyes, hair, features, the way his body seemed to move with different gestures, was all running through her head. Even when she tried desperately to ask stupid questions to her teacher to take him off her mind, it didn't work. Somehow his face drifted back into her memory, the way she had caught him glimpsing her way more then once.
The thought of him was nearly driving her insane! She was the girl who had thought falling in love was just a downfall in the end. Who had learned at an early age that love wasn't really worth it if heartbreaks were bound meant to happen. And lately she had noticed that falling in love was just a lame excuse to sleep with someone. So why was this guy suddenly taking over her mind?
He was nothing that grabbed her attention, or at least he shouldn't have been anything. Wasn't this the same guy she had assumed had a girlfriend, and partied, drank and smoked? Julia eventually was able to get a clear mind, but it wasn't going to last for very long...
"Oh my god! Julia, you have to give me the details!" Cassie burst out when she found her friend in the cafeteria.
"What details, there aren't any."
"Come on! I saw that hot guy looking at your car! Did anything go on between you two?" Cassie was all excited and driving Julia crazy. She was always the one who needed to know everything about every guy Julia came in contact with.
"Of course not!" Julia countered, "And why didn't you wait for me? I would have much preferred your ride instead of his!" She watched her friend give a face in disgust and followed her quietly to an empty table.
"You really need to wake up, Julia. How are you ever supposed to fall in love if you don't take chances? I mean this guy could be your future husband or something!" Julia rolled her eyes and looked away, but Cassie wasn't finished with her speech yet. "Really! Can you prove me wrong?"
"You've read to many of those romances, Cassie," Julia commented.
"You say it like it's a bad thing."
"It is when you start making statements like that! Cassie, the novels lie to you! Their not real!" Cassie laughed sarcastically and began to open her milk she received with her lunch.
"Of course their not real, that's why there fiction."
"Exactly. That's all love is. It's fiction." Cassie grew quiet and began to munch on her bag of chips. Julia waited and wanted a comment, but it didn't come. No sarcastic comeback, no defense, just nothing.
"This is about your Dad and your mom dying, isn't it?" Cassie's voice was hushed, as if she was being cautious on the subject. Julia didn't answer; she wasn't prepared for the question. "Love is taking a chance, otherwise you'll miss it. You've told me before how your Dad really believed he loved your mom. Why can't you believe it?"
"Because, if there really was love, shouldn't God keep the two people together for as long as they live?"
"Tough question. But, nothing lasts forever, you just need to take the time you're given and use it to your best advantage." Cassie sounded almost like she knew what she was talking about as she stated this last thing. Julia wasn't even sure how to respond when Cassie let out her final word.
It was true, nothing lasts forever, however that brought her back to the same place she started. What is the point? If you know nothing lasts forever, why even bother with staying with someone? You know you'll lose them eventually, so why risk the hurt?
"Hey!" A sudden, deep, familiar voice rang out in the middle of her thoughts, bringing Julia's focus in on Nick Brookes. Her heart almost flipped with nerves, but she calmed them before they got the better of her.
"Oh---hi," she stumbled over her words. She meant to glance at her friend for support, yet Cassie was already gathering her stuff.
"I'll leave you two alone, see you Julia!" Then she was gone, disappearing in the crowd of students. Julia nervously pushed her hair behind her ear and tried everything she could to keep her eyes from his.
"Sorry about his morning. I kind of ditched you, huh?" She caught a glimpse of his eyes and they were covered in hurt.
"Oh, well, I guess you can say that."
"Look, I'm sorry, it was very rude of me, especially after you helped me and --," she never got to finish.
"Well, I understand." He paused a moment, "Was he your boyfriend?" Immediately she shook her head, surprised by such a question.
"No, not at all! He's just a good friend. That's all."
Nick's mood lifted nearly immediately, and an unexpected smile spread over his face. "That's great! Look, would you like to go out with me this Saturday night?" Julia's eyes widened, realizing that she was just being asked out on a date.
She didn't know how to respond. Trying to gather her thoughts for an answer, Cassie's speech kept ringing in her ear.
You really need to wake up, Julia
This guy might be your future husband or something!
Love is taking a chance; otherwise you'll miss it.
"You know, this might sound crazy, but you've been on my mind all morning," Nick's voice cut in again when Julia was yet to answer. "So, what do you say? Would you like to go out with me?"
Although she knew she was thinking about him all morning, another part of her, the part that had always sheltered her heart, stepped forward in protection mode. Remembering yet another thing that Cassie had said.
Nothing lasts forever.
"You know, I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though." Slowly, Julia stood up from the cafeteria bench and gathered her barely touched food. "I need to meet up with one of my friends, I'll guess I'll talk to you later. Bye."
A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for all your reviews so far! Sorry I didn't update for this past week, like I said I was camping. But I hope you like this chapter! Plz review and tell me what you think.
