Rating: T. Well, at times it may be T anyway. This chapter is more PG-ish. Slight language.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything involving Bend it Like Beckham, unfortunately. They belong to other lovely folks.
Summary: It's a story about having some fun, and the romance that starts between Jules and Jess, and how they fall for each other despite everything they have to deal with first to realize it.
Feedback: I love feedback, and would greatly appreciate it.
Author's Note: I've been trying to update this as frequently as possible. However, I hardly ever have anyone actually review this story. I had two people review since the last time I posted a new chapter, and yet there are 133 hits at the moment on that chapter alone. Something doesn't match up. So, as sorry as I am to say this, because I enjoy writing this story and wish to continue writing it until it's complete; if I don't start to get reviews, then I'm not sure how much longer I will update this story. I'm not trying to be rude, but if you read a story, and you like it…It doesn't take very long to review, so please do so. (And if you don't like a story, well, why would you still be reading it?) Thank you, and thank you to those of you who do actually review this story. I really appreciate it. Enjoy.
Jess bit at her lower lip and switched her weight from one leg to the other hoping that this action would somehow make her think of a good answer. Jess couldn't exactly tell Jules that she was there because, well, she really wasn't completely sure why she was there herself. Somehow, that didn't seem like a very decent answer, nor did that she simply missed her. It seemed almost inappropriate to just say that she was in the neighborhood, because it was obviously more than that. So, she simply sighed.
Jules didn't seem to take that as a real answer because she simply raised an eyebrow at the other girl in waiting. "I," Jess began, "was in the neighborhood." Meanwhile, she shut her eyes momentarily cursing her mind. Hell, she had just promised herself not to use that line.
Jules finally broke into a bit of a smile, but quickly tried to hide it. "You were in the neighborhood? For what?"
Jess looked at her feet, then at Jules, who still wasn't looking at her. "You." She realized how that sounded, and tried to take it back, but her mouth just seemed to continue on without her because it knew that she had to explain even if her mind didn't want to.
"Jules," Jess began, for she had decided that it was always good to try to get the blonde's attention before beginning what could lead to a long conversation. "We have to talk…about what happened in Germany. We didn't kiss or anything. Well, he kissed my cheek, like you would a mate or something though! I swear I didn't know you fancied him or anything. I don't like him like that, honestly." Jess took a deep breath. Wow, that was hard to try to have said all in one breath. That was hard to have said anyway.
"We're friends. We weren't kissing each other on the balcony outside of the club." Out of all of the things that she could pick out of that conversation, that's the part that Jules decided to start with. She's not really sure why, but it made her feel jealous that she wasn't the one with Jess. Wait, she meant, that she wasn't the one with Joe. At least, that's who it's suppose to be according to most people. A girl and a guy. A guy and a girl. The common couple. Then again, she never really was most people, and certainly not common. She was one of a kind.
Jess stood silently for a moment bewildered at Jules' reaction. Jules must really be in love with Joe to react that oddly. "I didn't know you loved him." Short and simple. Jess wasn't sure how far she really wanted to delve into this subject because she was afraid of what she would say. She really wasn't sure what she would say actually, and that's what scared her.
"I don't fancy Joe." Jules' mother chose that particular moment to begin up the stairs with the tea. Her daughter…was fighting about a boy? Wait. She was fighting about a boy to another girl, and at this point she wasn't sure if it was because her daughter was in love with the guy, or with the girl. At first, she had automatically assumed that both girls loved the boy.
"What? But, the way you reacted, you looked heartbroken…you…you…" Jess opened her mouth to talk, but instead she ended up just staring at the blonde. She had given Jules the opportunity to jump in and share her feelings for Joe, but she hadn't. Instead, she was sitting on her bed looking at Jess as if she was incredibly dense. "Well, I do fancy someone." The blonde took a deep breath then looked back up at Jess, finally meeting her eyes. "It's, well, actually someone really important to me." Jules closed her eyes for a moment, and thought this through. She wasn't even sure what she was admitting to, or what she was trying to explain.
Jess allows her face to light up in happiness for the other girl. "That's great," she replied, but instantly a dread settled over the dark-haired girl, and she ended up with a lump in her throat that seemed to not want to allow her to talk. She should be happy that her friend fancied someone. Jules, for her part, looked immediately bewildered and, perhaps even saddened, by her friend's reaction.
Mrs. Paxton just couldn't wait any longer, and instantly burst into the room with the tea. She felt bad for eavesdropping. "So, Jules, honey, I just couldn't help but hear a bit of that…" She began, and instantly both girls moved their eyes from the other towards her. "I really didn't mean to overhear," she carefully side-stepped around using the word 'eavesdrop' in this conversation, "but, you fancy someone?"
Jules groaned. "Mom, how long have you been standing there exactly?" She was now really glad that she hadn't tried to explain anything to Jess.
"Oh, just a few moments, really, Jules. Do you think I would purposely listen in on you talking to one of your mates?" Jules looked prepared to answer, but her mom intercepted it. "That's a rhetorical question, so you know. Just, who is it? Is it Jason? Because, I saw him with this red-haired girl again last night…different girl than before even. If it's him…really honey, why didn't you just date him before now?"
"Mom!" Jules practically shrieked. She didn't care about Jason. She didn't care who Jason was shagging. The one person she cared about was standing in that room listening to her mother talk about the latest guy that her mom was trying to hook her up with. Something was wrong with this picture. "I told you. I don't give a…" and a strong look from her mother caused her to change her words. "I don't care who Jason is shagging. He can shag whoever he damn-well pleases." Jules began to get irritated because she really just needed to talk to Jess at this point. Why was it becoming so difficult to have time alone with someone when it was most needed?
"If you would just talk to him some more," Mrs. Paxton began before shaking her head at her daughter's expression. Perhaps she just wasn't ready to talk about this, she decided, or else…Well, no need to consider 'what else' quite yet. Her daughter was not into girls in any sense of the word 'into'. "Fine, you go ahead and have your talk with your friend…I'll just be downstairs if you need me though." Jules listened for the footsteps of her mother walking down the stairs before focusing back on Jess.
"I'm sorry," Jules immediately began.
"It's not your fault that she's…overly anxious about your life. She's as curious as I am." Jess replied as she shrugged.
"You're curious?" Jules looked up at the dark eyes before her. She could just tell her that she was in love with her. The worst that could happen was that Jess didn't feel the same way.
Jess nodded and chuckled nervously. "Of course," she replied before pausing and continuing, "I'm curious to see who my best friend likes." Then, she looked away from the beautiful eyes that were still staring at her from the bed. She was Indian. She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. "Jules, I have to go," and with that, Jess flew down the stairs past an over-eager mother and a doting father as a certain blonde girl sat on her bed looking at the space from where her best friend had just fled. It took the blonde a few moments to rise from her stupor, and then she was immediately down the stairs after Jess who was already out of sight. She had to find her.
"Perhaps her friend likes Jason too?" Her mother asked ever so quietly to her husband. He reached his arm lovingly around his wife as their daughter took off in search of, well, something. Though, perhaps it was only for one of those runs that she always seemed to take daily. They tried to convince themselves of that, but somehow, it just didn't quite click into the right place.