Part 3- Gravitation

May 12, 1999

"Alex, I'll miss you while you're in Paris," Julia whined playfully. It was Friday afternoon, and they were in his kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator to find food. She pulled out a can of whipped cream and dabbed some on Alex's nose. Alex snatched the can from her and he smeared a glob of whipped cream on her face.

Why was Julia Jensen at Alex Browning's when she should be at Tim Carpenter's, though? Nora Carpenter had found out about Julia getting Tim into the habit of smoking, and to make matters worse she found out that Tim had lost his virginity to Julia at age 14. She hadn't forbade them from seeing each other, but Julia was too embarrassed to show her face at Tim's house, and she was furious that he had leaked that information after they had made a pact not to tell. Therefore, Julia the Irate high-tailed it to Alex's house, looking for a little consolation- and Reddi-Wip.

Alex and the Senior class would be flying to Paris tomorrow for their Senior trip. This upset her a great deal, for she was quite attached to Alex, and couldn't stand being away from him for ten days.

Still, she was at Alex's and they were literally thisclose to abandoning all reasoning and holding a hot 'n heavy make out session on the kitchen table or his bed, whichever they stumbled into first. The whipped cream was still wiped across their faces. Alex kissed Julia as if he was trying to get all of the sweet fluff off of her. Julia turned a bright red shade and her expression changed from elation to anger. She kissed him on the forehead.

"I can't do this."

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"After he did that to you, you still love him? Julie, what is wrong with you!"

"I don't know."

Julia sprinted to Tim's house and threw a pebble at his window. It may have been seven in the morning, but she wanted to speak to him without anyone else knowing. He opened his window and looked down at Julia. Wordlessly, he beckoned for her to come inside. She used the back door and edged up to his room. When she came in, there was an enormous posterboard with the words "I'm Sorry Julia" painted on them in her favorite color, red. In Tim's other hand was a rose. Julia broke down into a fit of tears. She threw her arms around Tim and they sat on the bed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Tim stroked her head.

"I should be sorry for telling her everything."

"Are we still on?"

"Yeah."

"I love you, Timmy."

"Love you too, Julie. I missed you."

Julia wanted nothing more than to be held, and she got what she wanted that night. They simply laid down on the bed and slept until Julia woke up at ten-something, realizing she had to go home. Julia shook Tim awake.

"What's the matter?"

"It's ten. I have to go."

"Why?"

"I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep," she said quietly, kissing his forehead and tucking him in. Tim laughed and Julia turned out the lights.

"Goodnight," he said groggily. Julia sidled out of the back door and dashed home. On the way back, she contemplated the ways she could break things off with Alex, knowing it would be the most painful thing she would ever do.

The next morning, she scurried to Alex's at about nine, so she could say goodbye. She had gymnastics practice with Katie that night from seven to ten, so they went to the arena early to get a head start. While Julia was practicing her floor exercise routine, the rest of the girls crowded around a radio. Ariele (better known as Aree) Marsh, a pretty blonde girl in their class was crying her eyes out.

"What's going on?" Julia asked Katie.

"The flight that the Seniors were on crashed," Katie explained.

"My sister Christa was on that plane!" Aree sobbed. Then it hit Julia like a ton of bricks- Alex was dead, too. She sat down on the mats and held her head in her hands. She cried until Jennifer picked her up. She stole a rose from the fresh flowers her mother always had arranged in the foyer and stole away from home to Alex's house. Once there, she gave Alex's mother the rose. She looked surprised and startled.

"Julia, Alex is upstairs. I'm not sure he'll want any company, but you're welcome to go see." Julia dashed up to Alex's room and knocked on his door. He was laying down but he told her to come in.

"I heard."

"Julia, please promise me that whatever you may hear, you won't let me down."

"Why would I let you down?"

"You're going to hear some shit that will make you wanna turn your back on me. Julia, you're one of my best friends. Don't turn me away."

"Alex, I won't leave you."

Julia knew that by saying this she had just placed herself in a most awkward position. Still, she didn't want to end the relationship with Tim. She loved them both too much. She knelt down at Alex's bedside and kissed him.

"I have to go now."

"Julia, wait."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Alex."

Julia walked home in the pouring rain that disguised her tears. A week later was Tim's fifteenth birthday. It was, however, lamentable, because his birthday had to fall amid all these fatalities. Julia surprised him by showing up early and cooking breakfast. She made pancakes and all the works and then sauntered up to Tim's room. She popped in a CD and turned it up. She sang along to the classic Aretha Franklin song until Tim woke up.

"Happy birthday," she said. Tim smiled and then smelled the delicious scent of bacon.

"Who cooked?" he asked.

"I did. I hope you're hungry," she laughed.

"I am." They went downstairs to the kitchen and Nora was awake (she had let Julia in, as it was their idea to do this), sipping a coffee, reading the paper.

"Happy birthday, Timmy."

"Thanks, mom. Julie, I don't know how you did this, but..."

"Well, first I mixed up pancake batter, if you care to know."

They ate almost all of the food, then went out and to pick up some games and movies. When they came back, Nora surprised Tim with 100 dollars and a new CD: Silverchair. Tim had been a fan before, and wanted their new CD. He opened it and looked at Julia, for he knew it was her idea.

"Thanks, you guys," he said. Julia realized that today they had been given a break from all the gloom. It seemed that the mood had shifted from mourning to happy too quickly, though, so that chill in the air still hung around, waiting to claim a few more.

Thirty-nine days later, a memorial service was held for the victims of Flight 180. Julia sat up toward the front with Tim, and placed a red rose at the altar. She saw Aree Marsh with her parents, mourning the loss of Christa. She looked in the other direction to see Alex talking to a dark haired girl.

The next day, Julia and Tim were sitting in his living room watching the television, when Diana Jensen called from work.

"Julia, I have terrible news. Terry died in an accident this morning."

"Wha?... Huh? How? Why!"

"Julie, I'm so sorry. A bus hit her. The funeral's going to be on Friday. We're taking your Aunt and Uncle dinner tonight. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna be fine. Have you told Jennifer yet?"

"I called her and she was in class. No, she doesn't know yet."

"Okay."

Diana said goodbye and hung up and Julia laid the phone down. Nora came into the room.

"Was that your mom?"

"Yeah," Julia said, holding back her tears.

"Julie, what's wrong?" Nora asked. Julia told her about Terry and she sat down to offer a consoling shoulder to cry on. Tim put his arm around Julia and she wept.

"You ever get the feeling that something happened that wasn't supposed to happen?" she asked openly.

"Yeah," Tim said. Nora didn't say anything. She knew Tim would speak for her on this one.

"My dad died when I was eleven. He had cancer. I think he wouldn't have gotten cancer if he hadn't been around all those X-Rays. He was, you know, an X-Ray technician at the old hospital."

"Belleview?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"I went there when I broke my leg. I had an X-Ray done. Was your dad blonde?"

"Yes."

"He was really softspoken, I remember."

"You met my father?"

"I didn't know it then," Julia said. Nora was silently weeping in the corner. The memory of Andy Carpenter, her husband of what would have been eighteen years, broke her heart.

"Tim looks just like him. He was a great man," Nora said, breaking her silence.

"Dad was great. He always played baseball with me after school for an hour, then he'd help me with my homework."

"My dad used to do that with my brother, but I think after Jennifer and I came along, he lost his nerve."

Julia silenced herself at that. She'd never said that before... not even to Katie. She soon after changed into her pajamas and laid down. Tim laid down with her and felt her rhythmic breathing. She was already asleep. Somewhere past midnight, he could swear he heard her cry.

There was an underlying grim feeling in the atmosphere, as if Death itself was in the very same room, looming around, lurking around, unseen... unknown.

At Terry's funeral, the coffin was closed. Carter Horton, her longtime boyfriend, was looking very pale and disturbed. Tim held onto Julia, because she could cry at any given moment. Julia gave Carter a hug even though they had never liked each other.

"Thanks, Julia."

"Anytime."

Julia and Tim went their separate ways that night. When she was presumed to be safe inside her bedroom, she slipped into Jennifer's.

"I need you to cover for me."

"Where are you going now?" Jennifer asked, looking up from her bridal catalog.

"I have to talk to Alex. Can you at least cover for me?"

"Twice in one month. Are you going for a record?"

"Jen, please!"

"Okay... but it'll cost ya, Juliebean."

"How much?"

"Five bucks."

"Done. Here," she said, pulling five dollars from her purse.

"I'll tell them you're at Katie's if they ask."

"Thanks."

Julia slipped out of her own window and raced to Alex's in the torrential rain. Her heart was pounding when she reached his doorstep. She knocked and waited. Alex's father answered the door.

"Come in, Julia. What brings you here?"

"I need to speak with Alex."

Alex, meanwhile, heard the raspy, throaty voice that belonged to Julia Jensen. He opened his door and crept downstairs. He rummaged through a linen closet and found Julia a towel, for she was soaked.

"Come upstairs, I can get you some dry clothes."

"Please... I'm freezing..." she said, shivering. Her teeth were chattering until Alex fetched her some coffee. He sat her on his bed and wrapped her in the blankets.

"It's sixty-some degrees out, and it's raining. Why'd you sneak out in the pouring rain?"

"I.. had to ask you something."

"Telephone, Julie."

"No, I need to speak to you in person. It's about Terry."

"What?"

"You said she got off the plane, and then a bus hits her. It's not natural. It doesn't seem like a coincidence to me."

"It wasn't a coincidence. Death has a design. Bear with me, because this is confusing. She was meant to die on that plane. When we got off, after I saw the crsah, it fucked up Death's plan. Now it's coming back to tie up the loose ends. You with me so far?"

"So far."

"Now, the survivors are dying in the exact order they were supposed to die in the crash. That means-"

"I know... you're on the list. Alex... you can stop this. You know so much about it that I think you can stop this."

"Julia, I can't. I can try, but I can't stop this."

"Alex... what do you mean, you saw the crash?" Julia said on the verge of tears. She knew deep down she loved Alex, and this news was disturbing. She lit a cigarette and handed Alex one. He lit it and kissed Julia's cheek.

"I saw the crash before it happened. Don't ask," he said, touching her hands; they were cold and clammy. She was shaking. Julia knew better than to give in to this seduction... but at the moment, she didn't care. Alex and Julia let whatever feelings they had concealed become known. They played around for a while until Julia realized what she was doing- cheating for a second time.

"Oh my God..." she whispered.

"Julia, I'm sorry."

"No, Alex. I'm the sorry one. I wasn't trying to lead you on. I'm.. sorry."

"The rain's let up. You want a ride home?"

"My parents think I'm at Katie's."

"Oh. An umbrella, at least?"

"I'm only walking back to Heatherfields."

"That's a mile away!"

"I know. Good thing I'm athletic."

"Are you sure? From Mayfair to Heatherfields is a long walk!"

"I'm sure, Alex. I'll see you later."

Julia ran all the way back from his neighborhood to hers in under fifteen minutes. Her house at 1464 Edinburgh Drive was sleeping. It was nine and she was sneaking in presumably early. Her mother was at work and her father was asleep- luckily. Jennifer was home, but so was Evan, her self-centered fiance. Julia waltzed in on the makeout session being held on the couch.

"Get a room!" she shouted, masking the hurt underneath a smile. She ran up to her room and put on her pajamas, and subsequently fell asleep, but woke up at almost one in the morning. She had dreamt that she was on Flight 180, and that she had died in the crash. She pinched herself so she would fully wake up. She knew it was just a dream, but it felt so real. Then she thought for a moment, "What if it WAS real? Like Alex's?"

End of Part 3