Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Juliet

Chapter 4

The next day, Juliet woke up in a good mood. The sun was shining into her bedroom, she could hear a few birds outside, and she felt more rested than she had her entire visit. She felt chipper, and really excited to start the day. She aimlessly wondered what brought on her good mood as she headed to the bathroom to take a shower, but decided not to push her luck.

After she had showered, dressed, and eaten a quick breakfast, she grabbed Steve by the arm and bounded out of the door, heading in the direction of the Curtis house. Steve was still chewing the last bite of his cereal as he asked, "What's with the rush, sis?" Juliet shrugged and said, "Just didn't want to waste any more time indoors! It's a beautiful day, don't you think?"

Steve responded quickly, "Yeah, it is…of course, we're heading to the Curtis's…and that's indoors…"

"Oh, I have no plans of sitting in the Curtis's living room all day! We're going to get them out and about!"

"What's gotten into to you, Jules? You're…not like yourself."

"How so?" She smiled at him.

"You're just not usually this…happy…"

"Are you saying I'm a depressed slob all of the time?" She playfully hit his shoulder.

He grimaced slightly and chuckled before replying, "No, you're not always a Debbie Downer…but I've never seen you so like a…a…Happy Harry!"

Juliet laughed and said, "A what?"

"You know…a Happy Harry…like Debbie Downer only…not sad…"

Juliet laughed and rolled her eyes, opening the front gate at the Curtis house. She leaped up the stairs and pulled open the door, calling out, "Oh, Curtis boys!"

She stopped dead on her tracks, and her good mood sank to the floor, when she saw Dallas Winston sitting on the couch, smirking at her.

Juliet composed herself as Steve came through the door behind her and said, "Where's everyone?"

Dallas shrugged and replied, "Not sure. I think Soda's still asleep. Or, he was until that wake up call a few minutes ago." He smirked at Juliet, who promptly blushed and headed through the room towards the kitchen. She heard Dallas and Steve strike up a conversation as she crossed over the linoleum threshold. There, she saw Darryl standing in front of the stove, wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She cleared her throat so he'd know she was behind him. He immediately turned, smiled, and said to her, "Good morning, Jules! You want some bacon?" He motioned to the frying pan he was standing in front of.

She shook her head and responded, "No, thanks, Darry. I already ate."

"Oh, come on, Julie. I've seen you eat before. You don't ever stop." He smiled at her.

She laughed shortly and said dryly, "Yeah, well, I just lost my appetite."

He stared at her, confused at her remark, turned the heat down on the stove and sat at the kitchen table, motioning for her to do the same. After she had sat across from him, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She sighed and said, "I don't really know. I woke up in this great mood…"

"And you walked in here and suddenly you're not...?" She nodded, and Darry appeared to be thinking. Suddenly he asked, "Would your sudden bad mood have stemmed from who was in the living room?"

Juliet blushed again, which Darryl look as an affirmation. He asked, "What's going on between you and Dallas?"

She replied quickly, "Nothing! Nothing at all! I just…I don't like him, so my mood got shot down when I saw he was here is all…"

Darry looked at skeptically, as if he didn't believe her story. However, he seemed to sense that she didn't want to talk, so he stood up and said, "You know I'm here if you want to talk, Jules." He smiled a genuine smile at her and went over to the closed door leading off from the kitchen. He knocked a few times and called out, "Soda? It's time to get up!" Juliet heard a muffled reply from the bedroom and smiled slightly.

She sighed and stood, saying to Darry, "I'm going to go for a walk. It's too gorgeous out to be indoors. I'll come back over later, and we can all go play football or something in the lot. Okay?" He smiled at her, and she turned around, walking back through the living room. She waved at Steve and continued out the door before he could ask where she was going.

She reached the sidewalk and paused, thinking about where her destination should be, and wishing she could find that good mood again. It had been such a calming, hopeful feeling. She took a deep breath, and a tiny glimmer of the enthusiasm with which she had woken up with drifted back towards her. She smiled and started across the street, heading towards the lot. She had barely reached the other curb when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned quickly and saw none other than Dallas Winston standing in front of her, grinning like a stupid idiot.

When Juliet came walking into that door, Dally's first reaction was surprise, and it quickly turned into that same feeling he always got when he looked at her. It was a warming sensation in his stomach, and it immediately made him happy. Her smile, spread wide across her face, was such a radiant sight, he hated that it fell as soon as she saw him. And then it turned to a scowl as she quickly composed herself from the shock of seeing him.

And then she was heading to the kitchen, and Steve was plopping onto the couch next to him, asking him some question. He barely listened as Steve rattled on and on, answering politely, or nodding his head at the appropriate time. He just couldn't focus on Steve's words…all he could think about was how quickly her beautiful smile and changed into a deep frown at the sight of him. He didn't understand her hatred of him. He'd been nothing but nice to her, hadn't he? I mean, I couldn't be a little sweetheart when the gang was around. That'd make me look like a wuss! So, he'd acted like he normally did around her, all the while thinking about those gorgeous eyes, and that soft, shiny hair.

It seemed like no time had passed until Juliet came strolling back through the door, careful not to look at him, but waving at her brother. And then she was out the front door, and he could hear her footsteps on the porch steps. Without even thinking, he stood up and headed towards the door. Steve called out behind him, "Where you going, Dally?"

Without turning around, he called back, "I'm gonna go check on Johnny. Make sure he's not beat up too bad." He didn't look to see if Steve bought his story, and he didn't care.

In the next instant, the door was closed behind him and he was trotting down the sidewalk, watching her walk across the street. And then he was tapping her on the shoulder, smiling and hoping to see her smile back at him.

Juliet stared at him for a moment before finally asking, "Can I help you?"

"I was just wondering where you were going. You hurried out so quickly, I didn't get a chance to ask." He smiled widely at her, but she refused to smile back.

"I'm going to the lot."

"What for?"

"Just felt like walking! Is that okay with you?"

He shrugged before replying, "You mind if I walk with you?"

She rolled her eyes and started to turn away, "Yes, I would mind." She started walking away, thinking, 'The nerve of him!' He stood there for a moment, before taking off after her.

He caught up to her quickly and said, "Good thing I don't take 'No' for an answer, huh?"

She sighed and asked, "What do you want from me, Dallas?" She said his name as if acid were pouring out of her mouth. She couldn't stand him, and she didn't care if he knew it or not.

"I just want to talk to you, Jules."

She stopped and cried out, "Don't call me Jules!" He stopped, and slowly turned to her. He didn't say anything, and Juliet lost it, "You have been nothing but a jerk to me the entire time I've been here! I did nothing to you, and you treat me as if I'm the scum beneath your feet when everyone's around! And then, you're going to try and be nice to me when we're alone? You're going to try and be friendly with me and call me Jules? I don't think so! I'm done!" She stormed off ahead of him quickly, cursing under her breath. She prayed to God he didn't follow her, afraid she would lash out even more against him.

Then, from behind her, she heard him call out, "Will you just talk to me?"

She paused, but didn't turn around, calling back, "What is there to talk about?"

She heard his footsteps getting closer to her, but she still refused to give him the satisfaction of turning around. She could feel tears of anger springing towards her eyes, but she wouldn't let him see her cry. Never would she let Dallas Winston see her cry.

He reached the spot she had stopped at, and faced her. He looked into her eyes, and her heart melted. He said, "I'm sorry, Juliet."

"And I'm supposed to believe that because…?"

"I mean it. I don't apologize very often, I'm too stubborn. But here I am, saying that I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't be such a jerk."

She thought for a moment. He sounded sincere, and she could feel herself breaking beneath those dark as night eyes. Before she could think any further, she said, "Apology accepted. Can I go now?"

"Will you let me walk with you?" She nodded slowly, but folded her arms across her chest as she stepped around him and continued walking. He followed her quickly.

They walked in silence for a minute, Juliet trying to regain her composure and rebuild the defensive walls that had started to crumble when he stared at her. Finally he turned his head to look at her and asked, "Why'd you come back to Tulsa?"

She was surprised at his question, but responded, "Um, well…I just…wasn't happy in Texas anymore. My dad was never around, the neighborhood was just…not good. And I missed Steve."

He nodded and said, "Those are good reasons."

"Um…thank you?"

He laughed slightly, then quickly turned his head to look ahead of them, his face turning into a mask of stone. She studied his profile. He had strong, sharp features. His nose was pointed, and his jaw line was pronounced. There was nothing soft about the face of Dallas Winston. Juliet doubted if there anything soft about him at all. He suddenly turned back to her and said mockingly, "It's not polite to stare." She blushed and smiled before turning her face away, staring at the playground at the far corner of the lot. She could feel Dallas smiling next to her.

They paused in their walking and stood at the far edge of the lot, both casting long looks across the field. Dallas suddenly turned to her and asked, "Why do you hate me?"

She was stunned. She turned to face him, taking a step back, and replied, "I don't hate you."

"Then how come you frown whenever you look at me?"

"Well, I mean—" She suddenly stopped, hearing her name being called. She looked around, and finally found the source of the calling behind Dally's shoulder. Mark was a little ways down the filed, strolling towards them, calling out her name and smiling. She raised her hand and waved. Dallas turned around and asked her, "Who's that?"

"That's Mark."

Dallas was quiet as Mark reached them. He gave a small nod to Dallas before looking at Juliet, smiling again and saying, "Hey, Jules." Dallas immediately felt a rush of heat through his entire body. He can call her Jules, but I can't? Who the hell is this guy?

Juliet answered him, "Hey, Mark. How are you?"

"I'm good, just taking another walk around the neighborhood, trying to get away from Mom's constant nagging." He laughed before continuing, "Funny seeing you out here again." He shot a glance towards Dallas, who had remained silent, staring at Mark with the most obvious contempt. Juliet quickly said, "Mark, this is Dallas. Dallas, this is Mark. He just moved in down the street from me."

Mark stuck his hand out towards Dallas, who reached out and shook Mark's hand quickly. The boys exchanged serious looks. He could tell that Mark knew Dallas wasn't someone he should mess with. Mark turned back to Juliet and tried to strike up a conversation, and she answered him politely.

After a few minutes of listening to them talk and being silent, Dallas interrupted them, "I'm going to Johnny's. I'll talk to you later, Juliet."

She replied, "You don't have to go, Dallas."

Dallas shot a pointed look at Mark, who glared smugly and said, "Yeah, stick around for a little while."

Dallas returned the glare and said, "Thanks, but no thanks. See you later." He turned and walked away, fuming.

Juliet stood there, next to Mark, and watched him walk away, wishing he would come back. She didn't understand why she wanted him to talk to him so bad, but there it is. She turned and looked at Mark, who was watching Dallas walk away with a definite look of victory on his face.

He finally turned back to Juliet and said, "So, now that he's gone, you wanna go for a walk?"

Juliet remained still. She turned to look back at where Dallas had disappeared. Finally, she responded, "Maybe some other time, Mark. I've…got some things to do." She felt guilty as his face fell, but she walked away anyway.

By the time she reached the sidewalk again, she couldn't figure out which way Dallas had gone. She could see Johnny's house from where she was, and he was no where near it. She sighed and continued on straight back to the Curtis's house.

AN:

Note #1: So, it's a little bit short. But I mean, I just wrote it! I started writing at 11, and now it's midnight and I'm updating! So, all in all, I think it's an alright length. Not a very long space of time, but lots of important stuff!

Note #2: Like the caveman display at the end? Dallas and Mark silently facing off there? I liked it.

Note #3: I tried to put in some of Dallas's POV into this chapter. I started off just wanting Juliet's POV and her thoughts in the story, but then I decided I wanted you to get a taste of what Dally was thinking. Let me know if you like, and I'll consider adding in more of his thoughts.

Note #4: Thanks to my amazing reviewers! You guys make me smile, and make me feel really good about this story!

Note #5: PLEASE REVIEW! Reviewing keeps my morale up, which makes me want to write more, which results in more updates! So, PLEASE review and tell me what you think, what you want to happen, what you don't like so far, and all of that jazz. Thanks!!

Love always,
DC