Shelf #010

A little later, at Max and Bella's conservatory, they sat at the dining table enjoying their hearty dinner. Bella turned to Julie.

"So Julie-san. What do you think of the guinea fowl?" she asked, taking her wine glass. Julie shyly flashed her smile. She whispered only Bella could hear. Bella had to lean forward to hear her.

"Umm. . I'm actually a vegetarian," she said.

"Oh God."

Max appeared with another batch of sauce on a saucer.

"How's the guinea fowl, Julie-san?" he asked. He set down the sauce on the table. "You like it?"

She caught Bella's eyes and looked up at Max. She flashed him a warm smile.

"Best guinea fowl I've ever tasted, Max-san."

Moving on through the evening, they were very relaxed, as they ate their dinner. They shared jokes here and there, a few teasing. . . A few seconds of watching the evening going really great. . Julie was taking this in to heart –– real close friends, relaxed with each other –– easy teasing among them with no hard feelings, compared to two-faced people around her in the industry. These people on the dinning table were just the best, with Kuu among them. It all made it into a dream-like picture of her with close friends. . . This was her first time. . . . And Max surprised Honey with a cute, big cake. . . Then she opened all her presents and first wore Lory's unsuitable hat.

"Cus, I love you much baby! Mwah-mwah!" Honey teased, wearing the hat.

Julie watched Kuu laughing at something and then putting his head in his hands in mock shame. That was the most genuine laugh she had ever seen in Kuu. . He looked so cute, really handsome. Honey showed Bella her new coat, posing cutely in front of them as they looked on laughing. . . Kuu placed Julie's gift, a precious sparkling necklace, around Honey's neck. Filled with so much joy and happiness, Honey jumped off from her seat, and gave Julie a hug then a kiss on the cheek. . .

Then, after that hearty, enjoyable dinner, coffee time came in late evening. The group were still gathered relaxing at the dinning table which was now a bit empty. Only a big plate of brownies and their cup of tea.

"Having you here, Julie, firmly establishes what I've long suspected, that we really are the most desperate hot of under-achievers," Max said in the midst of laughter. He took a big bite of his brownie. Great that it was Bella who actually baked them. It tasted even better than Max's guinea fowl.

"Shame!" Lory said, taking a bite of his own. He passed the big plate next to Kuu beside him.

"Well. I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Max said. "I think it's something we should take pride in. . ."

As the big plate was passed around, brownies being taken one after another, until there was only one brownie left. The big plate finally came back to him with the little one.

"I'm going to give this last cutie brownie, as a prize to the saddest act here."

A little pause came as everyone took their bites. Then Kuu turned and looked at Lory.

"Cus," Kuu said, breaking the silence. Now everyone laughed.

"Well, obviously it's me, isn't it?" Lory started. "I worked in the city in a job I don't understand and everyone keeps getting promoted above me. I haven't had girlfriends since. . . puberty –– even if I could give my world of love to all of them but they didn't. . and, well, the long and short of it is, nobody fancies me, even if I fancy them. . If I don't get any richer, they never will. And I dreamed of getting rich someday so they'll come back to me. And those who fired me I'm gonna offer them big at my own company. I'll interview them but I'm not gonna hire them."

"Nonsense. . . All that just for love. I actually fancy you, Cus," Honey teased, taking a few smokes.

"Yeah, really? You're not high?"

Julie almost choked on her tea. Others laughed.

"Or I did before you got so far as to get thinner almost every week."

"You see –– and unless I'm much mistaken, your job still pays you a rather a lot more money," Max said. "While Honey-chan here, she earns nothing flogging her guts out at Portobello's seediest record store. But still making clothes enough to fit the entire Imperial Palace."

"Yes. And I don't have enough hair –– I've got feathers, and I've got funny goggly eyes but still pretty blue like Oniisama's, and I'm attracted easily to cruel men and. . . . nobody ever fancies me because my boosies have actually started shrinking."

"You see – incredibly sad," Max said.

"On the other hand, her best friend is Julienna Scott," Bella started.

"That's true, I can't deny it," Honey said, beaming at Julie across her. She patted her cigarette on a small ash tray. "She needs me. . What can I say?"

"And most of her limbs work," Bella said. "Whereas I'm stuck in this thing day and night, in a house full of ramps. And to add insult to injury –– I've totally given up smoking, my favourite thing, and the truth is. . . We can't have a baby."

Dead silence filled the air all of a sudden. Kuu, Lory and Honey never heard of this news until now. It must be hard on Bella to keep this until the proper time.

"Bella-san," Kuu said. She just shrugged her shoulders.

Lory was totally grief-struck. "No. Not true, Bell. . ."

Keeping a few tears from falling, which it didn't stayed much longer on her eyes and now streamed freely, Bella wiped them. "C'est la vie. . . We're lucky in lots of ways, but. . . surely it's worth a brownie."

Kuu reached for her hand. Max broke the somber mood in this room.

"Well, I don't know. Look at Kuu-kun. Very unsuccessful professionally. Divorced. Used to be handsome, more than me and Lory's faces put together. And I really mean–– like truly, utterly, naturally handsome before, now kind of squidgy around the edges –– and absolutely certain never to hear from Julienna again after she's heard that his nickname at school–"

"– was Floppy," Lory and Max spoke in loud unison.

They all laugh. Julie smiled across Kuu. He caught her eyes and held it for a moment.

"So I get the brownie?" Kuu asked.

"I think you do, yes," Lory said. Kuu rose a bit and took the brownie from the center of the table.

"Wait a minute. What about me?" Julie started. Kuu stopped. He was inches from the brownie.

Max turned to her. "I'm sorry? You think you deserve the brownie. . ."

Lory and Honey looked on while happily chewing on their brownie. Julie felt they shouldn't tempt her with that satisfying face, teasing her.

"Well. . . a shot at it, at least," Julie said.

"You'll have to prove it," Kuu said. "That is a really great brownie in the world baked by the best cook Bella-san here, you know. And I'm going to fight for it. State your claim."

"Well, I've been on a diet since I was nineteen, which means basically I've been hungry for a decade. I've had a sequence of not nice boyfriends – one of whom actually hit me. Recently. Thrice. . . "

There were grief-stricken eyes fixed on her. That moment, Julie caught Kuu's eyes. The remembered scene of her being hit by her recent man flashed on her mind. Her eyes tried to keep the tears in. She successfully did than Bella.

"One, on my body. Twice, on each side of my face. . . Held me really tight on both my arms, and almost threw me on the floor. . Such actions my father and mother never even laid a hand on. . ."

Staring at Kuu, Julie saw they weren't sparkling anymore, warm, but she saw a sudden hint of revenge flame flickered in them.

"And. . Every time my heart gets broken, it gets splashed across the newspapers as entertainment. . . Meantime, it cost millions to get me looking like this. . . as if nothing was ever done with it."

"Really?" Honey asked. Julie silently pointed her finger to the top part of her cheek, then to the side. While she said this, quiet settled around the table. The honest thing was, she sort of meant it and was for the first time, opening up only to them. Not even to Yashiro nor Jeremy.

"Really –– and with my skin too, to erase those bruises. And one day, not long from now. . My looks will go, they'll find out I can't act and model anymore, and I'll become a sad, middle-aged woman who looks a bit like someone who was famous for a while."

Silence again filled this room. For a moment they sat there staring at Julie, really quiet. They all looked at her. Then. Lory hit it.

"Nah! Nice try, gogeous –– really fabulous, but you don't fool anyone in here!"

"Naaah!" Max and Honey teased.

The mood was instantly broken. They all laugh heartily.

"Pathetic effort to hog the brownie," Kuu said, quickly grabbed the brownie as if his life depended on it.

Julie laughed, still staring at Kuu. He took a good bite, and chewed. For a brief moment, he smiled, stared back at her, then he winked.

Finally, it was late in the evening. Kuu and Julie decided to leave. They were all at the living room.

"That was such a great evening," Julie said with a warm smile. She felt at home here that she thought she wanted to stay longer. But she had to go. "The greatest I've ever had, honestly."

"I'm delighted," Max said. He held out his hand to shake. Julie took it, and kissed him on the cheek. Max stumbled back with joy.

"I promise I'll come back here sometime," Julie said. "And may I say that's such a gorgeous tie."

"Now you're lying."

Max was enjoying this. He loved it.

"You're right. I told you I was bad at acting," Julie said with a giggle. She turned to kiss Bella on the cheek.

"Lovely to meet you, Bella-san," Julie said. "I wish to get a brownie somehow."

"And you. Don't worry, when you come here I'll bake extras just for you," Bella said. "I'll wait till you've gone before I tell him you're a vegetarian."

Max could hardly believe it.

"No!"

Julie laughed, now turning to Honey who stood near the corridor.

"Night, night, Honey-chan," Julie said, kissing Honey on the cheek.

"I'm so sorry about the loo thing," Honey said. "I meant to leave but I just. . . look, ring me if you need someone to go shopping with. I know lots of cheap places. . . not that money necessarily. . ."

She finally gave up. It didn't work now. "Nice to meet you, Julie-san."

And Honey gave her a hug.

"You too –– from now on, you're my style guru," Julie said. "I'll tell Jelly, Chris, Gio and Alex they should see you. I'll ring Lina too. She should get to know you."

Honey blinked. The rest also couldn't believed it. Did she meant Jelly Woods? The world's most famous make-up artist? The Witch? And who's Chris? Bella could only think of Christian Dior. And Gio, surely she talked about Giorgio Armani, right? And was Alex, the Alexander McQueen? And was she talking about Lina Davenport just now? That Japan's top model?

"Really? Oh that sounds so wonderful, Julie! Sure!" Honey beamed excitedly. "Sure! Call me!"

"See you again."

Julie and Kuu then headed out. Lory tried to save some dignity as he stood at the corridor.

"Love your work, Julie. And all the clothes you endorsed," Lory said.

They all moved to the door and waved goodbye.

Max held the door for Kuu and Julie to got out. The two stepped outside, waving their friends farewell. The moment the door closed behind them, Julie and Kuu could hear from the inside, massive and hysterical screams and laughter of friends letting out their true feelings.

Kuu was a little embarassed. Julie couldn't believe her ears. She was so surprised that she covered her mouth and turned towards the door. They both laughed.

It was so funny for Julie. Their genuine friends were so hysterical behind that door. It was so loud, really loud that it seem their shrieks and screams could shatter glass in a second.

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