Chapter 10

The Short Documentary

"Oh fuck—Julia," Eli gasped. "I want you so bad." He moaned again as his penis stretched inside her, and this time, Julia was sure his parents would wake up.

"Shh!" She hissed, not sure he even heard her protests.

They'd both woken up that morning at a little past seven and were excited to be with each other. Julia and Eli hadn't been intimate in a couple of days, and it was starting to become evident to the two of them that an itch needed scratching.

Removing the black pajama top she still had on, Julia freed her breasts and tossed her shirt behind her. Running out of time and feverish for more skin-on-skin contact, she clawed at Eli's pajama shirt as well. Julia couldn't recall ever being this primal with any other sexual relationship. Usually, she just let boys fumble about, and it ended up working out in her favor from time to time. However, with Eli, she just needed as much of the dark-haired teen as she could get, and that scared her.

Sitting upright on his full-framed bed, Eli hungrily kissed the crook of her neck and remained there. He took pleasure in sucking and nibbling on her soft skin, his hot breath causing goosebumps to rise. He hoped a hickey didn't form, but he made no conscious effort to stop himself either. Julia bit down on her lip, trying to suppress a moan from escaping as she collapsed down on his pelvis again and again. The exquisite feeling of him entering her with each rise and fall coursed through her body, making her quiver.

Her hands were placed on his warm shoulders to give her better leverage, but she removed them to take his face instead. If he was kissing her, then he couldn't make more noise. They were engulfed in one another, their mouths opening wide from pure ecstasy as their tongues danced. Their hot breath hitting each other's faces. Eli's arms were wrapped around her waist now, holding her close to only get deeper and deeper inside her. With each thrust of their bodies, they worked cohesively to achieve the same result.

"Are you close?" the dark-haired teen managed to ask breathlessly. His hair looked disheveled and wild from his nighttime sleep. She took a moment to look into his tentative green eyes, removing a loose curl from his forehead.

"Oh—yeah," Julia answered, barely audible. She proceeded to close her eyes, mouth agape in enjoyment as well as concentration. She could feel the pressure in her pelvis swelling like a balloon soon to pop in pleasure. "Fuck me, Eli—oh my god."

This time it was Eli's turn to freak out about their noise level. Their parents were going to figure out what they were doing at this rate. Covering her mouth with his hand, he could feel her body stiffen and jolt as she moaned in the back of her throat. Thoroughly pleased with himself that she came first, he pressed her down gently on the bed.

"Get on all fours," he softly commanded. Having his girlfriend do so, he got a great view of her ass, recalling Julia's statement: "I didn't know you were an ass guy." He smirked at the thought. Pressing the length of his penis inside her once more, caused her body to stiffen slightly as she let out a soft gasp.

"Oh god—Julia," he grunted, thrusting inside her while her round ass pressed back on his pelvis again and again. "Tell me to fuck you." He cocked his head back, fluttering his eyes closed.

His raven-haired girlfriend didn't skip a beat, obeying her partner's wants. "Fuck me—fuck me harder," she whispered, like a fervent prayer. The sound of her voice was doing all the right things he needed. Grasping onto her thighs for more leverage, he pumped inside her a couple more times, finally releasing himself.

"Ugh," he intensely groaned.

Eli collapsed beside her, plastering the same state of bliss expression Julia had on. They stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, basking in their orgasmic state. Compared to Julia's past encounters, every sex experience didn't always end in satisfaction, yet it came naturally between them. The nude girl wished to stay on Eli's skull sheets forever, but the nagging notion of school was in the back of her mind, pestering her.

Eli was the first to break the silence. "I like morning quickies," he said with a tug on his lips.

"Uh-huh—I'm sure you do! C'mon, loverboy, we're gonna be late for school."

After getting ready as fast as possible, both seniors rushed downstairs for morning coffee and a bit of toast. Julia gulped down the dark brown liquid while Eli packed his in a to-go cup.

"Aren't you heathens gonna be late," Bullfrog grumbled, wiping his eyes from the morning fatigue. Julia jumped at the sound of his deep voice. Her cheeks reddened at the notion that he might know what she and Eli did merely minutes ago, upstairs.

"We might make it if you give us a ride in your Mustang," Eli suggested nonchalantly, his eyebrows proposed. If he was at all concerned that his parents knew what they were up to, then he didn't show it. He was calm and collected. His body leaned against the kitchen counter, bringing his coffee to his lips.

Bullfrog wiggled his finger no. "No way, kid! I'm beat from the studio—besides, that's what Morty is for."

"Worth a try," the dark-haired teen mumbled.

"Morning, Mr. Goldsworthy," Julia added awkwardly, fidgeting on the strap to her messenger bag. She still wasn't used to the dynamic with Eli's parents. She and Eli barely knew each other when they decided to start going out just last week. Then at the same time, she got shoved right into the Goldsworthy household due to her circumstance. Her boyfriend's parents were friendly, offered her things without Julia ever having to ask, and tried to get to know her, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was an invading mooch in their lives. Almost as if at any minute, they would grow tired of her and decide they no longer wanted to entertain the freeloader in their home. In the meantime, Julia merely wanted to be as polite as possible while being as invisible as possible. She needed to camouflage till New York.

"Jules, how many times do I have to ask—"

"Sorry—Morning, Bullfrog," she corrected herself, wincing. "I left some extra coffee in the pot for you and Mrs.—I mean—Cece!"

"Thanks," Bullfrog stated, eyeing the pot hungrily, "You're more considerate than this damn hooligan." He bobbed his head toward his son.

"Hey!" Eli protested.

"—Alright, get to school so I can make out with my hot wife." The burly man wavered the two teens out of the kitchen as he walked straight to the coffee.

"Phew! We made it with ten minutes to spare," Eli spoke from the comfort of the hearse. They were parked in the Degrassi parking lot.

Julia was quiet and lost in thought.

Pressing his head against the seat rest, he eyed his girlfriend as she took in her appearance in the car mirror. "Hey," he called to her, trying to get her attention. "Can I ask you something?"

She mindlessly ran her fingers through her black bangs, primping them. "Eli, we can't make out this morning—"

"—What? No. It's nothing like that," the teen boy argued. Julia's face softened, turning to give him her full attention. She found him intensely analyzing her with his dazzling soft eyes. For a second, her heart leaped forward, thinking he was going to ask something intrusive about her previous school—

"Does it hurt when you go on your tip-toes when you dance?" His eyebrows furrowed, trying to imagine what it felt like.

With a sigh of relief, Julia placed a light smirk on her lips, bemused by his question. "It's called going on pointe," she corrected. "It definitely hurts every time. It's not excruciating, but we are dancing on our toes after all," she explained, "there are ways to make it more comfortable though…like toe pads or lambswool."

Eli was taking in the information while more questions entered his mind as she talked. That's when it hit him.

"—I'VE GOT IT!"

Startled by his sudden proclamation, she held her hand to her heart, now beating a mile a minute. Julia raised an annoyed eyebrow at her boyfriend as if to say, 'was the yelling necessary.'

He didn't even notice her distress. "How many people actually know about ballet and all these little back-end intricacies? The ins and outs?" He asked quickly.

The teen girl shrugged her shoulders, still clutching at her chest. She'd never thought about the knowledge regular people had about her art. Always having been immersed in the world, she just assumed ballet was self-explanatory to the masses.

"I've got the perfect idea for my next movie project—or should I say—my short documentary." His face lit up with excitement, but he failed to capture his girlfriend's growing hesitance as she pieced together what he meant. Her doe-like eyes were screaming with anxiety.

"Eli, I don't know…." She lightly shook her head. The need to protest was building at the tip of her tongue.

"C'mon, it'll be great," he persuaded, "I'll be the director so you don't have to feel weird. You can come to me with any concerns or needs—plus, it'll look great for NYU and Julliard. We can probably both send this in!" His mind flooded with ideas for the project and the types of shots he'd want to get. Adrenaline started to pump through his veins, excited over the promise of starting something new with infinite potential.

Julia chewed on the corner of her mouth. She had been ready to let go of ballet after what happened at her old school; however, there was a tempting offer dangling in front of her. The dancer admitted that it would probably be good for her career if Julia wanted to continue with ballet. But the negative pendulum of thoughts swung the other way when she remembered how rusty she was. Julia hadn't practiced at all for three weeks. That was an eternity in the dance world, let alone the discipline that was ballet. And if that were the case, then she definitely didn't want any professional or scout watching this short documentary. What would Madame Delphine say about her dancing now that she was so out of practice…

"Can I think about it some more and get back to you?" Julia offered instead, concern written across her face. The morning coffee started working through her bloodstream, causing her heart to beat quickly. Eli was only adding to her anxiety.

"Sure," the teen boy reassured. Eli reached out and took her hands in his, raising them to his lips and placing a gentle kiss. "No pressure." The teen boy was oblivious to her panic.

During a later period, Eli was tapping his pen away in excitement at the thought of his new film project being about the love of his life while also doing the thing he loved most. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be so fortunate. Nothing could bring him down, not even Cambel Saunders, Becky Baker, or her creep brother…

"It's really good to see you sooo giddy! Eek!" Imogen pulled up a chair next to his friend during their free period at the library.

He had his notebook out, trying to structure camera shots and angle ideas. He'd never shot a person dancing and calculated what would be the best way to capture the beauty of Julia doing ballet while resonating that on screen.

"Hey, Imy." The teen was smiling ear to ear. "Things have never been better," he shrugged nonchalantly, putting his pen down.

"That is so good," Imogen reiterated, reaching out to his shoulder and giving it a good squeeze.

"I haven't felt this happy in such a long time…" he added, "Julia really gets me, you know?"

"Aww." The quirky girl stared at him bright-eyed and cupped her face with both hands. "How long have you been going out now?"

"It's been like a week and a half, but we've gone through so much as a couple. It's only made us that much closer," the teen in all black elaborated. Eli was excited to finally get all this news off his chest. People knew about their coupling by now, but he hadn't spilled his feelings to anyone. Not even his parents.

"Ooooh—how so?" Imogen squeaked, "tell me more Goldsworthy."

His heart swelled, causing an infectious smile to form. "Well, Julia learned about my bipolar right away and didn't care…."

"I told her I loved her…."

"She's moved in with my family and me till the end of the school year…."

"We're moving to New York together after graduation…."

Imogen's face fell the more and more he spoke about him and Julia, concern starting to wash over her like a tidal wave. Red flags were flashing in the back of her mind, causing flashbacks to their previous romantic relationship. The way he yelled, broke her camera, accused her of things she wasn't doing, mortified her, and invaded her privacy.

"Friend…umm…don't you think you're moving kinda fast?" She aired on the side of caution, not wanting to set him off if he was going through something.

"What—no way!"

"It just seems like a lot in such a short period…."

"Yeah, because we were forced together so quickly, but it's only made us stronger for it," the dark-haired boy reiterated. "I really think we can get through anything…."

She could see there was no getting through to him once his mind was set. The quirky girl just hoped there was wiggle room to help him if he was starting to show signs of being manic.

"Just be careful…ok," Imogen added before Eli started feverishly scribbling in his notebook again. He never did notice his ex-girlfriend's worried glances.

During Julia's day at Degrassi, she had trouble concentrating during all her classes. For one, she hasn't had the best night's rest at the Goldsworthy's. The dark-haired girl was grateful she had somewhere to go at night to rest her head, but Eli's full-sized mattress wasn't the most comfortable. Plus, he hogged the bed often, leaving her with the most uncomfortable sliver. Some nights it made her miss seeing her step-brother's messy side of the old room they shared. Julia tried her hardest not to doze off during Mr. Perino's history lesson, but eventually, it was too hard to fight it off.

During a passing period, Luke walked up beside her with his hockey friends, only to taunt her. That didn't help improve her mood.

"Ouch!" Julia complained, rubbing her shoulder where the tall jock assaulted.

"Whoops—Sorry slut!" Luke announced. He high-fived his closest hockey buddy before returning his attention to Julia again. He marveled at the fact that she was alone. "I don't see your theater freak boyfriend anywhere."

For a split second, Julia didn't know whether she should hit or yell insults at him for being an ass. Luke took a step closer to her, instinctively making her muscles tense. She fought the urge to retreat from him, holding her ground against the jock.

"Keeping that mouth shut, I see—not like the night we met. You wanted my dick so bad. I just had to say no to your desperate ass."

"Ooooh!" His jock friends all said in unison, high-fiving each other.
People around their orbit that managed to catch what Luke said just stood there and watched her with judgment spewing out of their eyes. He was painting her out to be a slut. Immediately, Julia's cheeks flushed red because what he said wasn't technically a lie. She did want to hook up with him the night they met. Technically, the raven-haired girl would've hooked up with anyone that night, given her state of being. Somehow she thought that was even worse to admit. That notion most definitely proved she's a slut.

Embarrassment and rage coursing through her, she finally found the words to retaliate. "Don't feel so special! I would've fucked anyone that night, loser! The most action you'll get is from your own hand!" More audible 'oohs' came from the witnesses gathered around the confrontation. Jock vs. Goth girl. Pushing passed Luke with all her might, she hurried off to her next period, her vision becoming blurred as her neck flushed with heat.
I would've fucked anyone that night kept ringing in her ear, making her think of Eli. What if it hadn't been him? The thought freaked her out more because she couldn't picture life without the dark-haired boy.

By the time Math rolled around, she was having such a bad day that she didn't feel like being chatty with Katie. Julia didn't mind the black-fringed girl…until now.

"Hey, I heard you're actually going out with Eli Goldsworthy?"

What's that supposed to mean?

Julia raised an eyebrow at her conversation starter. She shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, I guess so…." Julia furiously continued to scribble the notes coach Armstrong had left on the board, trying not to get behind. Katie didn't say anything right away as she scrawled down the notes too. Eventually, she whispered again.

"Just be careful. I heard Eli broke up with this one girl last semester and went ballistic. He seems crazy."

Julia huffed out air through her nostrils in frustration. She didn't talk with her math classmate again that period and ignored her after the bell rang. The teen girl gathered her items lazily and shoved them into her bag. If there was something she was getting tired of, it was people telling her what to do and being judged. But on top of it all, she was tired of the pushback.

Why does everything in my life have to be so hard?

The threat of ballet being taken from her life due to financial reasons always dangled in front of her for as long as she could remember. Julia recalled how challenging the process of enrolling her in the fancy dance school had been. But she fought that uphill battle with every tooth and nail. Once she got in, every day was blood, sweat, tears, and fear of injury just to try and be with the best of the best. And where did that get her?

Nowhere.

Eli was the one good thing in a long time that effortlessly landed on her lap and just seemed to work. Even if he was a little weird and struggled mentally…he loved her. Not even Julia's own family's love came so easily, recalling the fact that she was homeless and hadn't heard back from any of her father's text messages she's been sending since she left.

Her eyesight started to get blurry as she walked in no specific direction.

"Hey! Jules!" Eli called out to her in a sea of Degrassi students. He had a bright smile that looked excited to see her even if it was only a couple hours ago they were in such close proximity.

Tears filled her eyes instantly and stream-lined down her cheeks. She couldn't help but rush to him and envelop him in a hug. Julia desperately needed his warmth as she clung to him. Burying her face into his smooth neck, she hid safely from the rest of the world. Awkwardly standing in the middle of foot traffic, he placed a soft hand on her hair, his other hand landing on her back. Worry was instilled in him, but the growing need to protect her was instinctive. He hummed, smoothing down her raven hair.

"Julia—what's wrong?"

"I'll do it," Julia answered with a shaky breath as she pressed deeper into his chest. The sound of his voice broke her down even more. He was the only person in her corner rooting for her and their relationship. The least she could do was repay him by being in the film project he seemed so excited about. The raven-haired girl wanted to be there for him too.

Eli pushed her enough to see her face. She looked defeated, which caused him concern. When he left her that morning, she was fine.

Julia promptly reached up with her long black sleeve shirt to wipe away her tears. She was glad she didn't have time to put on any bit of makeup that morning.

"—I want to do your short documentary. I think it'll be great because you're great, and I trust you," Julia said with more confidence, sidetracking Eli.

Her boyfriend was still a little hesitant at first, eyeing her for what felt like forever. But mere moments later, there was a change in his body language. Her words were sinking in him. All at once, he jolted with a thrill that made Julia forget the stupid day she was having. He was contagious, his excitement vibrating through him. The petite girl couldn't help but giggle at his passion.

"Project Pointe Shoe is a go," Eli cheered, picking up Julia without warning and spinning her around. The teen girl was so shocked that she gave an audible yelp. Eli didn't look strong, even if she wasn't heavy. Other students stopped to stare at their commotion.

"Goldsworthy! Put me down!" Julia exclaimed in glee, her neck starting to flush with heat.

"—Alright," he laughed, placing her back down. Instead, he reached for her chin and kissed her once, twice, and a third time. Each kiss was softer and more gentle than the last. It left Julia breathless and dizzy.

"Before we embark on our project together…," he said lowly in her ear, "I want you to meet a good friend of mine."

"Umm...Can't wait!" She replied with a fake smile. Julia just hoped it wasn't Imogen. Her boyfriend put an arm around the small of her back and led her into the cafeteria.

Julia finally met Eli's friend Adam. So far, meeting her boyfriend's friends was either awkward, or they showed no interest in wanting to get to know her. However, Adam was different. He listened, made jokes, and actually asked questions. However, every once and a while, Julia would catch a glint of something. Almost like a veil falling from his facade. Eli never noticed, as he just retold stories of their fighting bullies adventures.

"So then, how did you guys meet," Julia asked with intrigue to both boys sitting at the cafeteria table.

"Let's just say Eli was there for me since day one at Degrassi. Plus, we bonded over Dead Hand of course," Adam explained. Eli was beaming as he reached across the table to fist bump his friend. Julia pressed her knuckle to her chin, recalling the night she rode in the dark-haired teen's hearse and found the Dead Hand CD on the floor of his car. She smiled, the familiarity looming over her.

Eyeing the boy sitting across from her, she took in his light brown hair. It was chopped, short, and laid down very properly. His features were handsome and, at the same time, androgynous. The way Adam carried himself was just so carefree and open. She found that refreshing and cute about him.

I swear there must be something in the water, she thought.

"So how did you two love birds meet? Was Eli all broody and emo?" Adam joked, changing his voice to sound more down and moody. Julia giggled.

"Opposed to your approach of what exactly?" Eli pushed back.

"If I recall, there was a little bit of booze, yelling, and kissing to keep it pg-13," Julia added.

Eli made a chuckling noise in agreement next to her. "Out of all the places we met at a Lakehurst party? You'd think it'd at least be a Degrassi party."

Adams' eyes quickly filled with concern. He stared at Eli with his eyebrows furrowed. "—Drew told me about that party. What was that? Like two weeks ago?"

"Sounds about right…." Julia turned to look at her boyfriend, who was now avoiding their gazes.

"Y-yeah—give or take. I mean, who's really keeping track, right?" The teen dressed in all black started to fiddle with his guitar pick necklace. He turned it over in his fingers. Forward and backward.

Julia let out a hesitant sigh, picking up on the change in mood. The air around them grew thicker, and she didn't even know why. That was the worst part. It was like she was missing something.

Adam's chest expanded, taking in a larger breath. "So then…," he paused, "was that the day of the incident. The day that—the day you found—" He struggled to find the words.

Eli brought his fist down on the table, his jaw clenched. The two other teens jumped, startling both Julia and Adam. His eyes had gone dark, and his pupils widened in remembrance. "I'm so sick and tired of people bringing up that day."

"—We're just concerned," Adam tried to intervene, "we care about you."

His best friend's words set him off even more. "We," Eli repeated, his eyes widened in disbelief. He let out a scoff right after.

"Well yeah…Fiona and Imogen—"

"I wanted you to meet my girlfriend because you're one of my closest friends, but now I know I can't trust any of you to have my back," Eli spewed, reaching for Julia's hand underneath the table. He grasped onto it tightly. She winced.

Eli shifted in his seat. "If any of you actually cared, then you would stop having me relive that moment again and again and again!" He yelled, bringing his other unused hand to his temple.

Julia's eyes were glued to her boyfriend, making her heart race. He was acting irrationally about something she had no knowledge of. He was happy and twirling her only moments ago, and now he was yelling in the cafeteria, in utter distress. People were already staring.

What happened the day I met Eli?

Julia could only recall the events of her horrible day before she met the weird teen. She cringed and lowered her gaze in shame.

Adam opened his mouth to say something, darting his eyes between Julia and Eli for a resolution. Finally, Eli got up from where he was seated, letting go of Julia's hand. He left without any warning, exiting the cafeteria without glancing back. Julia and Adam were forced into an awkward silence, neither knowing where to go from what just happened. They were both still complete strangers.