****
senior year, springtime
Cyn bent her head over the textbook and then looking up, scowled at Julia. “This is simple, you're over thinking the stuff.”
Julia was beyond frustrated. She'd flunked lame-ass Algebra II when she was a junior and was on the eve of graduation, still struggling though the concepts. Cyn at her elbow, ramrodding it down her throat wasn't helping the learning curve.
Julia's brows jacked down over her whiskey-colored eyes. “I don't get it! They put the alphabet in math and now it's a big jumble of nothing!” she wailed.
“How in the righteous world did you pass One?”
Julia gave her a sheepish look.
“You're kidding me, right? You cribbed off of Jason?”
“Like when am I gonna use this worthless crap?!” Julia said, throwing her pencil down.
“You're not! That's not the point, Jules. The point is Getting The Grade. We're American, we're not supposed to be the intellectual global force. We just get the degree, then go on to college and get that degree,” she shrugged her shoulders, simple, right?
Julia crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “You don't see what's wrong with that picture?”
“Doesn't matter what I think. I just work the system.”
“Huh, we're nothing but a bunch of sheep, manipulating a broken system.”
“Speaking of manipulating...” Cyn said, a contemplative expression crowding her features.
“Ah-no. I am not going to dress up,” Julia said.
“Listen, we're almost done with this math cram...”
“It's a cram all right,” Julia said.
“Anyway,” Cyn said, drawing the word out dramatically, “this is your last final before graduation. Prom is coming. Let's get you hot and sexy for your man-toy.”
Maybe Julia shouldn't have told Cyn about the secret engagement. But she told Jason if she didn't tell someone she'd burst. Now it was an endless barrage of teasing.
“Jason's not a 'toy', Cyn.”
She scrunched her face. “Okay... ooh, touchy. Calm yourself.”
Julia blew a stray hair away from her forehead. She had to give in to Cyn or she'd be after her ass until she chose a dress.
“Okay!” Julia threw up her hands. “I'll go.”
“That's not good enough. Tell me what I need to hear. You could go and watch me pick out a dress and worm out of everything.” She gave Julia steady green eyes.
Damn, she had her there.
“Okay, I'll try something on and choose a dress for prom. Happy?”
“Repeat after me: It will not be a sack,” she said in her droll way.
Julia fumed. Did she really think she'd pick out some shapeless sheath?
“I do,” she said.
“Hey! I didn't say anything...”
Cyn made a circling motion with her index finger alongside her head. “Saw your wheels turning.”
Huh.
She repeated the sack thing and Cynthia smiled.
Onward and upward.
*
Jason
Jason poked the stick into the fire, mercilessly stabbing the coals, trying to decide if he should put another piece of driftwood on or not. He looked at Jules, talking animatedly with Cyn and Kev and smiled. The hell with it, he'd put on another chunk. She'd wander over here eventually and be colder than a brick of ice.
Couldn't have his girl cold. That was against guy-code. Keep your chick warm, fed and most of all, protected. He let his gaze linger on her. He couldn't believe she'd be his soon. They'd graduate, then get married. His parents would be steamin'-pissed but they'd get over it. It was always what they wanted anyway. He'd been the good boy. He'd done basketball until his body still felt like it was on the court when he laid down on his bed each night. He'd sucked up the grades, played his ass off and helped his girl limp through Math and Science. He smiled, thinking of how much Jules hated the Math-Science grind. He took her profile in, blonde hair that wanted to be red, that damned wool cap covering some of it. Her legs encased in jeans that dragged along the sand and her bright red puffy coat. It was her face above the collar of her jacket that Jason's eyes stroked with love.
Her face. He knew Julia was The One the moment she moved to Homer when she was almost nine. Sullen and alone, living with her aunt, she'd been new with no friends. He'd been a gangly and awkward nine. He'd started as her champion then and never looked back.
Now and forever.
As if sensing his thoughts, Julia turned to look straight at him and a smile broke, her amber eyes like glittering jewels in a face caressed by firelight. Her face asked a question and he gave a slight shake of his head, it's nothing, his look said. She turned away, the ghost of a smile still playing on her lips, then she burst into laughter at some dumb thing Kevin said.
He looked away from her and added two more chunks to the fire. It burned brightly and became hot.
*
Cyn
Cynthia watched the two of them jammed together like sardines and smiled. She was happy for Julia and Jason. They'd been two peas in a pod since fourth grade and Jules'd had it tough, she deserved the happiness. They made a cool couple. Jason was six-foot two and towered over Jules at only five-four but she never seemed short. Cynthia had never met anyone more alive, more independent. It was amazing her Aunt Lily had picked up the torch after Jules' parents passed. Cynthia had to admit that Lily rankled her ass sometimes too. She was so strict on Jules, like she'd ever do anything? Hell, she was a secret prude. She hadn't even done the deed with Jason. Dating three years and nada.
There's willpower for ya!
She looked up through her mascaraed eyelashes at Kevin, her steady and at-hand date for prom and sighed. He was absolutely hot. She wasn't letting him get away. Cynthia had all the titillating details for Jules later. She'd act bored and then listen raptly while she dished on her love life. A slight frown bunched her eyebrows together. She'd have to ride Jules' ass about going to Soldotna and picking out a prom dress. She was insisting on Vegas for the wedding (she was sure to get out of getting a dress). Cynthia did a mental eye-roll. But Jules wasn't getting out of prom. Cynthia had tried to talk Jules out of marriage for shit's sake. I mean, what, she'd been eighteen for six months? What's the rush? Cynthia thought it had something to do with both her parents being killed when she was young. It had really scarred her. She wanted something to hang on to, something tangible and real.
Cynthia wasn't sure getting married at eighteen was the answer. But even she had to admit, she couldn't do wrong with Jason. He worshiped Julia. She looked at the two of them together as she snuggled in next to Kevin and watched Jason touch Jules, cupping her face like a fragile egg as they began to kiss.
“Looks like they've got the right idea, Cyn,” Kevin said, waggling his eyebrows.
Cynthia gave him a mock punch. “You just want to get lucky!”
“There is that,” Kevin replied, only half-joking.
“Ah-huh, that's what I was talking about.”
He dipped his head and gave her a peck on the lips and she turned on the rough driftwood log where they were perched, the warmth of the fire beating against her back and drew him against her. His mouth found hers and they twined themselves against each other. The sky lingered above them as black velvet with stars sprinkled about.
*
dress-up
Julia thought she'd slit her wrists if she had to try one more dress on. She paced the room in a huff. She should have never said yes. Cyn had her dress-napped the instant they came into the boutique. Remember, Fashion Aware. Of course, everything looked good on Cyn. With her tall, lanky frame, she could get away with anything. She'd chosen a shell pink, full length gauzy thing that made her look like a princess.
Or, a queen, judging by the way she was beating the hell out of Julia with her scepter.
“Come on Jules, I'm thinking one more?”
“NO! I promised I'd try on dresses. For you! Now look, what is this... number fifteen?�
��
Cyn had the grace to look ashamed, flashing both hands twice.
“Twenty!” Julia all but shrieked.
“Right. Well... you're totally hard to find something for! I mean, who has your coloring anyway?”
Julia huffed, her eyes taking in the pile of gowns growing in the corners like obscene shrouds. “Okay... one more. Then we pick whatever from the pile!” Julia said, her palm striking out at the material like it was alive.
“Okay. But if you're only gonna try on one more dress, it's going to be green.”
Julia groaned. She hated green.
Cyn brought out her hands in supplication. “I know you hate green but just trust me, K?
*
Cyn
Cynthia insisted on she and Jules going together to prom so they could make their grand entrance and blow the dudes away. She'd also taken the initiative and ragged Julia's ass until she caved and let her do the make-up and hair for both of them. She wasn't letting her bestie into prom with anything resembling hippie chic. Julia was going to look put together and polished if it was the last thing Cynthia did.
Cynthia dug around in her huge purse until she found her makeup bag and dragged it out, throwing it on Julia's vanity with a resounding smack.
Julia eyed it warily. Pointing to it she asked, “what's all that crap in there?”
“Make-you-beautiful-stuff.”
The corners of Julia's mouth turned up. “That's a technical term, right?”
“Hell yeah!” Cynthia enthused with a wink.
Julia sighed, she knew she'd look like a French whore by the time Cyn was done with her but she'd released the reins and Cyn was firmly in charge of Prom Fashion. She had an errant thought wondering about what Jason was up to. Definitely not this.
“Woman-up, Jules! I'm not taking a skin graft or something. Seriously, you act like you've never worn makeup before.”
There was a significant silence.
“Okay, that was sorta lame. You, the makeup queen.”
Julia slouched and Cyn poked her in the back. “Posture, princess.”
Then she set to work. Foundation, powder, eyeliner... false eyelashes.
False eyelashes!
“No way! I am not putting that crap on my own eyelashes.” Julia stared at Cynthia in a huff.
“How about just a few on the outer edge? It'll make your eyes look bigger.”
“They're big enough,” Julia thought, if they were any bigger she'd be a toad.
“They're ginger-colored! You can hardly see them,” she wheedled.
Julia shook her head. “No. Just... put the brown mascara on and be done with it.”
Cynthia sighed, defeated. She made it a point to spend a ton of time on each eye, finally swiveling Julia around in her chair to look at her reflection.
Julia stared.
And stared some more.
A slow smile spread on Cynthia's face. “See, Jules? You're a goddess, who was to know!”
Julia couldn't believe the transformation. The mossy green of the dress set off her hair, making the red in it look like molten champagne. Her eyes sparkled like gold topaz, gems in a pale face with shimmering lips in a pouty apricot. She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
“You can tell me now,” she said, smug.
Julia turned from her reflection and scowled at Cyn.
Cynthia waited.
Well-hell. “You're the greatest.”
Cynthia grinned. “I know, doll-face.”
Julia rolled her eyes. What was Jason going to think of her in this get-up? With the make-up and…. everything? Julia rolled her glossed lip into her teeth and nibbled anxiously.
Jason waited impatiently for Julia to arrive. He knew he should have nixed the lame Plan of the Girls. Them going together! Retarded. He'd let Kevin convince him it was easier not to fight Cynthia.
“Listen man, just let them. I don't want to deal with Cyn when she gets a head-o-steam about girl shit, you feel me?” Kevin had said.
“What's so flaming-ass important that I can't pick Jules up?”
“I told ya, they're putting the masks and garb on.”
“What?” Jason asked, confused. He was already feeling gay in a tux, the bow around his neck was a slowly encroaching noose. He tugged at it again.
“Hey! Don't dick with that, it screws up the gig.”
“What's a gig?” Jason asked, messin' around with the stupid noose.
“It's... damn-man! Leave it alone!” Kevin said, slapping his hand away impatiently. He took either side of the corners of the bow tie and aligned them with Jason's Adam's apple.
There, Kevin thought. He wondered if his ass-hat friend could leave it alone for the next two hours.
Probably not.
“It's a military term... it means to keep all your accessories in line with the middle of your body,” Kevin said in a matter-of-fact way.
“That's great, Kev. I'll sleep better knowing your ramrod dad gave you a few pointers.”
“Hey jag-up, Dad served our country and has a few pearls of wisdom once in awhile.”
“Along with some colorful vocabulary.”
“No shit, right?” Kevin said, totally missing the irony.
Jason smiled and shook his head as they hopped into Kev's car.
They made their way to the last dance they'd ever attend.
*
Jason
Kevin caught sight of Julia and elbowed Jason.
They looked at the girls as they entered the gymnasium where fake acrylic stars danced above their heads like wayward diamonds.
Jason couldn't take his eyes off of her. The breath left his body in one, exhaustive rush.
Jules was drop-dead gorgeous.
Jason knew that people said that all the time about chicks, sometimes dudes even. But Julia floated inside the auditorium on a cloud of emerald vapor, her dress the color of green kissed by autumn... and stunned him into silence.
Her hair looked almost red, its normal gold color boosted by the pine of the dress, her eyes a sparkling gold. They took up half her face.
He still couldn't look away.
She walked toward him slowly and he noticed the dress showcased how curvy she was. She wasn't a twig and she wasn't heavy. Jason took in a shaky breath, his eyes on her hourglass figure as she moved toward him.
He noticed all the other guys were staring at her too and frowned.
Julia reached him just as he put his hands out for her and his face smoothed.
He pulled her closer and leaned down until his jaw brushed her temple. “You're beautiful,” he whispered against her fragrant skin.
Julia knew she looked beautiful.
She didn't need a mirror to tell her.
Jason's eyes told her.
They moved out to the dance floor, their hands knotted together, their gazes locked.
Julia waited in her bed with bated breath. Jason had dropped her off from prom and promised to sneak in her bedroom window later.
Much later.
Aunt Lily had the irritating habit of checking in on her.
Julia clutched her cell in one hand so she could text Jason the instant she did.
She laid on her side for, she swore, ten hours. Finally, Lily opened the door a crack and, seeing that Julia appeared asleep, closed it softly behind her.
Julia let a long breath out, texting Jason.
He must have been waiting outside her house like a good stalker-boyfriend and she let him in as he stumbled from outside the window.
“Damn! I won't miss that anymore. No more nut-cruncher windowsill for me!”
Julia cocked and eyebrow. “We wouldn't want your, ah, nuts crunched. No, that wouldn't do,” Julia said in a low, teasing voice.
“Come here,” Jason said, thinking about how he'd kiss that smirk off her face. She was killing him. Standing there in her pajama bottoms and a cami. Her hair was still loose and curled from prom, the makeup still on.
“Aren't you su
pposed to take all that crap off your face?”
She scrunched her nose in that way he loved and said, “Nah, pillowcase will get rid of it.”
“Really?” Jason asked, grinning. He walked over to her, admiring her in her post-prom glory.
“The dance turned out okay, Jules,” he said softly, bending to kiss the hollow between those sexy bones that intersected her neck.
She nodded, a little breathless as his breath moved over her pulse. She wound her arms around his neck and his lips traveled up to her jaw then made its way to her forehead. He began peppering her face with butterfly kisses, his lashes grazing her skin above his lips. Her breathing became shallower and Jason picked her up and carried her to the bed.
They lay together, head to hip, the heat of their bodies one hot line. He moved against her, his hands on her ribs, kneading her flesh as she wound a leg around his hip, their mouths moving against each other.
His hands traveled and Julia pulled away.
“Jason,” she whispered.
“What?” he said, never breaking from his sensual assault on her. She could hardly breathe, she just wanted... she wanted to finish what they started. But she wanted forever more.
She thought of her parents. Long gone. A thread that tied the fabric of her being together.
He paused and pulled back to look at her face, a sliver of moonlight a pale slash across her eyes.
He saw the expression there and pressed his forehead against hers.
“I know,” he moaned.
“I'm sorry,” Julia whispered. “It's not that I don't trust you.”
“I know,” he repeated against the skin of her forehead.
A lone tear escaped her eye and Jason caught it, staring into those eyes. Those eyes that he'd looked into for a decade.
“I want to be married. It's what my parents would have wanted,” she said and Jason felt her tremble against him. He silently promised to make her first time extra special. It'd be perfect if it killed him.
“You still miss them,” he asked as a statement, tightening his hold on her.
“Every day,” she replied through eyes that had glossed with a sheen of tears.
He smiled. Jason wanted her so damn bad. It wasn't just sex, he could have tapped any mindless alley cat in the school.
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