I jumped from my seat. I came to them, and heard Julie laugh at something her mom said. They stopped walking as we met each other, and Julie's mom gave me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry we took so long. You don't mind taking Julie home, do you?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “I don't mind. What did they say?” I asked, knowing my words were coming out quickly, but I was just so nervous. Seeing Julie fall wasn't something I planned to take too lightly.
Julie looked to her mom, and then she met my eyes with a soft smile. “They drew blood, but I think they're leaning toward exhaustion,” she told me.
Julie's mom frowned at Julie. There was a moment when she looked tempted to add something else, but she didn't. She chose to smile softly at me. “I've got to get back to work. I'll tell Liam so you can get her home,” she told me. “Bye, Falon.”
“Bye, Mrs. Michaels,” I told her, and only took a second to watch her leave before turning to Julie again. “Exhaustion? That causes you to pass out,” I asked.
She nodded and started walking. “Of course, silly. I told them I was an insomniac, plus the exams, and everything else, they told me just to take it easy,” she told me.
I stopped walking. “Is there something you're not telling me?” I asked her. She stopped walking too, and turned around.
Julie shook her head and came to me, leaning up to kiss me softly. “I'm fine. Just tired,” she whispered.
“You know, you kissing me doesn't make me blind,” I told her.
“I thought love was blind?” she asked, smiling as she kissed me again. She reached for my hand, and started walking again.
“Not stupid though. You're not telling me something,” I told her.
She stopped again, once we were outside. She sighed, and turned around, meeting my eyes. “There's nothing to worry about, Falon. I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor, and if there's anything else going on, you'll be the first person I tell, okay?” she asked.
“But you will go to the doctor?” I asked her.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yes, I will go to the doctor. Happy?” she asked.
I smiled and shrugged. “Satisfied. I'll be happy when I believe you,” I told her.
Julie reached up to kiss me again, and then we walked to the car, and got inside. I drove her to her house, and parked at the curb. She unbuckled her seat belt and looked to me.
“You're not coming in?” she asked.
I raised a brow. “Your mom said rest. We both know you won't do that if I stay,” I told her. We both knew that was true, but Julie looked adamant about it.
“Please? I promise I'll go to sleep. I just want you to stay until I do,” she begged, pouting out her bottom lip.
I rolled my eyes and turned the car off, falling for her pout everytime. I couldn't help myself. She was too adorable for me to say no, and honestly, I usually was just waiting for a reason to agree with her.
“You're a cheater,” I told her, and stepped out of the car as she was laughing. She got out on her own, but I went to her side anyway. I held to her waist, for two reasons.
One, I wanted to make sure she didn't get dizzy and fall.
Two, who would pass up the opportunity to hold on to someone they loved? An idiot, and I was trying my best not to be one again.
We walked into the house, and I knew no one would be there yet. That was another good reason for me to stay. Her dad would be home in about half an hour. Leaving her alone was always a bad idea.
Julie moved my hand from around her waist to her hand, and she started upstairs with me.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“My room,” she said softly. “I'm not going to sleep on the couch.”
My mouth felt dry. Going into a girl's room usually meant one thing, and that idea sent chills both amazing and terrifying up my spine.
We walked up the stairs, and then Julie lead me toward a door down the hall. I had never been upstairs, so I didn't know where anything was. I just looked at the passing photos until Julie opened a door and released my hand.
“I'm going to change. Make yourself comfortable,” she said, smiling as she opened a door inside her room and disappeared inside. It wasn't too difficult to figure out that she had her own bathroom.
I closed the door behind me, and then opened it again, just a crack. I wasn't sure if closing meant I was trying to send her signals, or even if not closing it was.
Things could go either way.
I chose to keep it cracked, and walked farther into her room. I stared at the light purple walls, with her Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn posters combating the Nirvana and Ray Lamontagne posters. She had a bookcase that stood from the floor to ceiling with the most random of titles. Most were paperbacks, with rippled spines from being flipped back due to reading. The few hardbacks were without jackets.
I walked to her nightstand and smiled as I picked up the frame with her and Liam and their parents. They were standing in front of a waterfall, with rain jackets on. Liam and Julie held their arms out to the sides with large, goofy smiles on their faces, while their parents looked moderately amused, trying to keep straight faces as they smiled at the camera.
Ava and I didn't have pictures like this. I shied away when it came to a camera, and it wasn't that we really did anything special.
