I led him to the sitting room.
“Sit,” I barked and he sat, lounging his arms across the top of the sofa, peering about the room before letting out a low whistle. “Damn, Elliott. You bagged a wealthy one didn’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s it Thomas. I ‘bagged’ Jules because somehow this is all going to be mine right?” I gestured to the room.
I leaned against the banister, the wood creaking beneath my weight, as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“God you’re testy. Something botherin’ you man?”
“Why are you doing this Jesse? The truth.”
“Dude, you’ve got to relax!” He sat quiet and narrowed his eyes. “Is this about Tanen’s party? Because I apologized for that already! I’m sorry! How many more times can I say it?”
“This isn’t about Tanen’s party and you know it.”
“ I’m just taking her to a film Elliott. We’ll talk. I’ll get to know her. I’m doing this for you remember? Then, I’ll bring her right back here. No harm. No foul.”
“No! I mean, no,” I added quietly, “You can bring her back to my place afterwards.”
I smiled.
“Okay.” He eyed me carefully, the corners of his mouth turning up. “This is serious for you, isn’t it Elliott?”
“Very.” I walked across the room and stood over him. He didn’t even flinch. I kept my arms crossed. “I don’t feel the necessity to tell you how much I love her Jesse and that if you let one strand of hair on her head get harmed that we’ll have serious problems.”
“If it wasn’t necessary, then why did you even bother to tell me?”
I stared him down but turned toward the hallway when I heard Jules’ padding down the corridor. She was a vision in dark red. Dark red with dark hair. Wow. Jesse stood up next to me and elbowed me.
“Don’t piss me off Jesse,” I gritted through my teeth.
He rolled his eyes at me.
“Hi Jesse!” Jules said.
“Hi beautiful,” he responded.
I could have hit him. He left my side and grabbed Jules to hug her. I really could have hit him.
“That was.....unexpected,” she said with a laugh.
“Well, I figure I’d make a concerted effort. You know? For Elliott’s sake.”
I snorted.
“Here,” he said, “I got you something.”
He pulled a little book from the back of his jeans pocket and handed it to her. She took it and read the title. Her eyes shot wide.
“The Complete Collection of Poems by Edgar Allen Poe! How did you know I wanted this?”
“I remember you mentioning it at lunch two weeks ago.”
Jerk. I wanted to have been the one who thought to give that to her.
Jealousy is one of those things that seem to take you over, clouds your judgment and makes you crazier than you ever thought possible. It does funny things to me because I’m ninety-nine percent sure I think I go a little out of my head. Green doesn’t even begin to cover it. I was jealous. Insanely jealous because I knew how things went down when girls were with Jesse, not that I couldn’t trust Jules, it was he who couldn’t be trusted.
Before Jules, if we were at a party, or anywhere in public really, Jesse was the one the girls made a beeline for with his pretty boy features and trendy clothing. So, naturally I may be a little self-conscious about this whole thing.
I am by no means a ‘pretty boy’. I’m tall, big, broad, yet lean. I have hard, rugged features, except for, I’ll admit, a bit of baby fat on my face. I don’t wear any kind of hair product. I’ve never even seen moisturizer. I wash with bar soap and if someone dared to come at me with an emery board I’d tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine. I only wear cologne because Jules seems to like it.
“Oh, well. Thank you.......This is so thoughtful,” Jules said.
“No problem. You ready?”
“Yup.”
She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.
“Bye sweetheart,” she said, turning her eyes onto mine.
Oh, no. You’re not getting away that easily. I grabbed her, bent her backwards and kissed her like Jesse wasn’t even in the room. She resisted at first, but the electricity sizzling between us made her forget where she was and she kissed me back, really kissed me back. She removed her hands from her back pockets and wound them tightly bound around my neck.
I brought her back up for air and set her on her feet again before she was ready for me to stop. I really loved that she melted for me in front of Jesse. It was a little reminder for Jesse, just in case he got any ideas. I needed him to know the deal and I think that it worked because man did he look surprised when I finally locked eyes with him.
I slapped her on the rear, “Have a good time Jules.”
“Elliott!” She said, red faced, her left hand rubbing my hand print.
What can I say? I’m a possessive Neanderthal. I readily admit it. Never saw that coming either, always thought of myself as a progressive kind of guy. Guess not.
They left with Jules glancing over her shoulder at me. She didn’t want to leave without me. I could see it and I couldn’t have been happier about that. I just hoped that kiss would last her until he dropped her off at ten that night.
When I got home, I opened the screen door to the kitchen and heard my mom cooking or baking. She was always cooking or baking something.
“Hi baby!” She said.
“Hey,” I said, unenthusiastically.
I slumped into a kitchen table chair.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Oh, nothing. Jules is out to a movie.”
“Well, why don’t you call up Jesse? See what he’s up to.”
“That’s who she’s at the movies with!” I almost yelled.
“What?” She asked, confused.
“Yeah, you know how Jesse isn’t the biggest fan of Jules?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I guess I pressed him often enough to make an effort with her that he actually took me seriously and now I’m regretting that I ever did.”
“Oh baby, you’re so silly! I know that Jesse is a, what’s the word, ladies man?”
I snorted.
“Well, whatever he is, I know he isn’t the type of guy you would normally want your girlfriend to spend time with. I know he’s a ‘whatever the word is for what he is’ and it’s made you feel uncomfortable at times but you can trust Jesse honey. He’s been your best friend since you were knee high in diapers and besides, even if you couldn’t trust him, you can trust Jules.”
I softened a little bit.
“Thanks mama,” I kissed her forehead. “What ya’ makin’ here?”
Jesse brought Jules to my house at ten fifteen and I nearly burst from the kitchen door when I heard them pull through the gravel. I had stayed in the kitchen with my mom the entire time they’d been out, pretending that I wasn’t waiting for Jules. I could hear them laughing and my God did that irritate me.
“Cost you to keep me quiet,” I heard Jesse tease.
What the heck does that mean?
Jules opened the screen door and peeked her head inside.
“You’re late,” I said as coolly as possible given my extreme unexplainable rage.
“So we are,” she said, without any other explanation. “Hi Shelby!”
My mom tugged her into the kitchen and kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly as if she didn’t just see her the day before.
“Come in here Jesse boy!” She laughed and hugged him fiercely.
“Hi Shelby,” he said in his best Eddie Haskell voice.
“I’ve missed you boy!” She said. She sobered, bringing her fists to her hips, “Why haven’t you been to church lately?”
He shifted from foot to foot, “Well, you know.....”. He rubbed the back of his neck, exposing his tattoo.
“Land alive!” My mom said forgetting her question. “What is that foolish thing on your neck Jesse Thomas!” She
gasped. “Does your mama know about that?”
I sat up a little.
“I got a tattoo. You don’t like it?” He asked, sheepishly.
She grabbed his chin and turned his head this way, then that way, examining it from all sides.
“Hmm, I guess it ain’t that bad,” she lied.
“What are you cooking there?” He asked her, desperate to change the subject..
“I’m not cooking baby. I’m baking. A pie. Blueberry. Want some? It’s almost done baking. I’ve got vanilla ice cream to go with it.”
“Heck yeah, I do!”
I sat in my chair and bristled while my mom showed Jesse some new kitchen contraption that he could probably have cared less about. Jules came and sat on my knee.
“Hi,” she whispered in my ear.
“Hi,” I said, trying very hard not to smile.
“Feel like explaining your kiss to me? Or maybe the slap on my bum?”
“No,” I said, defiantly. “It felt like the right thing to do. That’s all.”
“Mmm, hmm.”
She kissed my neck softly and let me know what she was thinking. Disappointed with a twinge of satisfaction.
“Liked it, did you?”
“Didn’t you catch the main feeling?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the one I’m most interested in.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she laughed.
“Well, I’m gonna’ head out,” Jesse said suddenly.
“Not staying for pie?” My mom asked.
“Nah, I’ve got a friend I’d told I’d meet and I don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Okay, if you have to, son. It was good to see you. Don’t be such a stranger!”
He nodded then turned to Jules.
“Julia, it was fun. We should do it again sometime.”
“Of course,” she said, tossing her head toward me, “but next time I think we should bring a certain someone with us.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly. I’m too old to tag along with y’all,” my mom chimed in.
I drove Jules home that night and could no longer postpone my curiosity. She knew I wanted to know how the ‘date’ went but she also knew I didn’t want to ask about it first, my pride in the way. I wanted her to volunteer the information but she refused my game. Eventually I caved. What can I say? I’m a weak man, a weak, jealous, hopelessly in love, Neanderthal apparently.
“Just tell me already!”
“Tell you what Elliott?”
“Don’t play coy with me Julia Jacobs! My patience are at an all time thin.”
“Man, I’ve never seen you so jealous before Elliott. Green is a good color on you.”
I shot her a look of disbelief.
“I’m serious,” she said. “It gives a girl encouragement to see her man squirm at the end of her hook. It makes quite the impact.”
“Stop toying with me!”
“Okay, okay.” She laughed. “He was the perfect gentleman and we had a surprisingly good time.”
“How good?”
“My God Elliott! We saw a film, we talked about you, and then he took me to your house! It wasn’t quite the debauchery you were expecting. Which I resent by the way! What kind of girl do you take me for!”
I grabbed her hand.
“I’m just a big fool Jules.”
That was enough of an apology, I guess, because she just smiled at me.
“He is an incredible kisser though,” she teased.
“Jules!”
“I’m only joking! Jeez, lighten up! Will ya’?”
I kissed her hand, deciding I didn’t need to kill Jesse after all.
The following Monday, at school, we got all kinds of reactions to Jules defensive action on the football field, some of disgust, some with humor, and some with awe. Funnily enough, even Taylor Williams decided it was a good idea to leave Jules alone for awhile and Jules said she lived peacefully without Taylor’s cruelness for at least two days.
“That’s a record,” Jules said, laughing. “I think I might have scared Taylor.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” I agreed. “Who knew you were a lion masquerading as a mouse.”
“Very funny. Listen, I’m not proud of myself but after enduring the fight at Tanen’s, after the knot it made in my stomach, I promised myself I’d never have to see something like that again and not at least try to do something about it.”
“Well thanks Jules, but next time a two hundred and fifty pound lineman socks me one, it might be best your skinny butt stays out of it.”
“Try and stop me,” she joked.
We both chuckled as we walked to AP English together. It was an exceptionally exciting day, not because of Friday’s game, but because Mr. Cray would be handing out our packets for our trip to London. Jules was all giddy as she sat in her seat and I couldn’t help but be affected by her happiness.
“I’ve got the packets you’ve all been waiting for. It’s taken me a bit longer than it would normally this year because we were short two adult chaperons and we finally found two volunteers. You wouldn’t believe how unenthusiastic people can be about a trip of a lifetime when they find out it’s with sixty eighteen year olds.”
We all laughed.
That evening Jules and I sat sprawled out on my living room floor in front of the television sifting through the packet and reading its fine print.
“I feel like a million bucks Elliott,” said Jules.
She dramatically rolled over the papers spread out on the floor and I laughed at her.
“You’re an idiot,” I joked.
“Takes one to know one,” she replied, facing the ceiling, staring at me through ornery eyes.
We grinned at each other. I leaned over her beautiful face and kissed her lightly.
She whispered, “I love you,” but paused, “despite your being an idiot.”
I pinned her shoulders to the ground and kissed her neck aggressively. She frantically laughed and tried to squirm away. My mom came in and cleared her throat.
“Oops, sorry mom,” I said.
“Sorry Shelby,” said Jules, red as a lobster.
We knew she wasn’t stupid. We just didn’t want to offend her.
“Yeah, yeah,” my mom said. “Next time, I’ll make a shuffling noise with my feet.”
All three of us howled with laughter.
My dad got home thirty minutes later and my mom asked if Jules wanted to stay for dinner. All five of us squeezed around our little kitchen table and only Maddy complained. There was more room in the dining room but we never ate there. Too stuffy. We preferred homey and overcrowded, I guess.
“Hush your mouth Maddy Gray unless you’re interested in going to bed hungry,” my dad threatened.
Jules ignored it. For some reason she loved Maddy even though she was such a brat to her. We prayed over the meal and dug in. My mom made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and rolls with cinnamon butter.
“Mom, this meal is incredible,” I said.
Everyone agreed in silence, their mouths full to the brim. The chicken was hot, juicy and crispy. I sank my teeth into it and let its salty goodness slide down my throat.
“Arlene Chambers got laid off today,” my dad said somberly.
The rest of us continued eating accept for my mom.
“What?” She asked, setting down her cob. “That can’t be. They let Bob go just six months ago. What are they gonna’ do Mark? Arlene was just telling me the other day that because of Bob’s layoff they were several months behind in their mortgage. Trust Bank sent them letters threatening foreclosure. She said she’d need five thousand dollars to get them out of their hole and she didn’t know how she was going to do it because her wages alone were barely putting food on the table.”
“Don’t they have four kids?” My dad asked pensively.
“No, Mark, five,” my mom said with tears in her eyes.
The table got really quiet and none of us continued to eat, including Ma
ddy. After a minute of silence, Jules rapped my foot with hers. My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach. I knew what she was thinking because I was thinking the same thing myself.
The next day, after school, Jules and I climbed into my truck and headed to Trust Bank in Charleston because the last thing we needed were people knowing what we were doing. We slumped out of my truck and dragged our feet toward the front doors.
“Wait a minute Jules!” I said stopping abruptly. “Maybe we can think of another way to help them.”
“No sweetheart,” she smiled at me, “there’s no other way.”
I knew she was right too, but I had to try. She held my hand while we stood in line and waited for the teller to call us to her station.
“May I help you?” Asked the short, blonde teller.
“Yes,” said Jules, knowing I wouldn’t be able to speak. “We’d like to make a withdrawal from our joint savings.”
I sighed heavily and Jules rubbed my back in sympathy.
“May I see your I.D.? And do you know your account number?” She asked with a smile.
“Of course.”
Jules took out her wallet, handed over her driver’s license and wrote down the account number on a withdrawal slip. The woman notated the license in her system and handed it back to Jules.
“Whoa!” I said, perking up and grabbing her I.D. “I’ve never seen your license before. You’re very photogenic Jules.”
“Oh hush!” Jules said embarrassed. “But thank you.”
The teller pursed her lips trying not to appear amused by my comment and exchanged a glance with my Jules. Jules rolled her eyes with a grin and shrugged her shoulders.
“Do me a favor,” asked the teller, “and fill in the amount you’d like to withdraw.”
Jules bit her lip crookedly, almost sending me into a frenzy.
“Well,” she said, “that’s the thing. You see, we’re trying to help out a friend and we need to know what they owe in missed mortgage payments.”
“Oh,” said the teller, her face squished, “I’m afraid I can’t give information like that out.”
We all sat in silence for a minute.
“Well, let’s see what I can do,” whispered the teller. “Do you know the account holder’s name?”