Authors: Michele G Miller
"Shh, she's not you, T," Katie chides; throwing an irritated look at Tanya before turning her focus back on Jules. "So tell Dr. K what's up."
"Oh, no you didn't. You did
not
call yourself Dr. K!" Tanya breaks out in hysterical laughter, which earns her another nasty look from Katie.
"I seem to recall having a thirty-minute session with you a few hours ago, T. Don't know what
you're
laughing about."
"If I knew it'd go to your head, I'd have asked Jules instead."
"Wait, wait…ask me what? Where was I when this conversation was taking place?" Jules yanks at her seatbelt so she can slide forward in her seat to get a better view of Tanya's profile.
"Boy issues as usual, no biggie."
"No biggie? And what boy? You've been playing the field all summer." Tanya throws her a look that clearly states 'shut it', but Jules isn’t deterred. "Spill it!" After all, these girls are always up in her love life. She has no shame.
"Nothing. I was just telling K, I might actually be ready to try a relationship..."
Jules almost chokes on her gum at the revelation. Tanya doesn’t do relationships. She's the fun one. The ‘let’s party, kiss every cute boy I see, and who cares what anyone thinks’ girl. Katie and Jules often liked to joke about how Tanya was trying to work her way through the football team. She's already made a pretty big dent on the O-line.
"And I told her," Katie interrupts Tanya to fill Jules in on what she missed, "that it was an awesome idea. Don't you think so, Jules?"
She doesn’t miss the crazy look Katie throws her way. Trying to decipher the meaning, she quickly chimes in, "Of course. You know I won't argue with having a boyfriend."
"Speaking of...?" Tanya pipes in.
"Yeah. What's up with you two?"
And...the attention is back on her. Throwing herself back into her seat, she slouches down and contemplates her situation. Katie and Tanya have seen her through the ups and downs of her relationship with Stuart over the last two years. They always know the right advice to give, but lately things with Stuart have been strange, and she isn't sure if her two single-minded friends can help anymore.
"Nothing. We're good."
"Jules?"
"Don't 'Jules' me, Katie. We're fine."
"Leave her alone, K. They're the freaking golden couple," Tanya points out as she makes pretend vomit sounds. The sounds earn her a light slap upside the head from Katie, and Tanya jerks the steering wheel, yelling, "Hey! I'm driving here — watch it!"
"What about you, Katie? We saw a certain DB throwing you some serious 'I want you' eyes tonight."
Katie turns back to the front, but not before Jules catches the dreamy look she gets at the mention of the 'DB'. The DB in question is defensive back Jeff Parker, Mr. Sweet and Sexy himself. They have a completely irrational relationship where neither one of them will man up and declare their coupledom, although everyone knows they’re way into each other.
"There might have been some talk," Katie hints, and Jules leans in again.
"Yeah?"
"There's always talk...it's all you girls do. See why I haven't done the whole relationship thing? Too much talk and not enough action, ladies."
Jules rolls her eyes at Tanya but laughs in spite of herself. "Good Lord, you're such a ho."
"Takes one to know one, baby."
"Whatever," she replies lamely.
All conversation stops when Katie squeals, cranks up some country rock song she loves and starts singing along with it. The loud music gives Jules the moment she was hoping for to sit back and think.
She doesn’t want to talk about Stuart with her friends because they are always on her side, and while she loves that about them, sometimes she needs to think things through on her own. This is one of those times. Stuart spent a good deal of his summer away; between football camp and staying with his grandparents in Houston, they've barely seen each other. In her heart she knows they've grown apart, and it confuses her to discover that the reality of the situation doesn’t seem to hurt her very much.
She’s excited for school to start on Monday so they can finally get more time together. Last year after school and practices they would sit in his car talking about the day or make out before he took her home. It was one of the few times during the week they had to themselves. In a town the size of Tyler, there’s no such thing as going on dates alone. Everywhere they went, they ran into friends. Plus with Stuart, everybody wants to stop and talk football, college commitments and Pro games on Sunday. It can be exhausting standing in the shadows while her boyfriend goes on and on about sports.
Yet, she does it happily. She’s proud of him and of his talent on the field. He’s on track to break a few state records this year. She knows she shouldn't fault him for being preoccupied lately; his plate is full. She sighs as she thinks about those kisses back at the school and the feel of his hands on her skin. Tanya's joke about him wanting action fills her head. So does his suggestion to go back to his place because his parents aren’t home. She knows what he’s hoping for, but she also knows he won’t push her if she isn’t ready. Maybe what they need is some alone time to work the kinks out of their relationship. Maybe if they are alone for a while, she’ll be ready to progress their physical relationship.
The sound of Tanya and Katie yelling at each other stirs her from her thoughts, and she looks out the window to see they’re almost at the Shack. Her mind made up; she pulls out her cell and sends Stuart a quick text.
Jules: Let's go back to your house tonight. I want to spend some time alone - talking...and maybe a little kissing too ;)
She isn’t sure how he’ll take her text. It sounds a little as if she’s offering up sex, and she fights back a cringe. Maybe she
will
finally do it. After all, she doesn’t have a clue as to why they haven't already. Okay, that’s a lie, she knows why – it’s never felt right. No matter how many times they've talked about it or gotten close to it, when it comes down to it she pulls away with a 'Sorry' every time. Each time she turns him down Stuart frowns, but he always assures her it’s okay.
The sad thing is, sitting here now, she still doesn’t get hot and bothered thinking about going to his place and being alone. She loves his kisses; she loves his touch too, but something is missing. Maybe tonight it’s finally time to locate the missing piece. Maybe the piece is sex? After almost two years together, maybe they need something new to bring them closer again.
Three
“How foolish it was to think I could solve my relationship problems with sex.” She rolls her eyes at the absurdity before moving on.
"Anyway." Jules smiles as she recalls the memories of Friday nights. "It was automatic for us to roll down the car windows whenever we pulled into the gravel parking lot at the Ice Shack. Windows down, radio up. That was the motto. Be seen, be heard."
She shakes her head at how silly they once were. Silly teenage girls, living life and having fun.
"I remember unlocking my cell to check for messages as the usual catcalls drifted through the open windows. Tanya always did love being an attention whore."
* * *
"Would you look at this place?” Katie buzzes, “Half the teenage population of Tyler is here tonight."
"Maybe we should start going someplace else?" Jules suggests; tapping out a text to her mom.
"Girl!" Tanya and Katie snap in sync, and Jules lifts her head.
"What?" She shrugs her shoulders and catches Tanya's glare in the rearview mirror.
"After game tradition, remember? Senior year…we can't quit now."
Jules’ only reply is an over-exaggerated eye roll. Evidently Stuart’s attitude was catching.
Didn’t I just fuss at him thirty minutes ago for making the same statement?
The annoying realization hits her. Katie leans out of her window and waves at people like the Homecoming Queen she hopes to be crowned; her blonde bob blowing in the breeze and the over-sized cheer team bow sitting on top comparable to a crown. The girls survey the parking lot, taking in the many students from Hillsdale, all of whom are still dressed in their school colors from the game.
"Crap…the Shack is
hoppin’
."
Tanya taps her horn as three guys walk in front of her car's path, causing her to hit the brakes and all three girls to curse as they jerk to a sudden stop.
"Move, Tommy!" she shouts out the window; flashing her lights at them.
Jules mutters under her breath and reaches down to recover her cell from where it shot across the floorboard.
"You've
got
to be kidding me," Tanya hisses angrily; her fiery Latin heritage starting to show itself.
Curious, Jules peeks between the seats and is greeted with a most comical sight. Standing there in the beam of Tanya’s headlights is Tommy Wilson, ever the showboat, dirty dancing. Tragically, his moves don’t time well with the techno-pop dance song currently blaring through Tanya's car speakers. He pulls his shirt up slowly, revealing some relatively nice abs, and waggles his brows as he calls out, "Hey baby!"
A quick check of Tanya reveals a volcano full of anger about to explode. Jules sinks down into her seat and tries to cover her laughter with a fist. Tommy certainly knows how to push Tanya's buttons, and right now he’s pushing away, perhaps against his own safety as she revs her engine. He flicks his tongue out, licking over his lips, and Katie joins Jules in her suppressed giggles. Tommy hams it up as appreciative whistles and comments are thrown at him from some of the guys watching the show.
When Ruben spreads his arms and joins Tommy's spotlight dance, Katie laughs harder. "They're such idiots," she gasps; watching the boys’ antics.
"You're not talking about me, I hope." A blond head pops into Katie's window and she jumps as Tanya lays on her horn.
All around the vehicle, shouts of laughter at Tommy and Ruben’s dance moves ring out, followed closely by curses for them to move streaming from Tanya's mouth.
The blond whose head has now popped through the window is Jeff, a.k.a. 'the DB', and Katie's on-and-off-again boyfriend. His dimples sink into his cheeks as he peers around Katie, saying hi to Jules with a manly head nod.
"’Sup, Jules. Where's Stu?" Before she can reply, he shouts at Tanya, "Knock off the horn, Ya-ya!"
Tanya earned the nickname ‘Ya-ya’ back in middle school when she accidentally flashed half the football team at a pool party. She dived into the pool and came up with her top around her middle. The boys, mostly immature seventh graders, came up with Ya-ya because they didn't want to get in trouble by calling her ‘Ta-ta’. It took the girls a month to figure out what Ya-ya stood for, and by then the name stuck. Tanya never minded much. She was proud of her 'Ta-ta's’; both back then and more so now. She likes knowing the guys remember them.
With a disgusted groan, Jeff pops his head out of the window and shouts at the guys. "Dude! Move out of the way, T! Ruben!" Once he finishes, he ducks his head back in and fixes his gaze on Jules. "So, where's Stu?"
"Coach held him back for a meeting. He should be here soon."
Tommy and Ruben finally saunter out of the middle of the parking lot, accompanied by applause and cheering, and Tanya turns her ire on the boy hanging in the window. "Hey Jeff, you wanna get out of my car so I can park now?"
"Nope!" He leans in further and Jules moves to the right; looking out of her window to see his feet come off the ground.
"Hold me tight, baby," he orders Katie as Tanya rolls forward.
"Geez, Jeffrey!" Katie gasps; wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he teeters on the door half-in and half-out of the car.
Luckily for him, Tanya pulls into a parking spot straight ahead with nothing on the passenger side; otherwise he might have lost a leg.
"You're an idiot," Katie mumbles loudly enough for Jules to hear before her mouth becomes occupied with his.
With a groan, Tanya pulls her keys from the car, hops out and walks towards Tommy with purpose. Jules' eyes follow her as she walks up to Tommy and punches him in the arm. A scowl crosses Tanya's face as she exchanges heated banter with Tommy. His face, however is the complete opposite of hers, and he keeps trying to grab Tanya's hand. Jules laughs when her best friend hits him again.
The very unpleasant suck and smack from the front seat reminds her of the extracurricular activities going on, and she hurries to exit the vehicle. As she closes the door, her phone vibrates to indicate a text. She swipes the screen, expecting to see a message from Stuart.
Mom: Be careful and see you in the morning. What's your curfew?
Jules: Midnight, geez mom, i'm never late u know that <3
Mom: I know, just checking ;)
Jules: You know i'm a senior now i should get a later curfew, prepare for college
Mom: Nothing good happens after midnight, Jules. Plus you're not going to college remember, you're going to stay home and be my baby forever
Jules: Not on your life! But i love you too
She replies to her mom’s text and hits ‘Send’ with a smile as she heads towards a group of friends a few spots down the parking lot. Sticking her phone into the waistband of her short cheerleading skirt, she exchanges pleasantries with various students she knows before stopping to talk with a few friends sitting on the tailgate of Ruben's truck.