The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series (18 page)

    “Hey mama,” I said and
began to walk the kitchen stairs to my room.
    “Wait Elliott. Tell me. How did it go
baby?”
    “It went extremely well mom. I had the most fun
day of my life today. Julia Jacobs is an incredible girl.”
    “Land alive! I don’t believe I would have ever
heard anything like that come from your mouth Elliott Gray. You are
a such mystery to me!”

I fought the smile trying to escape my lips
and peered down at the step my feet were resting on. I turned
around and sat down on the third step while she went back to
peeling.

    “So? You gonna’ make me
pry every detail from you? For heaven’s sake Elliott! You are just
like your daddy.”
    “Who is?” Said Maddy as she rounded the corner
and pulled herself onto the counter beside my mom.
    “Your brother is. What are you doing out of bed
young lady?” When Maddy ignored her, she went on, “He went on a
date with Julia Jacobs today and is bein’ stingy with the
details.”
    “Eww!” Maddy said, jumping off the counter.
“That’s what you’re talking about? I’m out of here. Who wants to
hear about Elliott sucking face with Julia Jacobs!”
Maddy ran up the kitchen stairs and down the hall to her room,
closing her door behind her. I brought my stare up from my feet and
saw my mom laughing.
    “Dad must have told her,” I said.
    “So you’ll tell your daddy but not your mama?”
She teased.
    “It’s not exactly something you go around
boasting about mom! Plus, I didn’t tell dad. He guessed.”
    “He did? How did he do that?”
    “Never mind. I’ll be in my room.”
    “Okay son. I’ll just get the details from your
daddy then.”
    “Okay mom,” I laughed.
    I closed my bedroom door behind me and fell onto
my bed, too happy to move anymore. I leaned over and grabbed my
remote from my nightstand to turn on my stereo. Portishead’s ‘Glory
Box’ began to play and while Beth Gibbons soothed the edges of my
live-wire heart, I replayed everything that had happened that day
and smiled at every torturous detail. Damn if Jules wasn’t going to
be a very big part of my life.

Julia Jacobs was going to be my future and I
was going to be hers.
    The next day my mom knocked on my door to wake
me for church. I found myself really alert, more alert than I was
used to being on a weekend morning. Mornings weren’t exactly my
favorite part of the day, but knowing I’d be able to hold Jules’
hand in a little over an hour made it more than tolerable. I
showered, ate breakfast, readied myself quickly and was ready to
leave in less than half an hour. I was tired of waiting on my
parents and Maddy so I yelled at the kitchen door to let everyone
know I’d meet them there, that I was going on ahead of them.
    “Save us a pew!” My dad yelled.
    “Okay!”

I was out the door and in my truck in less
than ten seconds and at the church in less than five minutes. I sat
inside the almost empty church alone. I kept glancing over my
shoulder. I sort of had hoped Jules would have shown up a little
earlier so I could get looking at her out of my system and could
concentrate. No sooner had I thought this did she walk in, on her
own, and strolled down the center aisle of the nave toward me.

She was breathtaking, again, and I didn’t
think I was ever going to get used to the way she looked. She was
so charming. She wore a dress that looked to be straight out of a
Grace Kelly movie, green and white striped. She wore pristine white
gloves that barely reached the bottom of her wrist where they
buttoned with little pearls. Her bangs swept to one side of her
forehead and her long curled hair fell at points at her waist. The
only thing missing to complete the look was her hand anchoring a
wide brimmed hat to her head and maybe her eyes squinting in the
sun.

    “Uh, I....I,I.....Uhh” I
stuttered, when she sat next to me.

The bell of her dress fanned around her when
she sat and blew her heavenly scent my direction. I shook my head
to regain control.

    “Hi Elliott.”
    “Where are your parents?” I asked, trying to
talk about anything but the blindingly obvious fact that she was
too gorgeous for words.
    “They’re on their way. I drove my own car so I
could see you.”
Beautiful
and
eager to see me. A deadly combination.
    “Me too,” I said, trying not to stare, “I’m glad
you did.”
I grabbed her gloved hand and the piece of cloth separating our
skin did nothing to stifle the sudden lightning bolt billowing over
the pews surrounding us.
    “You look nice,” she said with a wink.
    “You look,” I gulped, “dazzling.”

“Thank you dear,” she smiled and it touched
her eyes. “Think you could stifle what you’re feeling?”

I swallowed and dropped her hand, “That’s
embarrassing.”

“No, it’s just, well you’re making me feel
the same thing,” the church doors opened and she spun around. “Oh,
my mom and dad are here,” she said turning back around. “I’ll see
you afterwards. Want to eat lunch at the rock bridge?”

“Don’t want to eat lunch at Babe’s with the
rest of the parish?” I asked, puzzled.

“Not today. I’d prefer a picnic in the forest
Mr. Gray.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said but as she began to
walk away, I called her back to me, “Oh, Jules?”

“Yes babe?” She asked, leaning into the
pew.

“Pray for me,” I said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes at me and shook her head
but couldn’t hide her smile. I watched as she joined her family
wishing I could sit next to her as well but satisfied just to be in
the same room with her. Just looking at her, I knew that Julia
Jacobs was definitely my past, my present, and very much my
future.

I’m going to marry that girl one day.

    After church, I hopped in my truck and followed
Jules home. Turns out, she had a basket already packed. I drove the
winding path to the dirt patch free of trees on the side of the
road nearest our rock bridge. When I parked, I got out and
immediately started loosening my tie. I swung my jacket over the
seat, untucked my shirt, and rolled up my sleeves.

“Ahh, that’s much better,” I said. Jules
gaped at me. “What?” I asked.

“So quick to undress around me Gray? You
should probably check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

“Oh, whatever. You love it. I can see the
twinkle in your eye from here.”

“You’re a flirt Gray.”

“No, I’m a tease. There’s a difference,” I
joked, hunched over, untying my shoes and throwing on the extra
pair of Converse I kept in the cab of my truck.

She laughed out loud, “That’s so? You should
probably get your own soundtrack then.”

“I have one.”

“Oh yeah? What song?”

“‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time.”

“Shut up,” she laughed.

“Ready?”

“Yup.”

I had Jules walk ahead of me so I could make
sure she was always steady on her feet. She had taken off her heels
and I worried she might hurt herself.

“Please let me carry you Jules. It’s not even
a quarter mile away.”

“No, sweets. I got it.”

“Please Jules, I’m afraid you’ll step on a
piece of glass or something. Jesse and his friends always drink out
here. I know they leave their bottles laying around.”

“No, I’ve got it,” she insisted.

She took three additional steps before she
gasped and grabbed at her foot.
    “See Jules! That’s it. You’re so stubborn. Even
as a kid you were always so stubborn.”

I handed the basket to her and scooped her
into my arms. She held the little basket in her lap with her right
hand and her heels dangled from her left, cluttering against one
another with each step I took.
    “It was just a small stick Elliott. There’s no
need to carry me, really.”
    “Give me a break Jules. I’d want to do this even
if you were wearing hiking boots. I consider your Sunday attire a
lucky break on my part.”
    “I know. I can feel it.”
I grimaced.
    “Uh, can you feel anything else?” I asked, one
eye closed and my nose bunched, already knowing her answer.
    “Uh, yeah,” she blushed, nuzzling her face in my
neck.
    “That doesn’t help the cause princess,” I
laughed. “Besides, it’s only natural Jules, you can stop blushing
now. I like feeling attracted to you and I like you knowing that I
am.”
    “I like it as well. Quite the ego boost.”

I carried her in silence and we traded
feelings back and forth. First attraction, love, more attraction,
heat, embarrassment, awkwardness, back to attraction, then love
again. All the while, she unknowingly bit at her lower lip to keep
from laughing and I didn’t bother correcting it. I grinned like the
overeager idiot that I was. God, but I didn’t care.

    When we reached the
bridge, I let her legs go but clutched onto her waist not letting
her feet touch the ground. I kept my face next to hers and grabbed
the basket to set on top of the natural rock bridge before lifting
her up to sit on the surface next to it.
    “Stay there,” I said.

I took the handkerchief that my mom always
insists I bring to church out of my pocket and bent toward the
water, soaking it in the chill spring before wringing it out.

“Finally a use for this ridiculous
thing.”

I lifted each foot by the ankle and wiped the
dirt from the bottom of her feet.
    “Ssssttt, that’s cold,” she winced.
    “Should have just let me carry you love.”
    “And miss this? Never. If I had a camera you’d
be immortalized right now. Never had such delicious blackmailing
material before. It’s a shame,” she said over my shoulder while
holding onto my back.
    I laughed before soaking the handkerchief once
more and wringing it out to continue wiping the dirt from her
already clean feet.
    “That tickles!”
She started wriggling her feet but I clutched harder at her ankle
to keep her still.
    “This is what you get when you don’t cooperate
with me.”
    “Okay, okay!” She giggled. “They’re clean
enough! They’re clean enough!”
She fell back onto the rock and held her laughing stomach.
    “I’ll stop if you agree to a condition.”
    “What is it?” She desperately pleaded through
chuckles.
    I stopped only to state, “When I want to carry
you. You must let me. No questions asked.”
    “No way!”
I continued my torturous ways.
    “Okay! Okay!” She pleaded. “I promise. I
promise.”
    “Good.”

I swung her legs over the rock and lifted
myself next to her. I stood up and helped her to her feet, keeping
my hands on her hips.

    “You’re so much shorter
without your heels on. I can see the part on the top of your head,”
I teased.
    “I’m five foot eight Elliott. That’s actually
tall for my sex, though not all that unusual. You’re the only
anomaly here.”

“Six foot four is an anomaly? What are you
trying to say Jules? I’m abnormal?”

“In more ways than one Elliott Gray,” she
teased.

I pulled her tightly into my chest, pinning
her arms to her sides. I buried my face into the skin just above
the shoulder and blew against her neck.

“Stop! Stop!”

“Take it back.”

“No,” she laughed.

I blew harder.
    “Take it back Jules.”

“No,” she laughed again.

I blew even harder.

“Okay, I take it back! I take it back!” She
laughed hysterically. I pulled away. “Eww, I can feel your saliva
on my neck.”

I threatened to do it again by inching
closer.

“No! No! Not again! Please! I’ll do
anything!”

I raised an eyebrow, “Anything?”

“Anything. Just stop,” she exhaled hard,
trying to catch her breath.

“Alright, I’ll let you go only
if
you
agree to go with me to Matthew Tanen’s party on Saturday
night.”

She pushed away, no longer being playful. Her
eyebrows pinched together.

“No way Elliott. No way will I be going
anywhere Taylor Williams or her cronies will be. How dare you even
ask me that? You know how I feel about them and their cruelty.”

“Taylor Williams? Who the hell cares about
Taylor Williams! It’s not even her party. She may not even be
there.” She gave me a disbelieving, sarcastic look. “Okay, she’ll
probably be there but come on! The whole team will be there as
well. We can avoid Taylor like the plague that she is. We’ll pick a
corner of the house, camp there, and laugh at everyone making fools
of themselves. It’ll be fun.” I softened my tone and edged closer
to her, “I’ll take care of you Jules. You know I will.”

She strained her neck to look up at me, “I’m
a big girl Elliott. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. You
forget. I’ve made it my entire life being ridiculed by Taylor. I
think I can survive my senior year without any assistance.”

“I know you don’t Jules but I’ll do it anyway
because it’s my job. I’m protective over the girls I’m in love
with.”

“The girls? Plural? Nice,” she chided.

“Wait, wait, and wait. You know what I
meant.” I exhaled gruffly, “How did this turn so quickly?”

“I don’t know,” she said, looking away.

After a few seconds, the electricity seemed
to have calmed us both down.

“I’m sorry Jules. I just wanted you to come
is all. After the game, everyone piles into Matthew’s parents’ lake
house for fun. It’s actually a blast. Matthew is so hilarious. He
keeps us all in stitches. I was trying to get you to see that
they’re not all that bad.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to at least make an
appearance....,” she admitted.

“Yes! I know you’ll have fun babe.”

She pointed a finger at my face, “But if
Taylor so much as breathes in my direction. I’m outta’ there, with
or without you.”

“Deal! And Jules?”

“Hmm?”

“I would never let you go anywhere without
me.”

She smiled up at me, stunning me
speechless.

“My God Jules. You’re beautiful.”

The sun lit the natural red highlights in her
hair. The laughing had made her cheeks flush and the fighting had
made her eyes bright. Every part of her was just so alive.