4. They Meet

Juliet

It was about twenty minutes into the last period of the day. Mr. Schneider talked, and I diligently scribbled in my notepad on the desk. I could see Charlene listening in my peripheral vision. Carl looked back over his shoulder as Charlene pointed to the front. It distracted me. Carl’s reaction didn’t disappoint her. They both burst out laughing. So much that some of the other students around us stared.

I minded my own business until Carl leaned toward me and whispered. “There, you’ve done it now. Didn’t want to listen to us.”

I shook my head at him out of habit and narrowed my eyes. “What are you on about?” I heard my name, but it didn’t register. I was focused on trying to figure out what Carl meant. I heard my name again more loudly. My head shot up, kind of irritated with them. Mr. Schneider was looking right at me, gesturing with his fingers for me to come to the front. I glanced to his right. Chris was standing next to his friend. My heart stopped from excitement. No… it nervously pounded against my ribs.

I peered at Carl and Charlene, who were snickering at me. “Help me. Tell him you forgot to tell me.” I whispered wide-eyed at Carl. He just shrugged. Charlene lightly tapped my nose with her pen. They proceeded to push me out of my chair and drag me halfway down the aisle. Just to abandon me. There was no choice but to approach the two men chatting. Glancing at Chris, I took a breath as he hadn’t noticed me yet. I didn’t want to see his reaction, so I focused on Mr. Schneider’s face. He told me to talk outside so he could finish his class and that I would have to catch up.

Nodding, I could hear Chris’s heart boom in his chest. Dumbstruck, he was staring at me. My heart skipped a beat. No, it skipped so many… It felt like my insides would turn until they burst. Chris had no clue that he was going to meet me that day. I sneaked a peek, but his features were unreadable. We couldn’t just stand there until he was with me again, so I walked out the door first. I felt him following me and kept going until we were a safe distance from the class but not so far that it would seem weird.

For a few minutes, I couldn’t even face him. Stupid, stupid, Juliet! It wouldn’t have been that awkward if I had listened to Carl. He had to come and find you… Again! What to do, What to do? I knew I was biting my lip nervously. Chris was still gawking at me. My sweaty hands were stupidly clasped in front of my body, unable to lift my eyes up at him. My brain was a no-show, fumbling and trying to figure out an excuse why I didn’t go to see him.

***

Chris

I was joking with my friend about something he had said in the break room after calling the girl the second time. I wasn’t focused and didn’t notice who walked up to us. He pointed towards the aisle leading all the way from the back. “Here she is.”

A little ticked off that I had to come all the way there and had to go running after her. I swung my shoulder in the direction he was pointing. Nothing could’ve prepared me for being so close to the… Not a girl, but a woman, standing in front of me. Just as tall as me. It was her… I stared and speechlessly followed as she walked out the door. Glad that someone was using their brain.

She kept going, and I tried to think of something to say. Talking to her about money seemed like the last thing I should be doing. I don’t know how long we stood there. Me staring at her pretty lips. Her avoiding my eyes. It seemed like she had to muster up some courage before lifting her head. She finally did, and my breath caught as our eyes locked like magnets. Her scent had become so familiar it consumed me. Her gaze penetrated me as if it was normal to be close to each other. An arm’s length away. I wanted to remember that moment forever. I probably would.

I wanted to speak, but everything seemed trivial. I didn’t want to sound like a teacher… Or even worse, an elder speaking to a young person. Damn, was I that old that I couldn’t speak to the opposite sex anymore?

Nervously I uttered, “Juliet?” That made her smile. Little mischievous lines formed from her nose to the corners of her mouth. She shouldn’t have done that. It took all my willpower not to fall to my knees at her feet, begging her to be mine. The vision of me in the dirt in front of her didn’t bother me. After Sita, I felt I would never beg anyone to love me again. Juliet… I rolled the name around. Might just make me.

I clenched my fist around the paper in my hand. Feeling it crinkling distracted me for a moment. Hoping for some kind of reprieve, I looked at it again, repeating her name slowly… “Juliet Farrow?” My eyes lifted just to ensure I did indeed need to ask my girl for money. That made the corners of her mouth lift again. I felt stupid, just speaking. Red blotches caught my attention. Spread across her chest and neck. She was blushing. Not the only one feeling stupid. Our meeting was embarrassing her. The red kept going, deep into her cheeks.

Frowning, I couldn’t understand the girl. Why would she be embarrassed? She folded her arms over her chest. I smiled and chuckled. Embarrassed but still tried to keep face. Her jaw flexed, gritting her teeth. I didn’t want to embarrass her. I wanted to tell her how beautiful she was and that it didn’t matter… It didn’t look stupid or childish. It made her whole face light up. She was cute, biting her bottom lip between her teeth. The gesture fixed my eyes in place. My thoughts moved from kneeling in front of her to kissing her. I glanced away, clearing my throat. Talking about money was better than lusting, I supposed.

“Juliet, I know we don’t know each other at all, and you haven’t had any classes with me, but there is something I have to talk to you about.” She said nothing. I continued, “I oversee the final sports gathering at the end of the term. With that came the responsibility of asking someone for help. A sponsorship…To make the school aesthetics just a little better. A lot of schools are coming to participate.”

It was like she wasn’t listening to me. So, I kept going…

“The bleacher on the upper field needs a do-over or even replacement. I was hoping you could talk to your dad and get him to help.”

After my speech, I felt horrible. That was not how I imagined our first meeting going. Her eyes shot up when my words had sunk in, and her arms dropped to her side. I couldn’t discern what was written on her face, but it seemed she was relaxing as a heavy breath let her shoulders fall even more. “So, you wanted to talk to me about money?” She bobbed her head, answering her own question. She drew in an overdue breath. “I can ask him… My dad. I’m sure he would help.”

“If you could give him this quotation from the supplier,” I stopped talking to take out the paper from my pants pocket. Handing it to her, she took it quickly, making sure not to let our fingers touch. That small thing unnerved me. I wasn’t lusting anymore because she wanted nothing to do with me. Avoiding my eyes, my touch. Avoiding me at the sports grounds, not coming to see me that day. Did I really have this… all wrong?

“I will go now Sir,” Juliet said, giving a step away from me. Suggesting that the conversation was over. She wanted to leave… I heard myself say that there was something else I needed to discuss with her. There was no way I was letting her go like that. We had been stealing glances and searching for each other for months, and what? Nothing? It was not how that moment would end. Fed up with my life, my courage came back. I was a man, after all. Thinking about everything brought me back to the fact that I had to go all the way there to talk to her. I was reminded of what Carl had said… “I don’t think she would believe us if we told her you were looking for her.” It kept going around and around in my mind.

“Why didn’t you come and see me earlier today?” I blurted out.

Her posture changed so quickly, folding her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. She looked away and said, “I’m sorry, Carl did tell me, but I forgot. I got so busy, and it slipped my mind. It won’t happen again, sir.”

Crying out loud, the “sir” again. The word went right up my spine. A little too much emphasis there, probably to push me away. Getting back at her, I said, “that is not what Carl said this morning. He said you would not believe him if they told you I wanted to see you. Why is that… Juliet?” I emphasized her name a little more than I should have. Closing the gap she was creating between us. Red spread over her skin. I jerked my head back in surprise. Embarrassed again? Why was she ashamed? She cut off my thinking when I saw her moving past me, saying, “Oh, he is never serious about anything. Forget about it.”

From, I don’t know where… I grabbed her wrist as she moved back towards the class. Feeling even that tiny distance too intensely. The idea of her leaving was too much. Juliet was trying to pull her arm free. Stunned at my own actions, I wanted to let her go. She was yanking on, but my fingers clasped instinctively over her wrist until she knew she wasn’t going anywhere. She spun around, looking at my hand on her wrist. I was bracing for her death stare. The one that could put anyone in their place. I smiled, thinking about it. I would take it. Anything but letting go. Our eyes met, but hers were filled with fear. Panic etched on her features.

Her head started shaking. “No, no, no! Not now! Why did you touch me?”

Her words packed a punch, and they hurt my feelings. She didn’t want me to touch her. I had violated her space. Pained, I reluctantly let go of her.

“That’s not what I meant!” Her words came out exasperated. She grabbed my hand and held it in hers. We stood there like that for a moment. My eyes were on the feeling of her desperately clutching onto me. Whatever was going on had nothing to do with me. She jerked away and disappeared right in front of me. Gone into thin air.

In disbelief, I closed my eyes, shaking my head. I stood there and risked a peek. She was still gone. The space she had just occupied moments ago was still empty. I had my answer… I was not expecting that. Dumbfounded, I glanced around and at the class door. Fearful that someone might have seen what had happened. The wall was covered in windows, but they were all high up because it was a science lab. No one could have seen anything. I turned stupidly in a circle. “What just happened? Where the hell did she go?” I whispered.

The bell had rung. I just stood there trying to keep my composure. Slowly losing it on the inside, holding on by a thread.

Carl and Charlene came over. “Where is Juliet?” Charlene asked.

I didn’t know. How was I supposed to know? The petrified look on Juliet’s face before disappearing made me shake my head. When I spoke, my voice sounded tight even to me. “She had to go to the bathroom.” I cleared my throat. Not convincing at all.

Carl and Charlene stood scrutinizing me. “I will take her bag,” Charlene said skeptically like she suspected there was more I wasn’t saying. She wasn’t wrong. There was a whole lot I wasn’t saying.

“Usually, she meets up with us at the south gate.”

I faked a smile and bobbed my head nervously. “If she comes back to class, I’ll tell her… I’m waiting for Mr. Schneider anyway.” I said quickly to make them move along.

“Thanks, Mr. Rheed.” They both smiled and left with the rest of the crowd.

When all the students were out of sight… I ran to the side of the building, hiding until my friend left for the day. It took a while, but I heard the key turn in the lock. He took the few steps down from the corridor in front of the class. I rested my head on the wall, peering up at the sky. I closed my eyes, contemplating my options. Waiting for his footfall to disappear completely. Still amazed at what had happened.

I slowly walked over to where we stood earlier, searching the ground for clues… Footprints or dimensional portals that opened in the meantime. Just waiting some more, hoping she would appear again. Frustrated, I stretched out my arm in front of me, feeling the air like I was searching. All of it felt strangely familiar… I turned slowly in a circle feeling up and down like I would find her if I just tried hard enough.

***

Juliet

I had mixed feelings when Chris started speaking to me about the sponsorship. I was relieved that he didn’t foolishly begin flirting with me or making advances. Things between us had built up so much. His reaction to seeing me was just as much as mine. We were already invested… Both of us didn’t really know what to do. I could feel myself wanting to manifest and disappear. I had to do all I could to keep myself under control. I tried to leave. Escape and get space from the situation. I felt stupid, blushing like a child…

Then he told me what Carl had done. I faltered at saying anything coherent after that. I had never been so angry at my best friend in the years we had known each other. Why would Carl say that to Chris? He could have told me in more detail about the conversation they had had. I might have listened to them.

Done with the embarrassment! Done with the emotions! Knowing my vampire limitation, I needed to get out of there fast. Already decided, I stomped off no matter what. Whether he had something to say or if he was my superior. I was leaving. It had been a long time since something like that had happened. A very long time since, I felt that out of control. I almost manifested when he grabbed my wrist. The feeling of his fingers on my skin set me on fire. Made me feel every movement from his hand. It took all my faculties not to turn into a vampire. Something was going to happen, and I chose my ability… Rather than Chris seeing me like that.

My back was turned to him, and I reacted by fighting to get loose. He didn't let go no matter how hard I tried. I was stuck… How could I explain it to him? When he let go, his eyes were full of hurt. I grabbed onto his hand, wanting the confusion between us gone… It was all a mess. It made both of us disappear… Geeze! What the hell. I had totally lost control and forgot that I could do that… I yanked my hand away from him. The look on his face changed from confusion to… wtf. He couldn’t see me anymore. I was gone, and he was back in the real world.

Would Chris see the wonder in all of it? Or would he be disgusted when I told him what I was? I was scared that he would say something to his wife or his friend? But... he didn’t leave or freak out. Was pretending the best he could. I was holding my breath… I didn’t know him… Or how he would react to something supernatural.

Carl and Charlene walked past. They didn’t even know… And I was scared about what they would say. We had been friends for so long, but it could all blow up in one simple manifestation.

With his hands in his pockets, his eyes cast to the ground. Chris waited for all the kids to disappear. He hid behind a wall, resting his head back. Moving it from side to side, muttering to himself. I wanted to put my head on his shoulder and tell him everything was okay… I couldn’t. I needed to wait. To see what he was going to come up with.

What he did next surprised me. He walked around the area where we were standing earlier. Searching for clues. I didn’t understand what he thought he would see there. After that yielded no results, he took another moment to think. He stretched out his arm. Moving it up and down and in a circle all around him. He looked like a fool, feeling the air like that. Crazy even. A bark of laughter escaped me.

“Juliet, are you there?” He whispered.

I laughed even louder. I heard a noise... There was someone around the corner. Leaves and twigs snapping under feet. Seeing a movement, I hurried over to flush out whoever was there, spying on us. The spot was empty. I came back to smell the air. I could clearly pick up a scent and in which direction they had gone. It even seemed vaguely familiar. I could have followed the person. Looking back at the useless human still feeling around like a crazy person pulled on my heartstrings. He was worried about me, and I was worried about him. He wasn’t going to say anything. Whoever was spying on us, though… They either saw both of us vanishing or just saw Chris doing weird stuff.

Resigned, I disappeared and walked back over to him. My emotions were back under control. I had to decide if I would appear in front of him again. Or if I was going to leave, waiting for another time to explain. I went to stand really close to him. His hand was running through his hair, the other hanging by his side. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Who would?” I answered.

It happened so fast. Chris stretched out his arm one last time to see if he could find me. It resulted in his fingers touching my arm. He gasped, wide-eyed, gripping me so quickly and hard, squeezing the flesh. His face lit up. “I knew it!”

“What the hell?” I yelled. I tried to get out of his grip… Again. He didn’t let me go until I relaxed. Slowly he slid his hand down my arm. “Juliet… I don’t know what’s going on….”

I knew he was going for my hand. My breath quickened. Too fast for him that time… I jumped away. It was getting way too real.