Author's Chapter Notes:
First of all let me say, I am so sorry for the long wait! I was doing this and another one and I actually started putting parts of the other one in this. So I had to go back, erase and start all over. So once again please forgive me! Also I will post pictures in the next chapter, I am still searching for the perfect DC. (Search has been a pain!) Anywho, I hope you all enjoy. This is a slow chapter but I promise you..The next one(I'm working on now) Will not be slow! I promise.U all may quote me on that.
Once again I hope you all enjoy "Finding Our Way" Chapter 3-Watching."
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
It had been a week since Julia’s accident and everything seemed to be going well. Anyway it was lunch time and like usual Julia and her friends were in the courtyard. Today was the last day of the track season and they were having to good of a time. Their team won every race, they were in 1st place or 2nd. Either way they were a winning team.
“Hey Lia, shake what ya momma gave ya.” Tiffany another runner on the team called out. She was sitting on the bench fiddling with her phone trying to find a good song.
“Girl come on now. You know I don’t dance.” Julia said who was sitting across from her drinking her water. She danced but not many people saw her.
“Yea right. Come on Lia… You know you wanna shake it for us.” Monica urged.
Julia looked at her and stood up. It was about 7 of them sitting around, just jamming to whatever came on the phone’s mp3. “Ok… Give me something good.” She said putting her water bottle down and standing in the middle with her friend Tuck. “You gonna do it with me?” she asked taking off her light sweater.
“You know it baby.” he said. Tuck was a good friend of hers, she trusted him with her life.
The song started and Julia started moving slow. She raised her hands and started moving around in a circle, moving her hips, then dropping to the ground. Tuck started doing the same thing on the side of her. Julia was in the zone! She stuck her leg out and moved her way down, slowly moving her hips before coming back up and popping her booty.
“Oops! There goes my shirt up over my head!” Monica and Tiffany sanged as they too got up and started moving around. It was just fun for them but for Julia she was actually getting it. “Oh snap…Work them hips! ” Monica cheered watching her usually shy friend move around like a pro. “Sister Julia got them baby making hips.” Monica teased. Julia started laughing as she looked at her and shook her head
“So you calling yourself a dancer now?” Somebody asked stepping up and interrupting the party. Julia stopped dancing and looked into the face of Maria. A cheerleader that thought too much of herself.
“Why you bothering people! I mean damn we don’t mess with you, how about you do the same and leave us the hell alone!” Tiffany fussed as she stopped the song and stepped up to Maria. Gently shoving Julia out of the way.
“And if I don’t what you gonna do about it. Go running!” She teased. Her and her wanna-be Destiny Childs posse started laughing.
“Ha-ha! That was so funny I forgot to laugh. How about you go suck on a horn and choke! Bitch!” Monica fussed stepping in this time. Julia stepped in and looked at the group.
“And what you gonna do? Punch me! I dare you!” Maria challenged.
“Double dare?” Julia asked.
“You wouldn’t do it! Mrs. Jones told you one more fight and you won’t be graduating.”
Julia pulled in her lip and raised her fist. She was stopped 5inches away from Maria perfect nose. She looked up and saw him holding her hand. “Don’t do it.” he warned softly.
“Let me go…” she warned back.
“You do it and you don’t graduate. Is that what you really want?” he asked seriously. “Come on Lia, she ain’t worth your diploma! She ain’t worth you staying here another year!”
Julia looked at him and sighed. Damn! Why he had to be so right! Taking a deep breath, she un-balled her fist and lowered her hand. “Your right. She’s not.” she grumbled.
“Thank you.” DC sighed with relief as he pulled her away.
“Good thing I don’t graduate until next year!” Tuck said as he came up and punched her. Maria squealed as she hunched over and grabbed her nose.
“OH MY GOD!” she cried… “I’m bleeding.” She cried as she looked up and gave Tuck a sour look.
“What! You feeling froggy! Jump!” he challenged ready to introduce his fist with her eye. Maria and her whores ran off. In hysterics. Overly dramatic. Tiffany and Monica, gave Tuck his props and they turned the music back on. They went back to dancing like nothing ever happened. All year Maria and her friends bothered them, sometimes even bumped them in the halls. Today was the very last time they even came close!
Julia and Dmitri were off to the side talking. “You gotta get your attitude in check. I mean seriously! You can’t go punching every Tom, Dick and Jane.” he said making her look at him.
“I know but I… I…” She looked up. “Why do you even care?” Julia asked crossing her arms. “You could careless about who my fist hit before but now… Oh I get it! She’s one of your precious whores, don’t want me to give her a makeover.” Nodding. “How could I be so naïve?” she threw her hands up and sighed. Why did she even care? The question she kept asking herself but never found the answer to.
“Julia its not even like that. I want you to graduate just like I want to see you succeed in life. Going around punching everybody is only going to get you into trouble. So what, when your boss piss you off you gon’ punch him?”
She didn’t answer as she looked down and began to shuffle her feet. Dmitri touched her shoulder. “Julia just cool it… Please. A month and a half, can you do that for me?” he begged.
“What’s in it for me?” she asked looking up. Was she blushing? Oh god she was blushing! Was he getting closer? He was! He was!
“I don’t know… What you want?”
“I want you to step away from my girl!” Somebody behind them fussed. Julia looked over DC’s shoulder and saw it was Zach. How was it every time something happened, DC was the first one there but it took Zach forever to come. What was up with that?
“Back off. Why you touching her?”
“Zach calm down, he was helping me.” Julia sighed as she moved from DC’s hand and went to her boyfriend. “He was reminding me I needed to stop fighting so I can graduate.” she said telling the truth as DC turned around and smiled.
“Who were you about to hit?” he asked looking at her.
“Maria… the cheerleader. She was just talking mess and I… Look I was wrong for raising my fist and he stopped me from making a mistake.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “I would have punched her.”
“Glad you would. But unlike you, Julia wants to graduate. She doesn’t need to be here another year. Too smart for that… I guess that‘s why they moved her up a grade.”
“Mrs. Jones was just playing. She wouldn’t keep her behind because she put somebody in their place.” Zach shrugged.
“Come you guys… Let’s drop this. It’s over and I know I need to keep my anger at bay.” Julia chimed in seeing a vein pop up on DC’s forehead. Just then, the bell for their lunch to be over, rung. “Come on baby let’s go.” she urged pulling on Zach’s hand. He reluctantly turned and began to walk away. “Zach he didn’t mean anything by that. He was just talking.”
“So you taking up for him now?” He asked.
“No I’m just saying… Saying that you… look forget it! Just drop it!” Julia dropped his hand and rushed over to the group she left awhile ago. Some boys could be a pain in the ass!
Zach stood there with the dumb look on her face. She just dropped his hand and didn’t look back. What did he do? What did he say?
All the while DC was watching. He knew exactly what he was saying. Knew how to really get under Zach’s skin. Snickering when she dropped his hand, DC nodded. Oh yea she was going to be his girl. And this time he was going to do right.
2 hours until Prom, 2weeks until graduation. The countdown begun a long time ago but now it was very important! It was so close to the end for it not to be.
Julia was in her room, getting ready for the big night. Oh yes! Prom night. She couldn’t wait. She wasn’t excited in the beginning but now she couldn’t wait. She had the butterfly, she had the shakes. She was so nervous. She reached a milestone that every teenage girl took pride in making.
“You are going to look so beautiful once I finish with you!” Debbie exclaimed as she brushed a bit of eye shadow on her pinky and smoothing it on her eyelid.
“You said that over an hour ago. I’m afraid I’m going to look like a clown.”
“That’s when I was doing your hair. You know that natural stuff ain’t easy to handle.” Debbie joked reaching for the lip gloss. “So… You uh… You doing anything tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… Are you doing it tonight?” Debbie asked as she put the lip gloss down and sat on the edge of the bed, in front of her sister. Julia opened her eyes and looked at her oldest sister. Her second mother rather.
“I hadn’t… I mean… I thought about it.” Julie replied shyly. She looked down at their hands and sighed. “I’m just so nervous to even go that far.”
“Well I’m going to say this. Don’t feel pressured in making his night. This about you too and if your ready then you do it. But if you not then you not. You do what feels right to you.” Debbie reached up and twirled a curl around her finger. “You be you. Don’t try to act like one of those fast tail girls up there. That’s not you. That’s not who he fell for. If that is who he thought you were then… Well you know what the deal is.”
Julia chuckled and nodded. “Question… What was your first time like?” she asked quietly. She didn’t feel comfortable talking about this with her mother or her other sister Lauren. It was something about Debbie that made her open up.
Debbie shook her head, thinking about it. “It was magic. It was right after homecoming, we had a dance and after we just hung out. We uh… We went back to his place and he took care of me. He was gentle and caring. Showed me he really cared about me and how I felt.”
“And he still shows you all of that?” Julia asked. Her sister had been with the same boy since her junior year of high school. He was her first and probably her last at the rate they were going.
“He shows me that and more. You know they are worthy of it if they are patient and gentle. Always caring for you. Sticking up for you… Those are the ones you hold on to.” Debbie smiled.
She heard everything her sister was saying and deep down she didn’t feel Zach was that one. She didn’t get that vibe from him but she did love him. A little. She think. Smiling at her oldest sister she nodded. “Thank you Deb.” she said softly.
“Oh shucks… Stop getting so soft on me.” Debbie teased as she stood up and pulled her shirt over her growing mid-section. “Now come on your nephew wants to see all of you.” she said walking behind her sister.
“Debbie can I ask you something else”
“Shoot.”
“What if the person your with isn’t the person you feel that connection with?” She asked still looking forward.
Debbie sighed and turned around. Her sister was like her in more ways than one. “Is this about DC?” she asked placing her hand on her shoulder.
Julia jumped up and Debbie came around to look her in the face. “No! Of course not!” she exclaimed knowing the shriek gave her away. Debbie eyed her and she sighed. “Maybe.”
“Does he know?”
“No… And I don’t want him to.” She fussed getting ready to walk away but Debbie stopped her.
“And why not!”
“Because… I feel if I tell him how I really feel he is just going to laugh in my face and leave me there. I don’t want that… I fear… I fear he’ll reject me.”
“Why would he reject…”
“Because he’s like every boy at that school. He wants a girl that’s thick in all the right places and I am not that! I don’t wear the mini skirt, the make-up, I always have my hair in a ponytail or braids. He wouldn’t’ go for a tomboy. I‘m not pretty enough.” Julia looked down and sniffled. She had to keep her tears at bay, she wasn’t going to shed tears over somebody who could careless about having her to himself.
Debbi sighed and raised her head gently… “Your selling yourself short. Your beautiful. So what you still wear a size 5 and b-cup! That’s you. That’s how god made you. That’s what god wanted you to be.” Debbie spoke softly. “Don’t ever say your not pretty because honey, you are beautiful.”
“Hey! Hey! Let’s see it!” Lauren cheered as she and Angela walked in. Breaking up the moment. Julia turned her back to them and willed her tears to go back in.
“Honey everything alright?” Angela, their mother asked seeing her daughter jerk a bit.
Debbie stepped in. “She’s fine. Just nervous.” She looked over her shoulder, “You ready?”
“Yes.” she sobbed not able to suck the tear in. She caught sight of herself in the mirror that was angled to show only her right side. Julia turned around, facing the mirror. Her own reflection took her breath away. “Oh my god…” she cried covering her mouth and running her other hand down the front of her dress. Debbie was on the other side of the room smiling.
“Turn around girl. Let me check you out.” Lauren urged.
Julia turned around and, her mother and Lauren gasped. She looked over at Debbie who was in tears as well. “So?” she asked nervously.
“Your so… Your beautiful.” Angela cried as she walked in front of her baby girl and stroked her cheek lightly. “You look perfect!”
“Really?” she asked again looking down at the satin, teal gown and then back up at her mother. Angela was crying like a baby. Her baby girl was growing up!
Angela wanted just hug her but she was afraid she might mess her up. “I need to get my camera!” she said as she then walked out the room. Lauren stepped up and smiled.
“Girl you look better than I did! What’s the deal Deb!” Lauren teased as she hugged her baby sister. “You look like a million dollars.” she said pulling back and giving her one more once over. “Let me go tell daddy and Nico they need to get their guns ready.” she teased as she ran out.
Debbie and Julia giggled. “Thank you Debbie… I love it.”
“You remember what I told you. Your beautiful and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” she reminded putting a curl behind her ear.
“I’m beautiful. Nothing and nobody can tell me otherwise.” she repeated. “I love you.” she cried a she and Debbie embraced.
“I love you too momma-kat.”
While the girls were giving Julia her last touch-up, Nico and Larry were in the living room. The doorbell rung. “I’ll get it!” Nico said already know who it was. He ran to the door and swung it open. “Ladies… How are you?” he asked leaning against the door.
“Hey Nicholas.” They chimed.
One of them who already saw his game rolled her eyes. “Nico nobody is here to see you.” Tiffany said as she stepped up to him.
“You know you came to see me.” He said arrogantly.
“Nico… I’m going to count to five and if you are still in my way I will make sure my heel punctures your lung.” Tiffany said in a cute way, mostly being sarcastic.
Nico gulped and let them in. “You lucky there are some pretty ladies with you. Otherwise I’ll leave you out there.” he said smugly.
“Whateva!” She said as Larry came into the hall.
“Hey you all! Don’t you all look beautiful.”
“Thank you Mr. Simmons.” They said with a blush.
It was no secret that they thought Larry was fine. It was no secret that had they been older Angela Simmons would have some competition because the girls that stood in front of him… They would be all over him. Larry knew what they thought about him and he found it cute and funny, but he wouldn’t think about it. He wasn’t the type to do 20 to life. Chuckling he led them to the living room. “She should be out in a second.” he said sitting in his chair.
Monica the one who was crushing real hard, giggled. Getting the other’s to look at her crazy. Tiffany looked to the hallway, hoping Julia hurried up before Monica jumped Mr. Simmons’s bones! Just like magic, Mrs. Simmons walked in with a smile on her face. “Hey girls.” she gushed. “Stand up… Let me see you.” she exclaimed. The ladies stood and put on a show for her. Angela loved them all. They didn’t show too much and didn’t show too little. They were just right. “You all look fabulous.”
“Thank you.” They said one by one. It was 4 of them. Monica, Tiffany, Briana and her twin, Brittany.
“Ok I’m ready.” Julia said coming into the room. Everybody that was in there became quiet. Their mouths fell open and their eyes grew ten times their normal size. Julia looked around the room, “Ok! What’s wrong with you all?” she asked with a little laughter behind it.
“Damn!” Nico swore as he looked at her.
“Boy!” Angela fussed finally taking her eyes off her daughter and looking to her son. “Watch your mouth.”
“I meant dang!” he chuckled nervously. “Sis you look good! I mean seriously!”
“Thank you.” She said with a smile and then looked to her friends. “What do you all think?”
Tiffany walked over to her. “Girl! Don’t make me say what I am thinking. But you look stunning. We never seen you clean up like this. We should have prom everyday.”
“Shut-up!” She yelped as her friends agreed with Tiffany and crowded around her.
To Julia that was all good and dandy but she really wanted to know what her father thought. To her he was the one that gave her the confidence. Sometimes his words were all that mattered. This wasn’t one of those times but his input would certainly help her. “Daddy?” she asked walking up to him. His head was low and his hand was over his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Angela could see this was a father/daughter moment so she ushered everybody out the room and to the kitchen where she snapped a few pictures. Larry picked his head up and looked into her eyes. She was growing up. The little girl that use to bop in his lap until she was 13, was growing up. Standing, he stroked her face.
“Your are amazingly beautiful.” he said before clearing his throat. He saw she was about to cry and he shook his head. “Ah… Nope. Tonight is not the night for tears. Tonight is about smiles.” he said swiping a tear that fell to her cheek. “Give me a smile.”
She managed a smile. “That’s my baby. You do look beautiful. Too beautiful for words.” he spoke with the utmost truth.
“Thank you daddy.”
“Now don’t make me come out there and kill a fool for touching you. I want you all to be far apart!” he demanded.
“Daddy!”
“I’m watching you.” he teased.
Chapter End Notes:
More coming within the next week. My promise! Some suggestions for DC, would help me out some. Again my search has proven to be a pain! Thank you all... Thanks for reading, please tell me that you are still around. Hugs!